Sonic Boom-Shattered Crystal: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Why such a title, and what does it have to do with the Sonic series in general and with this game in particular? Well, quite a lot, actually. Depending on how you look at it, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal can be either a miserable and pointless failure or a commendable and entertaining offering, and whether it appears as one or the other depends entirely on one’s stance towards the Sonic series in general and towards that game in particular.

Whether you’re a Sonic aficionado or not, you must be aware of the abject critical and commercial failure suffered by the Sonic Boom sub-series. It comprises only two games—and will probably never comprise more—that were hailed as a brand-new start and a departure for the ageing series: they were supposed to introduce new gameplay mechanics and bring a breath of fresh air to the Sonic universe. That fresh air turned rotten as the pair was utterly destroyed by critics as soon as it landed on shelves and condemned to the deepest pits of gaming hell. Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal was not as severely mauled as its Wii U counterpart when it was released in late 2014, but it still reaped the filthy scores of 47 on Metacritic and 47.45 on Gamerankings. These slightly higher ratings may be due to the fact that Shattered Crystal was handled by a different—and more competent—developer, namely Sanzaru Games, or simply to the fact that expectations regarding portable games are slightly lower than expectations regarding home console games; but whatever the reason, Shattered Crystal failed miserably all the same and was chewed by critics nearly as vengefully as its Wii U counterpart. The revamped character designs, which had focused criticism prior to the games’ arrival, became a mere detail lost in a torrent of venomous complaints, gripes and grievances targeting virtually every single aspect of the games—the Sonic Boom subseries went boom, indeed.

In fact, the level of hatred found in the huge majority of the reviews for Shattered Crystal is seriously uncanny. There is so much contempt, anger and resentment dripping from these reviews that you’d think that the game scammed the reviewers and emptied their bank accounts or even murdered one of their acquaintances. Shattered Crystal actually committed an even worse crime—at least as far as gaming criticism is concerned: it failed to meet reviewers’ expectations. This is a serious offense, and one that the Sonic series has been guilty of numerous times in the last fifteen years, and reviewers reacted to it with the righteous fury of people who have been wronged just one time too much. Shattered Crystal acted as some kind of last straw and received a torrent of hate and ire and return—a torrent that, in my opinion, was mostly undeserved. However, another gamer with a different stance on the matter may think that Shattered Crystal got the beating it was asking for, and their opinion would be valid too. The truth is that Shattered Crystal is a two-faceted game, and that proved to be its downfall: it is both a lovely action-adventure game and a crappy Sonic game.

Sonic in name only

Indeed, a gamer who expects Shattered Crystal to be a classic Sonic game with a distinct Sonic feel is headed for a sore disappointment. Sure, it says “Sonic” on the box, and the original crew is there—still very much recognizable despite the revamped designs—along with other distinctive features of the series, but it still doesn’t feel like a canon Sonic game at all. In fact, it could probably have accommodated totally different characters without anybody screaming rip-off.

The weirdest part is that if one’s eyes are to be believed, Shattered Crystal should feel like a classic Sonic game. Heck, it certainly plays the part visually: it is a 2D side-scrolling platformer all right, very similar to Sonic Generations in terms of art style, modelization and camera dynamic, and it features beloved staples of the series such as rings, shields, high-speed ramps and bouncers. It also faithfully integrates a handful of classic gameplay mechanics, such as Sonic’s Spin Dash, Tails’ ability to fly and the Homing Attack. And yet, despite all these efforts, that distinctive Sonic vibe that the series’ aficionados know and love is entirely absent. Playing Shattered Crystal is like playing a game that pretends really hard to be a Sonic game by donning the series’ clothes, yet fails at delivering a believable Sonic impersonation. The reasons for this uncanny unfamiliarity does not lie in the features that are present in Shattered Crystal, but rather in the features that are absent from it. For reasons unfathomable, Sanzaru Games decided to remove some defining elements that have always been at the core of the 2D Sonic instalments, creating thus this weird game that looks like a Sonic entry but doesn’t taste like one. Here are the features that are conspicuous by their absence, conveniently broken down for your convenience:

—The upbeat and frenzy musical accompaniment typical of the series is nowhere to be heard in Shattered Crystal. In its place plays a rather subdued and entirely forgettable soundtrack that is more soporific than thrilling. There are a couple of good themes, such as the one that plays in the first level, but this soundtrack sounds for the most part as though it has been lifted from some crappy adventure flick. This is clearly my main gripe with Shattered Crystal, and the presence of such a boring and unimaginative soundtrack in a Sonic games was so unbearable that I played the whole game with the sound off after the first level.

