Released: September 30th, 2008
Developer/Publisher: Bioware/Sega
Verdict: Buy It
Pros: Addicting RPG, unique controls, good story, non-annoying Sonic game!
Cons: Trying to outrun battles.
I bet you thought that every recent Sonic the Hedgehog game couldn’t help but suck, right? Well, they finally got one right! Sonic Chronicles is an epic RPG (I know!) on the Nintendo DS that really makes you wonder why more games like this aren’t created anymore.
The game is completely controlled with the touch screen, which seems to be hit and miss with DS titles. This game is certainly a hit on the controls. Sonic and the gang will follow the stylus around whereever you’re pointing. There are different obstacles in the overworld for you to negotiate, and you’ll need specific characters to do it. Only Sonic can take the large ramps, Tails can fly over gaps, Knuckles can climb flat surfaces, etc. One of the other nice aspects of the overworld is the ability to see enemy battles. You can run from everything but boss battles (who just love sneaking up on you).
Battles are this game’s strong point. Combat is turn based, but with a wonderful new twist. For every round of combat, most normal enemies can only move once (bosses break this trend frequently), but Sonic moves three times and everyone else usually moves twice. Attacking is fairly straight forward, but special moves are the fun part. If you’ve ever played Elite Beat Agents, the special moves won’t be anything new for you. If not, get ready to time your touch screen moves. You have to tap certain circles, follow lines at a specific speed, or quickly tap a dot several times to make your moves succeed. The best part is that you get the same chance and method to avoid the enemies special moves, which you need to do just to survive in this game.
If you’re an RPG fan, or a fan of Sonic who’s been depressed by his more recent games, I highly recommend this one. The fact that Bioware (Knights of the Old Republic) developed it is sweet icing on the cake. I’ve yet to meet anyone who hasn’t liked it once they’ve tried it.
Popularity: unranked [?]
