Over the last decade, Sega hasn’t been able to get a regular Sonic
game right, but every time they make an All-Stars game they win gold.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed looks to follow this new
tradition. The Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo is a
straight to the fun test drive that gives the nostalgic arcade racer a
new game to get excited about.
Most critics nowadays don’t like “Sonic” games, but that doesn’t mean
they don’t like Sonic and the cast of characters that follow him
around. The first thing you’ll notice about this demo is the way it
takes full advantage of not only the flagship hedgehog IP, but also
every other IP Sega has. Every course seems to be tailored after a
specific Sega game world. In the demo you get to race on a Panzer
Dragoon course and a Golden Axe course. I doubt fans of those games will
be drawn to this game just because of a course or character from their
favorite game, but regardless it really infuses the world of Sonic &
All-Stars Racing Transformed with unique backdrop and characters. Just
like Mario Kart draws from its lush Nintendo library, Sega does the same
with equal or dare I say better success.
Just like any great arcade racer you remember continuing countless
times, this one follows the same formula. I’ve already said how the
roster and courses harken back to the old days. It seems everything else
does too. When you first start the Sonic & All-Stars Racing
Transformed Demo you’re met with an intense cut scene of the cast racing
with power-ups and flashy colors accompanied by a zany instrumental.
The colors jump out from the screen and at first, just like the music,
it seems to be too much. After playing the demo for about 5 minutes, you
quickly realize the whole game seems too much, but then you’re
overpowered by the nostalgia of the game, and just as quickly, you
buckle yourself in.
In the demo they give you unlimited access to a regular race and a
time trial, either of which can be played on an easy, medium, or hard
difficulty. These are perfect for a demo, though I found the time trial
to be too difficult even on easy. I finally beat the time trial on easy
when after about ten tries I found out that you basically had to take
the shortcut. I hope that doesn’t continue in the rest of the game.
There was a redeeming factor that could have helped me overcome this
challenge that should be looked into further for the full game. In Sonic
& All-Stars Racing Transformed you can level up your characters
after gaining experience in the races. I’m guessing that if I would have
leveled up in the full game, I would have been able to beat this time
trial easier. They don’t give you the ability to toy with the character
growth mechanic in the demo, but I hope they put enough depth into it so
the game can have even more mileage than it already seems to have.
The racing in the game is basically a carbon copy of Mario Kart. I’m
not saying that in a particularly bad way, because they do it well and
it’s fun. The way Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed attempts to
differentiate itself is in the automatic transformation of your
vehicles. This does give the game a distinct flare as you’re forced to
adjust on the fly. I’m curious as to how this gameplay mechanic will pan
out in competitive multiplayer. I was good at driving all the vehicle
types except the planes, and someone may be able to edge me out in a
race because of this.
At the end of the demo when I tried to exit the game, I was forced to
watch a trailer I already voluntarily watched no more than 30 seconds
prior. When demos make you do anything like that, it’s always an
annoyance, though a small one.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo clocks in at an 8/10.
It’s a solid demo that does the trick by simply offering you fun. If
you’re into arcade racers, the Sega Brand, or just having a good time,
then Sega All-Star Racing Transformed is definitely worth the download.
After playing the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo,
sadly, I would not buy the game. The demo is great, but essentially we
have played this game before. I would recommend it to die-hard arcade
racing fans, but with a backlog like we have, it’s a pretty easy pass.
I would buy this game if it was $15 and I had a child who I could
play alongside with. At this point in my life, I have neither of those.
-lvl 99
No comments:
Post a Comment