Sonic Lost World – Hands On Impressions: Can Sega Recreate The Old Magic?

Another new generation, another new Sonic game. Welcome to Sonic: Lost World an upcoming third-party Wii U and 3DS exclusive title from Sega. The developer tries re-invent the Sonic formula yet again to create an appealing experience that throws us back in the nostalgic days of the original games from one of our favorite childhood franchises.

So what is Sonic: Lost World and how is it different from the previous Sonic: Unleashed and Sonic: Generations? At this year’s E3,  I got to play around with the game and was left with somewhat mixed impressions.

Presentation

Sonic: Lost World is quite a good-looking game, it has all the bells and whistles that make it look like a Sonic game and is quite pleasing to the eye. You don’t need tremendous power of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One to create a gorgeous Sonic experience,  the Wii U does the job well done despite the fact that the hardware is less powerful compared to the two upcoming next-gen consoles.

Sonic: Lost World is full of bright colors and gorgeous HD visuals that just scream eye candy. I was undoubtedly pleased with the visual style and feel of the game. The sense of Sonic’s speed is fantastic and certainly adds to the overall presentation. Overall, if you liked how previous Sonic titles looked, then the Lost World won’t disappoint you.

Gameplay

Sonic: Lost World’s gameplay will be extremely familiar to those who played previous Sonic games. However, this time around the addition of the ability to be able to traverse the world both vertically and horizontally adds a whole new dimension to the overall level design and platforming. The game felt natural when I played it for the first time, and I knew what I had to do, and that was to get from point A to point Z of the stage in order to complete it while collecting as many rings as possible, not getting hit and doing it as fast as possible.

What I liked about the dimensional level design is that now players have a choice of how they want to get to the end of the level, and there are multiple routes on how you do that. I think the new dimensional gameplay will add a subtle diversity to levels which will create a more enjoyable experience. The addition of exploring the levels will also encourage players to look for secrets and bonus stages that increase the fun value of the game.

The demo included three different levels, one level taking place in the Green-Land and the next two levels took you to a desert themed world. Each of the levels had increased difficulty curve meaning that the platforming was more challenging, had more enemies than usual and additional obstacles throughout the course that can hit you.

I died repeatedly in the higher difficulty stages, but I still had fun. The Sonic games always had that feel of trial and error where players need to practice the stage multiple times in order to perfect it and speed run-through it without getting hit. Overall, I was pleased with the challenging stages, and I am looking forward to seeing what other levels Sega has prepared for us in Sonic: Lost World for the Wii U.

Conclusion

So how does Sonic: Lost World compare to previous Sonic games? Is this the right direction for future Sonic titles or is Sega failing yet again to create something appealing and re-introduce Sonic in a new way? I personally think Sonic: Lost World is actually an excellent idea and I had fun from what I’ve played. In conclusion, I was exceptionally pleased with the new Sonic formula. It blends the traditional Sonic gameplay with the addition of vertical and horizontal platforming that creates a whole brand new experience for the Sonic Fans.

The game looks beautiful in HD and it’s undoubtedly one of the games that I think the Wii U desperately needs in order to succeed. If you’re looking for a new Sonic game and own a Wii U I think that Sonic: Lost World should be able satisfy your Sonic cravings.

Stay tuned to our review for Sonic: Lost World on the Wii U when it hits the store shelves on October 12th.