Full review of the game Sonic Generations free on steam

In general, this game is something like a gift to fans for Sonic’s 20th anniversary. Yes, another “Bible” and a reason to make money. But at that time, in 2011, the franchise had not yet begun to slide downhill, and so they approached the matter responsibly. The game turned out good. Well, at least for the anniversary.

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Sonic Generations plot review

Once upon a time, Sonic and his friends were celebrating their next birthday. Suddenly, some kind of crap appears and shoves all the heroes God knows where. Of course, Sonic is not spared, and he tries to hit this monster, but nothing happens, and it throws him away. After a while, Sonic finds himself in a strange space where there is nothing except old levels that are frozen… well, or something like that.

Sonic’s task is to run through all of them and save his friends. These levels themselves are segments from the past and different generations of Sonic, namely the classic and modern version (2011). In parallel with these levels, Sonic will also need to defeat old bosses in Sonic Generations. While the hedgehog is doing all this, he meets himself from the past, that is, Classic Sonic. And now they are already together fulfilling their task – saving friends. Along the way, they collect the Chaos Emeralds and, using them, transform into their super forms to defeat Time Eater.

It’s very simple: after the events of Sonic Colors, Eggman flies in space and discovers a strange creature that has enormous powers to control time. Eggman is shocked by this turn of events, so he decides to use this creature to destroy Sonic. He also meets Dr. Robotnik with his help, that is, his past self. Well, in general, the Sonics defeat Time-Eater and return to their places with their friends in Sonic Generations. Everyone is happy again, and after that, Sonic escorts Classic to his home, in his own time, saying the phrase … He shouldn’t have said it, considering what awaited the franchise further. The plot is pretty simple, but for such a game – generally thank goodness that it is here, and there are no heaps of incomprehensible heaps a la Sonic Frontiers. It’s also nice that the game, although fanservice, still tried to adapt it for new players. Therefore, when players played it for the first time, everything was clear. They did not experience some very strong nostalgia, but still understood that this was once in games. And thanks to this, I became interested in playing some old versions.

Sonic Generations Gameplay: Comparison of Mechanics and Controls in 2D and 3D

Well, it’s almost the same as in Sonic Unleashed: Colors Ultimate, but with some improvements. Firstly, there are better controls: homing is on the same button as jumping, and it’s also much more convenient to do three. Of course, yes, after Sonic Frontiers it’s very hard to play – the physics seem very tight, and the controls are dull, but it’s easy to get used to. Secondly, there are good physics. Yes, this is, again, not the level of Frontiers, but it’s clearly better than in the previous three Sonic’s, where the hero skidded like crazy. Here he controls quite well and, in principle, is not so mobile.

Thirdly, it’s quite fun to play, although not without problems. The gameplay is based on one simple principle – to get from point A to point B. However, it is divided into two options:

• – classic, where we play as Classic Sonic in 2D;
• — a modern one, where we play as Modern Sonic in 3D.

To be more precise, the second one tries to sit on two chairs, that is, the 3D sections are diluted with 2D. It’s kind of interesting, but very stupid, because there is already gameplay for the Classic. Because of this, it turns out that there is more 2D here than 3D, although, it would seem, it should be 50 to 50.

This worked fine in Sonic Unleashed: Colors Ultimate, because there is only one Sonic, and okay, there is still a moderate amount of water. But another problem is that it is very stupidly done. Here the same problem awakens that was in the very first Sonic on Mega Drive — in a game about speed, you can’t run all the time. Some spikes, illogically placed enemies and just moments where, no matter how hard you try, the game clearly tries to slow you down in Sonic Generations.

How levels and eras are arranged in the game Sonic Generations

Each level needs to be completed twice – that is, for Classic, and then for Modern. Well, or vice versa in Sonic Generations. Of course, this is done to make the game longer, but we can see how some modern levels would look in 2D, well, or vice versa.

As I already said, the levels are divided into eras, and there are only three of them, between which there are bosses. There are also additional mini-levels, like missions with different tasks. For example:

1. overtake a double,
2. ride a skateboard,
3. manage to run in time,
4. play with friends and so on.

The main levels also have a lot of mechanics, and for Classic, they are much more interesting. There is the same skateboard or additional skills. The only thing that really pisses me off is that if you take damage, then Sonic will show an animation for a thousand years, how he falls and throws rings in Sonic Generations. Control is lost for a while, and this is especially annoying in areas where you need to react quickly. That is, Sonic won’t have time to get up, and you’ll already be dead.

More about Gameplay

The third game with a boost, and it is the best one here. The gameplay here is a little more casual than in Unleashed, but not as poor as in Forces. At the press of a button, Sonic immediately starts running at high speeds, and with a very cool effect. Unlike Forces, where the effect looks worse than the graphics of Sonic Boom, here the feeling of speed becomes as powerful as possible in Sonic Generations.