—The visual identity that has always defined the 2D instalments of the series—all bright colours, detail-laden backgrounds and levels with very distinctive atmospheres—is nowhere to be seen in Shattered Crystal. Although the game is undeniably gorgeous and very pleasant to look at, the vivid colours have been replaced by pastel hues, the background have been emptied of most flourishes and the levels, while still different from one another, do not sport anymore some very recognizable themes—Ancient Egypt, Water Labyrinth or Artic Circle, to quote only a few. Once again, there are some exceptions: the Fire Level and its silhouetted gameplay is just a great idea and looks really gorgeous—not to mention that it’s one of the few occurrences of a Fire Level in the series, which makes is a curiosity by itself. Also, the first level boasts a Tropical theme, in pure Sonic tradition. Still, there’s no denying that this game is visually more subdued and vanilla than your average 2D Sonic game, and anybody expecting pyramids, ice loops and parade lights will definitely be disappointed. Heck, you can’t even dip a toe in water in that game!

—Last but certainly not least, speed itself is nowhere to be enjoyed in Shattered Crystal, neither as a key gameplay mechanic nor as a reward. This is certainly the most stinging omission of the bunch and the one that had many reviewers frothing at the mouth. Sanzaru Games themselves recognized at some point that neglecting the speed factor had been a dire mistake and that they hadn’t anticipated the uproar such a move would generate. Think about it: not only is Sonic not an inch faster than its teammates, which is already a heresy, but the whole gameplay itself is not based on speed. Sure, you can run and even dash around thanks to a Boost move, but it serves no other purpose than, well… crossing the levels a tad faster. The use of speed doesn’t grant you access to exclusive areas nor is ever necessary to survive à la Sonic Rush, and it doesn’t act as a well-deserved reward like in the original Sonic trilogy. Sure, there are some bursts of breakneck speed in which your characters are propelled along a high-speed ramp with camera flourishes for good measure—classic modern Sonic fare, shall we say. Unfortunately, the semi-scripted nature of these sequences prevent them from being any rewarding: there is nothing to feel accomplished about, since the action will take place without any special input from the player. Ironically, the very presence of these ramps in the game feels more like a half-hearted homage, a testimony to the fact that Shattered Crystal is supposed to be a Sonic game, than like a rock-solid gameplay mechanic. As well-executed as these sequences may be, they don’t replace a meaningful and cohesive integration of speed in the gameplay.

All in all, the high-octane, frenzied atmosphere so typical of the classic 2D Sonic entries is nowhere to be found in Shattered Crystal. If the presence of such an atmosphere is the touchstone of awesome Sonic-ness, then the conclusion is implacable: Shattered Crystal is a bad Sonic game. There’s no way this game can be a good Sonic game without the thrilling music, the eye-popping aesthetics, the mind-blowing speed and the general chutzpah that came to be associated with the series over the years. Does this mean that Shattered Crystal is a bad game full stop? Well, absolutely not.

