As the first real 2D sequel since Sonic & Knuckles in ’94, it’s safe to say that reviews of Sonic 4: Episode I were a mixed bag. Some people felt that nothing could match the nostalgia of their childhood, while others were willing to take Sonic 4 as a 2D Sonic game for the current generation.
I myself liked Sonic 4: Episode I. Sure, it may not have measured up to the Mega Drive era of games, but I’m an adult now. Let’s face it, our perceptions of Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 are compromised by the reality check that many of us were kids when they launched, meaning that our memories and opinions from back then are nowhere near as critical and accurate as they are today.
Would you listen to a review written by a twelve-year-old?
Back then, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was being played alongside Super Mario games. Now, twenty years on, Sonic 4 is played alongside Gears of War, Call of Duty and Uncharted. Attempting to compare it to back in the day or by today’s standards is unjust in my eyes, so when I played Sonic 4: Episode I and II, I approached them both with the intention to judge them on their own merits.
Episode I was fun, plain and simple. But aside from the Sonic-fun factor, nostalgia and blinding visuals, I came away from it with two issues. The first was that it lacked the authenticity of the Sonic series, almost to the point where certain aspects felt almost alien. The second was the difficulty was perfect, until the final level, where the learning curve was way too high.
These two complaints didn’t ruin the game, but as episodic content, I wanted these issues addressed in the next installment.
The question now is: In the nineteen months since Episode I, have these issues been addressed? The answer is yes, but probably not how you’d expect.
Episode II is authentic. The levels feel as though they’ve been ripped out of a Mega Drive, dragged into the 21st Century and given a complimentary lick of HD paint. All of the sounds you subconsciously expect to hear are present.
The soundtrack has even had a huge makeover to make it feel more Sonic-y. There’s been a focus on recapturing the MIDI sounds from the ’90s. On some levels this works brilliantly, and on others it sounds like Sonic Team and Dimps are trying too hard to remind us this is a Sonic game.
And for some reason Oil Desert Zone’s theme is a MIDI rendition of the B52′s song Loveshack. Possibly a nod to the love Sonic and Tails share?
I met the return of Tails with my usual level of cynicism. I hate him. In Episode II, he’s actually pretty useful at first.
Throughout the game, you unlock new co-op moves. Grabbing onto Tails in the air causes him to fly you about the level. Underwater, this can be used to swim about, making navigating the watery depths less of a chore. Tails for the most part is helpful, with the exception of if he lands on a platform, he drops you, and more often than not, this will result in a death.
Example One: During the Wing Fortress homage level, I needed to fly across a gap. Everything goes fine until Tails suddenly remember all the abuse I made him subject to in Sonic 2‘s debug mode, and lands feet-first on a platform and let’s plummet downwards to my doom. I swear he even stuck his middle finger up at me!
Overall, the levels, as in running from left-to-right until you pass a Eggman post, have been improved, and thus, are a joy to play.
But what about my complaint regarding the difficulty curve of the end boss in Episode I?
To make the final boss not seem as tough and less of a nightmare, Sonic Team have made every boss in Episode II unrewardingly difficult.
I love games that make you rage, foam at the mouth, or swear profusely. I’ve played Dark Souls, Magnus: OHD, finished all the extreme tracks on Trials HD and completed all Gears of War titles on Insane. I like hard, I welcome it, and I revel in the satisfaction of completing something that’s been whooping you.
Episode II offers no reward and no satisfaction; merely just an excuse to continue playing.
Playing becomes somewhat tainted, as with every step you take, you’re ever closer to another unfair and unbalanced boss battle. This is a real shame. You can tell that thought and imagination has gone into the boss fights, the problem is that no one during beta testing turned round and explained why super hard bosses are a horrible idea. Or they did and were ignored. I’ll let you judge for yourself.
Another problem is that I can’t fathom who the battles are aimed at. Are they aimed at old folks like me, who played Sonic in their youth, who don’t possess cat-like reflexes? Or are they aimed at the children of yesterday’s players? Kids who’ll play these battles may never want to play a Sonic game ever again.
Sonic 4 is both fun and unenjoyable. It’s beautiful and ugly. It’s a step forwards and a step backwards. Sonic 4 pleases those of us who love the retro Sonic games, and at the same time alienates us in favor of difficulty for the sake of difficulty.
We voiced our concerns coming out of Episode I, Sega listened and fixed what we didn’t like.
We voiced our concerns coming out of Episode I, Sonic Team listened and made every boss super-hard so the final boss doesn’t seem as tough.
I don’t regret playing Sonic 4 in its entirety, but neither can I say I’m happy about it.
