This game has not aged well, and I don't think I've really aged, so it's perfect for me! I understand fully that this game has like 50 different ways it could be torn apart, but I'm here for the .5 ways I can defend it, because I love this game and will die on a hill for it. I just love how this game handles and the general tone and aesthetic. It has the best middle ground between SA2's edge (which I still love) and original sonic's kid-friendly cartoon tone. It feels like the closest to... well, a sonic adventure. There's exploration, secrets, and puzzles, and everything comes together in a package that really makes each level feel like it's a part of a larger cohesive world in a way that no other sonic game has pulled off successfully.
Let's get the biggest hurdle out of the way, the game handles incredibly loosely. It's not a game you'll be used to right off the bat, but if you've seen hardcore players with this game, it's easy to see that there's more going on than just an awkwardly handling pile of glitches. It really does feel good to get a hang of the controls and learn to traverse levels with speed and grace. And even when you make it to Big's story, it's really not that bad, it controls fine, if you're even remotely good at fishing minigames, it'll be over in like a few minutes. Don't worry about it. You might even have a bit of fun!
Graphically......... it's a mixed bag. Sure, it has some low-quality models and weird animations, but almost every re-release of this game has its own issues added on to the pile, for every problem fixed in Director's Cut. The environments are easily the best aspect of this game's visuals, and a lot of them still evoke a sense of wonder and adventure in me, even as a slightly more jaded 20-something. There's a reasons you'll find people posting scenery gifs of this game, despite its low-fi visuals.
The soundtrack in this one ranges anywhere from okay to GODLIKE, with songs like Unknown from M.E., Red Hot Skull, Pleasure Castle, and Speed Highway. And If you've ever been a fan of this game, you can't deny that Open Your Heart is an absolute classic among the genuinely amazing line up of Sonic theme songs. Even the adventure field themes are memorable and catchy. If I'm in the middle of a Sonic Adventure playthrough, you can bet I'll have the station square song going through my head at any given time.
Oh speaking of adventure fields, though, can we please bring those back? I love the adventure fields so much in this game, I actually wish there was a sonic where those are the main level types, a la Mario 64. The open ended nature of these fields weirdly enough emboldens me towards messing around with the more obscure speed building methods the game has to offer, considering there's no risk to dying due to losing control or overshooting a jump. Or at least, if I did die it doesn't really matter much at all. It's not a level, after all.
One thing that also helps to add a sense of adventure is its fantastic blending of Sonic's lighthearted tone we all know and love with some more serious story moments, but these moments never feel like they're veering into edge territory. Chaos as a main threat fits the feeling of a fun adventure perfectly. He's threatening and dangerous, but he's also got an air of mystery and a connection to an ancient past that makes it feel like you're unearthing a deep history as you learn Chaos's origins. And if we're gonna talk about more serious story moments, Gamma's story will always hit me emotionally, and it still messes me up a bit. It shows a darker side to the consequences of Eggman's actions, and how those consequences can go unseen by anyone. In the process of kidnapping these animals and using them to power his robots, Eggman mistakenly creates a mechanical being who's capable of genuine emotion, and when he turns his back on his creator and begins to fight for justice, it becomes clear to Gamma that his very existence is stifling the existence of another innocent life. By dying, Gamma frees the animal trapped within him, and perhaps lives on as part of that animal, but ultimately, a life that shouldn't have been was created, and even when that life became morally just and capable of empathy, its life was still in direct opposition of another innocent life. Gamma's story is an unexpectedly deep look into how no matter how petty one's misdeeds may seem, you can't predict the consequences or tragic outcomes that will play out from just beyond one's perception of the larger picture
And on that incredibly dire note, it's a fun game! Good times, I recommend playing Gamma's Death Adventure. This game has not aged well, and I don't think I've really aged, so it's perfect for me! I understand fully that this game has like 50 different ways it could be torn apart, but I'm here for the .5 ways I can defend it, because I love this game and will die on a hill for it. I just love how this game handles and the general tone and aesthetic. It has the best middle ground between SA2's edge (which I still love) and original sonic's kid-friendly cartoon tone. It feels like the closest to... well, a sonic adventure. There's exploration, secrets, and puzzles, and everything comes together in a package that really makes each level feel like it's a part of a larger cohesive world in a way that no other sonic game has pulled off successfully.
Let's get the biggest hurdle out of the way, the game handles incredibly loosely. It's not a game you'll be used to right off the bat, but if you've seen hardcore players with this game, it's easy to see that there's more going on than just an awkwardly handling pile of glitches. It really does feel good to get a hang of the controls and learn to traverse levels with speed and grace. And even when you make it to Big's story, it's really not that bad, it controls fine, if you're even remotely good at fishing minigames, it'll be over in like a few minutes. Don't worry about it. You might even have a bit of fun!
Graphically......... it's a mixed bag. Sure, it has some low-quality models and weird animations, but almost every re-release of this game has its own issues added on to the pile, for every problem fixed in Director's Cut. The environments are easily the best aspect of this game's visuals, and a lot of them still evoke a sense of wonder and adventure in me, even as a slightly more jaded 20-something. There's a reasons you'll find people posting scenery gifs of this game, despite its low-fi visuals.
The soundtrack in this one ranges anywhere from okay to GODLIKE, with songs like Unknown from M.E., Red Hot Skull, Pleasure Castle, and Speed Highway. And If you've ever been a fan of this game, you can't deny that Open Your Heart is an absolute classic among the genuinely amazing line up of Sonic theme songs. Even the adventure field themes are memorable and catchy. If I'm in the middle of a Sonic Adventure playthrough, you can bet I'll have the station square song going through my head at any given time.
Oh speaking of adventure fields, though, can we please bring those back? I love the adventure fields so much in this game, I actually wish there was a sonic where those are the main level types, a la Mario 64. The open ended nature of these fields weirdly enough emboldens me towards messing around with the more obscure speed building methods the game has to offer, considering there's no risk to dying due to losing control or overshooting a jump. Or at least, if I did die it doesn't really matter much at all. It's not a level, after all.
One thing that also helps to add a sense of adventure is its fantastic blending of Sonic's lighthearted tone we all know and love with some more serious story moments, but these moments never feel like they're veering into edge territory. Chaos as a main threat fits the feeling of a fun adventure perfectly. He's threatening and dangerous, but he's also got an air of mystery and a connection to an ancient past that makes it feel like you're unearthing a deep history as you learn Chaos's origins. And if we're gonna talk about more serious story moments, Gamma's story will always hit me emotionally, and it still messes me up a bit. It shows a darker side to the consequences of Eggman's actions, and how those consequences can go unseen by anyone. In the process of kidnapping these animals and using them to power his robots, Eggman mistakenly creates a mechanical being who's capable of genuine emotion, and when he turns his back on his creator and begins to fight for justice, it becomes clear to Gamma that his very existence is stifling the existence of another innocent life. By dying, Gamma frees the animal trapped within him, and perhaps lives on as part of that animal, but ultimately, a life that shouldn't have been was created, and even when that life became morally just and capable of empathy, its life was still in direct opposition of another innocent life. Gamma's story is an unexpectedly deep look into how no matter how petty one's misdeeds may seem, you can't predict the consequences or tragic outcomes that will play out from just beyond one's perception of the larger picture
And on that incredibly dire note, it's a fun game! Good times, I recommend playing Gamma's Death Adventure. |
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| ID: 1357191 | 97 Words
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