|
|
|
In 1996, Mario received his very own RPG created by the legends of the genre; Square. Now in 2008, Sonic is taking the RPG-jump with the help of the unstoppable genius of Bioware. But has Sonic got what it takes to successfully enter the genre?
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood sees Sonic and his friends go into a battle against the darstardly Marauders; a distant race of Echidna’s who are hell-bent on taking the Chaos Emeralds for themselves (no change there then). Sonic and pals traverse their own world and even take their adventure to different planets in their attempt to retreive the Chaos Emeralds before the Marauders can get their greasy mits on them. Sonic is guided throughout the game through the sole use of the stylus. Slide the stylus where you want the characters to move and they do. Actions are activated by using either the L and R buttons or tapping the command on screen. The basis controls are incredibly fluid and our only interupted by strange scenery placement such as buildings you can’t walk behind. Where as exploration is incredibly key in Sonic Chronicles, the battle element plays the greatest role in the game. Battle is split between basis attacks, special attacks and item use. Select each from a menu which appears for each member in your team and watch the chaos unfold. The special attacks are controlled in the games big showcase; the use of specific taps and slides using the stylus. On first attempt, getting into the rhythm of the actions proves to be quite difficult. The controls require a lot of trial and error before they can be used effectively but sooner or later you’ll be performing axe kicks and uppercuts like there’s no tomorrow. Sonic Chronicles has a stunning aesthetic As with most RPGs, a certain amount of patience is needed before you can really progress. Characters are levelled up through the experience they gain through battles and levelled up with they receive enough. However, we have noticed that on occasion levelling up doesn’t activate automatically and you’ll need to enter the character’s headquarters in order to use the experience you’ve gained to improve your characters different skills and aquire new special attacks. The game is a fairly decent sized adventure. Okay, it isn’t the 4 disc epic that we see on the home consoles but for an RPG based around Sonic, you have to expect more urgency than you would with a Square RPG. The pace is always gleefully manic with enemies attacking you left, right and center as you traverse the many worlds on offer. Later into the game, the consistantly respawning enemies to become a little irritating but thankfully, Bioware has given us a ‘Flee’ button which activates a short escape sequence so you can get back into the exploration with ease. The battle system is suprisingly accurate but irritating after they become too frequent Graphically, the game is exactly what a Sonic game should look like. Bright colours, detailed maps and unique scenery. The art direction is absolutely superb and really showcases what the DS can do in the right hands. The sound is what really makes the game shine. It beautifully compliments the game’s graphics by including some classic Sonic tunes. The music featured in the game’s many maps does seem to be a little weak when you compare it to the music the emphasises the battle sequences but the nostalgia they bring to the table easily makes this forgivable. Sound effects also revive that retro Sonic feel with many classic noises taken straight from the 16 bit era. There’s a really comical element thrown in the mix when some of the sound clips suprise you with a goofy twang that keeps the experience positive and enjoyable instead of the angsty mess we’ve had to put up with in Sonic’s home console appearances. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a suprisingly detailed little fan-fest. Every bit of dialogue, sound, scenery and action has been carefully crafted to give a Sonic fan a very much needed dose of nostalgia. It’s probably the most Sonic-feeling Sonic game we’ve played for years. RPG veterans will find that a few issues such as the scenery placement, far-too-freqeunt battles and short gameplay length will tarnish an otherwise charming little game. But this is really a Sonic game created by Sonic fans; a wonderful nod to the 16 bit era and a joy to play as a Sonic fan. If you’ve ever had a passing interest in Sonic, stop drawing fan-art for a moment and pick up this little diamond in the rough. 8/10 Written by Sonic Yoda on 28/10/08 |