Video: Digital Foundry's Analysis Points To Switch Sonic Forces Being The Worst Version

Not exactly shocking. But at this point I’m less concerned with the technical aspects of the game and far more interested in some credible reviews.

If reduced graphics and 30 fps is all we have to worry about and there's no frame dips, graphic tearing, other graphical jargon that equates to poor porting, then it's not much of a problem.

Are they actually blaming the platform that can actually dish out GOTY caliber games and not the developer?

Oh boy, can't wait to try the copy I reserved from the library. Yes, games from a library, I'm still amazed of livig in the future.

I've played trough so many Sonic games this title needs to be really good in for me to finish it. I've been surprised before though.

Eh. Sounds like an underwhelming game on whatever platform.

Well IIRC Generations on the Xbox 360 ran at 30fps which I had absolutely zero issues with, so if Sonic Forces performs identically on my Switch then I will be a happy man.

Reviewing the game based off of a demo? 🤔

There's an interesting video about the nature of the first enemies in most of the recent 3D sonic games. Force's first adversary's (those robots in the demo) literally just stand there...

@Snaplocket Nope. That’s not at all what I mean. The only review I’ve seen so far is the Polygon one and it was overwhelmingly negative. I don’t trust Polygon, due to their sketchy reviews and past biases. When I say “credible” I mean from sources that have a good track record and some decent journalistic integrity. If I just wanted a negative review I’d have accepted the Polygon one and moved on.

EDIT: After reading your comment I realize you might think I am trying to defend Sonic Forces. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I think the game is going to be a crapstorm, and I’m curious to see what the review community has to say.

Game is trash though.

@GC-161

What's that supposed to mean? A switch version of a multiplatform game is always going to be worse than the competition, if it pushes the hardware even slightly. The console is significantly weaker than every other current gen option- this isn't a secret.

@Paddle1
Digital foundry don't do reviews. They compare performance on a technical level.

Not at all surprised. I've posted comparison videos and screenshots in the forums and it is so apparent that the Switch version is the worst. Here's 2 comparison shots.

@Linkstrikesback I see. Makes sense. Though technically even that can change from a demo version.

Love that reasoning of don't get the game on the Switch because it has inferior graphics, get the other versions instead. Have they forgotten the Switch is the only portable option?

@Linkstrikesback That was not the point. Dunno where you got whatever you think I said.

I picked up the Switch version and got to play a little bit of it before heading to work, and frankly, I don't see myself majorly regretting missing out on the PS4 release - the game seems fairly short, an issue it shares with Generations, and I reckon it'll go on discount fairly quickly.

@Linkstrikesback He means that if the Switch can handle a huge game like Mario Odyssey in 60fps, it should be able to handle a Sonic game in 60fps.

@Snaplocket The excuse, or reason, is that the Switch is a lower-spec console than other current-gen consoles. Still, the Switch version works well and is technically about on par with other current 3rd party Switch titles.

I had been planning to double-dip but I'm pretty satisfied with how it runs on the Switch. The game itself is okay. Slightly less disappointing than I expected, but it strays well into generic-land, with plenty of cheap platforming deaths and a story and general theme that takes itself way too seriously. Even the feel and music of the title screen would feel more natural in a COD game...

@jmap Not really an excuse when the Xbox One version of the game is running at 720p...........

@GC-161 it is the consoles fault. Multiplat games will never run the same on Switch as they do on the other consoles. You can't blame developers for that. It was Nintendo's choice for providing weaker hardware.

@StupidName64 Zelda is at 30fps

EDIT

Nice stealth edit.

@Nintendoforlife I can't speak for the Xbox One version, only that the Switch version lives up to similar standards as similar 3rd party Switch titles (IMO, obviously).

@LUIGITORNADO You also didn't get my point. Congrats.

@Snaplocket
Oh don't worry, I agree. But saying to never get the Switch version is overlooking its only advantage on multiplat games. Without portability any game would be worse on Switch.

@jmap Ok, and I am saying any game that runs at 720p on the Xbox one, and has zero visual enhancements on the PS4 Pro is a lazy port.

Kinda wanna see if they’ll let me get the PS4 version instead, but really wanted the Switch skins.

Considering the ports coming to the switch, even capcoms monster hunter and resident evil

The switch shouldn't be blamed for what sega refuses to do properly. Sure we knew there would be graphical and fps sacrifices but it shouldn't be by that much. We'll see though.

@LUIGITORNADO Haha, you caught me. I wrote it at first, but it didn’t sound right, so I checked, and it said BotW was 30. Point still stands with MO though.

@Alber-san "Love that reasoning of don't get the game on the Switch because it has inferior graphics, get the other versions instead. Have they forgotten the Switch is the only portable option?"

Great, so people should be able to flush it down the toilet with ease.

It's an expected outcome, but Sonic Team should've optimized this version a bit more to be more precise

Um of course it is, the Switch is smaller than an iPad and is a portable console. Why does this even need to be said?

Sorry "Sonic". Reviews are looking pretty lukewarm anyhow.

i am surprised, why wouldnt I? Super Mario Odyssey runs at 60 fps

''worst version'' hardly matters in this case. That's like saying one turd smells worse than the other, it doesn't really matter in the end.

Seems like they slapped this game together as a shameless cash grab. Not surprising, but it's just disappointing that SEGA treats the Sonic IP this way.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Lol

@GC-161 I wasn't the only one, so it looks like you did a poor job of that.

@Snaplocket Funny thing is, Colors and Generations were only decent games, not excellent. They are only celebrated because they are not complete garbage. The bar for 3D Sonic is fairly low. Honestly, if any of these games starred a new generic protagonist and not Sonic himself they would be universally panned. Even the best of them would be quickly forgotten about. The rabid 3D Sonic fan base keeps the series alive, buying every iteration of this dumpster fire of a series (again, I’m speaking about the 3D games, not the 2D ones), regardless of how awful some of them have been. There is absolutely no excuse in this day and age for a game like Sonic 06 or Sonic Boom to make it to store shelves, especially with a big budget development team. Sega knows they can get away with it, because the Sonic fans will keep buying the games and the developers don’t even have to try.

@Drac_Mazoku

I agree with your sentiments but Mario Galaxy was actually a 60fps game as was Galaxy 2.

Sonic Generations was actualy an awful experience for me on 360 as the blur effect it used actually hurt my eyes and gave me a headache. Sonic Forces doesn't appear to have that problem and I can play other 30fps games just fine, so it was just the artistic choice SEGA used for Generations that ruined it for me personally.

@LUIGITORNADO Nope. I did a good of that, actually.

You two assumed what I was on about. That's not on me.

No surprise here.

That is the trade off for having a hybrid console. To me, it’s worth it.

I would download a Running Simulator and save the money.

Judging by everything that was said, Sega just did a poor job on all consoles other than the base PS4. Not gonna hold it against the Switch that the game looks mediocre.

Not buying

As we all expected, this game sucks.

Go get Mania for true amazement!

This is Sega's secret agenda to bring down Nintendo.

What's the point of Sonic games anyway? You move too fast to make any meaning decision on where to go, or avoiding dangers. Most of the time, you are just watching the game play itself.

I was curious to see how it compared to the PS3 and Xbox360 versions, found out there weren't any, so that's a win.

Switch is a portable last gen console, that's the simplest way to look at it. The fact that it even gets games that are only on this gens home consoles is a win.

People expecting Wii U, Xbox360 and PS3 powered games to look like PS4 and Xbox 1 games haven't really been paying attention.

Now if the game is broke, that's on the devs, but simply comparing graphics between PS4/X1 and Switch is simply never going to go in the Switch's favor, it's a portable, its 'a tablet.

On the bright side, downloaded our FREE Shadow skin and FREE Shadow levels this morning. DLC for free, imagine that.

I easily predicted this game would be trash and I got swarmed by Sonic fanboys. Let's see them defend their garbage franchise now.

