Hey guys. Welcome to another edition of For What it’s Worth. Sorry about this being a late entry but with exams and an otherwise busy week, life just has a way of interrupting things sometimes. The series will return to its regular Wednesday slot next week.

Sonic the Hedgehog has been one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, since his debut in 1991. Sega’s mascot has been in close to 70 different games and has tried everything from platforming to party based mini games to fighting to racing to playing winter sports to escapades in children’s literature and well you the picture. All in an attempt to stay fresh. Sometimes they are a rousing success and other times they are a critical failure.

Sega decided to team up with Bioware to take Sonic into a realm he has never been in before. They decided to make an RPG centered on the blue blur and his band of Mobian Freedom Fighters, I mean anthropomorphic Earth creatures which humans have no problem with apparently.

A year after its release, Sonic Chronicles has found its way into the bargain bin. Is the fastest thing alive built for turn based combat or was he apart of another failed experiment?

Story: Well, this isn’t exactly the kind of top-notch storytelling that Bioware is known for with the Mass Effect series but for a storyline in a Sonic game, it’s not half bad. After defeating Dr.Eggman or Robotnik or whatever the Hell you want to call him, the Sonic team find themselves confronting a new evil. The Chaos Emeralds have been stolen by a group known as the Marauders, which plan on using them to conquer the universe. Now Sonic and friends have to travel to the Twilight Cage dimension to retrieve the emeralds and save their world. I will say that the game’s dialogue isn’t going to be as smart as most RPGs as it seems to be aimed at a younger audience but there a few clever bits here and there. You even get to choose what Sonic says at certain points. You can either say something kind and supporting or make a snide remark. I know it isn't the kind of moral dilemma you would face in Mass Effect or Old Republic but it is still a pretty neat idea.

Sound: Not too bad actually. Most of soundtrack isn’t up to par with some of the greater tracks of the franchise but the Metropolis and Angel Island themes are true standouts, adding an old school sound to this experimental project. The use of the classic Sonic sound effects for the platforming aspects was also a nice touch.

Graphics & Design: This is where the game really shines. Bioware has done it again. The characters and backgrounds are done in fantastic fashion. All of the original Sonic characters are designed as well as ever but I must say the new characters of the Twilight Cage are simply stunning. These new characters are so creatively and diversely designed that I have to think that they are inspired by Bioware’s Mass Effect franchise. Each of the different level designs also have all of the same effort put into them. Bioware really did put a lot into the look of the game. The only thing about the game’s design that I have a problem with is the comic style of the cutscenes. The characters look way too cartoony in these scenes. I know they were aiming for younger players with this one but did they really need to make it look this light and fluffy? If they were going to go in this direction, why didn’t they have the guys from Archie Comics draw these pieces of artwork? From what I have seen from their Sonic series, the artwork is solid. I don’t like the way the human characters look either. This is only a minor gripe since there aren’t that many human characters in the game but still, they look ridiculous.

Gameplay: This is where things get interesting. The gameplay features the same basic style of turn based combat that any standard RPG would have but with a twist. The special attacks or dodging enemy fire are all performed using the stylus to respond to a series of quick time events. In a nutshell, you’ll repeatedly tap and draw lines on the touch screen. This does add a fair challenge but it can get a tad annoying in longer battles. The game also added some classic Sonic platforming into the fray. All of the loops and springs of the classic Sonic games make an appearance. There are also some spots where you would have to use the abilities of different party members to over come obstacles. Like Sonic’s spin dash through the loops, Tails flying over to another platform, Amy smashing boxes that block your path, Knuckles climbing over a wall, you get the idea. I liked that they added these elements to the game but it does abuse the touch screen a little too much. Having the ability to use the buttons would have been a better idea for the platforming. After all, just tapping the screen to do a spin dash just doesn’t have the same feel as holding in the A button to get just the right amount of speed before letting him fly across the screen like a little blue buzz saw. I have to admit even though I would have liked to see some things done differently, the developers really did some pretty clever things with the gameplay elements. My favorite is how the characters run away from a battle. Instead of the typical fade to black, you have to literally run away from enemies as you jump over obstacles. I just thought that was a clever idea to make the battles more of a challenge.

Extra Features: None. Although, you can play the game a second time with all of the stats and items from the first play through in tact.

Replay Value: Well your not likely going to pick it up and play again right away. It will likely take some time before you play it again, after completing it.

What it’s Worth: Current Price- $25 (new)

                                   What it’s Worth- $20

Is it the best RPG experience money can buy? No. Although it is one of the better Sonic outings of the past decade, but I wouldn’t call it one of the best over all Sonic titles either. However, Sega and the folks over at Bioware have offered a unique hybrid of RPG and platforming gameplay. Now I wouldn’t say it was a perfect experiment, but it is one that definitely shows a lot of promise and could really be something special if tweaks are made in the gameplay for the upcoming sequel. I would say that if you are a Sonic fan, you should check it out. If you are a fan of RPGs, you might want to play it before buying, as it is likely too short and easy for your taste.

 

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