I will summarize everything at the end of this post. Contains little-to-no spoilers.
Alright. Here's what I think about Sonic 4: Episode II.
After a long time playing around in Episode II and occasionally going back to Episode I, I feel like I've experienced the game enough to analyze it and detail my experience through a review. The second installment of the Sonic 4 Saga has been highly anticipated... and highly dreaded. You can't talk about Sonic 4: Episode II without first mentioning Sonic 4: Episode I, along with its many shortcomings and missed opportunities.
To start, the first part of Sonic 4 (I'll just casually refer to it as EPI, if that's alright with you) was one of the most hyped games in the series' history, rivaling that of Sonic 2006 (before we realized that it was going to bomb) and perhaps even the famous Sonic 2, at least among the fanbase. EPI was supposed to bring the series back to its roots in an extremely literal manner; right back to classic 2D platforming with bright colors, catchy and energetic music, and of course, the expansive and fast-paced level design. This was to be the dream game of classic Sonic fans around the world, and as history will tell us, we were massively disappointed.
You can't even blame it on overly high expectations. Certain details and features that were taken for granted in the Sonic series were completely missing. Platforming segments that compliment Sonic's speed were reduced to condensed hallways of spring chains and long drawn out segments of automated boosting beyond the player's control. The physics were abysmally incorrect, ranging from a lack of momentum to a completely nerfed rolling attack. On top of that, Sonic would uncurl when spin-dashing off of a ramp, opening him up to damage to the countless “Bubble Chains” throughout the levels, that is, unless you initiated the homing attack.
There wasn't anything wrong with the presence of the homing attack aside from the more hardcore fanbase who simply didn't want anything in the game that wasn't in the classics, however the move was implemented very poorly and without much thought or creativity. The homing attack would serve to be the key to solving “stepping stone” platforming segments. To be fair, most of the time it was implemented to reach higher paths, but there were many times where the player was forced to cross these “Bubble Chains” over bottomless pits, one of the biggest downfalls of level design in the Sonic series as of late. This is something that has been griped about many times before, so it was very upsetting to see this in such an important game. All of these issues changed the very flow of the game in a way that separated it from the Genesis games they were trying to emulate.
The story of the game was very bare-bones, not unlike the original games, but it seems like it was a cop-out to re-use badniks and other obstacles in this installment. The premise is that Dr. Eggman has had enough of Sonic's meddling, and is out to eliminate him personally. This isn't really an interesting plot. With Sonic 1, for example, there was plenty of back-story fleshed out for South Island, the nature of the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman's goals, etc. In EPI, it feels like it was just tossed in there. It was apparent, that at the time at least, there was no deliberation or design in this story.
Also, the visual design for EPI was cluttered and lacked focus. Rather than move forward and utilize the technology available to them, Dimps and Sonic Team opted for an aesthetic that used pre-rendered sprites and a few 3D models for interactive objects. While this isn't necessarily a “wrong” decision, the graphics suffered from a cheap “plasticy” feel that didn't properly showcase what the series has been capable of. After seeing Sonic Unleashed with its high-fidelity Hedgehog Engine, EPI is very underwhelming.
Additionally, the level varieties were taken from pre-existing tropes and Zones. While it's customary to have the traditional tropical hillside level and the nighttime pinball level, these Zones were not only inspired from, but outright copied popular levels from previous Sonic games, particularly Sonic 1 and 2. Splash Hill is the least offensive in this regard, being no more of a rip-off of Green Hill than Emerald Hill or Seaside Hill, but Casino Street and Mad Gear are blatant HD upgrades of Casino Night and Metropolis from Sonic 2, respectively. The reason for this was to instill nostalgia among the less devoted Sonic fans, and likely to attract newcomers to the general feel of the Sonic franchise, however as a game that refers to itself as the direct sequel to what many consider to be the best entry in the original installment of games, it's very underwhelming and lacks creativity. Even the bosses are direct clones from their respective inspirations, with a few exceptions in how they operate. The same can be said for the Zones themselves, as they do make an effort to stand out from their Genesis counterparts, and to an extent they do, but it isn't enough to shake the overwhelming feeling of rehash. This makes the game feel like a blatant cash-in on nostalgia alone.
To top it off, Jun Senoue, a Sonic music veteran, was the lone composer, and created the entire soundtrack with gaudy synthesizer tones, to the point to where many of the tracks seemed cheap and uninspired. To his credit, many of the songs had memorable melodies and chords, some of which are indeed still stuck in our heads. Unfortunately, not all of the soundtrack was as decently composed, and without a team to work with, Jun Senoue couldn't focus his talents properly.