Ha ha ha ha x3

Whilst the Switch is weaker it clearly can do much better then this, given a certain recent release this is clearly poor optimisation. I could accept the heavy downgrade in visuals if it maintained 60 fps but to drop it to 30 fps is a joke. Look at Lost World on the weaker Wii U, visually better then this and double the frame rate. Watching the video it shows how poor of a job they've done on all of the consoles with even the mighty Xbox One X at 1080p half the time

@subpopz Ok let me clear up what my point was, since peeps are going to be replying to that comment of mine...

If they had made this game for the 3DS (the original, not even the "new" new revision) and the developer had failed to optimize it for that platform... who's fault would that be? Certainly not the platform's fault.

And the 3DS (the original edition) had games even on its first year that made you wonder how the devs managed to pull it off (see Resident Evil Revelations).

So yeah, of course multiplat games will never look as good as on the PS4 or X1. But my point was that the dev could've optimized the game to run as flawless as possible on the platform.

So instead of saying "this game runs WORSE on the Switch" you could instead be able to say "this game runs at a steady framerate, plays great with the best graphics the platform can dish out. For a Switch game, this game is as good as is gonna get. The dev made a great job at using the tech that was available to them and made good use of it"

But yeah, Sonic fans have a lot of options. Just not on the Switch.

Game is getting horrible reviews... Sad that Sonic is still in the wilderness...

@carlos82 I Agree. nothing about this game is exciting IMO.

Just my perspective as my copy arrived today. I've played about an hour of it so far. It's fast as all Sonic games generally are. The controls are responsive and so far it's been enjoyable. I'll try it docked when I get home, but so far haven't noticed any slowdown, and graphically it looks fine to me. I'm not going to be comparing it side by side with the other console versions or having a nervous breakdown because it runs at 30fps. If as I play more of the game it's detrimental to the gaming experience then sure, I'll be the first to call it out.

I use my switch as my main home and portable console and my PC for things like Wow and high end/4k gaming. The PS4 gets dusted off for exclusives and I don't own an Xbox.
If as time goes by it turns out that this a lousy port as some are saying, due to Sega devs not optimising as best as they could, then Sega is where the venom and fire should be directed at.
But if you want a fun, albeit standard 3d Sonic game for your Switch then you could do worse. If the game doesn't interest you then that's ok as well.

Writer posts negative article designed to get people upset and arguing amongst each other, to keep them clicking back on the article frequently. Does that surprise anyone?

@GC-161 I don't blame sega for nintendo making a console that's not up to current gen standards, no.

Is it Square Enix's fault that DQH2 plays worse on the Switch than the PS4, especially in handheld mode? They even gave it s*** graphics and the switch STILL couldn't compete.

Think about it. Most of the GOTY material games on the switch are first party titles. And why is that? Because they were designed FOR THE SWITCH. a multi platform publisher shouldn't have to lower their standards for ONE CONSOLE that can't keep up. Nintendo does it not just because they can, but because if they don't, NO ONE ELSE WILL, and the console would be dead within a month.

That said, they are producing some FINE looking games for the console, and i'm VERY tempted to buy one closer to the XB2 and MP4 launch dates.

Not sure when will people figure out the Switch is a handheld at last Gen tech.

Now that people can start getting enhanced Xbox x and PS3 Pro Multiplatform games at the same $60 price point this will even get worse.

This thing can't compete vs the PS4/xbox, it competes vs the 3DS and Vita

@Agramonte So just the 3DS then. I might be a Sony fan now (not a fanboy, just a fan) but even I'll admit that they shouldn't bother making a handheld as long as Nintendo's still doing it.

@rjejr think you need to wake up.if thats the case ps4 is last gen since the pro came out.and when the Xbox one x comes out,Xbox one is last gen thats basically what you said lol

@Agramonte you forgot to mentione since the switch came out it beat Xbox is sales every month. Not life time sales yet it will

@CheddarSword You can certainly blame Sega for creating a lackluster port of a game just because they were trying to cash in on the fact that Sonic sells better on Nintendo systems and in that they didn't want to miss out on that sweet, sweet Switch money.

