Review: Sonic Rivals
Split-second Strategy
PROTIP: Falling off the course wastes precious time as you respawn. So does hitting an environmental hazard if you have no rings. Don't do it.
The boosts are what help alleviate the game's plain forward-moving monotony. For all of the game's fast action and flashy graphics, more often than not, your finger is glued to the right D-pad button with little else for you to do. Sonic may be constantly moving, but there are times where you simply watch Sonic blast through an accelerator and into a series of loops and down a stretch. The game is less a test of racing skills and more a test of reaction time as you wait in anticipation of the next boost. Also, the fact that the game is purely racing leaves you little time to appreciate the detailed graphics of each stage as you are mostly focused on running headlong forward.
Sonic Rivals includes a multiplayer mode that allows you to connect to a friend through Wi-fi connection. However, the biggest flaw in Sony's gaming systems as compared to Nintendo's are its multiplayer capabilities; Nintendo systems are built for multiple players, Sony systems are not. This is never more apparent than in racing games such as Sonic as you are limited to no more than a two-person race. In Sonic Rivals, more often than not, you can't even see your opponent due to the many possible paths in a course, and thus the feeling of actually competing against your friend is lost.
The game is easy to pick up and great to look at, but there's little to it. It has high replay value in the form of challenge objectives, different stories, collectible cards and varying paths for each track. However, when you really look at it, the game has only a handful of areas and only two real tracks per area. Those who love to obsessively collect things and meet objectives will have a great time, but for many, Sonic Rivals is just a quick pick-up-and play that doesn't make you work too hard.
PROTIP: If you're in second place, special moves will be offensive and stun your enemy. If you're in first, defensive moves can be traps left waiting on the track or shields for yourself.
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