SEGA have finally got it right: A perfect mix of speed and nostalgia, making the perfect sonic game in almost 10 years
Because 2011 was Sonic's 20th birthday, his friends throws him a picnic party. But a evil demon appears and sucks sonic and his friends and scatters them all across time and space. Sonic is left in a limbo like world, and eventually meets up with his classic self, and the 2 team up to rescue Sonic's friends and defeat the demon.
Both Sonic's have different gameplay types, respective to their era. Classic Sonic brings back the 2D glory back in the days of the genesis/cd. Modern sonic is a 3D blend of what was good in games like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours, while ditching out the other bad stuff.
One thing Sonic Generations brings up a lot is nostalgia. You will be playing through some much loved stages with both classic and modern sonic, whether is it gaining a wisp power as classic sonic or running down a skyscraper as modern sonic. This feels great, and Sonic team manage to cleverly constructs these levels to the style of play each Sonic has.
The levels of the game are split into 3 eras: Classic, which is where the starting games like the original Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic and Knuckles were, Dreamcast consisting of levels from the games that started Sonic's up and down 3D adventure, like Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes and Modern consists of stages from more recent titles like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours.
All of these levels look brilliant, and it helps to bring a smile to your face. Each stage you play is a re-defined version of a classic, or more modern stage. There are lots of routes to explore: making you go back to try them, or using them to get a faster time. Everything looks beautiful in these stages, and there is not a crack which is dull in the stages. There are also some moments in the stages which add even more of a flourish, like the famous running down the skyscraper moment in Sonic Adventure.
There are red rings to collect in this games, and encouragement to get better times, which help to add to the replayability, There are also minigames, some of which are necessary to advance further in the game. Some of which include racing a character, a duel battle or collecting the required amount of rings. Some are better than others, but you can choose what ones you want to do. To go through to the next era, you must complete each stage as both modern and classic sonic, then complete a few minigames to get a key. Then you defeat a boss and move to the next era. Also, completing these minigames unlocks more stuff: concept art from previous games and music makes this game a treat. This content makes the game last even longer than you would expect.
Overall, Sonic Generations could be the perfect sonic game in ages. SEGA have finally listened and given us what we wanted: a fast, nostalgic and welcome return for the blue blur, hopefully putting him back on track. There may be a few bumps on the way, but the ride is one you dont want to miss.