I mean it's not Nintendo's fault or the Switch's was its capabilities are. It is what it is. That's no secret to anyone. Especially to devs who know what it can do.

The dev in this and in any other case had the option to either go "Nope, this won't run on this. I'll skip it" or go "I'll make another version of the game that is tailored made for this platform. Optimising the hell out of it, making owners of this platform proud"

But again, Sega just wanted to have something on the Switch. There was money to be made.

From what little of the game that the demo allowed to play, I wasn't going to buy it anyway, it just controls as bad as most 3D Sonic games.

My only problem is that I can understand this on Doom or something, but the graphical sacrifice this game provides is just ridiculous.

It goes from 1080p to 720p that is more than half the pixel count, so ok is fine, then we cut the frame rate to half of it.

That is another crazy cut.

We go from pushing 124 million pixels every second on the other systems to just 27 Millions on Switch, so just on raw pixel count switch is pushing almost 5 time less pixels but even with that the game needs to cut on lightning and geometry complexity.

I honestly believe there is a share responsibility here between being a weaker hardware and the developer being lazy honestly.

@CheddarSword well I see my Vita the same as my old WiiU. People can piss on it as much as they want - but you look at the actual library and there are Gems you didn't see anywhere else at the time.

Im a videogame fan and never put all my eggs in one basket. I've always bought a SONY/Nintendo combo (I think a PC is more or less an xBox). Being a "Fanboy" of any console makes you miss out on tons of great games.

I have the Switch version and I honestly had no issues with it. Didn't even realize the game was outputting at 720p or at a fix 30FPS. Honestly, as long as the game runs smoothly with no lag (I am looking at you Mighty No. 9), then who cares?

It would be nice to have a 1080p option. Minecreaft on the Switch did get a 1080p patch, so the Switch version could too.

720p on Xbox one. Damn that's a poor effort for sure

Right I've been watching some of the gane on YouTube running on Switch and despite my earlier comments it actually looks pretty decent visually, I do wonder sometimes if Digital Foundry makes much more of these differences than they should. Yes all of the textures are poorer but at the speed of play you wouldn't notice especially had you not being shown the other versions. I recently watch a video of the new Xbox and it was showing 360 games in 4k vs the S saying how transformative the experience was, when in reality without the labels at the top I wouldn't have been able to tell which was which.

So whilst the game isn't as ugly as they would have you believe the script and voice acting are terrible and it seems to mostly play itself. I'll stick with Mania for now but I'd get it in a sale if the reviews are half decent

@Slim1999 well that also has to do with the PS4. The Xbox was beat by Sony long before the Switch came out. Sony had another amazing quarter - raising their PS4 target from 18 million to 19 million by end of year (that will be a 79million base)

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/59696/sony-reports-huge-739-net-income-spike/index.html

Xbox is just getting hammered in the home console market.

"Worst" if you care about graphics but it plays fine.

Now is the game any good? Thats the real question here. If it is good, I'm still buying it on Switch.

@ImagineerNik that was my take away from the video too.

How did I know this was a Damien article?

"Should just play another version"

So, by that logic everyone should avoid every Switch version ever for not having graphical/performance parity with non-portable consoles.

I'm growing increasingly exhausted with these attempts to rile people up. It's unprofessional as hell. I'm not advocating buying Forces, but to tell people they should just buy other versions because it doesn't offer graphical parity? That's EVERY game on Switch.

With Mario Odyssey running at 60fps and Splatoon 2 never having dropped a frame in its life, this seems like a poor effort.

I’ll wait for the honest NL review. I didn’t expect it to look amazingly alongside the PS4 and X box one X versions but it doesn’t be look that bad on it’s own.
I doubt it will be any better than Mania.

It doesn't seem to really matter in this case anyways. Garbage is garbage regardless of the platform.

