Disclaimer: This review is about the modded Dreamcast restoration version, which is the definitive way to experience the game today. Do yourselves a favour, and avoid the far inferior vanilla DX version

Sonic Adventure is one of those games that I replay just about every year. Don't be fooled by my low hours, by the way. I'd say that I would have amassed at least 150 hours in the 2004 Gearbox version. Despite showing it's age in many ways, It's got so many features that really makes it stand out among this incredibly vast franchise!

First of all, The graphics on display here are astonishingly good for a 1998 game! With it's realistic textures & fantastic use of lighting & colours, Sonic Adventure has an atmosphere unlike anything else I've ever played, and I don't think it will ever be replicated. This is complimented by having a wonderful, and very diverse soundtrack. From the upbeat guitar riffs from Emerald Coast, to the beautiful city pop of "At Dawn", to the high-octane Rock N'Roll as you make a daring escape from an avalanche, each track suits the game flawlessly! There's also several really good remixes of songs from 'Sonic 3D: Flickie's Island', and the incredible vocal tracks that increase the "awesome factor" tenfold! My favourite of these has got to be the main theme- "Open Your Heart", with it's thunderous, complex guitar riff, and imposing lyrics. I don't think the series has ever come close to topping the music here ever since.

While the gameplay isn't perfect, it is still my favourite among the 3d series by far! Basic movement is very responsive, and simply running around in the hub-worlds feels really good. Speaking of which, I adore the hub worlds! They really make the game feel like a tangible place, and wandering around in them never gets old. I also think that among the Sonic games that feature humans, Sonic Adventure pulled off their inclusion the best. Their anime-esque designs fit well alongside Sonic, and the NPCs always have interesting stuff to say- often giving hints on how to progress through the game or simply adding context & personality to the story. Beyond these hub-worlds are Action Stages, where the real meat of the game lies. The level design is really well thought out, with really creative set-pieces, and excellent layouts that give more skilled players lots of opportunities to blaze through the stages. And while it isn't perfect, I find that Sonic Adventure pulled off the alternate gameplay styles drastically better than it's sequel. Tails isn't forced to lug around a clunky mech, Knuckles can multi-focus his Emeralds, Gamma has much more responsive control than Eggman, and Amy is actually playable (and yes, I actually like her stages). Big the Cat's inclusion is definitely among the more questionable ideas this game has, but even then, his campaign is like 20 minutes long & really easy. My biggest complaint is probably having to replay certain levels as other characters (looking at you, Sky Chase & Chaos 4), and also the janky physics (which are drastically worse in the vanilla DX version).

To tie all of the aformentioned aspects of the game together, Sonic Adventure features what is probably the best, and most ambitious story in the series, even if it didn't quite stick the landing in many ways. In short, it is a race against time to prevent Eggman from empowering an ancient monster with Chaos Emeralds. While the general premise is basic enough, the multiple-perspectives really make it stand out among the series. My favourite detail is how the script subtlely changes depending on what character you're playing with. For example, Eggman's dialogue is much more intimidating from Tails's perspective than the more rebellious Sonic's. Despite this, the game's story does suffer from it's memetic delivery, with awkward pacing, and very simple & repetitive animations. But while the story is a bit dated, it's dated in a fun way.

So yeah, all that's why Sonic Adventure is one of my favourite games of all time, despite how janky it can be. If you haven't played it yet, be sure to use the Mod Installer, as the vanilla DX game is a bad port (of a bad port of a bad port), and has many glitches & worse graphics. Installation is simple, and the modded version is easily the definitive way to play Sonic Adventure today. You will still be able to earn Steam Achievements if you mod the game, so no need to worry about that.

The best Sonic game of all time in my opinion.
Slightly better than SA2

Chao