Sadly, the same can not be said of the voice acting. Gone are the chirpy midi tracks as they are seamlessly replaced by rich orchestral textures that give Colours a whole new feel and tone within the Sonic series. Once more however, this is a case of it greatly improving the game and giving it a defining characteristic that further brings the franchise out of the 8 bit generation. While we’re on the topic of theft from the Mario series, it is clear to note this in the game’s soundtrack. Everything from the colour powers, to the constant perspective shifts is very clearly sourced from the recent instalments in the Mario franchise, but if you’re going to steal you may as well steal from the best. This is also usually the point in my reviews for these types of games where I criticise them for ripping off other titles, but in the case of Sonic Colours I actually found its blatant assimilation of gameplay and presentation components from Mario Galaxy 2 improved the experience to no end. The path isn’t entirely rose-tinted however, as an occasionally confusing level design can lead to one too many of those “where do I go next” type of moments. This is the next gen Sonic game we have needed all along.
The gameplay is generally solid throughout and retains the swift and speedy gameplay that the series is renowned for. It’s nice to have Sonic back again in all his former glory The abilities help keep the gameplay from getting stale and add a decent puzzle element later on as you need to mix and match your abilities to reach the goal. In return these little critters grant Sonic new colour abilities ranging from the ability to fly for a temporary time, to the power to drill through the ground. The plot escalates when you discover that Eggman is attempting to capture the alien-like wisp creatures, who plead Sonic to rescue them from Eggman’s clutches. The levels take place on the planets that surround the theme park, again showing the Mario Galaxy influence outright. Eggman has built for fear that the evil genius is hatching yet another plan for world domination. Think the good bits of 2008’s Sonic Unleashed with a little bit of Mario Galaxy for good measure (and no bloody werehog sections or other characters to ruin it.) The story follows Sonic as he investigates a theme park that Dr. The gameplay features the same simplicity and sense of speed we came to enjoy in the older Sonic games but shifts often between a 3D and 2D perspective. It takes the fundamental gameplay of the franchise whilst, adding to and, updating it into a modern context. My head has once again been lifted as I have had the pleasure of playing Sonic Colours, the game that Sonic 4 should have been all along.
It was only a few weeks ago I was sat in this very same chair with my head in my hands lamenting the missed opportunity that was Sonic the Hedgehog 4.