Sonic Adventure 2

Sonic in City Escape, the first level of Sonic Adventure 2's Hero story

Sonic Adventure 2 is a 3D platform game divided into two campaigns: Hero and Dark. In the Hero campaign, players control Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who fight to save the world; in the Dark campaign, players control Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman and Rouge the Bat, fighting to conquer it. Each campaign cycles through levels of its three characters, telling different sides of the story. Levels have a variety of themes (such as cities, jungles, desert pyramids and outer space),[3] with some followed by boss fights. The two campaigns' stories occur in parallel; completing both campaigns unlocks a final story with all six characters, culminating in a final boss fight.[4]

Sonic and Shadow play fast-paced levels, emphasizing platforming.[5] Their homing attack can lock on to robots created by Eggman and G.U.N., and they can grind on rails. Tails's and Eggman's levels are slower and oriented towards multidirectional shooting; they are confined to mechs in which they can jump short heights, hover and shoot enemies. Knuckles's and Rouge's levels are open and feature action-adventure gameplay with treasure hunting; in each level, they must find three shards of the Master Emerald. Their search is guided by radar and puzzle-based clues from harmless robots.[4] Knuckles and Rouge can glide, defeat enemies with punches and kicks,[5] and scale walls, digging into them to find power-ups.[6]

Adventure 2 has the health system found in many other Sonic games. The player collects rings scattered throughout the levels; being hit by an enemy while holding rings causes the player to drop them all, while being hit without rings causes them to lose a life. Tails and Eggman have health bars, which are slowly refilled by collecting rings. Dying with no lives results in a game over screen.[7] The characters can obtain permanent upgrades that grant them new abilities; for example, one upgrade allows Sonic and Shadow to dash along a sequential trail of rings to reach distant platforms, one gives Tails and Eggman hover jets that slows their descent in order to cross large gaps, while another lets Knuckles and Rouge dig into the ground to uncover treasure and Master Emerald pieces.[8]

Separate from the main campaigns, the player can raise Chao as virtual pets.[4] They have five attributes (Swim, Fly, Run, Power and Stamina) and a moral continuum from Hero to Dark. From the moment they hatch, their stats can be increased with Chaos Drives or small animals, found in the main stages, which empower them to compete in karate[9] and racing minigames.[5] Their alignment gradually changes based on their affection for the characters; for example, a Chao which likes Tails will gradually become more heroic. Playing with Chao increases affection, and when a Chao becomes fully Hero or Dark, it assumes that form permanently.[10] Although Chao eventually die, if they receive enough affection during their lives they reincarnate.[11]

Adventure 2 has 180 emblems, earned for a variety of tasks.[12] Each level has five missions; only the first is required to continue the campaign, and other missions include completing a harder version of a level and collecting 100 rings. The player earns emblems by completing missions and other tasks, many related to Chao raising. Collecting all the emblems unlocks a 3D version of the Green Hill Zone stage from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.[13]

The game has several two-player modes. Players may race on foot through new (or altered) levels, have shoot-'em-up battles in mechs,[5] hunt for Master Emerald shards[14] or race in go-karts.[5] A few characters are playable in these modes, but not in the main game; Tikal and Chaos from the original Sonic Adventure are playable in the treasure-hunting game,[15] as are Amy Rose and Metal Sonic in the foot-racing levels[16] and mechs piloted by Chao and Big the Cat (replaced by a Dark Chao in Battle) in the shooting levels.[17]

Learning of a secret weapon from the diary of his deceased grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, Doctor Eggman infiltrates a high-security G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations) facility and revives it using a Chaos Emerald.[26] The weapon – a black hedgehog and self-proclaimed "Ultimate Life Form" named Shadow – offers to help Eggman conquer the world, telling him to rendezvous at an abandoned space colony, ARK, with more Chaos Emeralds. Shadow goes to Central City, encountering G.U.N.'s forces after stealing an Emerald. Shadow has vowed to fulfill a promise to Gerald's granddaughter, Maria, right before she died, which he interprets as one of revenge.[27] Shadow blasts through the military force and meets Sonic. After a brief confrontation, Shadow escapes and G.U.N. captures Sonic, whom they mistake for Shadow.

