Sonic: Lost World

Genre: Platformer / 3D Platformer

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local)

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Review:

Sonic: Lost World is a game that’s equal parts Platformer and 3D Platformer, released on Wii U in 2013 and ported to PC in 2015. A different game bearing the same title and featuring similar gameplay was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 as well. I must admit, I’m somewhat perplexed by this game. This is not so much due to the game itself, but due to a range of external factors.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Sonic games, and even at their best, I tend to think they pale in comparison to Mario’s better games. Of course, this could just be a matter of personal preference – Mario games tend to focus on exploration, finding hidden secrets, and level design variety and gameplay variety, while Sonic games tend to be at their best when the player is only just barely in control, gracefully speeding through the game’s levels.

Of course, ever since the Sonic series entered the third dimension, most would agree that the results have been mixed at best. However, in general critical review scores for the franchise have been in the dumps since Sonic left the Dreamcast. Oddly, despite that most people seem to talk favorably about Sonic: Lost World, the game was not well-loved by critics. However, I can’t very well understand why – Despite my general lack of enthusiasm for the Sonic franchise, I was delighted with this game – I think Sonic: Lost World may be quite possibly the best 3D Sonic game ever made.

Perhaps it is fitting then that this game more than any other since Sonic’s inception seems to be drawing direct inspiration from a Mario game – in this case, it’s impossible to talk about Sonic: Lost World without first talking about Super Mario Galaxy. Mario’s spacefaring adventure is, I feel, still possibly the greatest 3D Mario game ever made (though Odyssey comes quite close), and Sonic: Lost World seems to lift its gravity-defying core mechanic directly from Super Mario Galaxy. However, if you’re going to steal from another, you should steal from the best, and darned if Sonic: Lost World didn’t choose a fantastic Mario game to pull ideas from.

This game’s 3D stages are often not flat planes but 3D objects that gravity warps around, much as in Super Mario Odyssey. However, that’s not to say that this game lacks originality – the level design here is not only superb, with some extremely creative ideas, but it works very well with Sonic’s focus on blasting through stages at top speed. In addition, this game augments Sonic’s usual move set with a slew of acrobatic moves to help ensure that players can more easily navigate through the complex levels, with double-jumps, wall-jumps, wall-running, and so on. When I say that Sonic games are at their best when you’re speeding through the game, this game makes it a point to really emphasize speed and play to the franchise’s strengths.

The 2D levels here are somewhat less impressive, but still enjoyable. I may prefer the 3D sections, but I’m glad these 2D levels are present, as they help to mix things up and keep them interesting.

If I had to make one complaint here, it’s that the controls here seem to lack the precision I would hope for with the high speeds at play here. And as fun and creative as this game is… well, it’s still not quite as good as Mario – Sonic is still more about spectacle than deep gameplay, though it’s some very good spectacle.

This is in part due to an excellent presentation, with good framerates, detailed and imaginative worlds, and a really excellent soundtrack. The only real issue I have with this presentation is it’s brought down a little bit by some low-resolution background images.

Before I wrap this up, I want to make note that this game had two free DLC levels released for it on Wii U – one based on the Zelda franchise, and one based on Yoshi’s Woolly World. If you own a Wii U, you should make sure to download these to your console before the Wii U eShop closes.

In the end, it may not be perfect, but Sonic: Lost World is one of the best games in the franchise, and my pick for the best 3D game in the Sonic series (and the 2D levels are decent too). Great gameplay that focuses on Sonic’s core strengths, imaginative level design, and a fantastic presentation make this a game that is absolutely not to be missed. If you’re a Sonic fan, or just a Platformer fan in general, you will definitely want to get this game.

tl;dr – Sonic: Lost World is seemingly directly inspired by the gravity-defying antics of Super Mario Galaxy, and while this game never reaches those same heights, it is nevertheless a blast to play, and possibly the best of the 3D Sonic games (with some good 2D levels too). While it still has some areas that could do with improvement, this game’s great gameplay that focuses on the Sonic franchise’s best elements, wonderful level design, and an excellent presentation make this one an absolute winner.

Grade: A-

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