I'm a big Sonic fan and have been since the days of the Mega Drive. However I am not the type to defend the many bad games in the series. Which is why Sonic Generations comes at a crucial time for the series, being the first major game in the series after Sonic Colours bought some hope to the series. Sega have a chance here to make Sonic a respectable series again rather than the joke it's become.
For those not in the know, Sonic Generations is a upcoming game for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo 3DS (with a Steam release rumoured but not confirmed). From what I can glean of the story it's about a new power creating time holes to various points in Sonic's history and Sonic teams up with his past self (referred to as Classic Sonic) to stop it.
Gamplay trailers show levels inspired by previous games. So far we've seen both Classic and Modern Sonic run through the classic Green Hill stage as well as Sonic Adventure 2's City Escape. Classic Sonic plays in the style of the original games while Modern Sonic plays in the style of the more recent games such as Unleashed and Colours.
Getting to the point, Sega released a demo today to celebrate Sonic's 20th Anniversary showing off Classic Sonic's Green Hill stage. I of course snapped it up and had a go with it.
As soon as I booted it up I was treated to a "This demo is of an unfinished product" message before being taken to the title screen where I hear a heavy drum beat which quickly transitions into the classic Sonic theme of the first two games, sending me on a nostalgia trip before I even start the game.
The demo level looks gorgeous with the environment having plenty of detail to it (though it feels a bit too colourful for its own good). Sonic and the badniks also look fantastic and the animations are really fluid and pleasing to the eye. The gameplay on the other hand feels a little unpolished. The physics and controls feel a bit too loose making Sonic harder to control than he should be. I'm hoping this is just due to the unfinished state of the game and will be tightened up before the game's release.
The level design is really good too being a faithful recreation of Green Hill without being a outright copy (though it has been a while since I played Sonic 1). I found myself playing again and again to see the different routes I could take through the level. The music is a recreation of the classic Green Hill theme too. If the rest of the game is like this it'll capture the nostalgia of the series in a way Sonic 4 couldn't hope to do.
Final thoughts: For what it is the demo is awesome and I definitely recommend downloading it if you're interested. The demo is only available till 12 July though so get play it quick while you have the chance.
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