Not Sonic-good, yet still good

Indeed, an open-minded gamer who approaches this game as some kind of weird Sonic spin-off from a parallel universe will undoubtedly find a lot of goodness in it. It may be a crappy classic Sonic game, but it’s not a bad game per se: anyone who claims that either did not play it or is too blinded by hatred to see the truth. Shattered Crystal is a very competent Action-Adventure platformer with undeniable qualities and is very much worth playing if you’re an aficionado of the genre. It won’t treat you to that classic Sonic feel, but it has other excellent things to offer, and they are not to be sniffed at. Without further ado, here’s a list of Shattered Crystal’s virtues:

—The game boasts rock-solid physics that are utterly enjoyable and tight controls that many games could envy. Moving your characters around is deeply enjoyable thanks to this awesome combination: not only do they perform every required action with delightful precision, but the actions themselves have some sort of deep physicality that is a complete treat. You can feel yourself ram into things, erupt into a burst of speed or leap gracefully from one ledge to the next, and it’s incredibly pleasant and rewarding. There is not a trace of the mushiness and lack of precision so often encountered in lower-tier platformers and action-adventure games, and this is a feat that should definitely be acknowledged and praised when discussing Shattered Crystal.

—Great physics and tight controls would amount to nothing if they were not put to good use. Fortunately, they are indeed put to—very—good use in Shattered Crystal: the game treats us to an excellent brand of platforming that makes the most of the physics and the controls, and manages to renew the gameplay of the series in an astounding way. This was a risky move if there ever was one, given how touchy the Sonic fan base can be, and it didn’t reap the expected rewards and praise; nonetheless, this brand-new gameplay is not only entirely functional, but also deeply enjoyable in its own right. Unlike any other 2D Sonic instalment, Shattered Crystal features a gameplay that is mostly aerial-based: moves such as mid-air dashes, homing attacks and a brand-new double jump are used profusely to progress through the stages. Sonic Colours on the DS had already flirted with this kind of aerial gameplay, but the results were mostly unsatisfactory and lacked much-needed precision; in Shattered Crystal, on the other hand, the control over your characters’ actions is total, and moving around in mid-air become a sheer joy instead of a chore that you endure while grinding teeth. Add to this excellent aerial base a couple of extra moves such as Knuckles’ Burrowing and Stich’s Boomerang-Throwing, and you get a vibrant gameplay full of variety that always manages to keep the game fresh.

—Last but not least comes the very distinctive and unique atmosphere of Shattered Crystal. The long levels with their grand vistas must be explored carefully several times over instead of rushed through; combine this with the near-absence of speed and the aerial-based gameplay, and you get a game that is deeply, well… Relaxing. Soothing, in a somewhat atmospheric way. Putting “Sonic” and “relaxing” in the same sentence is as close to blasphemy as it gets, and yet, it cannot be denied: Shattered Crystal is a deeply relaxing game, a game that made me feel all mellow every time I played it. It is probably the only Sonic game that can be used to chill out, and will probably be the only one ever; and to be honest, I would nearly regret this. As much as I adore the fast-paced and delirious atmosphere of the classic 2D Sonic games, I also deeply enjoyed the soothing quality of Shattered Crystal, and I really wouldn’t be against seeing more of it in subsequent Sonic entries. This is obviously wishful thinking: after the critical debacle endured by Shattered Crystal, the relaxing orientation will undoubtedly be buried forever. Well, at least I have this game to cherish.

Indeed, Shattered Crystal is a jolly good game in its own right. It combines a unique soothing atmosphere with delightful physics, tight controls and a varied and interesting gameplay with deep and solid platforming roots and a tang of action-adventure to spice up the mix. This is very un-Sonic, and yet it’s deeply enjoyable. To appreciate this game for what it is can be difficult: it may require us to reconcile conflicted feelings about the Sonic series—feelings that can often take us all the way back to the series’ inception.

Coming to terms with the series’ evolution

One fact can hardly be denied: the most devoted and enduring Sonic aficionados are the ones who discovered the Blue Blur on the Sega consoles in the beginning of the 16-bit era, some 25 years ago. We saw the feisty hedgehog come to life, in a flurry of colourful pixels, and we fell in love with him, often at first sight—or play. The first Sonic games showered us with exhilarating and brand-new gaming sensations that embedded themselves into our memories, and the series gained a special spot in our soft gamer’s hearts. As time and gaming systems went by, we expected the series to sweep us off our feet with its every entry, as it did in the early days; however, the magic of these glorious debuts seemed hard to conjure up again. The series stubbornly refused to dazzle and shine as it did in the 16-bit era, preferring instead to experiment and wander around—sometimes to cringing results, but also sometimes to excellent ones. Alas, we couldn’t spot and enjoy all these gems: as games were released and failed to enrapture us with the same force as the original instalments, we retreated in some kind of critical ivory tower, sniffing and spitting at the new entries while expectantly checking the gaming horizon for a sign—any sign—that the series was on its way back to its former glory. So far, such a sign has yet to come.

