Sonic Mania is a fantastic game and a return to form of the franchise. While the title may look quite old-school, it features many modern enhancements like a continuous world and smooth gameplay. The controls are tighter than ever and Sonic Mania is as much of a modern Sonic title than it is a throwback to the past. The developers have outdone themselves and have truly captured the essence of the franchise in an exhilarating and varied adventure.
While the plot might not be that complex, as always you have to put an end to Doctor Eggman’s terrible schemes. He’s capturing defenseless creatures again and using them to power his machines. I never truly understood how the mechanism worked but that’s what he’s up to. You have to go through traditional levels and new ones in order to defeat Doctor Eggman…for the time being. The evil Doctor has a habit of coming back again and again so you can’t really defeat him once and for all. Though, that might change when Sonic Forces releases later this year.
As alluded to earlier, the best part about Sonic Mania has to be the variety. Just when you expect a normal boss fight you’re thrown a curveball and have to face Doctor Eggman in a game of Tetris to see who wins. The winner doesn’t get dropped to their doom. I have never played a Sonic game that has surprised me as much as Sonic Mania. Before I began the game, I honestly expected just rehashed levels and the same old Sonic game I’ve played for years. As easy as it looks, it’s quite difficult finding the right balance modern gameplay and retro aesthetics. You don’t want to change the formula too much that it defeats the purpose of the game. Sonic Mania is supposed to be a way to evoke the past and it succeeds brilliantly.
However, there are some problems. While the normal 2D levels are great, the 3D levels have bugs. For example, sometimes you collide with objects in your path and you have to go around them. Other times, you just run through solid objects. I’m not sure if the developers forgot to include some hit boxes in these levels or if it’s supposed to be some design decision to make certain areas easier and less frustrating. Either ways, it’s a jarring experience. Apart from that, there really isn’t anything to fault here. Sonic Mania is the Sonic game we’ve all been waiting for for years.
Summary
I could go on and on about Sonic Mania but what you need to know that it’s a must-buy for any Xbox One owner. The title, despite its slight issues, is one of the best games available on Xbox One and elevates the franchise. The developers understood what made the past entries so great and built upon that. Sonic is all about speed and this game dishes that out by the bucketload. You should get it right now because I can’t recommend it enough.
Xian was a regular ICXM contributor between 2015–2017, publishing 162 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative.