Review: The Downside of Teamwork Revealed in Sonic Superstars

2023-10-23 07:55:27

Sonic Superstars Review - The Folly Of Teamwork

Beautiful Zones and Whimsical Designs

As either Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy, you spin dash your way through a brand new batch of beautifully designed zones. From the twisting vines and lush greenery of Speed Jungle to the gilded architecture of the Golden Capital, Sonic Superstars pops with bright colors and whimsical designs for the new gallery of badniks.

Memorable Soundtrack Falls Short

Unfortunately, the soundtrack doesn't have the same highs as some of the previous 2D entries. The music is not bad, but outside of a couple of tracks, most tunes are unmemorable and don’t hit that next gear of toe-tapping goodness I've come to expect from the franchise.

Multi-Tiered Obstacle Courses and Adventurous Challenges

Zones are large, multi-tiered obstacle courses filled with deviously placed enemies, death traps, and new traversal gimmicks. I liked mechanics such as jumping across speeding rollercoaster trains in a casino zone or transforming into pixelated avatars in a cyberspace-inspired world. Other challenges are a pain, such as carefully navigating a pitch-black jungle with only a glowing butterfly for light – an idea ill-suited for Sonic's faster-paced style of play. Besides traditional mainline Acts, new character-specific Acts provide decent avenues to sample the other heroes while propelling the narrative.

Classic Sonic Gameplay with Trial-and-Error Design

As a whole, levels do a good job of capturing the core fun of Sonic: zipping through elaborate obstacles at breakneck speed while dodging hazards at the last second. That also means they sport the same trial-and-error design ethos of the classic games; you often won't – or can't – anticipate a hazard until it's too late. While not new, I was sometimes frustrated by this approach as going too fast often leads to hitting something that almost feels designed to punish you for doing the thing Sonic and his friends do best. Deaths can feel cheap in some instances, so I'm thankful Superstars does away with the finite lives system of the classic games.

Optional Powers from Chaos Emeralds

Chaos Emeralds now grant new powers upon their collection, accessible through a weapon wheel. Powers like Avatar and Vision let you send attacking clones across the screen and reveal hidden rings and platforms, respectively. My favorite is Bullet, which lets me fire myself in a chosen direction for an explosive boost. Since Chaos Emerald portals are hidden instead of appearing at checkpoints, these powers are totally optional and easy to miss. Thus, while these skills can be useful, they also aren't vital. I often forget I have them at my disposal and rarely feel guilty about not using them more. Anything can easily be conquered with your base moveset, and while the powers don't detract, they're not as meaningful to the experience as I hoped.

Inconsistent Co-op Experience

Additionally, Superstars is inconsistent in which player it prioritizes. Generally, Player One is in charge, meaning if someone else dies, the game continues by focusing on the leader. This isn't the case in some instances, though. In the casino zone, I fell to my death several times; on some occasions, the game refocused on my partner, who continued onward, and I just respawned. In other instances, the camera followed me all the way to my death, resulting in a Game Over for the team. Other challenges seem ill-suited for multiple players; the aforementioned illumination-focused zone is a nightmare with other people since only one player can hold the light, forcing everyone else to either stick extremely close by or wander blindly. Co-op is also restricted to local play only due to quality concerns, but I can't imagine how it would suffer much from online play. As it stands, co-op is functional and can be unintentionally entertaining in a purely chaotic sense, but doesn't feel totally thought out.

Bland Battle Mode and Uninteresting Character Customization

Battle Mode, a versus destination consisting of bland, one-note mini-game competitions, is hardly worth exploring. The character customization, in which you assemble a robot using parts purchased by spending special coins found in levels or special challenges, is uninteresting as well. A second, more difficult post-game campaign offers the most compelling reason to stick with Superstars after you've foiled Dr. Eggman's plans.

A Return to Form with Some Flaws

Despite some big caveats, I mostly enjoyed Sonic Superstars as a solo trip down memory lane. The platforming feels good, the levels are mostly fun, and the presentation looks great. Ripping through robots while hitting loop-de-loops and bounce pads still brings a smile to my face. But the game's new additions either feel inconsequential or ill-advised, watering down an otherwise respectable package. Sonic Superstars offers a solid return to form for the series' oldest and most ardent followers, with some hedgehog-sized potholes along the way.

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