Let me start by saying I loved Sonic Generations. As a celebration of Sonic's history it was great to revisit updated levels from games past. But ever since then Sega have been shoehorning nostalgia into everything, from Sonic Forces to the upcoming Sonic Origins.
With Mania however, this clinging to the glory days stymies what could have been an incredible successor to the Mega Drive series - a true "Sonic 4" as it were. The gameplay, level design and music are all absolutley fantastic and worthy of praise. But more than 2 thirds of this is squandered on revisiting old levels (Green Hill and Chemical Plant appear for the third time in a row, after Generations and Forces). When you look at some of the original levels (especially Studiopolis, which is one of the best Sonic levels ever, IMO), you can't help from feeling disappointed that there wasn't more content like this. I didn't feel nostalgic when an old stage came up, I felt frustrated that my time could have been spent playing new stages.
Overall Sonic Mania is a great game, but it had the potential to be spectacular, and that was wasted on yet another nostalgia-fest.
Enough with the nostalgia.
Let me start by saying I loved Sonic Generations. As a celebration of Sonic's history it was great to revisit updated levels from games past. But ever since then Sega have been shoehorning nostalgia into everything, from Sonic Forces to the upcoming Sonic Origins.
With Mania however, this clinging to the glory days stymies what could have been an incredible successor to the Mega Drive series - a true "Sonic 4" as it were. The gameplay, level design and music are all absolutley fantastic and worthy of praise. But more than 2 thirds of this is squandered on revisiting old levels (Green Hill and Chemical Plant appear for the third time in a row, after Generations and Forces). When you look at some of the original levels (especially Studiopolis, which is one of the best Sonic levels ever, IMO), you can't help from feeling disappointed that there wasn't more content like this. I didn't feel nostalgic when an old stage came up, I felt frustrated that my time could have been spent playing new stages.
Overall Sonic Mania is a great game, but it had the potential to be spectacular, and that was wasted on yet another nostalgia-fest.