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  • Depending on your perspective, I'm either a good person to talk to about Sonic games...or

  • I'm the last person you want to talk to about Sonic games. That's because I have no attachment.

  • No nostalgia, no childhood memories to influence me. I didn't grow up with a Genesis. I hated

  • the Genesis. And I didn't like the Sonic games, either.

  • But recently...there was this game called Sonic Colors. And I loved it. And I think

  • that speaks volumes about that game. About how good it really was. And about how far

  • SEGA had come in relearning how to make Sonic games. Or at least, how to make good Sonic

  • games. And so, as weird as it may sound, I was actually looking forward to Sonic Lost

  • World.

  • And I'm happy to report that, it doesn't disappoint...that much. I mean, it's not as good as Colors,

  • but...it's the second-best Sonic game I've ever played.

  • Then again, I might be the last person you want to talk to about Sonic games.

  • In fact, part of the reason I like it so much is that...in some ways, it's not really a

  • Sonic game. The speed, the chaos, that whole "I have no clue where this level ends, but

  • if I go really fast, I'll probably just find it" approach to game design? That's all gone.

  • Lost World is a slower, more deliberate platformer...which is great for me.

  • When I play a platformer, I want to take my time, enjoy myself, make fun jumps. Not just

  • run around so fast that I can't even see anything. So I actually like this new approach for Sonic.

  • And incidentally, I can also fully understand why Sonic fans hate it.

  • And Sonic fans won't want to hear this, but...it might as well be called Super Sonic Galaxy.

  • Because that's all it is. Combine those on-rails 3D Sonic stages with the planetoids of Galaxy,

  • and throw in some 2D Sonic levels along the way. Slow things down, make it more platform-focusedthat's

  • Sonic Lost World. If you're a Sonic purist, that's gonna upset you.

  • Actually, that's gonna infuriate you.

  • For everyone else, though...I'm not sure it's a bad idea.

  • But you know what? Let's start therewith the bad. Because as its negative critical

  • reception might suggest, Lost World has its fair share of bad. Once again, as it so often

  • is with Sonic, the controls are just awful. It is a slower game, but it seems like no

  • one told Sonic...because he's still momentum based. Which means, when he's just walking,

  • it's a nightmare.

  • He has to slowly build up, which is like walking in mud...and that's fine for a game based

  • on speed. This is not that game. This game actually requires some platforming. And the

  • controls are really at odds with that. For future reference, SEGA...if you're going to

  • copy from Mario, copy his controls. Mario is tight and immediately responsive. Sonic

  • is anything but.

  • Actually, if Sonic controlled better, I wouldn't have much to criticize here.

  • In fact, for the most part...I actually like Lost World. And I would love it, if Sonic

  • controlled like a thing with legs instead of a thing with wheels. I mean, the level

  • designs are clear Galaxy rip-offs, there's no denying that. But within that context,

  • there's some real creativity. These levels are a lot of fun to play. There's plenty of

  • hidden pathways and things to find...and you know, even though there's more opportunity

  • for deliberation, it's still balanced with Sonic-ness.

  • You still have to get to the end within the time limit. So...it's, like, you can play

  • slowly, but the faster you go, the more you can get away with exploring. It's a pretty

  • cool dynamic...even if it's unintentional, which it may very well be.

  • And obviously, another highlight is how the game looks. The levels are just beautiful,

  • and they stay within that classic Sonic style. The checkered hillsides, the casinos, the

  • beaches...it might not always play like an old Sonic game, but it certainly keeps the

  • style. And it looks fantastic on the Wii U.

  • In fact, I'd like to stay a little longer, and actually explore these levels and soak

  • in all the interesting layouts and locations...but alas, even in Lost World, you can't really

  • do that.

  • I guess that's not a Sonic thing. Everyone's in a hurry, with their red sneakers.

  • And that's the thing. I mean, I can see why people are so upset about Lost World. It's

  • sort of a weird move for the series, especially considering the roll it's been on. But for

  • me? I go into this looking for a good game, not necessarily a good Sonic game. And it's

  • a good game. It's still a little rushed for my tastes, but I suppose that's the point.

  • And those momentum-based controls still irritate me, but I suppose that's Sonic.

  • And there's no reason for a Sonic game to have this much of a story and this many cut

  • scenes, but I suppose that's...actually, I don't know what that is.

  • But I'll say this. It's not 1993 anymore, and for Sonic to stay relevant, he needs to

  • try these things. He needs to be more modern, and more inclusive. Frankly, he needs to be

  • better. I'm probably in the minority that likes this game, but that's the one thing

  • we can all agree on.

  • Sonic Lost World could definitely be better.

Depending on your perspective, I'm either a good person to talk to about Sonic games...or

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