u/Any_Exam222

The completed version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 that improves upon everything from its predecessor, but doesn't quite reach the heights of what came before it. Playing this game right after Episode I made it glaringly obvious how awkward development was for this title as the split between them is basically night and day with Episode II being far more complete and worthy of a sequel without even including the first one. 

Every aspect has been improved which begs the reason why it was split in the first place to most likely to stagnate the mobile releases rather than bundle them together when it would eventually be complete. Episode II is a breath of fresh air when compared to the first right from the get-go as the visuals and controls are immediately noticeable through a cleaner 2.5d style without it looking glossy with the physics drastically improved, while not being as solid as the Genesis titles it's still much easier to handle than before. The new combo moves with Tails were also pretty well implemented with the hover being useful in the water segments and open air sections with my favorite being the spin dash which made you unstoppable until hitting something solid while also picking up incredible speed in the process. The stages are inspired by Sonic 2's stages with some of them being well designed particularly Sylvania Castle & White Park zones providing visually pleasing backdrops and nice movement throughout the stage; there are also some nice musical tracks which was surprising given the previous title and the boss theme wasn't too shabby either despite looping quite a bit. 

While being an overall better game than Episode I, Episode II still has its share of issues which prevent it from being in the same wheelhouse as the Genesis titles. First off, while the first two stages were pretty fun and well designed, the same can't be said for the latter half of the game with Oil Desert & sections of Sky Fortress with pretty monotonous sections which apply to the game overall as some parts have you just automated through the level rather than having equal parts platforming and high speed. The Tornado levels in Sky Fortress go far longer than they need to as the auto scrolling is abysmally slow and not much you can do as you have to wait to engage with Metal Sonic. The bosses as a whole were also pretty annoyingly designed not through the actual difficulty, but how much waiting you had to do to deal damage with the window being pretty small with the biggest offender being the scrapyard fight in Oil Desert as you have to wait to go through the whole elevator sequence just to be able to land the final blow. Egg Heart was also poorly designed with just how many hits Eggman took along with the gravity not working correctly as you circled the ring with the electricity currents basically guaranteeing damage unless you were placed in a good spot or Super Sonic. Speaking of Super Sonic, I'm torn on the special stages as I believe I prefer the half-pipe to the rolling stages in Episode 1, at times Sonic doesn't feel as responsive as he should be, but I'm grateful you're able to retry without any auto fails. The game's narrative follows Sonic CD is strange with how the continuity is by simply being non-existent as not much is said with Metal Sonic simply being repaired and sort of rehashing Sonic CD simply without time travel.

For achievements, the game follows the previous Episode with about the same flow through playing through the story, collecting the Chaos Emeralds, and completing the first special stage collecting every ring. They were overall fine to collect as you don't have to worry about saving your rings to finish each stage as Super Sonic, but beat every boss as him and only have to revisit the stages all in one go which isn't hard at all. The hardest achievement was collecting every ring on the first special stage as you have to be extremely precise in your controls with a whopping 314 rings to collect. Luckily, this wasn't as bad as I thought as boosting during the stage gives you a small magnet pull for the rings which with enough practice didn't take too long as long as you know where to move.

Overall, I liked my time playing through Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, while it improved upon every aspect of the first one, it still held enough issues where it wasn't as great as the original trilogy or even CD as a narrative sequel through some obtuse level design and controls that still don't mimic what worked before it. Despite this, I can definitively say that this is the true way of experiencing Sonic 4 and recommend it to those wanting to play every 2-D entry in the series and see what SEGA had in mind for continuing the classic titles albeit rough it's playable at the least and still has some features I enjoy. I'm hopeful to see future 2-D greatly improve through this game serving as a template on how to best design Sonic for the modern age while keeping true to the classics.

The sequel to the original Sonic trilogy that is steeped in infamy due to bizarre development cycles and management leading to one of Sonic's strangest entries. This game has been in my backlog for quite a while and has finally seen the light of day since I started playing through the Sonic series. The first three games along with Sonic CD were filled to the brim with charm and fun gameplay that helped solidify Sonic as a gaming icon for many years to come with this entry attempting to replicate that feeling but falling a bit short due to how the game came to be in the first place. Having been a mobile game at first a lot of the game's quirks can be attributed to that fact with development not needing to be as polished, but with its port to modern console it's difficult to place how the games stands among its brethren with new additions and old mechanics blending together in a strange mixture.

The story of the game is pretty non-existent with it following the same although somehow shallower story beats than Sonic 1 of chasing Dr. Eggman throughout the many zones with only having Sonic as the playable character while also collecting the Chaos emeralds as usual. The biggest change when comparing to the original genesis games would have to be adding the Homing attack usually reserved for modern Sonic games. While it can be a bit tricky to use sometimes especially in a 2-D environment, the chains of enemies and ability to quickly gain momentum allow it to be streamlined well with the gameplay as it is mostly built around its use. The difficulty is properly designed as each act felt like a natural evolution with only minor hiccups with level design through not being able to see what comes next. The special stages were also not as much of a headache as I would think even without moving Sonic but rather the stage this time around as you are also able to retry them if you are fast enough and the reward of Super Sonic is worth it for being able to blast through levels. 

