Whether you asked for it or not, Sonic 4: Episode 2 is coming. Though I’m not entirely sure why.
When Sonic 4: Episode 1 was on the way, fans could not have been more excited. Sega was finally returning to Sonic’s roots and giving us what we’ve been asking for since before polygons were common. Then the game came out and everyone was exactly as disappointed as they were excited. The levels were rote, the controls were loose and the physics. Oh God, the physics.
But then Sega announced Sonic Generations, which did everything they’d claimed Sonic 4 would. And it was wonderful. Generations reignited many a fan’s love for the blue blur, and made 2D Sonic sound like a viable property again. Unless it was another Sonic 4, which Generations rendered pretty useless.
Thankfully Sega, unlike most publishers, has actually listened to their fans. Sonic 4: Episode 2 draws much more from Sonic Generations than it does Episode 1. The game actually handles like its 16-bit predecessors and brings some new things to the table. With the addition of Tails, you’re given more options of how to overcome obstacles. Sonic and Tails will team up to execute moves like swimming faster or destroying boulders in your path. Tails isn’t useless!
I’ll still remain cautious based on this series’s history, but Sonic 4: Episode 2 plays pretty solid in the demo. I look forward to seeing what the full release is like.
