The first game in quite some time that captures the feeling the old Sonic games gave you. It’s very fast and has pretty big levels with multiple routes through them.
Though it still exhibits many of the camera and control issues that vexed Sonic's previous forays into 3D, it's truer to its 2D roots than any other 3D Sonic game before it.
The concept is well and good, and works well – except for the fact that you still must slow down to use Knuckles and Tails (or the equivalent member in one of the three other teams in the game). These are the moments that the game truly lags, and once again the shoddy camera has come back to once again make the game a pain.
But with this much constant repetition, sloppy enemy and level designs, artificially-prescribed deaths, lack of bonus GBA-connectivity and even some glitchy overlapping voice samples, it's really a matter of how much the player is prepared to tolerate.
Sonic Heroes takes a simple concept and makes it complex seemingly for the sake of complexity, and the result is an overly frustrating game that feels more like work than fun.
Easily one of the best experiences I've had in a Sonic game. The variety of characters, excellent music, and amazing level design. Everyone should give this game a good college try before deciding on if they want to continue to play or not.
This game really wants to be good, but the slippery controls ruin everything. Also the special stages shouldn't exist.
oh and final fortress is THE hardest Sonic level.
its really good with mechanics and gameplay but the death pits and story are just ok. I like da music and the themes are good also thelife count is infuriately low, if it was 5 or 6 then the level design would feel fairer, but instead you die right before the end and have to replay 15 minutes to die again. its infuriating, but its very good
It's an okay game that has the classic Sonic Charme but the fact that you have to play every stage four times is really annoying. If it was just Team Sonic and Team Dark, the game would have been so much better but it's required to complete all stories to get to the final boss. Another thing that's just stupid is that they that they now have set lines wich they repeat over and over again. To finish of, the controls are questionable and the special stages **** ads.
Lets start with the positives:
Music - Excellent as always
Art direction - As good as one can make it in 2003. The levels look amazing.
Story - Back to basics in all but one campaign. Its not exactly a plus but this was the very first big Sonic game released on all the major consoles of the time. It would make sense to hold back on the exposition, lore, and world building.
Now then, everything else. This was the very first time the heads of Sonic Team promised to bring Sonic "back to his roots" a promise that would be made nearly every single time the series got a new game. I don't believe they understand what the phrase means. In the game, the player controls three characters at a time. Sonic Team wanted to make a game focused around a single gameplay format, like the classics, but they didn't want to relinquish any of the supporting cast so this was the result. Sonic Heroes was made on the same engine as Sonic Adventures 1 and 2; two games that pushed the engine and the Dreamcast to its absolute limits. Now the team had to get it working on four separate pieces of hardware. What resulted is a game less stable than both of the prior installments at their worst. Both of the Adventure games' instability can be excused because:
1. It's often easy to avoid.
2. All the characters control comfortably and have a very simple move-set.
3. 3D was still in its early stages. Nearly all 3D games of the 90s had plenty of instability. Comparing 90s 3D gaming to everything afterwards is like comparing NES games to the SNES.
Most of the flaws with the Adventure games were excused in their time because 3D was still a developing innovation. There were hurdles that couldn't be jumped over, but by 2003 those hurdles had been all but demolished and to see Sonic Team still struggling to climb over them was disappointing. I won't talk about the gameplay in detail. Its main problems are instability and obnoxious controls. The four selectable teams on the menu are separate campaigns in disguise. Don't be fooled. You have to play the game 4 times in order to see the end of the story with little to no variation. It's like having to play Sonic 3 as Sonic, then Tails, and then Knuckles in order to play Death Egg Zone onward.
Levels - 3
Visuals - 8
Story - 6
Bosses - 0
SummaryIn Sonic's most exciting adventure yet, you maneuver a team of three Sonic characters through massive levels to overcome the ultimate evil! You guessed it, Dr. Eggman is on the loose once again, but this time he'll have to take on three powerful characters at once! Whether he's trying to outrun Sonic, or dodge Knuckles punches, he'll hav...