@JamesR mmm splatoon 2 is definitely not silky smooth in the lobby.

Plus let's put things into perspective here. The two games you mentioned are developed by Nintendo who know the switch hardware inside out.

I've played the demo in handheld mode, and this is only the umpteenth case where I need Digital Foundry to inform me there's something wrong with the graphics. XD But now we have more "weak Nintendo hardware vs blast processing" jokes to make.

Framerate drops and stuff like that would be a concern, but even if they're here, they'll be long patched and forgotten by the time I binge up to it... although the game itself might be on regular sales by then, too. I've only played the first two Sonics on SMD so far, plus some Spinball, and while fun, they didn't pin the franchise too high in my franchise catch-up backlog. So it may take a while.

Sonic Mania is my favorite Sonic game of all time and favorite Switch game.

This Sonic game looks so [removed], just like all other 3D ones besides Adventure and Heroes.
I'm happy for whoever enjoys this kind of gameplay, but personally, I can't stand how boring and uninteresting it is.
Its basically a visual Guitar Hero without the rythm.

@subpopz semi random, but the 3DS version of Xenoblades Chronicles is fantastic! Portability allowed me to actually play and enjoy everything it had to offer.

@subpopz Agreed. Portability makes it worth taking a hit in graphical quality A LOT of the time for me. It's one of the reasons I liked the Vita so much for JRPGs.

@shakim1972
Not sure if sarcasm but we all know the Switch offers better portability than a laptop.

@MIDP nah heroes was Garbage also

@Krest_arisen Well how stupid of them.

I guess they would blame a .45 pistol for not shooting a cannon ball.

Not the genius trying to make that happen.

XBOX - Screen Tearing
PS4 - Some weird performance issue over time
Switch - No issues, just downgraded graphics at 30FPS.

Yet for some reason based on these bugs the the Switch is still the worst version? Ha! (admittedly they'll probably get a patch later to fix these)

@kobashi100 Fair enough, although I thought it was fine and enjoyable.
At least enough so to separate it from whatever that came after.
The physics were at least predictable enough to make it playable.
All that came after, that I played, like Generations and Colors has been unplayable in my opinion.
Their DS and 3DS counterparts have been ok.
To be fair, Lost World was almost kind of okay, if it wasn't for all the gimmicks and other bs they crammed in to make it completely unplayable.
But yeah, that game was pretty bad, even if they fixed the main issues with the other types of 3D Sonic games that are basically visual guitar hero runners.

I kind of don't see why this is either news or an issue.

The PS4/One are consoles, full fledged HD level/4K level consoles anchored to a TV with more powerful processors that can cough up better frame rates(60 solid) and more details and textures along with polgyons on the whole. The Switch can render the graphics effects of them but not the complexity of the models or the same frame rate though a solid 30 is perfectly smooth and normal. It's a handheld device that can run much what the others can do, just scaled back to within its limits. So yeah duh, least best of the lot, but it never was intended to be anything but a portable release and not a tv anchor.

@shakim1972
And I'd rather play a real game on a 300€ console (made for playing games) on the bus than the same game on a >1000€ laptop on a desk. Your point?

I have a feeling no matter what system you get this game for, its going to stink

Well, my expectations were low anyway, so I'll just focus on the game itself. Hopefully it's playable, even if the fidelity and speed is lower. Perhaps a future patch to improve it is in the works?

@GC-161 no, they're just reporting on what they see.

@Slim1999 "ps4 is last gen since the pro came out.and when the Xbox one x comes out,Xbox one is last gen thats basically what you said lol"

OK, you do realize that makes absolutely no sense, right?
How many games come out that play only on PS4 Pro but not PS4? The answer is zero. How many games are supposed to come out that play only on X1X but not X1 or X1S? The answer to that is also zero.

Do you know what gen that makes PS4 and X1? This gen, b/c that's what games are coming out on. PS4 Pro and X1X are simply faster better versions of the current systems, if they were NEXT GEN then they would have a new set of games. Simple. But they don't, so they aren't.