Let’s be brutally honest: it will probably never come, no matter how long we wait. Not because the Sonic series is destined to mediocrity—far from it, at least in my opinion—but because we, as a collective group of old-timers who grew up with Sonic, do not want to see that sign. It became pretty obvious over the years that innovations, whatever they may be, are not well-received at all as far as the Sonic Series is concerned. Every new gameplay mechanic is met with critical mauling—often deserved, but sometimes not. (Case in point: Shattered Crystal.) However, sticking to old-school gameplay or trying to go back to the series’ glorious roots doesn’t do the trick either and doesn’t make us any happier. The GBA and DS entries, which feature gameplays and overall atmospheres that are the closest thing to the 16-bit era ones, are generally ignored and glossed over; and Sonic 4, which is a vibrant tribute to the 16-bit instalments loaded with shameless fan-service, was chewed by critics and fans and is regarded as a worthless pile of trash.

Let’s face it: there may be no way to satisfy us old-timers, to give us back the amazing feelings and sensations that the Sonic series elicited when we first discovered it. For one thing, the type of gameplay that brought Sonic to prominence, i.e. 16-bit era generic platforming, is utterly dated nowadays: it has lost its appeal and freshness many years ago and could certainly not sweep us off our feet anymore. Sure, Mario, Rayman and Kirby are still around the gaming block, starring in games that are reminiscent of their own 16-bit era moments of glory, but let’s be honest: their popularity in that field is a shadow of what it used to be at that time, when platforming as a genre was at its peak. 16-bit era platforming—and Sonic along with it—may in its time be revived and glorified by the independent scene in the same way 8-bit era platforming is being brought to life and paid homage to in tons of indie games right now; but until then, any Sonic 16-bit era revival would better stay buried and wait for its time. If the debacle of Sonic 4 proved something, it’s definitely that we are not yet ready for starry-eyed, reference-laden homages to 16-bit platformers, no matter how much we loved them. Then, there is the crucial nostalgia factor: we have very likely embellished our first steps with the series beyond all recognition, creating a picture of pristine perfection that shines so brightly in our minds that it makes any new Sonic instalment pale in comparison. Even if we stepped on a Sonic game that were genuinely as brilliant as the original entries, we wouldn’t recognize it for what it is, blinded as we are by our own nostalgia.

So what’s the way out? Can we ever be happy and fulfilled again playing Sonic, or is the Blue Blur condemned to be our lost gaming love? Well, maybe the trick is to just go with the flow and try to accept the series’ evolution. We still have the 16-bit era entries to cherish, and they’ll be there forever; knowing that we can come back to them whenever we crave a fix of old-school Sonic gameplay, maybe we can relax a trifle and accept new directions and experiments with an open mind, and enjoy them for what they are. Maybe that’s the supreme key to being at peace with the series once and for all: give up our rusty, near-fossilized ideas about what Sonic games should be and take them for what they are instead. There is some good in Shattered Crystal, although it doesn’t fit the bill as a perfect classic 2D Sonic game; and when we grumpy old-timers give up our unrealistic and contradictory expectations about the series, maybe we can finally see some beauty in that game—and countless other Sonic entries.  

I loved Shattered Crystal, at any rate; but that should be, well… crystal-clear by now. It’s not a perfect game, but it deserved much better than being pummeled to death by critics the very second it was released. It’s worth playing for the awesome physics and the soothing atmosphere alone, if nothing else: it’s not every day that a Sonic game can be deemed “relaxing”, if ever. And unfortunately, top-notch physics seem to have also deserted the series lately, at least in its home console incarnations; all the more incentive to try one’s hand at Shattered Crystal’s stunningly honed physics. Give the game a chance, it so deserves it! Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!