Sonic Rivals

Has Backbone got it right for Sega this time?

	Version PSP	Developer Backbone Entertainment	Publisher SEGA	Genre Action

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Later on though, these rivals become allies as they use their unique abilities to help you pass some insurmountable obstacles. This is only a token gesture though - a set-up by Backbone to tie the plot together as the obstacles are only placed there in order to gain some assistance. Not that you can even attempt to surmount them alone as upon approaching a cut-scene ensues. Thus, other than their brief help, your rivals-cum-allies are of no further use.

And this is symptomatic of the greatest problem with the game. Sonic Rivals is all about speed - getting it, maintaining it and winning the race. As such it's almost as if Backbone has realised this and done away with any pretence of an opponent in the later levels, and gone for a race in the purest sense - time trials with no-one to beat, just a seemingly arbitrary time limit.

When it works, it's great. Speeding along the excellently designed and long levels, the camera zooms in and out to great effect, highlighting the backdrops, loops and whirls all helped by a decent draw distance that in certain situations shows you where you are heading or where you have been. But when it doesn't work you are stuck, floundering and staggering trying to regain your momentum. There's no accelerate button so once you reach your running speed, that is it. Sure, there's the spin dash but this wastes valuable seconds.

P L E A S E   V I S I T   O U R   S P O N S O R :

And whilst there's plenty of speed boosts around, faltering on a loop will see you crawling back up the incline. Same goes for hitting an enemy which you didn't see coming. Or a platform which you needed to jump over. All of which stops you dead in your tracks leaving you to get back up to speed again via the nearest boost. Often this doesn't even feel like your fault, thanks to the pace at which you're travelling and the limited foresight you have on the screen. Compound this with your rival setting traps which you cannot see until it's too late, or their unavoidable special moves, and it's one of gamings cardinal sin - loosing the feeling of control.

Even when racing a rival though there feels little need to it. Thanks to rubber-banding, you cannot truly escape one another. And being first does not start you in first place for the next race as you always start neck-and-neck. In fact, the only reason to win a race is so as to continue on to the next level.

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