Our favorite Sonic music was “cheesy” his friends “annoying” his adventure design “lanky” and controls “too slippery” Now we have generic kids music, friends with unfamiliar voices, a design closer to classic, and hallway levels so no one slides off We have a long way to go before we are ‘back’
I feel that Sonic Adventure got so much right on the first try yet for some reason they've run from it ever since If every level had a second optional act for Sonic to play it would not be far off from the Mega Drive level count
The only thing disingenuous critics had right back then was that the games needed more polish. We are now in a position where that can happen, so a true “Win” for Sonic must be a win that only the Sonic series can achieve. A win that is unique to Sonic. A good game is only part of the goal
Do we want just ‘people who like good games, to get another good game in their good game pile’? Or, do we want ‘people who have been loving this series, through all the ups and downs, to finally get that game they dreamed of’?
You definitely hit the nail on the head. While the series is in a better spot compared to the 2010s, the games still feel like they aren't being fully unapologetically Sonic. It's not all that fun when Sonic Team has to dumb things down just so it's more acceptable instead of following their vision.
We can get a new racing game, but it can't fully be Riders yet. Sonic's friends can be playable, but their gameplay styles have to not stray too much from Sonic's norm. They can't be experimental without receiving bad faith criticism that results in over correction instead of innovation/improvement.
The most annoying part about it is that I can see many of the things they used to do that still have potential in the modern day. I don't want to see them continue to hold back because some people might not enjoy it. Those who can understand their vision with sincerity WILL support it.