First and foremost, I should say that I did have my fun load with ‘Sonic Forces’. My thumbs down verdict up there (for reasons I’ll get into soon) doesn’t indicate that I've totally disliked the game, because there's some decent stuff in here. I’ll let it clear from the start that I'm also a big Sonic nut, and have loved, liked, been indifferent and disliked Sonic games for almost as long as I've been breathing oxygen. But 'Sonic Forces' just felt... well, frustratingly disappointing. For a Modern Sonic game that’s currently being sold at a whopping £34.99, and as a successor of sorts to two of its incredible predecessors, ‘Sonic Generations’ and ‘Sonic Mania’…

Oof, it leaves a lot to be desired.

‘De Positives.

The game isn't rubbish. It's responsive, runs smooth and barely has any noteworthy glitches that hindered the enjoyment factor. Like the previous Sonic games with this gameplay format, the sense of speed you get from boosting at exhilarating speeds as Modern Sonic (that’d be the lankier and chitchattier Sonic) is still there, and this game also has a new minor gameplay factor that allows Modern Sonic to boost in mid-air like he would while running on the ground. Something minor, but a very fun one, especially in one of the later levels with Modern Sonic only. Meanwhile, Classic Sonic, even if his presence in the story feels pointless at best, plays alright. The physics on him are different to ‘Sonic Mania’, but I couldn’t care. As long as he felt natural and was fun to play, that was all that mattered in this area, and while it did take some time to get used to how odd and heavy Classic Sonic feels here, at least the level design built for him was fine. Additionally, messing around with your furson-- avatar character also has it loads of silly entertainment, with the variety of customizable options at your arsenal! So if you want to make, say, Coldsteel the Hedgeheg or any other Sonic OC come to life in this game, have at it. And like 96% of Sonic games in existence, the soundtrack is one of the game’s highlights. This one is... okay. A bit basic compared to previous Sonic games, but still just alright on the ears. My favourite pieces are Park Avenue, Fist Bump and Network Terminal 2.

‘De Negatives.
Here’s a whole paragraph dedicated to the story (if stories in Sonic games aren't your thing, ye can skip this one part).

Don’t bother with the story here. It is very lame and lazily written. ‘Sonic Forces’’s story feels like the clear opposite of “more show, less tell”, because nearly everything in the story that could’ve been interesting, like  or , have no weight or significant stakes to them because the game forgot to actually s h o w those events and their effects on the characters and narrative unfolding in front of the spectators’ eyes. Then there’s stuff like , which is so ironically hilarious that it kind of makes me sad. I mean, I know that children also play Sonic games, but so do many older people out there. With the story being heavily promoted as it was, I can't help but feel disappointed with what it actually had to share. Also, if you were eagerly anticipating to have a boss fight against Chaos and Shadow the Hedgehog (like the promotional trailers have promised), then I’m sorry to report that they are defeated (pathetically, if I might add) in cutscenes. Y.

Now the rest.

The high-speed boosting thrills from Modern Sonic might be a plus, but the levels that were built for him are mostly mundane at their core. A lot of the 3D areas with Modern all come down to this: “Move strictly forward and boost whenever you have the chance to lead Modern in an overly stretched straight line, jump every once in a while, homing attack floating enemies in a few occasions, and then between fifty seconds and three minutes later, the level’s over”. Compare a lot of the Modern Sonic levels in ‘Sonic Forces’ to the variety of turns, inclined planes, slopes, alternative paths, and overall more exciting and well-constructed 3D levels found in ‘Sonic Unleashed’ and ‘Sonic Generations’. Excluding three levels, Modern’s levels in ‘Sonic Forces’ feel mostly basic and mindless to play through. Same kind of applies to your avatar character's stages, which are mostly "bleh" and uninteresting. Doesn’t help how the game essentially played itself through a lot of these levels, requiring bare minimum input from the player to progress and have fun while I’m at it (e.g.: automatically using your grappling hook to leap over to the skies or for sharp turns). Also, on a detail overview, there are no idle animations for Modern Sonic and Avatar. Nenhum. All ‘n’ all, it just feels… empty. A lesser alternative to what ‘Sonic Generations’ had to offer (both in gameplay and visual presentation terms), six years prior to this game, as much as it pains me to say it. It really does.

Final recommendations? Personally, if I were to recommend this game, without bias from its predecessors, I'd say to wait for a price drop. Honestly, I feel like £10 or less is the ideal price for 'Sonic Forces'. Maybe £15, if you're really interested. But man, I just felt disappointed. There were some okay bits here and there, but ultimately, I feel like £34 for this game is kind of a steal, especially considering how literally every other preceeding Sonic game as of 2018 is cheaper to purchase over this one (with most of them being better in general). It’s just… lacking, and painfully mediocre. And I wished it was more than that.