Sonic 4: EPI was outsourced to Dimps, who it appears had either switched around development teams since the days of the GameBoy Advance, or simply forgot how Sonic games should work. To be perfectly fair, EPI was still enjoyed by many people in spite of the design flaws. The game received fairly positive reviews among critics and fans, and despite its negative aspects, EPI is still a good game. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near as good or well developed as the original Genesis games, and it shows when you ask most of the classic Sonic fans how they felt about it. Dimps and Sonic Team simply did not achieve what they had advertised. Because of their missteps in this game, it was no wonder that the sequel would be met with such a cynical attitude. Would this game be there to right the wrongs of EPI?
To answer that question, yes and no. Yes, they addressed some major issues, and no, they didn't address some major issues. Not making any sense? Well, I'd better explain myself.
First, what does the second installment do differently?
Sonic 4: Episode II (EPII as I'll be referring to) adds more features and collectibles to make it a more in-depth experience. Everyone's favorite high-flying side-kick fox, Tails, has joined Sonic in his adventure after a working on a rocket behind the scenes in the last installment. This team-up of Sonic and Tails is more than what it was in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, however. Rather than just have a second player (or yourself with a second controller, don't kid yourselves) pick up Sonic to fly him up to reach secret areas, there are also some other combo moves that add to the experience. Aside from the tag-team moves being initiated in the single-player campaign (which is the only way to play, by the way, you can't play as Sonic or Tails alone), Tails can carry Sonic underwater and navigate through the waters like a submarine without ever getting tired. When Sonic and Tails are firmly planted on the ground, you can initiate the Super Spindash Combo, which has Sonic and Tails unite into a giant spin-attack that boosts forward and destroys breakable objects and various enemies in their wake. It's similar to the Sonic Boost that has been utilized in more modern games, however don't be so quick to judge: this move feels and handles very differently from the aforementioned ability, for example the Super Spindash Combo is not as fast, it burrows through snow, it will bounce against walls and take a while to uncurl, and other various niggles and nuances that separate it from the infamous Boost ability.
The combo moves make up the core of this game, and even though this is a 2D Sonic platformer at heart, there are areas where you need to utilize these tag-team actions to progress. This can be the game's saving grace as well as its downfall, as there are many sections that are difficult to pass even with the combo abilities on your side. In fact, EPII as a whole is far more difficult than EPI, with difficult jumps, hard-as-nails Special Stages (which we'll get into later) and many bottomless pits, which brings me to my next point, and first big complaint...
The level design is barely improved upon. There are far less Bubble Chains, yes, but for every Bubble Chain that EPI had, EPII has an equal amount of bottomless pits and death-drops. They're not even near the end of the Act all the time, and even find their way in the dead middle of a level. There is a level that is a call back to Wing Fortress Zone from Sonic 2, which has many bottomless pits, and while that may be sensible for its respective trope, Oil Desert, a level taking place in an oil rig in the middle of a desert, can be outright crude (no pun intended) with some of its death drops. Aside from these bottomless pits, there is still a plethora of spring chains and speed boosters. Its a little random how these areas are arranged, actually. There will be a level that actually harkens to the level design of previous Sonic games in the Genesis days, and it will be followed by a level that requires little to no player input. There is little consistency and deliberation, and as such the flow of gameplay is once again compromised. However, don't feel obligated to burn down Dimps' headquarters on my behalf! Things actually do get better from here on out, well, mostly.
There are a few major differences besides the addition of Tails and the tag-team actions. For one, Sonic handles much better in this game. Momentum has been restored, and you will no longer have to push Sonic in a single direction to carry that inertia. Also, Sonic doesn't uncurl when he launches from a ramp in his spin-attack, which to be honest shouldn't have to be a bullet-point for the game. These are things that shouldn't have been an issue to begin with, but the improvements made here are undeniable and very much appreciated. Unfortunately, because of the issues with level design, many of these hearty changes in physics and handling may go unnoticed. Sonic still feels similar to the way he played in EPI, so taking that into account with questionable level design, it's difficult to appreciate the enhanced physics. Another thing that needs mentioning is rolling. Has Sonic's spinball roll been improved? Yes. Is it effective? No. The spin-attack cannot give you an enhancement in speed like the original games, but thankfully, unlike EPI, it won't slow you down to a screeching halt, which is indeed an improvement. This isn't as noticeable however, since, again, the levels aren't really designed around this move. EPII's level design forgoes the classic titles' mindset of platforming and flow to a point where the improved physics barely matter. This is a very sad truth, because it's apparent that the development team has taken the complaints issued about physics and applied them.
