While not as shockingly bad as Episode 1, Sonic 4 Ep. 2 really doesn't improve upon the formula all that much. It's a tired retread that doesn't come close to any of the Genesis games. There are positive qualities: The storyline is non-existent, a Hedgehog isn't revived by a kiss, the music is bland but okay, and um...yeah that's about it. More than anything else, I appreciate Sonic 4 simply because it makes the previous games look so much better by comparison.

Once again, the first major failing of Episode 2 is the level-design. Everything feels cramped. It's a combination of the camera being zoomed-in too much, a lack of anything note-worthy nearby, and a general absence of "flow". All of the stages have this boxy feel to them. It's like they were slapped together by some sort of map-maker and the results are really unnatural. Good levels are supposed to be sketched out before-hand, like a storyboard. It allows for the designer to develop a specific theme. In this game, it's more along the lines of: we'll have some jumps, then a ramp, and here's a loop, oh and another loop sounds good, then we'll follow up with some rings, and then... The levels are stretched out enough to fill some allotted amount of time (2-4 minutes), and that's it.

Every zone in the 2D Sonic games has a different tile-set. Imagine if for Sonic 1, every zone looked like Green Hill. Spring Yard would look like Green Hill. Labyrinth? Green Hill. Starlight? Take a wild guess. Even though every zone looked like one another, they would still be very different, because they have concepts and themes unique to each of them. Every zone in Sonic 4 Ep. 2 is visually distinct, and yet they all feel so similar to each other it doesn't matter. There is the standard array of springs, ramps, traps, and enemy robots. Nothing really changes beyond "Hey you gotta go fast here".

When Episode 2 tries new ideas, the results are middling at best. Tails is along for this trek, and the BFFs can perform team-up actions. At practically any moment you can get an assist from Tails to reach higher areas, create a super rolling attack, or swim. The system is implemented awkwardly, as most of the flying sections are forced. Also, due to the poor level-design, it never feels like you've discovered a shortcut or a secret when flying around. This I attribute to the claustrophobic aspects of the level-design. Since you can never see too far in front of you, nothing looks out of reach. Part of the appeal of finding secrets like 1ups and red rings is that you can see them, but you have to consider how they can be collected. In this game, if there's something you can't get to, it's probably because you took a different route. I guess this is to encourage replay value, but it's at the cost of exploration, which isn't a good trade-off.

Another issue with Tails and - by extension the level-design - is the mechanics. When flying, you have to be careful when approaching cliffs from below. If you press against the wall, what will happen is that Tails will step onto the cliff, and Sonic will fall to his death. This doesn't crop up very often, except for the sections where you're forced to rely on Tails to fly. As with Sonic 4 Ep. 1, the hardest part of any act is towards the end. To put it another way, these parts are the only time where death is a real possibility. They can involve a lot of traps, stupid pet tricks, or other gimmicks. The unbalanced difficulty makes the rest of the act feel like padding. Sonic The Hedgehog games tend to be easy, but there is still some sort of balance, with the later zones being more challenging than the early zones. With this game, all of the difficulty is in these end-of-act sections.

The boss-fights are garbage. Metal Sonic makes his less-than-triumphant return for this adventure. I've always liked its design, and the Sonic CD "boss-fight" was really cool. In this game, he's ran into the ground. Every other boss-fight involves a duel with Metal Sonic, and the encounters all have this samey design to them. You're constantly running, trying to get a hit on the hedgebot, but an invisible force pushes you backwards while he performs various attacks. You'll fight Robotnik (or was it Eggman?) a few times as well. These fights just run way too long. Some of them start with an interesting look or a cool visual, but then they drag on and on for several minutes. I especially dislike the third boss. It's far too easy, but then in order to get the last hit, you have to awkwardly lure him to the right spot, just to land a super rolling attack.

As a "bonus", if you own both this game and Episode 1, you get to play a shortened version of Episode 1 starring Metal Sonic. Apparently it takes place shortly after Sonic CD, but I don't care about that. It adds an unnecessary convoluted twist to a storyline that didn't need it. All that really needs to be said is that Robotnik is back, and so is Metal Sonic. It's a freaking robot! Eggman probably just rebuilt the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, or made a new one. Your best bet is ignoring Sonic Team's attempt at tricking unsuspecting gamers into playing through Episode 1 again. Yes it's a shorter and re-arranged version of the game, but the level-design is still absolutely wretched.

Jon Rooke, the European Marketing Director at SEGA, recently had this to say: “Sega has publicly apologised to the fans as the quality of console games in the Sonic franchise hasn’t been acceptable over recent years. It’s been tough translating that iconic side scrolling 2D experience from the 90s into 3D but Sonic is still huge for us so the new games will be more inspired by how it played in its heyday." It's a nice gesture. However, I can't shake the feeling that we'll end up with Sonic 5. I'm certain that it'll star Knuckles, every zone will be a half-hearted throwback to Sonic 3, and it's going to be a thoroughly miserable experience.

