REVIEW

Sonic Forces Review

by Rob Pritchard, November 16th, 2017

It is no secret that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has had its fair share of successes, as well as some particular titles which have gone down in history as a stain on the series reputation. Earlier this year, we reviewed Sonic Mania which undeniably proved that there is still a place for the blue blur’s 2D efforts. Now it’s the turn of Sonic Forces, which represents the other half of the company’s plans for their infamous mascot. In what seems like an impossible chain of events, Dr. Eggman has finally succeeded in conquering the world with the help of his latest creation, a robotic warrior by the name of Infinite.

As if this weren’t terrifying enough, he has also managed to neutralise and capture Sonic. Six months after this ordeal, a group of resistance rebels lead by Knuckles the Echidna are joined by a new recruit, as well as the Classic styled version of Sonic, who has been transported to this alternate universe after the events of Sonic Mania. After freeing their world’s version of Sonic from Dr. Eggman’s rebuilt Death Egg, the resistance must work together to destroy Infinite, and put an end to the Eggman Empire once and for all. The plotline is fairly enjoyable, and is considerably darker than previous entries. Most of the script suits the mood of an apocalyptic story, but there are a few places in the script that could definitely do with a rewrite, as they feel decidedly out of place or rush the story forward without a plausible explanation.

The main gameplay of Sonic Forces is divided into thirty distinct levels, which are separated into four different types of stage. The levels navigated by Modern and Classic Sonic should be instantly familiar to anyone who has played Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations. The Classic Sonic areas stay true to the tried and tested 2D gameplay that was made famous in the days of the SEGA Mega Drive, except with the addition of the Homing Attack, and the Drop Dash which was a new move in Sonic Mania. It’s definitely recommended to use these moves often, as the regular running pace of the hedgehog feels slightly stunted when compared with older entries. The Modern Sonic stages feel mostly the same, with the only noticeable change being that the areas you speed through feel slightly narrowed, which doesn’t allow much room for freely choosing your direction or using the shoulder buttons to change lines in mid run.

The next style of gameplay as where you play as the new resistance member, who is also known as the Custom Hero or the Avatar. During the opening sections of the game, you are asked to create your character’s appearance, as well as their voice, their gender, their clothing and their species. The option to make your own character isn’t a new concept, but the amount of customisation on offer will certainly allow for some truly unique creations to be born. One of the highlights has to be the bonus outfit packs which are included with the game, so you can dress your player as NiGHTS, or wear the Persona 5 protagonist’s outfit whilst you save the world from Dr Eggman. Although the range of parts may feel small at first, completing newly unlocked stages will earn you a vast array of new clothing, and these bonuses are further increased if you gain the highest rank possible in each level.

Your Avatar, which is known as Rookie by the game’s cast, controls in a similar manner to Modern Sonic, as they can switch between 2D and 3D perspectives at certain areas of each stage. They do not have Sonic’s trademark speed, but each Avatar species has a unique ability that gives them an advantage as they traverse each stage. If your Avatar is of the feline variety, they will always keep a single ring if they are hit by an enemy, whereas a bird type character will be able to use a double jump to reach areas which other characters cannot. Each species abilities are unique, and give the player a choice of ability or aesthetic when it comes to their character creations. The only downfall of the Avatar system is that you can only create a second character once the game’s storyline has been completed. From a narrative perspective, this option is understandable, but it would be nice to have the option to choose another Avatar to play through earlier stages instead of waiting until the world has already been saved.

Each Avatar can also wield a weapon known as a Wispon, which has two different kinds of attack. The first is a simple projectile or a beam type move which can quickly eliminate enemies, and the second is a Special Attack which requires you to collect the Wisps that first appeared in Sonic Colours to be activated. Without a doubt, one of the most useful weapons is your default Burst Wispon, which allows you to continuously release a blast of energy which destroys enemies and propels the Avatar higher up the stage. If you get bored of this, you can unlock additional weapons alongside new clothing parts, which contain additional abilities such as retaining rings or additional invincibility time.

The final type of Stage is known a Co-Op or Duo Stage. In these levels, Modern Sonic and the Avatar work together in order to reach their goal. For the most part, you control Sonic with his speed, but when you want to attack, the Avatar uses their Wispon to deliver the ultimate blow to their robotic foes. It is a shame that these stages are not more prevalent, as they are some of the best designed levels in the entire game. In each of the different types of stage, the controls are decidedly tighter than Generations, which is a definite improvement, as it was often frustrating to controlling his direction in the middle of a jump.

From a graphical perspective, Sonic Forces uses a higher resolution version of the models seen in Sonic Generations. The additional lighting and visual effects make each level feel vibrant and immersive, and the frame rate remains at a solid 60 fps thanks to the additional power of the PS4 Pro. The only change occurs during the cut scenes, which feel at a slightly slower pace than the rest of the proceedings. The soundtrack of Sonic Forces is the usual mixture of epic orchestral tunes and catchy JRock vocal tracks. One of the highlights is Fist Bump, the main theme of the game which is sung by the lead singer of the American group Hoobastank. The character voice acting is the same high quality dialogue we have come to expect, with Mike Pollock once again proving that he is the quintessential Dr. Eggman that we love to hate, and Roger Craig Smith as the titular speedster with quips coming from his mouth as fast as his feet will carry him.

Overall, Sonic Forces is a solid game with pleasing graphics, enjoyable gameplay and a high energy soundtrack that will please many returning fans. While it is not as innovative as older 3D entries in the series such as Sonic Generations, it does offer a step in the right direction for the blue blur that will eventually bring him back in the spotlight where he rightfully belongs.