Sonic Lost World (2013)

Going through my "Priority Backlog" right now, trying out games I own that I really want to at least give a shot, and this was on it, the Steam port. Does... Does this get any better? I know "play this like it isn't a Sonic game," but that's what it is, and I'm just NOT feeling this. I just finished Windy Valley.

Somehow, Sonic Lost World, outside of the controls, is WORSE on the console it was designed for than the PC port that everyone called broken. You cannot hit enemies at all without getting hurt yourself, among many other gamebreaking faults. This game is 100% dog shit on the 3DS, which was one of the consoles it was MADE for. How the FUCK. I generally try not to "rage" on here but jesus in a snowstorm what a goddamned mess. Maybe one day when I own a computer that isn't a laptop with 4 measly gigs of ram I can play the actually decent port all the way through.

I have to say, I'm about halfway or so through Sonic Lost World at this point, and, coming from someone who's such a big fan as I am (I, uh...I own like, a ton of the early comic books and everything, yeah, I was a loser growing up), this has easily been the best 3D sonic game in recent memory. Obviously the "Adventure" series stands on its own for what it is, even if Adventure 1 is kinda clunky and whatever in hindsight, and obviously "Generations" is awesome cause it's just a walk down memory lane, and while "Colors" did a lot right it just didn't hold my attention enough for some reason, but Lost World is just...the music is awesome and the level design is pretty great and while, okay, the story is whatever (as I said before, looking for a good story to a Sonic game is like asking Michael Bay for an emotionally gripping drama about the complexities of people) overall the package is highly entertaining. I feel like I'm in the minority but this is the happiest I've been with a wholly new 3D Sonic game in a long, long time. I love the way the world is designed, I think it gives enough freshness to it to make it unique and I love the soundtrack more than I explain. We'll see how it all wraps up but yeah, so far easily a 4 out 5 game for me.

While "Generations" was a return to form by being tongue and cheek, rather meta and including both excellent styles of gameplay, and "Mania" was another return to form simply by drawing on the old styles of gameplay that made us fall in love with the franchise to begin with, I'm honestly really enjoying "Sonic Lost World". It's just fresh enough to make it new and exciting, I really dig the level styles, the music is gotdang excellent and while, okay, the story may not be all that amazing, asking for a well written intriguing plot to a Sonic game is like trying to get emotional enjoyment from a Michael Bay movie. I feel bad for Lost World. I feel like it got a bad rap, when it's really a rather solid title thusfar.