While not as shockingly bad as Episode 1, Sonic 4 Ep. 2 really doesn't improve upon the formula all that much. It's a tired retread that doesn't come close to any of the Genesis games. There are positive qualities: The storyline is non-existent, a Hedgehog isn't revived by a kiss, the music is bland but okay, and um...yeah that's about it. More than anything else, I appreciate Sonic 4 simply because it makes the previous games look so much better by comparison. Once again, the first major failing of Episode 2 is the level-design. Everything feels cramped. It's a combination of the camera being zoomed-in too much, a lack of anything note-worthy nearby, and a general absence of "flow". All of the stages have this boxy feel to them. It's like they were slapped together by some sort of map-maker and the results are really unnatural. Good levels are supposed to be sketched out before-hand, like a storyboard. It allows for the designer to develop a specific theme. In this game, it's more along the lines of: we'll have some jumps, then a ramp, and here's a loop, oh and another loop sounds good, then we'll follow up with some rings, and then... The levels are stretched out enough to fill some allotted amount of time (2-4 minutes), and that's it. Every zone in the 2D Sonic games has a different tile-set. Imagine if for Sonic 1, every zone looked like Green Hill. Spring Yard would look like Green Hill. Labyrinth? Green Hill. Starlight? Take a wild guess. Even though every zone looked like one another, they would still be very different, because they have concepts and themes unique to each of them. Every zone in Sonic 4 Ep. 2 is visually distinct, and yet they all feel so similar to each other it doesn't matter. There is the standard array of springs, ramps, traps, and enemy robots. Nothing really changes beyond "Hey you gotta go fast here". When Episode 2 tries new ideas, the results are middling at best. Tails is along for this trek, and the BFFs can perform team-up actions. At practically any moment you can get an assist from Tails to reach higher areas, create a super rolling attack, or swim. The system is implemented awkwardly, as most of the flying sections are forced. Also, due to the poor level-design, it never feels like you've discovered a shortcut or a secret when flying around. This I attribute to the claustrophobic aspects of the level-design. Since you can never see too far in front of you, nothing looks out of reach. Part of the appeal of finding secrets like 1ups and red rings is that you can see them, but you have to consider how they can be collected. In this game, if there's something you can't get to, it's probably because you took a different route. I guess this is to encourage replay value, but it's at the cost of exploration, which isn't a good trade-off. Another issue with Tails and - by extension the level-design - is the mechanics. When flying, you have to be careful when approaching cliffs from below. If you press against the wall, what will happen is that Tails will step onto the cliff, and Sonic will fall to his death. This doesn't crop up very often, except for the sections where you're forced to rely on Tails to fly. As with Sonic 4 Ep. 1, the hardest part of any act is towards the end. To put it another way, these parts are the only time where death is a real possibility. They can involve a lot of traps, stupid pet tricks, or other gimmicks. The unbalanced difficulty makes the rest of the act feel like padding. Sonic The Hedgehog games tend to be easy, but there is still some sort of balance, with the later zones being more challenging than the early zones. With this game, all of the difficulty is in these end-of-act sections. The boss-fights are garbage. Metal Sonic makes his less-than-triumphant return for this adventure. I've always liked its design, and the Sonic CD "boss-fight" was really cool. In this game, he's ran into the ground. Every other boss-fight involves a duel with Metal Sonic, and the encounters all have this samey design to them. You're constantly running, trying to get a hit on the hedgebot, but an invisible force pushes you backwards while he performs various attacks. You'll fight Robotnik (or was it Eggman?) a few times as well. These fights just run way too long. Some of them start with an interesting look or a cool visual, but then they drag on and on for several minutes. I especially dislike the third boss. It's far too easy, but then in order to get the last hit, you have to awkwardly lure him to the right spot, just to land a super rolling attack. As a "bonus", if you own both this game and Episode 1, you get to play a shortened version of Episode 1 starring Metal Sonic. Apparently it takes place shortly after Sonic CD, but I don't care about that. It adds an unnecessary convoluted twist to a storyline that didn't need it. All that really needs to be said is that Robotnik is back, and so is Metal Sonic. It's a freaking robot! Eggman probably just rebuilt the son of a bitch, or made a new one. Your best bet is ignoring Sonic Team's attempt at tricking unsuspecting gamers into playing through Episode 1 again. Yes it's a shorter and re-arranged version of the game, but the level-design is still absolutely wretched. Jon Rooke, the European Marketing Director at SEGA, recently had this to say: “Sega has publicly apologised to the fans as the quality of console games in the Sonic franchise hasn’t been acceptable over recent years. It’s been tough translating that iconic side scrolling 2D experience from the 90s into 3D but Sonic is still huge for us so the new games will be more inspired by how it played in its heyday." It's a nice gesture. However, I can't shake the feeling that we'll end up with Sonic 5. I'm certain that it'll star Knuckles, every zone will be a half-hearted throwback to Sonic 3, and it's going to be a thoroughly miserable experience.