Graphics

It is quite difficult to evaluate it now, in 2023, but I will say it as it is – everything looks quite beautiful. Everything is bright, quite detailed and, most importantly, there is a clear style. Unlike Sonic Frontiers, where there is an incomprehensible mixture of realism and cartoonishness. Yes, you can’t look at the textures without pain, and the lighting here is very so-so, but still the game pulls out style and atmosphere (if there is one at all).
And if you also install mods for a clear interface, improved lighting and effects, the game looks even better.

If we talk about the cons, the lighting here is really crooked. I don’t like the Green Hill color palette, which looks very… strange. Also, I personally am irritated by the very strange light that can be seen in bright locations – for example, this yellow tint and outline on the characters. Also, very often everything looks faded, and the shadows are just too dark. There is a great lack of global lighting here. Yes, it is kind of there, but in a very crooked form.

In general, the graphics here are pretty good, especially for a console of that generation.
A few words about optimization. The port to PC was not done by SEGA, but by some company called Devil’s Details. On the one hand, the port turned out good — even on weak computers the game runs quite well. But on the other hand, it was made very strangely in Sonic Generations.

Firstly, the settings are located separately from the game, in a small program, which is also very limited. Apart from the screen resolution, shadows and sound, there is nothing else to configure. Also, this window cannot be reduced. Now this is not a problem for me, but on an old small monitor I could not click the save settings button, because it simply did not fit on the screen.

Secondly, the game itself is optimized well, but sometimes there are freezes out of the blue. It can also freeze completely just for fun. On a more modern computer this rarely happens, but on a weak one it happens all the time.

And then, thirdly, the worst problem: this was one of the first Sonic games that fans played on PC.

All these port problems can be solved with mods – thereby removing freezes, showing other buttons (like PlayStation), and so on. But not everyone wants to bother with mods, and it’s better if it was originally normal in the original.

Music

It’s pretty good here, and I use many tracks from this game as background music in my videos.

Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic have their own styles of music. The first one is closer to the original and sounds more energetic, while the second one is more moderate, but rhythmic and sometimes more fun.

Sonic Generations System Requirements

To play Sonic Generations comfortably, you will need at least 2 GB of RAM and 11 GB of free space on your hard drive. Although the minimum requirement for a graphics card is a GeForce 8800 GT, for a significantly better gaming experience, the developers recommend upgrading to a GeForce GTX 460. As for the processor, the absolute minimum is a Pentium D 915. However, if you want to improve your settings and achieve a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience, it is better to choose a Core i5-655K or higher.

This way you will have a better idea of ​​the game, so that you can upgrade your PC and start completing levels in Sonic Generations faster.

Best ways to play Sonic Generations on Steam for free

If you’re excited to experience the thrilling chaos of Sonic Generations but aren’t quite ready to buy it, there are simple methods to gain free access to the game on our platform. We offer shared Steam accounts that come with Sonic Generations pre-installed, allowing you to jump straight into the action through our convenient shared Steam service. This way, you can enjoy all the excitement without committing to a purchase right away.

Method 1: Register on the VpeSports Website

To get started with this method, follow these steps:

1. Visit the VpeSports website and create an account.
2. Log in to your newly created account.
3. Navigate to the Shared Steam section.
4. Locate BeamNG.drive in the list and proceed to the game review page.
5. Click the Download button to access the complete guide on how to gain entry.
6. Leave a positive comment under the game review, sharing your thoughts on our review and the game itself.

Important:

• Comments are subject to moderation. If your comment isn’t approved, try rewriting it to adhere to the guidelines.
• Once your comment is approved, our moderators will send the account details with the game to the email you used during registration.

Method 2: Subscribe to the Telegram Channel

Another way to gain access is by subscribing to our Telegram channel, Shared Steam Accounts VP:

1. Find our Telegram channel and subscribe.
2. Through the channel, you’ll be able to access an account with BeamNG.drive for free play.

This method is ideal for those seeking quick access and wanting to stay updated on news about patches and new games.

If you encounter any issues, a comprehensive guide is available on our website at the following link: How to Play for Free – Detailed Instructions!

Let’s sum it up

Well, Sonic Generations is an extremely enjoyable and nostalgic game. Yes, it has a rather short storyline. Yes, it doesn’t have a perfect port to PC.

But it has:

• Nice graphics,
• good music,
• great gameplay,
• huge community support.

Seriously, mods are still being released for it to this day. And it’s not some kind of simplicity, but something really cool – for example, new levels or the ability to play as other characters. This is one of the fans’ favorite games in the franchise. And you know, if the series tried to do something similar again – something cool – it would be wonderful, and an example of this is Sonic X Shadow Generations, which was released in 2024…