Sonic Lost World [Wii U]

Like many Sonic games, Lost World seems confused whether 3D Sonic is better than 2D - so switches between the styles - even in the same level. The game feels like it wants to be modern but can't quite let go of the past. It wants to try new ideas, copy ideas from previous Sonic games (like the cavern where you are perpetually sliding down water), but yet also copies what Nintendo was doing with Mario Galaxy with the small spherical landmasses. Some of the spherical or cylindrical areas are a little small, so if you go fast, there's too much rotation and disorientation. I feel like with a few tweaks, the game could be way more enjoyable than it is - because it is often hindered by small frustrations with the game design.

It's got many of the modern moves like a run button, instant spin dash, homing attack, and double jump. Then also got some parkour moves where Sonic can run up/along walls, and grab hold of ledges to pull him up. You can get through most of the game without knowing about some of the mechanics, and can get through other parts without mastering them. Then there are some levels near the end which seem to have an expectation that you have an understanding of the wall running. The move-set seems confused in these games - like it wants you to run fast but then it's hard to maintain speed, or accurately attack enemies - so then you have these moves that allow you to instantly go fast or instantly attack enemies and don't have to line up. It sometimes feels like you are on rails and can just bypass some sections of the levels.

I generally think there is more emphasis on platforming but then it seems like the designers feel like the level isn't fast enough so then throw a section where you are just watching Sonic bounce between sequences of springs, or are propelled at speed through long corridors or loops. It's there for the spectacle but doesn't help the gameplay. There's the usual invisible springs which I think are an absolute bane in the series - if I am heading towards the end of a platform at speed, my instinct is to jump, not do nothing and hope a spring pops from the ground and propels me to the next section. Platforming is about quickly reacting to what you see on screen. It wasn't a good idea in the original game, and is still not a good idea all these years later.

The 3d levels look like they would have some kind of exploration but you can never move backwards, (well, you can but the camera doesn't adapt). There's definitely split paths on the levels but if you don't react quickly or replay by trial and error, then you will miss the sections.

There's some Powerups which it doesn't explain well. You have a briefcase icon which can store a set of items and activated in the level. These can be extra life, speed boost etc. There are also Wisps which I assume came from Sonic Colors and got slapped in here. Some are mandatory to use, like using the rocket to move to the next landmass, or the drill to dig underground. Many wisps sometimes feel forced in and aren't utilised well.

When you jump, you can perform a homing attack or kick. I think the kick only was explained about 75% of the way through the game, yet I think it was necessary against some enemies earlier on. The main problem is that the Icons on the UI aren't labelled with a button. There is also a tutorial icon that appears which is a question mark surrounded by loads of colours. It was at that 75% mark where I understood what it was, so I'd missed out on these prompts. I also found a video review on Youtube where the reviewer explained he got stuck at that same point and read about the kick move from an online guide; so it wasn't just me. I always forgot that pressing the right analogue stick will pop up the item menu. It's easy to forget that is a button on your controller, never-mind it is used in the game.

They are still using the traditional lives system; 100 rings to gain an extra one (I wonder if this feature was patched in because I saw some reviews claim it isn't here) and some extra lives are found on the stage. I find the system very archaic. All this does is frustrate less-skilled players because instead of being placed back at the checkpoint, you are forced to replay the level from the start. When you lose all your lives, you are restocked with 9. So when you have less than 9, what is the point in starting a new level and attempting it properly? You may as well suicide to regenerate your lives. But then the system may as well just not be here. If you die a few times in the same section, or are down to your last life, a powerup appears which just instantly skips the section. To me, this just seems an admission from the game designers that some sections have difficulty spikes...

There are some major difficulty spikes, usually mid-level because sometimes it throws new mechanics at you. Some mechanics shouldn't be hard but the inconsistency can be janky. E.g. There is a level where there are flower buds, and jumping on them opens them up so they are platforms...apart from when they refuse to open and then you die instead. I did suspect it was because they are placed on the curved geometry and it wasn't registering the hit due the camera trying to pan as you are moving. The camera pan can make you miss jumps too.

You look how Nintendo introduces hundreds of ideas in Donkey Kong Country Returns/Tropical Freeze and executes them perfectly, then you compare it to this which has ideas but they don't quite pull it off. I think why Nintendo makes it work is because the ideas are introduced early in the level and are used throughout the level, slowly increasing in challenge. Here, they just seem randomly thrown in, sometimes just in one small section then never seen again. Speaking of Donkey Kong, there are some sections just like the DK Minecart levels. It is really easy to lose lives here due to the trial-and-error nature of this style, and awkward jumps and enemy positioning.

