Sonic Colors review

PROLOGUE
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"Sonic Colors is the best Sonic game of all time!"

"Sonic is back and better than ever!"

"Sonic Colors has the best plot ever!"

"Sonic Colors is just like my childhood (which matters in this argument for some reason)."

"Sonic Colors will touch you at night!"

Enough!

You get the picture. Sonic Colors is third to Sonic Generations and Sonic 2 in being the most overrated Sonic game of all time. People generally claim that this is Sonic's big comeback and that this is an amazing game, though while I disagree with that, you could like it, to each their own, but to me and other people out there, this was a start of a new decline for Sonic (Sonic Free Riders acted as an oman prior to Colors' release). We'll get into that soon.
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History
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Sonic Colors was first released in 2010 following the mixed success of Sonic Unleashed (which for the record had more soul and potential). It was speculated that the game would be an improved version of Unleashed, but frankly, I just don't see it. The game was mainly meant for the classic fans, (you know, those people who haven't grown up yet) which really shows throughout the game. More on that later.
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Story
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The story deals with Sonic and Tails going to a theme park built by Dr. Eggman who claimed that he has turned a new leaf. Further on in the game, Sonic and Tails discover that Eggman is using a species of aliens called the Wisps as a power source for his park, which obviously means that the two need to save them. It's never a good sign when a plot could be summarized in as little as 20 seconds.

I'm going to break down each issue.
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The comedy
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It was at around this point that the Sonic series began to use not so well thought out comedic stories instead of interesting plots, which is quite a let down since Sonic Unleashed managed to perfect it to some degree. The comedy in this is abysmal, to say the least. At almost every second in the cutscenes, Sonic has to crack shitty jokes. It's pretty stupid since Sonic has always been meant for everyone and not just kids. Even the classic games best represented that. It feels as though the writers at Sonic Team were all like "FUCK IT! FUCK IT IT'S TOO HARD! Hello Happy Tree Friends writers, care to keep us in the hole longer?" The writing was done by Warren Graff and Ken Pontac, the writers from Happy Tree Friends. Let that sink right in. Two writers from a show that focused only on murder, and this is the best they could come up with? Is it too late for me to check out Breadwinners? The other Sonic games put more thought into their stories than Sonic Colors.
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Missed opportunities
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It doesn't help that certain actions are made which could've helped make the game more interesting. At one point, Tails is controlled by Eggman and it could've been at that point that Sonic and Tails' friendship could be put to the test by having them fight, but the scene is ruined within seconds.
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Gameplay
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The gameplay is bland to say the very least. Most of the 3D levels feel empty due to the lack of enemies and the platforming sections are very slow. It has a classic Sonic vibe, which doesn't help at all since it eliminates any significant challenge. Even the classic games (the ones I like at least managed to maintain some diversity)

Sonic 1 started it all
Sonic 2 added more platforming
Sonic 3 added less platforming to maintain speed
Sonic and Knuckles attempted to deliver a clear story (and they even provided more power ups)
Sonic CD perfected the story mechanic
Sonic 3D Blast had an isometric perspective
Knuckles Chaotix had their own special gameplay mechanic
Sonic Spinball was a pinball game

The 2D sections aren't any better either. Not only do they take up a huge chunk of the game, but they feel slow as well, eliminating more of the Sonic atmosphere.

The game does very little to spice up the game. Pretty much any significant Sonic game had more variety than Sonic Colors, even Sonic 06.

This was the introductory game for The Wisps, or better yet, SEGA's replacement characters for their neglected cast. They don't do much, other than act as power-ups. Really pushing the boundaries here aren't you SEGA? Why even bother? The Wisps' functions are:

-A laser power
-A rocket power
-A slam power
-A block power
-A drill power
-A hover power
-A spike power

It's diverse, yes, but it doesn't really feel that new or interesting. In fact, it makes the game feel more simplistic.

Other than that, the gameplay is surprisingly pretty easy, which sucks since to me, the previous Sonic games were more or less for everyone, and that even as an adult, you wouldn't feel like too much of a jackass for playing those games.
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Graphics
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I'll admit this, the graphics are very good. It has the same animation as Sonic Unleashed and the character movements are pretty decent. The level appearance is also pretty colorful, and it does have some connection to Sonic Unleashed.
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Sound
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The sound consists of the same sounds in the previous modern Sonic titles, which doesn't really warrant further discussion. The music however, sounds extremely annoying. It's generic techno pop BS that wears on your mind after a while.
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Acting
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The acting is decent, however, it actually works against the actors. The characters sound bland with the exception of Eggman, who's always a hit when it comes to the voices, but Sonic has it worse than the others, more on that in a bit.
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Sonic's personality
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People claim that Sonic's personality is fine. However, I firmly disagree. It was at this point that Sonic began to act less like someone who actually gives a shit about being a hero while still maintaining his teenage spirit, and more like a douchebag who'd crack jokes at almost every opportunity. It's just annoying on so many levels. It doesn't help that kids are generally inspired by popular cartoon/game icons. I wouldn't be surprised if they grew up to become annoying pricks because they were inspired by Sonic (and if they do, I think the BLACKBusterCritic would have a lot of work on his hands).
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In short, Sonic Colors isn't very good. By appealing to the arrogant elitists and ignoring the fans who could tolerate the previous modern Sonic games (for their own reasons), SEGA has entered a new rut in their career.
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Story: 1/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 2/5
Acting: 1.5/5
Sound: 1.5/5

Rating: 9.5/25
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EPILOGUE
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The game does receive plenty of flack from many reviewers. However, a grand majority of the defenders of this game often attack the haters on the grounds that we're Sonicfags or people who don't appreciate quality. What they don't realize is that some people who like the previous games are able to understand that they had potential, which was blurred due to poor execution. If you like Sonic Colors, that's alright, I totally respect that, however, I doubt that I'll get into this game anytime soon. In fact, I may reduce myself to someone who just likes some of the Sonic games and the characters. I personally want SEGA to try a Sonic Unleashed-esque game at some point, and I'd like to see the rest of the cast again. I think that after so long, they can hone their writing in that genre and make a Sonic game that'd really wow the fans they've lost.
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On a final note, I'll only review one more Sonic game in the future.