Another big improvement is in the visual department. This second installment completely forgoes the preceding pre-rendered method of design and opts for a richer and more immersive effect. Similar to the 2D side-scrolling of Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby Returns to Dreamland, the game takes place in a full-3D landscape while being fixed on a 2D axis. This allows for wonderful special effects, especially in terms of lighting, shadows and level geometry. The game looks much better for it, and it even surpasses the graphical fidelity of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a very popular game with a similar premise to the Sonic 4 Saga in terms of a call-back to classic 2D gameplay.
But how does the game sound now? Unfortunately, Jun Senoue is still the lone wolf behind the sound department, however it seems that he has gotten his guitar-strumming hands on a better soundfont. The soundtrack harkens back to the Genesis games even more-so with this instrumentation, and when the melodies are good, then we are treated to a fantastic example of how these retro throwback installments should sound. But that's where we hit a bit of a snag here... the same issue from EPI of there being a one-man-band is present. This seems to be too much for one man to handle, especially when each Act has its own respective theme and melody. It probably wouldn't be so bad if each Zone had one overarching melody that was slightly remixed for each Act, much like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Advance, Sonic Colors, etc. Instead, we follow the same route as EPI where various tracks will be very memorable, such as White Park Act 1 and Act 2, or just bland and forgettable, with various tracks from Oil Desert and Sylvania Castle as the leading culprits there. Oil Desert Act 2 in particular is just bizarre. So, the soundtrack is very much hit-and-miss, and again this proves that one man cannot develop this many individual melodies by himself. What is certain though is that each track does fit the environment, and for that sole purpose the music does succeed. But in a franchise that is known for fantastic and memorable music, this is a bit of a letdown.
I want to diverge a bit and talk about a topic that in itself is a break from the action: The Special Stages. In EPI, the bonus Special Stages, which were (and still are, in this game) required to unlock the true ending and unlock the almighty Super Sonic, were essentially the rotating maze level from Sonic 1, albeit with a game-changing twist involving the player rotating the maze itself. This allowed for some interesting yet increasingly difficult levels that did indeed harken back to the kind of hard-as-nails brutal hardships you'd face in an old Sonic game. The Special Stages in EPII, much like in EPI, are inspired by a previous game, in this case Sonic 2's iconic half-pipe ring-collecting mini-game. However, it takes cues from Sonic Rush by adding the occasional dash panel to launch you into a line of rings... or cause you to avoid them. There are also some special additions that are unique to EPII, such as a special rubber-band mechanic that catches rings that are in-between Sonic and Tails. This can be especially helpful, if not downright required to collect as many rings as you can before you reach the checkpoint. Additionally, a boost is featured, but it doesn't make you invulnerable; I recommend that you know what you are actually doing before you use it. It is very difficult to control and is only useful when you know how to manipulate it across the half-pipe, as well as how to use it to jump across the side of the path to catch some rings in mid-air. All that being said, these Special Stages are “Nintendo Hard,” that is, you'd better have a lot of patience and time on your hands when completing them. It's very memory-based, and will make you tear your hair out in frustration.
Another thing to make note of is the originality in level tropes. While the opening level, Sylvania Castle, is reminiscent of Sonic 2's Aquatic Ruin, and Sky Fortress is a definite throwback to Wing Fortress from the same game, we are also introduced to White Park and Oil Desert, motifs of which the likes of we haven't seen before. White Park is an abandoned carnival in the midst of a festive winter season, and Oil Desert is a smoggy wasteland with, of course, oil rigs littered around the place. These levels do call-back to previous games, but for once it's in a way that doesn't come across as a blatant and desperate re-hash like EPI. The same goes for the bosses and badniks: we have a few throwbacks, but as the whole, this game, as a modern-day Sonic release, has the most original design yet, if we're willing to overlook Sonic Colors for a moment.
One other little feature that EPII introduces are the Red Rings. Debuting in Sonic Colors for Nintendo-only consoles, the Red Rings were scattered around various levels and collecting them would help unlock some bonuses, namely Super Sonic. In Sonic Generations, the Red Rings unlocked special concept art. In EPII, there is one Red Ring in each main Act, and as far as we know, they don't do anything aside from give you an achievement. This may be because I was playing an early beta of the game, so the circumstances may change once the full version is released.
Last, but surprisingly not least, the story. I severely under-estimated the capabilities of Sonic Team in this regard. While it is certainly possible that EPI had little to no deliberation, EPII completely fixes this. If it was intended to be this way or if this was an amendment to the scope of the Sonic 4 Saga, I think is irrelevant. The story ties Sonic CD and the Death Egg Saga together very nicely, and opens up many questions. Much of this is unveiled in Episode Metal, a game which I wasn't able to play, but was able to watch the cut-scenes for. Episode Metal is available to players who have both EPI and EPII on the same device, and features a playable Metal Sonic as he travels through one Act from each Zone in EPI in a different layout and a different order. For example, you start out in Mad Gear and end up in Lost Labyrinth soon after. With the exception of one Act, each one features a cutscene that explains how Metal Sonic returned from the Little Planet and gained the enormous power that you see him display in his respective boss battles.
