I Like Sonic Forces
I kinda feel liked I need to go down into a bunker when talking about this one. If I don't seek some kind of protection for what I'm about to say, Sonic fans that did not like it are going to be calling for my death. Or at the very least, they'll say that I have horrible taste. And to that I say, well, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard it and it definitely won't be the last.
Sonic Forces released last week. Before the official release date, however, the entire game was leaked. I'd also caught wind of Polygon's review. Reception of the game was negative. I didn't seek out the leaked footage nor did I read the Polygon review (I don't frequent that site to begin with or most gaming sites for that matter) because I did not want my opinion on the game to be influenced by them. Still, the negative press surrounding Forces did concern me. What if this game I was really looking forward to was a horrendous piece of crap? No matter the outcome, I decided that I was going to play the game through and make up my mind for myself. I finished the game a few nights ago and to my surprise, I had a really good time playing Sonic Forces.
Sonic Forces' story is nothing special but there are things I like about it. Eggman winning, at least for a time was nice to see. I also liked seeing a good deal of Sonic's friends. The fact that Knuckles, the idiot, was the commander during this global crisis was odd, but he took the role seriously. A little too seriously. As a character I've heated for years, Amy has been growing on me from here appearances in Sonic Lost World, Sonic Boom (the show) and now here in Sonic Forces. It's good to see her do something besides having the hots for Sonic. I know that is always going to be a part of her character but having her be more than a love interest makes her a lot more interesting and tolerable.
There are lots of cheesy lines from the heroes and villains. Sonic spouts something about friendship, soul and love being undefeatable so if you ever thought he read Shonen manga, that all but confirms it. Infinite is the ultimate of ultimate edge lords and he is very one dimensional. His reasons for becoming Infinite are facepalmingly dumb. On the other hand, I can't help but like that he's dripping with edginess and Liam O'Brian does a fantastic job voicing him. Even with the darker tone, I was not expecting a grand story from Forces. Heck, the story in general for Sonic games, 3D, 2D, modern or classic, is nothing to write home about. I'm not just saying that about Sonic games but Mega Man games and Super Mario games. More often than not, the story is just a means for why I'm running, stomping and shooting.
Sonic Forces drew a lot of ire from fans and critics due to the custom character, or avatar as the game calls it. Deviant Art is widely viewed as the cesspool of the Sonic fanbase. Apparently if you've made your own Sonic OC, you're "a horrible human being that indulges in sexual acts with anthropomorphic hedgehogs and foxes." I'm paraphrasing but in recent years, I've come to find out that "Sonic OCs and the community that creates them are a blight upon the Sonic fandom, a disease that must be cut out." Again, paraphrasing. Perhaps there is something I'm missing on the whole Sonic OC thing, but I just don't understand why it and the people that make them are such a horrible part of the fandom. I doubt every person that dabbles in Sonic OCs are as despicaple as people claim.
As someone who has never made a Sonic OC, the avatar was one of my favorite things about Sonic Forces. The number of species you can use may be limiting (dog, bear, wolf, rabbit, bird, cat, hedgehog) but the game still gives you lots of options from hairstyle, eyes, eye color and more. When you start out, there isn't much in the way of clothing you can put on your character, but as you play, you can unlock a ton of different shoes, glasses, caps and other items to outfit your character with. Getting a better rank gets you more avatar gear. I got an S rank on a mission I previously had an A rank on and one of the items I was rewarded with was a cute Chao backpack. Thankfully, the game lets you save multiple outfits so you can don't have to constantly go in and change your avatar's outfit when you piece together a look you really like. Or, if you want to opt for the more minimalist look, you can have your avatar save the world naked. Well, unless you go with the female gender. Not sure why they can't be naked.
Level design has come under heavy fire and while I don't think these are by any means the best stages in a Sonic game, they aren't the worst either. I had a lot of fun running through most of these stages as Modern, Classic and the custom character. There were about two stages I just plain didn't like in a grand total of 30 or so main story stages. As shallow as boosting through a horde of enemies or homing attacking a group of goons is to a lot of critics, I had a blast doing it. My favorite Wispons to use were the Burst and Lightning either to propel myself upwards or run ahead, mowing robot mooks down like I were in a Contra game.
Most stages even have branching paths, what so many claimed the game lacked. Maybe SEGA and Sonic Team didn't feel like showing off every level's alternate route or maybe they wanted players to discover them on their own. I was missing a few red medals on Classic Sonic's first stage, Ghost Town and found even more alternate paths the more times I played. Many of the levels are on the short side, most of them not even clocking in at over the three minute mark. However, since the levels are brief, I find them fun to replay, blasting through them to get seconds shaved off my previous time.
Sonic Forces is not a game for everyone. If you aren't into creating a character, short levels, levels on rails, this game isn't for you. I'm well aware that I am in the minority. I dug Sonic Lost World and Star Fox Zero, the later being an entry that many said suck due to it's polarizing motion controls. Perhaps my opinion on Sonic Forces will changes as the years go by, but for now, I'm glad I picked this game up. As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
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