Sonic Adventure 2

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and it’s well known who ultimately won between the two in a hardware arena, yet the mascots battle on. Sega releases Sonic Adventure 2 (SA2) while DC is on its deathbed, and though the platform has nearly expired, this title is very much alive.

Sonic Team is certainly one of the tier-one development houses in the business. Headed by Yuji Naka and responsible for such innovative titles as Phantasy Star Online and NiGHTS: Into Dreams, when Sega shipped a bug-ridden version of Sonic Adventure along with the DC launch, the supposed killer-app left many disappointed. Without going into details about the various flaws of the game, SA2 is essentially a refined version of it, sharing most of the original gameplay structure.

The level progression is now completely linear, and the tedious overworld system in the original has been eliminated entirely. There are over 30 stages in all, though each is fairly short and easy to finish the first time through. Like the original, there are six varied tasks to complete in each, which require subsequent replays to complete. This is how the replay value is built in, though playing through each stage to master the increasingly difficult tasks can get tiresome. The stages should have been made longer and larger, with more complex puzzle solving and platforming, especially in the Sonic and Shadow ones.

As the TV and print-ads make clear to any potential buyer, a big part of SA2 is the ability to play as both the good and evil side through the same story. There are three characters to each, with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles playable as the hero crew. Each controls and plays in a unique style. Sonic must speed along a generally linear path to reach the level end as fast as possible. Along the way simple platforming is incorporated, as well a new grinding technique. Knuckles, with his ability to fly and scale walls Spider-Man style, engages in treasure hunts across massive, multi-tiered stages. When he approaches one of the three relics that must be found in each level, an indicator begins to beep. The closer he gets to the object, the greater the beep frequency. This is the classic game of “hot and cold,” with a Sonic Team spin. Tails uses a transformed mecha form of his plane to move about the entirely linear areas with an emphasis on rapidly blasting enemies. When more are shot down at once, higher points are scored. As the player progresses, one mode is never encountered twice in a row. The interplay of these three semi-distinct styles of play: action platforming, platforming with a heavy emphasis on exploration, and shooting, is what makes SA2. The three evil characters, Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Rouge the Bat, follow the same stage/story progression model across the same three play modes, as in the hero side.

Does this system work? For the most part, yes. Each mode has its own merits and is different enough from the others to warrant the separation. And although the story is used to hold it all together, a price is paid in the area of gameplay cohesion. No one style is robust enough to stand on its own as a fully developed experience, and smoothly incorporating the shooting, exploration, and action elements into one slick package would have relieved the tedium of doing the same thing for extended periods of time. For example some of the exploration stages can take around fifteen minutes to complete due to the size of the playing area, and the over-simplified Eggman and Tails shooting mode loses its novelty quickly. In fact the Sonic and Shadow stages are by far the most fun, and I often found myself playing through the others just to reach them. The separated modes are an admirable idea, but each needed to be deeper and have more incorporated elements to stave off the tedium that is inherent in this overly simplistic brand of game structuring. SA2 is still fun to play, but could have sustained a greater appeal for longer had these styles been meshed into a single experience, rather than being broken into sub-games.

The visuals are a sure hit. The Sonic stages look fantastic, with a serious amount of background garnishing that lends depth and complexity to the world. Some of the pre-animated action sequences, such as running at a blistering pace through loops or swinging on vines, are almost tear inducing. The character models look sharp and animate well, and the texture work, especially in some of the outdoor areas, is to be highly commended. The occasional slowdown mars an otherwise silky, mostly consistent framerate, but is forgivable considering all that is squeezed out of the DC hardware. Aside from Shenmue, I’d venture to say that this is one of the most meticulously rendered titles for the system, and it certainly shows. Diverse locales, stage themes, and action pacing keep things looking fresh throughout the entire adventure. Some interspersed FMV story sequences are a bit out of place and look dated compared to what’s currently cutting-edge in console and PC game video. Despite these minor issues, SA2 falls under the category of “incontestably gorgeous.”

Unfortunately Sonic Team elected to keep the same 80’s hair-band sounding rock soundtrack of the original. To this they’ve added a collection of hip-hop and techno-esque tracks. Some are simply okay, but none are good. If there is a low point in the entire experience, it’s the music. Some average voice acting adds something to the story sequences and character personality, and the sound effects are an elaboration on the classic Sonic themes.

To round out the theme of multiple, distinct play modes, a simplified kart-racing mini-game and fairly complex Chao VMU and in-game mode have been thrown in. The latter can be especially absorbing, and the two-player kart action is a nice touch. When all of the modes are added up with the six unique objectives that can be attempted in each stage, there is a lot of potential playtime in SA2. The question is how long can the player remain happily engaged in chugging through the limited game modes without asking, “why weren’t all of these incorporated into a single, continuous experience?” The answer for most is: long enough to warrant a purchase. There is a lot to play here, and most of it is fun for a decent while. SA2 is a good title from a great development house, and one of a few good notes for the DC to exit on.