by in
Introduction
I honestly don’t want to make some kind of “history” page here, so i just give you a basic info. Sonic Omens is a fan game previously called Sonic 2020. It’s a game which is obviously developed since 2020 and had 2 major updates – Shadow of Water and the newest – Episode The Breakthrough and Temple of Sands since it’s “release”. This game was created by BOLT and his team Ouroboros Studio, some (as i understand – most) of them are slavs, which is an object of proud to me as to Ukrainian. But that’s not a subject.
The subject is though the game itself.
Sonic Omens main menu.
basic information
Sonic Omens – a boost 3D Sonic platformer with playable Sonic and Shadow with DIFFERENT gameplay style for each of them, 4 episodes (7 is planned), 12 stages (tutorial, 7 default stages, 2 plane stages, 2 bosses) many cutscenes, original soundtrack. Overall playtime you can have in game right now in one playthrough is about 3 hours on first playthrough (which is just as in Forces, heh), but game is obviously not finished yet.
attention to details is incredible in the game. amount of links to previous games in enormous.
Gameplay
As already told, it’s a boost gameplay. Those who know what is “Infinity Engine” – this game is created using it. Don’t worry, in that game you’re not flying 90% of playtime, developers are clever and fixed that bullshit.
Gameplay is going on action stages, which are mostly going 2-5 minutes, allows you to achieve high speed using your boost and acrobatic skills. Basic skills both Sonic and Shadow has are Boost, of course, which allows you instantly get maximum speed and destroy any enemy on the way, Homing Attack, which allows to jump on any enemy you see, with this sometimes getting through platforming elements of stages, Stomp – character instantly goes down, Slide and Light Speed Dash – classic dash through the road of rings. I guess those are all the basics.
That was the info for those who never played Sonic games (i mean, if you didn’t what are you even doing here? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) and now for details.
- Boost is not as imbalance as in Generations or Forces. Stages are built with Boost in mind and it feels organic and not imbalance.
- Homing Attack took a major change. To use it, you need to point a camera EXACTLY on the enemy, or else character won’t use it. It’s a major change, because it causes a situation, when it’s easier to play with keyboard\mouse than with controller, because camera is controlled easier with mouse. Some sections are almost impossible to complete in specific ways without having mouse.
- Enemies are actually resisting, which is not typical for Boost games. They were even stronger in previous versions of the game, though got nerfed a bit, and still they can put quite a fight by always looking and shooting with exact pattern exactly in character’s body and often getting into the target.
That game has one of the best (maybe even the best) leveldesign i seen in boost sonic games.
Game has two playable characters – Sonic and Shadow. I heard opinion, that game needs more, but i am not agree. It doesn’t have sense to add more playable characters if they are played similar, and what is awesome about Sonic and Shadow in Sonic Omens – they feels completely different.
From basic differences Sonic is a bit faster and Shadow’s Homing Attack has little higher range. But also each of them have unique skills:
Sonic
Sonic can perform Bounce, Light Speed Attack and some kind of Laser Whip he can use in platforming.
- Bounce. Totally outstanding skill. I am not sure what’s special with Bounce exactly in that game, but it’s not just useful – it changes the platforming completely and makes it 10 times more fun. Bounce is definitely the most useful Sonic’s skill and feels just perfectly.
- Light Speed Attack. It charges for about 2 seconds, which is not that much (in Adventure it was about 4 i guess). Skill is no doubts useful, i would even say stronger than Chaos Blast (about which i’ll talk later). The thing is, that while Chaos Blast needs a lot of energy, LSA is totally free to use, more than that, mostly LSA will hit more enemies, because Sonic is jumping from one enemy to another by the principle of Homing Attack, while Chaos Blast has very direct range. The problem of this skill though, it’s hard to understand the range. Sometimes Sonic attacking enemy who is standing in damn kilometer from him, but not the enemy which is RIGHT damn THERE!
- Laser Whip. I don’t like this kind of skills. It can be used only in very direct places in stages, while all other time it’s useless. More than that, Shadow can skip those sections mostly and will do it even faster than Sonic. Problem is, even Sonic himself can skip Laser Whip section. That sucks.
This place can be passed so easily without a laser whip. that sucks.
Shadow
Shadow, of course, can use Chaos abilities. He has a special scale for it, which he can fill by destroying enemies with Homing Attack (not with Boost though for some reasons ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Those abilities are Chaos Control, Chaos Dash, Chaos Spear and Chaos Blast.