When PS4 Pro only games and X1X only games start coming out we can continue this conversation, until then there is no conversation.

@shakim1972
I don't even know what you're talking about. I meant I don't consider sonic forces a real game so comparing it on switch and pc is meaningless... But don't bother answering I don't like arguing with trolls

These videos are always interesting, and I appreciate the heck out of what Digital Foundry does. That's a shame about the Switch version. Like he said in the video, seems like it was a down and dirty port to get it out with all the other versions.

@NowhereMan11 And what they see is a poorly optimized game having problems running on a platform after being clumsily shoehorned into it.

I merely pointed out who's fault that was (hint: not the platform's or the ones that made it) but many here are quick to do just that.

Using their half-baked logic, PC's are garbage since the PC version of Sonic Forces crashes constantly. The dev shouldn't be blamed at all.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/637100/Sonic_Forces/#app_reviews_hash

Anywhoo, haters gonna hate on things they do not understand (or want to understand)

@shakim1972
Not namecalling, describing your actions. Coming to a Nintendo site to bash on the Switch is trolling.

Its important to note that the Switch version of Forces was basically a last minute decision so not surprised its a notch below the other versions but I hear the Xbox version has issues as well

The Pc verison is apperently a mess as well.

Well at least there is still Sonic Mania

@GC-161 Let's talk about that for a moment. Sonic sells better on Nintendo consoles... Ok.

The only multi platform sonic games to be released in oh... the past 11 years, were Sonic '06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic 4, Sonic Generations and Sonic Mania.

only 4 of those were sold on Nintendo platforms, and Sonic 06 is utter garbage that NO ONE misses, so let's talk about Unleashed first.

When it comes to gameplay, it's hard to deny that the non Nintendo versions were better due to including hub worlds. However, the Wii dominated that generation due to it's motion controls. However, it also lacked many good games, so people who owned the console that wanted a decent experience had few options. And Sonic Unleashed certainly wasn't a bad choice, even without the hub worlds.

Next, Sonic 4. Now Episode 1 was released across the board. It was also hated by many 2D sonic critics. And Episode 2? That one didn't touch a Nintendo console despite being the better game.

And now Sonic Generations. This one didn't release on a home console for Nintendo, but it DID release on the 3DS, as an exclusively 2D experience that VASTLY differs from it's console counterpart on PS3 and 360. At the time, modern sonic games were still enjoyed by many sonic fans, but at the time, the outcry for 2D sonic was getting much louder, so naturally, an all 2D sonic game that played well? Why WOULDN'T fans jump on board?

The problem there is that they were two completely different games that shared the same name. So it's not that the 3DS version sold better. instead, the 3DS GAME sold better due to being what people asked for.

And now, Sonic Mania. I honestly don't know what to say here. I don't know sales figures, but I do know this. It's not a performance heavy game at all. So getting the Switch to run it shouldn't be hard. The only platform I think it did poorly on was PC and that was due to poor anti piracy software.

And as for the rest of the sonic games released since? They were all Nintendo exclusives due to an agreement. So of course the sales figures are going to be there.

With that said, why should Sega spend the extra resources to go just that extra mile? The appreciation of their fans? The very fans who pan the games they make? How well did Lost World do? And Sonic Boom? IIRC, they had POOR scores overall. So as a company, if people are saying "your games are garbage!", i'm not gonna put the extra effort into making a weaker version perfect for the ONE CONSOLE i make it for.

@Agramonte agreed, that's why i don't completely deny buying the Switch. It has good games, but there's just not many on there for me yet. Heck, I'm saving up for a gaming PC myself.

You can't really say that a gaming PC is the same as an Xbox though. There's loads of good indie games that just don't come to consoles, or at least, the consoles I own. But they're on PC usually. Also, PC games get mods.

But yeah, the Vita is a nice looking system and it does have some good games on it, but if you have to chose between one or the other, the 3DS will likely win out in most cases due to not only having good games, but having many more of them. And also, it's cheaper, so a parent is more likely to buy it for both their kid AND themselves.

