The "Professional" Reviews on This Game Are Way Off...
Now to the review; I have played many Sonic games in my day, I was around for the days of the Genesis, and seen the good and the bad of Sonic. This game, I feel, finally goes back to what Sonic does best, Speed.
The speed sections of this game made my jaw drop, I cannot believe not only the speed, but the sense of speed they were able to convey. The stages are well designed, and once you get a little practice with them, it is easy to get up to and stay up to speed through the entire stage, which is a ton of fun.
This game also takes Sonic in a new direction and introduces the Warehog into the picture. Now this part of the game really has a lot of people talking, (mostly bad); but to be honest, I really enjoy this part of the game. I think it adds a little more depth to the game and allows a bit of a break from the speed sections. It's nice to have the option to jump back and fourth between the two.
The story is cute but simple, Eggman has broken the world up and it's up to Sonic to put it back together. Throughout the story you'll run into some old friends (and of course make a few new ones, Chip is a pretty likeable sidekick).
Overall, I think the Sonic team has done a fantastic job with this game, and minor issues aside, (I found some minor issues with the camera on the Warehog stages, but not to the point that the reviewers have blown out of the water). I think the controls on both sections are solid, the soundtrack is a delight and the graphics are beautiful. Here are my thoughts on each:
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 9.0/10
Controls: 9.0/10
Gameplay: 9.0/10
Overall: 9.0/10
Bottom line, this game does not deserve the harsh reviews it has been receiving. I'm not sure if reviewers see Sonic in the title and form their opinions from that without even playing it, but this game really does do a good job in picking the franchise up from many of the beatings it has taken over the years. Thank you Sega for finally giving Sonic a chance to shine again.