Meanwhile, Knuckles encounters Rouge and Eggman, who both try to steal the Master Emerald. He stops them by shattering the Emerald and searches for the scattered shards to repair it.[28] Rouge, spying for the government, heads to Eggman's base and the ARK.[29] There, Shadow shows Eggman the Eclipse Cannon, another super-weapon created by Gerald, and discloses his plan: to charge the cannon with the Chaos Emeralds and use it to take over the world. Rouge appears, offering them a Chaos Emerald to gain their trust.

Tails and Amy infiltrate G.U.N.'s island base and rescue Sonic,[30] while Eggman, Shadow, and Rouge collect three Emeralds on the island.[31][32][33] Eggman makes a global broadcast threatening to fire on the Earth in 24 hours if his demands are not met, demonstrating the cannon's power by using it to destroy half the Moon using their six Emeralds. Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles use a Chaos Emerald in their possession to track down the others on the ARK. They infiltrate Eggman's base,[34] boarding his shuttle shortly before it launches into space. Knuckles' Master Emerald shards are spilled along the way, and he leaves to collect them.[35] He fights Rouge again, but when he saves her from falling into a lava pit, she relinquishes her shards and he restores the Master Emerald.

On the ARK, Tails reveals he has made a counterfeit Chaos Emerald to destroy the Eclipse Cannon. As Sonic is about to use it, Eggman tells him that he has captured Tails and Amy, forcing him to return and rescue them.[36] Sonic tries to trick Eggman with the fake Emerald, but Eggman sees through the plan and jettisons him in an escape pod rigged with explosives. Tails, thinking Sonic is dead, fights and defeats Eggman. Sonic uses the power of the fake Emerald to initiate "Chaos Control" and escape;[37] Shadow is sent to intercept him.[38]

Regardless of who wins the fight,[39] Eggman sneaks away from Tails and Amy with the last Emerald and arms the Eclipse Cannon. The entire colony suddenly starts falling, and a prerecorded message from Gerald is broadcast globally: he programmed the ARK to collide with Earth if the Emeralds were used, destroying it in revenge for the government condemning his research and killing his colleagues, including Maria. Everyone but Shadow works together to access the cannon's core and neutralize the ARK using the Master Emerald.[40]

Amy pleads for Shadow's help, allowing him to remember what Maria really requested of Shadow: for him to help mankind. Shadow catches up with Sonic and Knuckles in the core as they encounter the Biolizard, a prototype Ultimate Life Form. Shadow repels it, allowing Knuckles to deactivate the Chaos Emeralds with the Master Emerald. The Biolizard uses Chaos Control to fuse with the cannon, becoming the Finalhazard and continuing the ARK's collision course.

Sonic and Shadow use the Emeralds to transform into their super forms, defeating the Finalhazard and using Chaos Control to teleport the ARK back into stable orbit. This depletes Shadow's energy and he plummets to Earth, content in fulfilling his promise to Maria. The people on Earth celebrate as the heroes return home, and Sonic bids Shadow farewell.

The game's scenery was inspired by the streets of San Francisco (left) and Yosemite National Park (right).

Sonic Adventure 2 was developed by Sonic Team USA, a former American division of Sonic Team, and published by Sega. It was directed and produced by longtime series contributors Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Naka respectively.[41][42] Development began shortly after the release of the American version of Sonic Adventure in September 1999, and lasted 18 months. It was designed to be more action-oriented than the slower, more story-based Adventure. The development team ran the game at 60 frames per second with "tempo", giving Sonic a variety of actions rather than focusing on speed alone. Its levels facilitated this flow, making Sonic seem faster.[41] All six playable characters have roughly equal gameplay time (unlike Adventure, in which some characters had short stories).[41]

The levels and environments were inspired by San Francisco, where Sonic Team had its office, and other American locations, such as Yosemite National Park (where the team vacationed) and the San Francisco Bay Area. Compared to Adventure, the sequel was intended to have "more of an American flavor".[41] Although the level design prioritized the frame rate, it was more streamlined than Adventure because of the team's experience with Dreamcast hardware.[43] Whereas Sonic Team had tried to include as much content as possible in Sonic Adventure, for the sequel they only concentrated on the elements they deemed necessary.[44] Naka said Sonic Adventure 2 was also easier to develop, as Sonic Team could now "tap the full power of the console and deliver a much better experience".[42]