The game does have some positives which I enjoyed, but also contains equal parts annoyances and then some to sour the experience for how it fails to replicate the magic of the originals. Firstly, the game's presentation doesn't grab me with how shiny Sonic is and how stiff the environments are in motion akin to how he looked back in Sonic Adventure DX. It's strangely more of an eyesore here which can be passable due to it being a mobile game, but it's not how I want Sonic presented in the 2-D games so graphically doesn't hold up for me. While the homing attack is personally well implemented, the game's physics are all over the place with Sonic taking a lot of time to build up speed then losing it just as fast with slight interruptions in his path. This also extends to how he operates on different angles and slopes with him basically being able to stand on them and the Spin Dash not being as useful as before with slower speed and less control due to how slippery Sonic feels. The bosses also were pretty annoying and frustrating due to how little control you have of Sonic when moving at high speeds or attempting to line up his homing attack without just diving straight into the enemy. The final zone being a boss gauntlet was poorly designed even with checkpoints as at that point you could simply fight the Death Egg Robot without rehashing the past bosses with little to no difference in strategy. 

For achievements, the game doesn't ask for a lot similar to past Sonic titles in this style through collecting all the Chaos emeralds and beating the story as the main ones. An infamous achievement in this game is killing 1000 enemies which doesn't sound too bad with just enough grinding, but particularly if you're playing the Steam version like I am the game wipes any progression you've had towards enemy kills when you exit out so you have to do it all in one session which can be annoying. The hardest would have to be clearing the final boss rush without taking any damage, it took some time to plan out each encounter and practice enough to be manageable but pretty frustrating at points due to how perfect you must play in the face of annoying enemy patterns. 

Overall, I didn't outright hate my time playing through Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I but it still wasn't as much fun as the original trilogy was or CD for that matter. Even without comparison to what this game attempts to work upon, it's able to present itself as a new take on the genesis titles to stand out but sadly suffering through an episodic release with the game being basically cut in half due to game constraint from being mobile. I cannot in good faith recommend this game unless you are like me wanting to play through every main entry despite what you may find, the Sonic Origins bundle has every great genesis Sonic game which are well designed and a fun time all the way through. I hope Episode II is able to be a better 2nd half for the game in this modern take of 2-D Sonic.

An unexpected title from Capcom that seemed to be forgotten only to be revived years later debuting as a masterfully crafted game in its core gameplay and character driven story that will tug at your heartstrings. I wasn't aware of Pragmata prior to its announcement trailer last year after being stuck in development hell for over five years and was immediately hooked by Diana and how she would interact with the protagonist along with the gameplay which seemed intriguing. I am heavily drawn towards emotionally driven games through the main character looking after a child as if they were their own and this game fully delivered and more than exceeding all expectations through combat, exploration, visuals, and characters.

The main drive of the story lies with Hugh & Diana as they navigate through the Cradle station on the moon uncovering what happened to everybody and what they can do to get back to Earth. The game's story largely takes a backseat as the story is mostly driven through the interactions between our main characters and how their relationship evolves through continuous conversation and interaction developing a close bond. It is truly heartwarming being at the helm of this game as you are able to experience their relationship grow into a father-daughter dynamic that pushes the themes of the game further with clashing themes of isolation from the environment to genuine connection and wonderment through Diana. She is the heart and soul of the game and as you play you are further compelled to reach your goals and advance as far as you can risking everything as if she was actually your own which invokes the human condition encompassing universal emotion and experience especially through the eyes of Diana who sees everything for the first time.

The gameplay loop is perfectly crafted in how you are able to unlock and upgrade weapons and abilities for both Hugh & Diana and stands out as not being clunky with so many elements placed together through movement and gunplay, but work in tandem to create a unique high tension methodical shooter with hacking being your main tool to victory. It's been a long time since I've played a game that had every collectible have a different purpose that didn't lose its value over time and instill itself as vital throughout the whole game. Simply talking to Diana is always worth the time as you are able to gain more insight into how she perceives the situation at hand and a joy to teach her the various things humans do and what sort of plans she has for >!when she eventually goes to Earth!<. As a sci-fi third-person-shooter, you are able to build out your loadout however you want with a ton of customization options through weapons, mods, and various features to change gameplay from enhancing hacking or focusing on defense allowing options for all types of gameplay styles. The game is gorgeous with each area breathing new life with the highly realistic graphics that also hold their own identity with the facilities and moon backdrops being visually stunning no matter how many times you see it. The enemy variety is also quite plentiful and mixed through upgraded versions and scenarios with how much the game throws at you at times it never felt truly overwhelming given how many options you have available.

For achievements, the game was fairly simple in its requirements through typical completion such as collecting all the upgrades, exploring everything, and completing the various trials in the game such as the training simulations. Extra modes include the Unknown Signal which involve more training simulations that only require basic completion rather than requirements within them with the rest being mostly story-based or simple tasks throughout the game. The game requires one extra playthrough on Lunatic mode where enemies have more health and deal more damage, but do not change in their numbers which helps to manage scenarios.

Overall, I had an amazing time playing through Pragmata. While the story is on the simpler side, this doesn't factor into my enjoyment of games as the heart and soul of Hugh & Diana's relationship pushing the narrative forward alongside a mechanically perfect and satisfying gameplay loop combine together into one of the most fun experiences I've had playing a game. It's simply fun all the way through with the combat never growing old and only growing more complex as you play, and the interactions between Hugh & Diana help bring their bond to life as it shines through in the most human way possible. I cannot recommend this game enough for those who are looking for a mechanically perfect game alongside a story that will deeply immerse you through the heartwarming and emotional bond between two characters. The definition of a "dad simulator" that will stay with you for a long time reminding us what it means to be human in every sense of the word, as we can learn how to better connect with those around us and live life to the fullest. A true GOTY 2026 contender.