It’s bemusing to think thatSonic 4, the game everybody wanted, is getting upstaged bySonic Colors, a game that continues in the same tradition as games people hated. That is exactly what has happened, though.Sonic Colorsis looking damn good in spite of its 3D leanings, and it’s getting all the attention.
Sega rolled into PAX Prime with an all-new build of the Wii version and Destructoid was on hand to check it out. Read on to find out how the game is shaping up!
When I last playedSonic Colors, I came away with the impression that Sega had taken all the good bits fromSonic Unleashed, and left all the garbage behind. Having played yet more of the game, I see absolutely nothing to dissuade me from this opinion.Sonic Colorsis still everything good aboutSonic Unleashed, without the crap.
So, what is it thatSonic Colorsis doing that previous 3DSonictitles isn’t? Part of the appeal is the removal of cheap pitfall deaths. One of the worst parts of previousSonicgames was the fact that the fast-moving hedgehog was expected to blitz along precariously thin platforms without any rails. The focus on death-plummeting appears to have been totally removed fromSonic Colors.
Without the reliance on pitfalls, Sega has worked harder on level design. One level involves Sonic having to run along a platform full of gutters, timing his approach to avoid gigantic missiles that regularly fly his way. Many sections of the game switch to a 2D perspective in the same seamless fashion thatSonic Unleasheddid, only the platforming is much tighter and more fun to control.
The Wisps are a big part of that, conferring special abilities upon Sonic once collected. I got to play with new Wisps, such as the green one that transforms Sonic into a little ghost-like creature, but the yellow Wisp is still the star of the show. Being able to drill through levels is bizarrely satisfying and has yet to get old. We’ll see how it fares in the full game, but right now it’s pretty awesome.
Sonic Colorsis looking like a potentially fantastic little game. Usually, 3D Sonic games manage one good stage before turning to trash. I’ve played about six or so stages and so far, they’ve all been fun. The transitions from 3D to 2D perspectives, the solid level design, the unique Wisp powers and the fact that it isn’t a broken, cheap, lazily designed load of jizz is makingSonic Colorsa serious prospect.
When you think about people playing a 3DSonicgame that doesn’t make their eyes bleed, it’s small wonder thatColorshas managed to upstageSonic 4.