Episode Metal aside, EPII, near the end of the game, introduces a very familiar creation of Dr. Eggman's of which I will not spoil, but will certainly open up the possibility for discussion and speculation, something I honestly can't say about the previous installment, or any other Sonic game as of late. After a long time since the Adventure games (yes, that far back!), there is something interesting going on to the series mythos and storyline that has me interested. Regardless of the quality of EPI or EPII, I am not sorry to see these games make an impact on the “Classic Canon” of games. If anything, they're tying everything together.
Taking all of this into consideration, how does Sonic 4: Episode II hold up? Well, it's better than EPI, that's for sure. Is it better or at least on par with the original games? I can't honestly say that it is. From a gameplay standpoint, it still falls short of the precedents set by the Genesis titles, and even taking into account the apparent independence of this game's development history, the Sonic 4 Saga is undoubtedly taking its roots in the classic games, and because of this, it will always be compared to them. This being said, EPII is a very good game. I'll even say it's a great game. Despite the level design issues, high difficulty and the underwhelming soundtrack, the game holds up as one of the better releases in Sonic's history.
So, to summarize...
Gameplay - Solid and fun, despite some level design gripes. The tag-team mechanic is great, and multi-player is a nice touch!
+Highlights - Sonic and Tails plowing through levels with their Super Spindash Combo!
Low Points - We can't switch to Tails, which is a bit of a downer.
Physics - Massive improvement! Not apples-to-apples, but it is now suitable. Rolling needs some work.
+Highlights - Bouncing on top of badniks in succession, just like the Genesis days! And without the Homing Attack.
Low Points - Holding down, expecting a satisfying and fast spin-attack, only to see little to no speed increase.
Comments - Keep up the good work, work on the rolling. Please make sure it picks up some intense speed when going downhill next time!
Level Design - Marginal improvement. Too many boosters and bottomless pits.
-Highlights - Sylvania Castle! Plenty of extra routes and all with little to no automation.
Low Points - White Park Act 2. Levels like this have terrible flow.
Comments - Take out the massive amount of speed boosters and spring chains, and replace them with more creative uses for speed. Fake difficulty is a bad thing.
Graphics - Massive improvement! Couldn't be better.
+Highlights - Sky Fortress Act 3. The beauty is unrivaled in the Sonic series.
Low Points - Not a lot of daylight, but that's just a personal gripe.
Comments - No advice to give, you guys nailed it.
Music - Hit and miss. Better instruments are nice, but less memorable melodies are disappointing.
-Highlights - Act 1 of both White Park and Sky Fortress.
Low Points - Oil Desert Act 2: Day of the Duck.
Comments - Try giving Jun some help. Instead of unique songs for each Act, compose a strong melody for each
Zone, and remix it slightly for each Act.
Story - Massive Improvement! Exceeded my expectations.
+Highlights - The cutscenes, man! I love how the game ties in with Sonic CD and the Death Egg Saga.
Low Points - Having a cohesive story in Sonic 4 (as a whole) took a bit longer than needed.
Comments - I can't wait to see where you go with the story!
Originality - Good improvement. Still seems like they're relying on older games a bit, but there is much more originality.
+/-Highlights - Carnivals in the snow are always good!
Low Points - I love this Zone, but Sky Fortress could've at least used some original badnik designs.
Comments - Throwbacks are nice and expected, but at this point we're kind of tired of seeing remakes of levels from the Genesis games. More originality is encouraged! Try something that wasn't in the Genesis games, like a tropical beach or deep jungle level.
Content - For what we're paying for, this is a lot. 5 Zones, and of course Episode Metal!
+Highlights - Metal Sonic? In Splash Hill!? Say it ain't so!
Low Points - A little more could have been done in terms of re-playability.
Comments - I understand that the team mechanic was a big thing, but playing as other characters on their own with their own unique abilities was a really big strength of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. For the next installment, please consider making alternate and secret paths that only certain characters can access on their own. It'd be a great excuse to bring Knuckles back, or even Amy Rose!
Fun Factor - The game is very fun! Despite the flaws, this is still a great game.
+Highlights - Dashing through loops and ramps while bouncing across colorful badniks.
Low Points - The Special Stages are too hard, and make things too frustrating.
Comments - Work on the difficulty. The bottomless pits and hard-as-nails Special Stages are a bit of a deterrent.
A great game with some blatant flaws holding it back. It's still a fun package overall, but could use some improvements, especially if we're going to compare it to the Classic games from which they inspire themselves.
