Oh no! This was supposed to be the good Sonic game. The one to get him back on his feet. I wanted to like it so badly, but I just didn’t. I’m so sorry.

Sonic Lost World looks like an amazing platformer when the person providing the gameplay for the trailer knows what he is doing.  Streaming jumps together, bending curves perfectly, taking out enemies without a hitch. No problem, this should be easy to pick up.

Well, not so much. I found myself completing awkward jumps and getting hit by enemies because of a confusing attack mechanic which doesn’t work when used from the air. The platforming is also stale, and most of the level requires the dash button to be held and just running straight.

A few secrets open up the map and encourage exploration, but more often than not, I think the camera was having more fun following Sonic on these twisted paths than I was. Its ability to follow Sonic from a variety of angles makes his runs seem more exciting, but the reality is he just runs in a single direction during these moments.

Maybe I picked a crummy level, the one with rainbow tracks, but I was underwhelmed at what it had to offer for my first try. Sonic was stiff, his jumps awkward, his new ledge grasping ability obtrusive, and all three combined made it difficult to get any momentum going, a no-no for a Sonic game.

Sonic has always been a practice makes perfect series, though, so maybe more intimate knowledge of the controls will make things better.

Sonic Lost World will be released for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS on October 2nd.