by Jmh May 18th 2012, 3:51 am
I got all the red rings, chaos emeralds, beat Episode Metal, and completed the main story of Episode 2. So I guess that's enough for a review:
The first thing you'll notice that has been improved over Episode 1 are the graphics. While they aren't as good as Generations' of course, they still look good enough to the point where they would only need to tweak them slightly in Episode 3 (Assuming they'll actually develop another episode). The music (At least in my opinion) is better too. Though I feel that it's forgettable, when you listen to it, you can actually enjoy it.
But what everyone truly cares about is the gameplay, and while I can definitely say that it isn't quite on the same the level as the classic games, it's certainly a step in the right direction from Episode 1. The physics are actually pretty natural this time whereas in Episode 1 it almost felt like the physics were the gimmicks itself. Still, they don't quite have the free feeling that the classics did. That's the thing, it doesn't feel as free as it should. I can't quite wrap my finger around it, but it's as if the game has the level design of a Megaman game, but the gameplay of a Sonic game (Admittedly that's a bit of an over exaggeration, but still). It's not necessarily buggy, nor are the physics restricting, but it's just a little automated at times.
Another thing that contributes to the points I mentioned above, are the combo moves that you do. A lot of the times, they force you to do a combo move with Tails, which isn't really as bad as it sounds, but there is one move that's basically like the frenzy wisp in Colors, but less rewarding and more cheap.
All in all though, the game's still fun, and unlike Episode 1 I'll probably being replaying this one from time to time. However, like Generations, it feels like it's just too small. I know that sounds greedy, and while it kind of is, I feel that a lot of the recent Sonic games have this problem, where you find every secret, every unlock-able, and yet you feel like you just got started. It sort of sucks the re-playability away. But that's only a minor complaint as quality overall triumphs over quantity. After all, the classic games were very short, yet most consider them the best in the series.
Oh, there is another minor downside that I won't get too worked up over, but will address. As you probably know, owners of both Episode 1 and 2 get the free Episode Metal DLC. However, all it contains are four acts, each of which are based on the four zones in Episode 1, and I personally felt that the opening act was surprisingly and delightfully challenging, while the other three, especially the last two, were very easy and unsatisfying. However, it's free so I can't complain too much. But if you didn't get it for free, I'd recommend not wasting your money on it, unless you're a diehard Sonic fan.
One more thing: I played one game of the multiplayer, and for me, it was very laggy, and felt more like a race than the co-op mode it was trying to be. But I only played one game so I won't jump to too many conclusions.
Overall I give it a solid 8.2/10.
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