Sonic Colors Ultimate

Game Overview

Sonic Colors Ultimate is a game that left me with mixed feelings. I played the original 2010 Wii game way back when it first released, but never again until this moment, so I was evaluating it with fresh eyes rather than comparing it to recent memories. What I found was a platformer that had some genuinely fun moments but was ultimately held back by significant flaws in its design and execution.

The game's story is where my biggest issues lie. The dialogue is filled with cringe-worthy moments, the characters lack depth and personality, and the stages feel disappointingly short. The ending left me asking "was that it?" - a clear sign that the narrative didn't deliver the satisfying conclusion I was hoping for.

Gameplay Experience

The core gameplay loop is straightforward: you run through colorful levels, collect Wisps that grant temporary abilities, and navigate a mix of 3D speed sections and 2D platforming challenges. When the game is working well, there's a genuine sense of satisfaction in building momentum and flowing through the levels.

The stages themselves are where the game shines brightest - they're well-designed for speed and offer multiple paths to explore. The level design encourages experimentation with different Wisp powers to find alternate routes and secrets, and when everything clicks, there's a real sense of flow and momentum.

However, the Wisp powers feel clunky to use in practice, with unintuitive controls for switching between different abilities. The camera also struggles to keep up during fast-paced sections, sometimes obscuring important obstacles or platforms. What frustrated me most was how the game felt like it was fighting against me rather than working with me.

Story and Characters

The story follows Dr. Eggman building an interstellar amusement park powered by enslaved alien Wisps, with Sonic trying to free them and stop Eggman's plans. It's a simple premise, but the execution left me disappointed. The dialogue is filled with cringe-worthy moments that made me cringe more than laugh. The humor feels forced and often falls flat.

The characters lack depth and personality, feeling more like cardboard cutouts than actual characters I could connect with. What really bothered me was how short the stages felt and how anticlimactic the ending was. I found myself asking "was that it?" when the credits rolled. The game builds up to what should be an epic finale, but it just sort of... ends.

Visuals and Audio

Visually, the game looks clean and polished with improved resolution and better visual consistency. The color palette is bright and cheerful, which fits the amusement park theme perfectly. The art direction captures the whimsical nature of the setting while maintaining the high-energy feel that Sonic games are known for.

The soundtrack remains excellent. Sonic Colors has one of the best soundtracks in the series, with catchy, upbeat tracks that perfectly capture the theme park atmosphere while maintaining that high-energy Sonic feel. "Reach for the Stars" is still a banger, and the stage themes are fantastic.

Final Verdict