How do you craft an RPG around a character defined entirely by movement? We’re not sure that you can, and BioWare hasn’t proved otherwise. Sonic Chronicles is an RPG based on the fat that Sega added to the initially lean hedgehog meat: the sidekicks, the attitude, the melodrama. Bar contex-tsensitive actions that see Sonic and co perform sprints and loop-the-loops – meaningless passive acts – this is a Sonic game in looks alone.

That said, it’s not a bad game. For while Sonic’s essence is distilled, what remains is a satisfying grab-bag of mechanics and ideas from other, better titles. Ouendan’s touchscreen cues turn battling into a tight, focused affair, the moves needed to survive the smart difficulty curve available only in exchange for timed taps and swipes. Partner attacks, borrowed from Mario & Luigi, add emphasis to team selection, strong characters given the heave-ho for the greater good.

The sluggish first half of the game makes way for stronger material, again with the arrival of more non-hedgehog involvement. A trip into space sees BioWare much more at home. Alien factions and oppressive hive-minds may not be Sonic, but they’re twice as interesting. And by mere association, our hero becomes more interesting: no longer a solo sprinter, but the leader of an oddball squad on a grand quest.



While it’s a shame that BioWare couldn’t find its feet until halfway through the game, persevere and Chronicles’ tale will amount to something that makes this a little harder to begrudge.

6/10