Sonic Lost World

There's a nostalgia value to Sonic that guarantees any game containing the character at least a few days of play around these parts. Lost World is no exception, but it goes beyond the nostalgia appeal, stretching the character to new heights.

There are new powers to contend with, including a little parkour, and worlds to explore. Dr Eggman and the badniks are back, but on a new world with a whole new host of furry creatures to command and partners in crime – also known as the Deadly Six – to team up with and ultimately go against.

There’s a good dose of the familiar too, with worlds that echo the familiar Green Hills levels, but this is a new kind of Sonic for the most part. New world, new perspective. The switch from 2D worlds to 3D ones and back again can be jarring at times, but once you get used to it, it actually works rather well.

Those familiar with Sonic may find the controls tough to get used to at first. Sonic feels a little slower, mainly because sprinting isn’t automatically part of his movement – there’s a sprint control now, which means Sonic will bimble about the worlds at a stroll if you fail to use it. That in itself is a bit of a departure, because the emphasis isn’t on breakneck speed; more precise movement is required, and rewarded.

One element that could easily be lost is the requirement to free a certain number of creatures before you can move on to the next level. Essentially, it means that some levels will stay stubbornly locked until you push that tally to the desired level. It’s frustrating, especially when you find yourself replaying levels just to try to inch the count higher, interrupting your game flow.

Sonic won’t win any awards for dialogue either, but it’s easy to ignore, and provided more than a few unintentional humorous moments.

It's not the perfect outing for the fleet-footed one, but Lost World rekindles good memories and helps create some new ones.