- Chaos Control. Chaos Control sucks. Really sucks. It slows time on about 90% to all objects beside Shadow. ALL OBJECTS. Even interface. Even DAMN CAMERA. So, in theory this skill sounds as cool one, but on practise it’s a pain. First of all, game always breaks after use of it. Never even try to restart the stage while being in time slow, i warned you. Second is that damn time slow affect camera and while playing with controller you cannot control camera at all, which forces you to play with keyboard\mouse and guess what. In competitive 2P mode Shadow can be played only with controller -_-. Beside, this skill is just RUINING the concept of speedruns and 2P where player on Shadow will just spam Chaos Control instead of using all range of Shadow’s skills. And believe me, Shadow has some interesting skills.
- Chaos Dash. It’s basically a short teleportation. Sound basic and not interesting but… the thing is, that Chaos Dash can be used in any direction. Including upward. Which allows you to create so awesome ways in platforming no one would even think about. This skill is the best to find some interesting new ways, skipping part of stage and so on. Awesome skill.
- Chaos Spear. Cool skill, because the only range attack in game, makes the fight with bosses much more interesting than they are with Sonic. The only problem, i still didn’t get, why Chaos Spear can be charged, since damage doesn’t change.
- Chaos Blast. Default “destroy everyone around with all your energy”. Nothing interesting, but has very cool effect and overall has a great impact.
irony. Sonic’s boss dragoon e-zero is much more fun to fight with Shadow because there are millions of ways to utilise the chaos abilities in fight.
Overall, both characters are very fun to play and both feels very different. While Sonic is more fast, Shadow defeats enemies more effectively. While Sonic is better in platforming, Shadow can skip parts of stage with Chaos Control and Chaos Dash. While Sonic is more handy to play with controller, Shadow is better played on keyboard\mouse. Perfect.
Oh, also game contains sky stages with Tails on Tornado or Shadow with his GUN deltaplane. They are very dependant on timing, but controls are (suddenly) good and overall those stages feels fun and challenging.
sky stage
bosses
Game has two bossfights – Dragoon E-Zero and Vortex. People mostly don’t like Vortex fight and i see why, but here is my advice – just play with keyboard\mouse. If you are able to freely control your camera in that fight and spam a Homing Attack that fight is a breese. And yet, fight is really a bit boring and annoying. Still, Dragoon E-Zero is a perfect boss, with nice pattern, epic looking and music and overall just cool fight experience.
vortex boss fight.
2p mode
2P mode would be awesome if not the Chaos Control. If you are sure Shadow won’t use Chaos Control in race – you will have a lot of fun. If Shadow will spam with time slow – you can quit the game immediately.
i have no friends to play with 🙁
cutscenes
Cutscenes are simply beautiful. They are not just awesome, they are outstanding. The animations, the music, concepts and editing, all is there to create a best filming experience. I am still shocked that fan made this by themselves.
Shadow wasn’t that cool for a long time already.
story
So, the story of the game is continuing both Sonic X and Sonic Unleashed. I think that’s a perfect idea, since even if game cannot be canon in games, it can be canon in X universe guite much. Game is telling about the mistery behind the Chaos Emeralds and the reason why they disappeared after Unleashed in further games. Cannot tell much about the quality of the story yet, since it’s not full, but from what i saw it’s mediocre. No emotional part, no character development and overall plot is very “rushy” (characters always run somewhere without direct goal).
storm is the worst character in sonic series. just saying.
ost
Music in the game is perfect. It’s perfectly suited as Sonic as Shadow stages, giving the adrenaline and feel of the character you play as. All ost is awesome, but the most noticeable are John Rise’ rock compositions. Music is fast, epic, emotional and just simply has a good quality. Recommended to listen separately from the game even.
exclusion
Game is absolutely totally incredibly awesome. It’s one of the best Sonic experiences i ever had and i have no patience to wait for more. I am proud that i am part of the fanbase which created this. Should you play it? No, of course no. You MUST play it. Here is my direct opinion in points from 1 to 10:
Graphic: 9/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Boss fights: 7/10
2P: 4/10
Cutscenes: 10/10
OST: 10/10
Story: no assessment, since is not ready.
Performance: 2/10 (game is extremely badly optimised)
Overall experiece: 9/10 (don’t try to math, it’s not connected to average of others assessments)
HIGHLY recommended to play.