Why am I reviewing Sonic Forces on a retro gaming blog? They bring back Classic Sonic for this entry, and I have some big complaints about this game. As the sequel (but not successor) to Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces brings with it a pretty interesting plot but one that’s more tell than show and has some downright disgraceful gameplay. This game does have some very high-quality graphics and (as is the standard for good ol’ Sonic here) and an amazing soundtrack. But as the other side of this coin goes, those graphics and music aren’t enough to redeem a game with so little gameplay.
So the plot of Sonic Forces is a much darker approach to Sonic as a whole. Eggman has actually succeeded in taking over the world this time and Sonic is dead. Except he isn’t really dead, he’s just been tortured for months. I’m not kidding—this is an actual spoken line in the game. Also for like no reason we have Classic Sonic again. He’s here because… uh…
No reason at all. He’s here for no reason at all, folks. Literally it’s never explained why he’s here. And instead of being from a different time like he should be because he’s Classic Sonic now he’s from a “different dimension.” Like, they don’t explain why he’s even here, but they go out of their way to retcon the entire continuity of what Classic Sonic even is. In Sonic Generations, Classic Sonic was here because Eggman was using a creature called the Time Eater to mess with time, it made sense that Classic Sonic was in that game. In this game Eggman is using a device called the Phantom Ruby controlled by the antagonist, Infinite, to mess with reality. But that isn’t how the Phantom Ruby works. It doesn’t have side effects like this. It has never been shown to have these side effects because it’s a device and not a creature. Classic Sonic is just here to cash in on nostalgia and as an excuse to make 2D levels that are easier to develop for. (Put a pin in this I’ll get back to it.)
The selling point of Sonic Forces to me was, without a doubt, the Custom Avatar. Sonic Forces allows you to play as Modern Sonic, Classic Sonic, and a custom character that you can well, customize! I’ve never brought this up before, but I am a huge sucker for customization in video games. The more you can make the game your own the more I adore it. (This is definitely foreshadowing for a Minecraft review.) The custom avatar actually does have a reason for being in the game, they’re a new recruit for the resistance against Eggman, and it’s actually a well thought out backstory for a custom character, short as it is.
So I didn’t go over Modern Sonic, but he’s really so watered down that most of his moves are just gone. And this is because of the ultimate flaw of Sonic Forces. It’s actually forcing you to do things. This game is so incredibly automated with invisible walls, no camera control, and literally just, parts where you don’t even have to hold your controller. It’s so automated, it’s really hard to feel like you’re even playing sometimes. Sonic Forces tries to make a connected world for Sonic but that doesn’t work if the game is automated all the flippin time. This has one upside for me, and it’s that it’s a fun game to play while talking to people on Discord. It’s so automated there aren’t a lot of parts that require large amounts of concentration, and it keeps the conversation flowing nicely. Now, for this review and for future reviews I’ll be adding a “mechanics” category because the mechanic of making your custom character is actually really fun to me. In the game, there are missions you can complete whether it be sliding into three enemies in a row or completing a stage in a super short amount of time, and all these missions unlock new parts for your custom avatar. This is another reason I like Sonic Forces. I like the little missions, the little goals. It’s neat, I think it’s fun, I can guarantee we will never see this mechanic again because Sonic is more inconsistent than the expiration date of an avocado, but I like it.
Sonic Forces actually looks really good. Like, this is a really good-looking game. The subtle fur textures on the characters are really cool and the graphics just look all nice and polished. And of course, a surprise to no one, the soundtrack is very well composed. I’m actually listening to the vocal tracks for the game right now as I’m writing this, it’s some quality stuff. It’s so good, that sometimes when I’m going through a level and restarting a bunch to try and complete a mission, I’ll stop and realize “Wow this music is really good.” Few games make me consciously think about the music during gameplay like that. Maybe it’s because it’s so automated? Who knows.
Don’t get me wrong, though: this game is a disgrace. I know SEGA and Sonic Team can do better than this. This is truly a new low for Sonic. At least for Sonic 06 you could really see they were giving it their all, but Sonic Forces feels lazy. I’ve seen better stuff from Sonic, he has so much potential, but he is still struggling to find his footing. But it’s been like four years now, so with SEGA taking some time to really think out this next game, I really hope Sonic gets back on his feet. I want to this dude go places, and I wanna see him get there fast.
Gameplay ★★☆☆☆
Mechanics ★★★★☆
Story ★★☆☆☆
Visuals ★★★★☆
Soundtrack ★★★★★