There's a couple of levels that have a Flappy Bird-like style. The twist is that pressing jump moves you down and you automatically move up. Hitting the top of the screen hits an invisible wall, but going off the bottom is instant death. Why? It doesn't visually make sense either; why is Sonic flying horizontally through the air?

Even the theming seems a bit random. There's a casino in the ice world. It's not even consistent in theme within a particular level. There's some bonus levels like the Nights boss rush level. On the Wii U (where it was originally an exclusive), there were some Nintendo-themed levels.

Some of the boss fights are really easy; a few I defeated within seconds which seems a big flaw in the design. The boss character design ("Deadly 6") is lame - just simple shapes and bold colours. The personalities are pretty cringey especially the emo one who is spouting nihilistic views. The general voice acting and dialogue isn't that bad but does have its moments of bad writing or delivery. There's a basic story which is told via cut-scenes at the start of the levels. Robotnik wants to use the planet's energy, but not destroy it. After Sonic knocks a control device out of Robotnik's hands, Robotnik loses his command of the Deadly 6 who then want to use Robotnik's technology to destroy the planet. Robotnik then teams up with Sonic and Tails to stop them. This doesn't affect the gameplay because you can't play as Tails or Robotnik.

Some of the levels require a certain amount of freed animals to unlock. I didn't think this was a problem because I either had enough or just needed a minimal amount to progress. You free them by defeating the robotic animals or finding the cage devices.

It amazes me how the Sonic franchise is much-loved yet people hate 80% of the games. I actually enjoyed Sonic Generations and this feels similar in parts. I want to like Lost World, but it's a bit confused and too frustrating. It kind of feels like it is influenced by Nintendo but doesn't match their expert game design. Maybe they should have just let Nintendo actually make it.

Sonic Lost World tries many new ideas to carry the series forward. While some of it lands, a lot of it doesn't.

After the success of Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, people believed that Sonic was back in the glory days where the franchise wasn't seen as a laughing stock. All was good. Sega found a formula that worked. You would think that they would stick to it... But they didn't at all for their next entry.

Sonic Lost World is one of the most interesting titles I have to review in this entire Sonic The Hedgehog retrospective because unlike the games to have come before it, it plays nothing like a traditional Sonic game. It tries way too many ideas and I think the game suffers from that.

If I have to say something nice about the game... The presentation and color look incredible. It's a very visually stunning game. Once again, like most Sonic games, the soundtrack is pretty good. And the gameplay (When it works) feels great.

Notice how I said, "When it works"?. Well, that is one of the main issues with this game. The gameplay. For starters, putting a "Run" button in a franchise all about gaining momentum is pretty dumb. It kind of defeats the purpose if you can just press a button and be max speed. The jump button and homing attack are horrible in this game because they completely halt your speed and leaves you dying a lot. You will die a lot... Not because this game is challenging by any means. The bosses are pretty easy and the levels aren't too long. It's just that the game is riddled with deaths that never feel fair. It's frustrating.

The story is also a disaster in my opinion. Sonic and Tails are fighting Eggman as usual as he carries a pod full of animals (Much like he does in the Genesis Games). But he drops it on a land known as The Lost Hex. An area inhabited by the Deadly Six. A group of monsters hellbent on sucking the energy of the land. Sonic and Tails must stop them from draining the life out of the world. The story sounds pretty neat when I write it down. However, it is executed so horribly. Firstly, the writing and acting in this series are at an all-time low. It is horrible and so unfunny. The Deadly Six also don't look threatening at all. And are rarely presented as such. So the villains are awful. The final boss is so easy and not at all satisfying. The ending just feels... abrupt.

The biggest issue with this game for me is that it doesn't know what it wants to be (Hence the title of this review). It's trying to be Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario 3D World, the Genesis Sonic games, and many others at the same time. The game ends up feeling like a cheaply made fanmade game than a big-budget Sonic game because it doesn't know what it wants to be.

Sonic Lost World does have good music, presentation, and good gameplay when the stars align. But it is riddled with dumb ideas and gameplay problems. As well as an awful story. The game ends up having an Identity Crisis as a result. Shame