Sonic Lost World has gotten many mixed reviews for all the wrong reasons. I feel this is a great game (but not something worth buying a Wii U for) that makes fans forget the dark age of Sonic.
The General Opinion[]
For the first part of this review, I will compare IGN's review of this game to real facts about the game.
- Not having familiar level design isn't bad, it actually makes this game feel new and unique.
- I don't think Sonic's speed was bad. It is more similar to Sonic Adventure.
- The 3D sections are in my opinion, the best 3D levels in the entire series
- Despite what IGN's reviewer says, the 2D sections haven't changed much from Sonic Colors.
- The boss fights weren't great but at least they were better than the bosses in Sonic Colors and Sonic 4 (both episodes).
Actual Review[]
Controls[]
The controls in this game are the best is recent games. The boost has been removed and the spin dash has been brought back. Sonic is easier to control in 3D now since he now longer controls so stiff. The newly introduced parkour system isn't as great as you would hope. Running on walls can be very difficult especially if the wall isn't straight. The parkour system is something that Sonic Team needs to fix for future games. Wisps return from Sonic Colors and there are also new ones. The returning wisps are fun to use but the new wisps require the touch screen and/or the gyroscope and they don't work as well as you might have wanted. The wisps are also not very common.
Level Design[]
This game has 3D sections that really show what 3D games should be like. Each level contains many paths and many ways to finish the level. I said before that the parkour system isn't very good but you barely need it in levels. The same thing applies to all the new wisps however there are some places where you must use the parkour system or a wisp. The 2D sections are also pretty good but feel more like New Super Mario Bros. than Sonic.
Story[]
Like Sonic Generations, the story feels very incomplete and has many unanswered questions. It is never explained what the Lost Hex is or who the Deadly Six are.
Graphics and Sound[]
Once again the graphics and sound in this game are very good. The game looks nice and the graphics really fit a Sonic game but I think the graphics in Sonic Generations looked better. The same thing applies to the music in this game.
Verdict[]
Good Parts[]
- As I said before, the 3D and 2D levels are amazing.
- The game isn't as easy as previous games and tries to challenge you.
- The references to past games are really nice.
- You can play the game on the gamepad so you don't need cables to connect your Wii U to your TV.
Bad Parts[]
- When you reach a boss level you need a certain number of animals to play it meaning you will have to get loads of animals when you play each level or play levels over and over again until you have enough.
- The level themes (aside from Windy Hill and Hidden World) are all based off of Mario levels and seem out of place.
- The quick step from previous games has been removed making auto-running sections more difficult for bad reasons.
- Like Sonic Generations, this game has a lot of missed potential but its worse in this game than in Generations.
- All the new wisp powers require using the touch screen or gyro-sensor.
Overall[]
When comparing Sonic Lost World to Sonic Colors, you see a sequel to a great game with many new, great ideas. When you compare it to Sonic Generations, then Lost World is not the better game and adds new flaws that never needed to be in this game. If you are looking for a unique platformer then Sonic Lost World will leave you satisfied but if you want a reason to buy a Wii U then I recommend a game called Super Mario 3D World.