Sonic Heroes Is A Great Game Overall, But Yes, The PlayStation 2 Version Is A Real Let-Down
The version quality, from least to greatest, is: GC, XBOX, PC, PS2. GC shines out over the rest with it's stunningly beautiful graphics and high-speed chaos that lets you know you're palying a Sonic game. The game's camera is noticeably better then the other 3 versions, not to mention how bulky and crampy it looks on the PC. The main reason for this is because the previous Sonic games ("Sonic Adventure 2: Battle" and "Sonic Adventure DX") were made only for GC. I wish they'd realease them for other systems (as I have a PlayStation 2 and I really love the Sonic Adventure games), but they didn't. So, Sonic Team had quite a bit of practice with GC. The only reason they even released it on other systems at all is basically because of fans who weren't going to go out and buy a GameCube just because Sonic games were only released on the GC. I think, in order to satisfy XBOX owners, they threw together the XBOX Sonic Heroes, which wasn't as bad as the PS2 version, but it still didn't do much better.
After playing the GC version, I switched to the XBOX, which frustrated me in 5 minutes. i noticed some looser controls and a camera that drove me insane. I also found myself unable to see where I was going sometimes when I was flying with Charmy, and trying to spot the opposing teams when you're facing them (like Team Sonic VS. Team Rose), is extremely difficult. Overall, the GC version was brighter and easier to play. Then I tried the PS2 version, thinking it might be better. No, it wasn't.
The PS2 version was a very loose, very slow, very choppy version. Sonic Team seems hellbent on getting the job done, but they lost their quality finishes completely. Once again, they had decided that they'd just throw this game together to please PS2 owning fans like me. With another 6 months or so of fine tuning and adjusting everything to make it work as well as the GC version, this and the XBOX version could have been big hits. Unfortunately, Sonic Team didn't want to wait. Yes, I've even found myself falling through the ground, areas that I thought were solid. I've never noticed this is the GC or XBOX version, but it's a consistent problem in this version. No, I recommend getting this game only if you don't have a GC and you've got your mind set that you won't run out and get one just because you want the best version. At best, I recommend adding this game to your collection only if you're like me, a true Sonic fan who isn't going to miss out because this isn't the best version out of all.
The PC version is exactly the same as the XBOX version, though it is an extremely xcramped version. It's extremely hard to see past the characters in this version, though.