IGN Reviews: Sonic and the Secret Rings

Sonic and the Secret Rings is my favorite entry into the franchise since its 2D roots. That's high praise for some, I'm quite certain. Bearing that in mind, if you really liked the Sonic Adventure titles for Dreamcast or GameCube, I think you will find much more to be excited about in this Wii-exclusive undertaking. I can tell you that the experience is more fun and more beautiful than any other – at least, as far as I'm concerned. But that being true, there are still flaws – big ones – and I'm less willing to tolerate and forgive them now that 3D games have fully evolved and we've seen exactly what great developers can do in the third dimension. Sonic Team has taken a giant step in the right direction here, and of that there is little doubt, which is why I hope that more time and attention goes into the camera system and level designs for the inevitable sequel.

I want to take moment to specifically explain the score. For me, Sonic and the Secret Rings offers moments of greatness where I find myself caught up in the intensity of the experience and, oppositely, moments where I want to pull my hair out or throw the Wii remote down because of imprecise control or insulting design choices. I think that some gamers, particularly diehard Sonic fans, will be able to get past these drawbacks and enjoy the great times, which are also in supply. However, for me it's really pretty simple. Call me harsh, but I don't believe you should be forced to deal with the bad to enjoy the good and hence, I've scored the game with that in mind.
Score: 6.9

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