Dig deep enough into this game and you'll be surprised.
This game has gotten a notoriously bad rap by many game critics alike, almost notably because of the Werehog gimmick, but the real question is can they be trusted? To most fans of the franchise, this is a take-it-or-leave-it game. To me it's actually the best Sonic game to come out in such a long time. With the help of a Christmas gift card I picked this one up for $26 and boy was I happy.
The story isn't too important to the game so much as it is the same Sonic-stops-Robotnik scenario as it always was these past 2 decades. What really matters the most is the gameplay as it is divided into 2 parts:
Daytime-Sun Medals are required to access these levels and boy are they worth it. If there ever was a game that'd be so close to capturing the spirit of the Genesis classics, It'd definitely be this one. This game features the 3D adventuring we all loved from the Sonic Adventure series, but very often the level will switch from 3D to old fashioned 2D side scrolling we all know and love from the early games. And best of all, Sonic feels the way he should feel: He fast, very fast! The Hedgehog Engine really keeps the game at a smooth framerate as we see Sonic blazing through these levels at very high speeds. I was pleasantly and happily surprised. 9.5/10
Nightime-Moon Medals are required to access these levels. This was a very controversial addition to this game that set many game critics off, but after playing these levels, I can honestly say, they're not all bad; I actually found the Werehog to be pretty fun. Granted, it is a silly idea, but compared to other gimmicks Sonic Team tried in the past (Anybody remembered Sonic Shuffle?), I think I'd actually prefer the Werehog. While Sonic is about speed and platforming, the Werehog is about beat-em-up, puzzle solving, and platforming mixed together. Feasting my passion for beat-em-up gameplay, I actually enjoyed senselessly smashing stuff up, and while the platforming and puzzle solving is rather tedious, I can still get through these parts just fine. Most of the Sun Medals are hidden in these levels, so I'd suggest if you don't want to keep replaying the Werehog, give each level as thorough of an exploration as you can gathering up most if not all of the medals you need to progress through the game. 8/10
Of course if you dig deep enough into this game, you'll realize the hidden beauty of it. For those who keep saying that you'll spend more time with the Werehog than the Hedgehog are rather mistaken; This maybe true when you're progressing through the game, but when you're replaying these levels, the replay value for the Hedgehog and Werehog is reversed. Frankly, all hardcore gamers will definitely want to keep replaying these levels to get the highest grades--the "S" grade, that is--as well as compete for high scores. Getting the "S" grade for the Werehog levels are pretty much easy to get the second or third time per level, depending on how high you level up your Werehog (Yes, there is a level upgrade system in this game.). However, the same can't be said for the Hedgehog as these levels are a tougher nut to crack; You'll have to memorize every short cut and obstacle in the stage, and it's not very easy to keep track either.
On top of all this, I'd like to say there are more Daytime stages than Nightime. Unless you count the boss levels and the Tails piloting levels, there's a total of 21 Daytime stages and only 12 Nightime stages all located in 9 hub levels. So all in all, it's a fairly even balance of playing the Hedgehog and Werehog.
And of course, the technical presentation of this game is top-notch. The graphics in this game are phenomenal and present much detail, especially in the 1080p hi-def resolution, and the soundtrack is very memorable. The only downside that got to me was the voice-acting--they really couldn't find a better voice for the new character Chip? What a load.
Overall, it's a very fun game. I certainly enjoyed it, and this game is a very good sign for what's to come in the blue hedgehog's future. I can't wait for the next one.