Sonic Mania Review

Slight Spoilers for Sonic Mania and Forces

Sonic Mania is SEGA's latest attempt to appeal to the "Classic" Sonic fanbase. And it does an excellent job in recreating that classic feel that the original games had. Its ironic because Sonic Team didn't make this game, this game was developed under Sonic fans who have had previously made their own fangames in the past. So... What makes this game so great? Find out below.

The Story

Well the story in Sonic Mania is... Basic to say the least, however that isn't really a bad thing. In recent years we've had many Sonic games which focused alot more on story than the classic era games did, some highlights are Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Unleashed which both included a very deep and meaningful story, however in Sonic Mania's case, this is the first Sonic game since the classics which just focuses on the gameplay and not shoehorning in loads of cutscnees and Sonics friends etc.

Sonic Mania begins with Sonic and Tails discovering a new item which is being stolen by the Hard Boiled Heavys (Eggmans new henchmen). Throughout the game Sonic and Tails chase after the robots in an effort to once again defeat the "retired" Dr Eggman. However this new item, now known as the "Phantom Ruby" teleports Sonic to locations and from past and some locations which have never been seen before. In the end, the true game reveals that Sonic gets teleported to the Sonic Forces timeline meaning that the two games are indeed linked.

The story in my opinion is just right for this type of game. I'm glad the development team were not forced to put in an overly complex story in the game. This is what Classic Sonic games are meant to be in terms of story, short, sweet and simple. In my honest opinion, a simple story like this makes me honestly prefer this game over some Sonic games including Forces.

The Gameplay

The gameplay from Sonic Mania is taken straight from the classic games but it does those games justice by presenting a much more confident and polished gameplay style. Much like the original games you have 3 playable characters, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. Each character has their own special traits, Sonic can do the brand new Drop Dash, Tails can fly and Knuckles has his signature Glide move.

Each of the characters all play espaically well, the addition of the new Drop Dash really helps to build on and expand Classic Sonic's moveset. The game is built using the Retro Sonic engine which means the games physics are perfectly on pair with the classic games, even more so than Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 and Forces.

Special stages make a return, this time you have two different variants of special stages. The Blue Sphere special stages from Sonic 3 & Knuckles make a return for the first time! These stages are personally not my favourite but they play well and are a great addition to the gameplay. Then we also have a brand new type of special stage which looks to be inspired by the infamous Sonic R, these are my favourtie special stages in any Classic Sonic title, they are really fun to play.

Overall the gameplay in Sonic Mania is certainly the strongest point of the entire package, one would even say that the gameplay here is a much needed improvement on the original classic formula. The gameplay manages to build upon the classics without having to add any pointless and forced gimmicks, take note Sonic Team.

Green Hill is back again...

The Visuals + Level Design

The graphics in Sonic Mania are outstanding, it uses the old classic sprite look of the originals and turns it into some truely wonderful to look at. The characters in the game all have more frames of animation than they did originally so everything is just brimming with life here. The stages also look incredible with updated sprites from classics. Everything here is just what you'd expect from a true sequel to the original games.

The level design is also pretty good, not perfect but really good all the same. Its clear that the developers took inspiration from Sonic CD when it came to level design because annoying designs come straight from Sonic CD. But other than that the levels are entertaining and encourage you to explore, although the level design does sometimes make it harder for the player to reach the end before the 10min time out occurs.

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack in Sonic Mania is outstanding. It is a mixture of both remixes and brand new tracks, two highlights for me is the final boss theme and the Press Garden theme. The music was composed by Tee Lopes who is well known for his remixes for the Sonic series. Overall the soundtrack is solid and really helps to bring the game to life!

Verdict

Sonic Mania is an excellent game, it helps bring the classic formula back in the modern age of gaming and best of all, it pleases all of the classic sonic fans. This is the true Sonic 4, this game certainly deserves all of the praise that it gets. You can tell that this game was built by developers who have a passion for Sonic.

Apart from a few level design issues this game is an absolyte masterpeice, if Sonic Forces let you down then go and play this right now!

9/10 - Amazing

Pros

Beatufuil visuals

Excelent soundtrack

Gameplay true to the originals

Cons

Level design can sometimes suck

Game can be beat in under 3 hours

No online VS mode

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