Sega X’s SA Review

Here’s a majority of what Sega X said about the new game:

As Sonic Adventure spins in the heating Dreamcast, the next tenant of the game becomes apparent. The sounds is simply astounding. A rock theme fuels the introduction, showing off the power of Yamaha’s sound card within the white casing. In game, the audio takes a back-seat to the gameplay, but during cut-scenes the theme songs of the six characters can be heard playing. Character voices, remain surprisingly decent. Even Tails, who many might have expected to sport a completely annoying speech pattern, comes off pleasantly, though youthful. Unfortunately, the lip-sync does not always manage to stay on target, and certain scenes will harken gamers back to the black and white Japanese movies of old. Sonic may simply say, “Hey Tails,” but his lips a definitely playing another tune. Otherwise, there will probably not be a mad dash to hit the mute button at the first spoken word.

Then comes the true magic of Sonic Adventure. Its a astounding to watch, a joy to listen, but pick up a controller. Indulge in the gameplay which separates it from the other platformers, and assigns to it, its own identity. That same feel of speed, which was created in the past installments, has carried over to this newest episode. The control over Sonic and the other characters is sharp, allowing for subtle changes in course, without breaking up the flow of movement, and gives gamers the feel of freedom when racing across open patches of land.

At times though, gamers will loose control of their wily hedgehog. When streaming across jumps and loops, or through the common booster tracks, it seems the landscape takes over, directing the azure protagonist, without little input from the gamer. At times, one can simply let go of their controller for a moment, and set Sonic loose. While it is not as common as in the first three, this downside to the franchise’s blinding speed does remain present in this updated version.

From the introduction to the frequent duels with Dr. Robotnik and Chaos, Sonic Adventure remains an amusing journey. Incorporating six intertwined stories, likewise contributes to prolong replay value. Immediate changes in the transition from the 2D to the 3D playing field, will be a welcome by Sega veterans and newcomers, a like. Nevertheless, Sonic Team has not abandoned its roots, retaining the exhilarating gameplay that has been a long-standing feature of the series. After their long absence, Sonic and friends return in 128-bit excellence, to once more entice the gaming community with its flashy allure.

Their overall score for the game was a 91%.