Can't deny though, I'd like to have a vita just to be able to play Hero of Leaf Valley again. That was one good harvest moon game...

@CheddarSword All that you wall of text that you threw on my lap? Sounds like you were just thinking aloud.

Gotta focus on one point, m8.

@CheddarSword Oh, great!... good luck saving for your gaming PC. The GPU prices are finally coming down a bit in some cases.

Yep, I was coming from the other angle. I have a half-decent PC from work so do not feel I need an Xbox. When there is a game like Quantum Break/Cup Head - I can just play it on PC. And you also get all the extras you mentioned on top. You also get games cheaper on PC.

Yeah agree about the 3DS. I had to trade mine in when I got the Switch.

No surprise here, it was always going to be a inferior version on switch, same with any multiplatform game on switch going up against 2 machines that out strip the switch very comfortably. Doom will be no different

I think the worst part is that Sonic Forces was one of the first games to be specifically announced for Nintendo NX, and it has the worst performance of all versions.

@Drac_Mazoku It’s more about the principle. They’re downgrading a game to 30fps on a console that can handle it at 60 and, like @Snaplocket said, it’s just lazy.

When I brought the Switch I knew all about how ps and xbone are better in their own way but why even compare the consoles to the Switch? Its like the reviewers have no ideas for new content on their websites.

It wont make me change my choice because I wasn't interested in the first place. The game doesn't look very good, and I am not talking about graphics.

"Does that surprise anyone?"

No. I don't see why need to constantly bring this up. If you want the more powerful version, you buy it for one of the other consoles. If you prefer a portable version(like myself), you'll opt for the Switch version. I still see people beating this dead horse over DOOM on Switch and it's ridiculous.

@Shellcore They seem to act more like barriers than actual sentient beings. This is because modern Sonic is moving way too fast for their actions to matter. I think enemies should be able to run with Sonic and attack him rather than just be passed on by. I feel the Dynasty Warrior-like games do something similar with the enemies. I would rather have enemies fight back for a challenge.

@MIDP Sadly, gameplay does not offer much challenges. It is interesting that it has that Sonic SatAM vibe, but what is Sonic trying to accomplish as a game? Is he now a runner game that wants us to avoid obstacles or is he a platformer? I love Sonic but the 3D games need to find a purpose. Personally, I loved Heroes because I felt it gave players more freedom to look around and actually play the game. Yeah there were some automated parts but the whole game had a good base for improvements. There was not reason to go to the Storybooks, 2006, or Boom.

@MysteryCupofJoe Same here. In Generations et al, the first enemies do fight back. I know it doesn't make much of a difference, but wonder why this game goes further to make them solely speed barriers. Seems like a step back to me.

Well I'm up to level 20 and loving it so far. It's sad to see so many people writing the game off so early.

@MysteryCupofJoe
I agree, although, they(3D games) do have a purpose(kind of...), it just happens to be a really bad purpose(in my opinion).
They are basically runners where you just memorize patterns and avoid stuff/do stuff.
Sonic Mania and the other old school 2D games do what Sonic should do - platforming.
And yes, Heroes and Adventure(s) have a solid base where they encourage exploration.
If they could make games like those but make the controls and camera just a little better then I'm sure we'd have us a good purpose to play Sonic in 3D.
For now though, the most important thing is that SEGA focuses their attention on letting the Fan Team make a proper Sonic Mania 2.
Hopefully they don't get greedy and try to crank it out faster than they can make it good.
SEGA, don't F%%K this up.

What is really disappointing is that the Switch version uses low-quality assets and visual effects compared to the other versions even running at 720p 30fps.

It's unusual that the Switch version was delivered late to most reviewers while the game was available for purchase since yesterday on all platforms.

Shame. Probably gonna hold off and get it on PS4 after some reviews drop. I would rather have a handheld option, but it seems the game isn't taking full advantage of the dock.

Plot twist: When you think about, every version of Sonic Forces is the worst version.