FreedomFighters 7

A brand-new 3D "Sonic" game has the community split in two? My, where I have seen this before? Oh, right, almost every Sonic game! "Sonic A brand-new 3D "Sonic" game has the community split in two? My, where I have seen this before? Oh, right, almost every Sonic game! "Sonic Forces" has been a bit strange ever since it was first announced: the first true 3D "Sonic" game since "Sonic Lost World" in 2013...has Classic AND Modern Sonic? Again? And now you can create your own character? Huh? There were a lot of questions about the game, with many uncertain as to whether or not it would be good, especially after the release of the excellent "Sonic Mania" earlier this year. And I can honestly say that, while this game definitely disappoints in a number of ways, I still find it to be pretty enjoyable.

There are quite a few things to like about "Sonic Forces": for starters, it controls very well, which is something not a lot of 3D "Sonic" games can say. It's also pretty fun to play, and all-around, the game works: this isn't another "Sonic 06" where the game is buggy or hard to play: it's easy to get into and there's some fun to be had with it. The visuals are also gorgeous, the soundtrack is rockin', and there's plenty of fanservice here, what with all of the different characters from the series that appear here.

However, that leads into one of my biggest problems with the game: that it feels like the story was just taken from fanfiction.net or another similar site, as characters from throughout the series are thrown in for no reason other than just to remind you that they exist (and to remind you that you're playing an "anniversary" title of sorts). On top of that, while the game is fun to play, it's "Sonic" for better and for worse: it feels like "Sonic Colors" and "Sonic Generations," of course, but it does nothing to really keep the series fresh after four years, and instead it takes a few steps backwards: the game itself is more streamlined, it's a bit too simple, the levels (and the game itself, for that matter) are ridiculously short, the bosses are a bit repetitive, and the 2D Sonic levels feel like they were just slapped in to remind you that "Sonic Generations" exists.

With all of this in mind, it sounds like I really don't like this game, and that's actually not true: though extremely flawed, and nowhere near as good as it should've been, I actually had a pretty fun time with "Sonic Forces." The game will definitely not please everyone in the fanbase, but I can look past the flaws when the game itself is still quite fun and exciting, and all in all, I actually recommend that you all give it a shot because, even if you find yourself hating it, I think with a game like this, it's worth playing to see which side of the fence you sit on.

Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good" … Expand