Iizuka described the Chao as a "relative neutral entity" in Sonic Adventure. In the sequel, the developers expanded their presence, adding the ability to raise "Hero" and "Dark" Chao to reflect the conflict between good and evil.[41] Chao have the ability to socialize, so they resemble a "real artificial life form".[43]

Sonic Team showcased Sonic Adventure 2 with a trailer at E3 2000, and uploaded the trailer to its website on June 30.[45] Sonic Team posted a trailer and a number of screenshots on May 30, 2001,[46] with Sega promoting Sonic Adventure 2 as the last Sonic game for the Dreamcast and as marking the series' 10th anniversary.[47] Sega held a 10th-anniversary party for Sonic in June 2001, at which attendees could compete in a battle tournament; the winner played against Iizuka.[43]

Sonic Adventure 2 received "generally favorable" reviews.[67] Critics appreciated the game's multiple playing styles. According to Edge and reviewer Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro, the core game's three styles and bonus features such as Chao gardens made the game engaging.[48][69] Johnny Liu of GameRevolution praised its replay value of multiple playing styles and 180 different goals.[70] Anthony Chau of IGN called it one of the best Sonic games: "If this is the last Sonic game in these declining Dreamcast years, it's satisfying to know that the DC didn't go out with a bang, but with a sonic boom."[4] In 2022, IGN would rank the title as one of the best Dreamcast games.[72]

The camera was largely panned. Shahed Ahmed of GameSpot criticized the "cardinal sin" of 3D platform games: forcing players to jump to an out-of-frame platform. Although players can re-orient the camera with the trigger buttons, it reverts when the character moves.[5] According to Chau and Liu, this made searching cramped sections of Knuckles' and Rouge's levels frustrating.[4][70] Edge found camera problems permeating the game, with no significant improvement from Adventure.[69]

The visuals received positive reviews. Liu called the graphics "sweet, sweet eye-crack."[70] Four-Eyed Dragon wrote that the game "is simply jaw-dropping beautiful," citing its detailed backgrounds and scenery and the characters' extensive color palettes.[48] According to Chau, the game had "some of the best textures ever seen" and was one of the most beautiful Dreamcast games.[4] Edge was impressed by the texture detail and draw distance,[69] and Chau, Liu and Ahmed praised its 60-frame-per-second rendering speed.[4][5][70]

Senoue's soundtrack garnered a positive reaction. According to Ahmed, the music was an improvement over Adventure's "campy glam-rock and J-pop soundtrack," with less emphasis on lyrics,[5] and Liu appreciated its more "understated" approach.[70] Four-Eyed Dragon called the music "an eclectic mix of orchestrated masterpieces, guitar tunes, and melodic hip-hop voices" that "gracefully fill the game's ambiance to a perfect pitch."[48] Reactions to the voice acting were divided; according to Ahmed, "the voice acting, and the lip-synching in particular, is executed quite well,"[5] and Liu and Chau thought the English voices were inferior to the Japanese ones.[4][70]

The plot was derided, although its presentation was well received. Ahmed wrote, "Throughout the game the plot becomes more and more scattered and lackluster," not focusing long enough on one element to execute it meaningfully.[5] Although Liu agreed that despite the game's ambitious scope and themes it failed to advance the series' core plot beyond the Sega Genesis Sonic games,[70] Edge appreciated the story's presentation from both perspectives: hero and villain.[69]

Despite high review scores for the Dreamcast version, the GameCube version released six months later received mixed reviews: respective Metacritic and GameRankings scores of 73 percent and 72.33 percent.[68][73] Critics generally felt that it was not significantly improved from the Dreamcast original.[56][74] However, Shane Bettenhausen of GameSpy saw Battle as noticeably superior; in addition to its upgrades, its action was better suited to the GameCube's controller than the Dreamcast's.[75]

Since appearing in Sonic Adventure 2, City Escape and its theme, "Escape from the City", have received generally positive reception, regarded by multiple critics as the best part of the game. USgamer writer Caty McCarthy noted that the game was remembered more for City Escape than anything else.[76] Destructoid writer Chris Hovermale noted that City Escape was commonly chosen by fans of Sonic as a favorite Sonic level, picking it as his personal favorite. He felt that it "perfectly introduced" players to modern Sonic games. He commented that it was not complicated mechanically, but does a good job of introducing players to mechanics featured in Sonic Adventure 2.[77] Red Bull writer Ben Sillis included it in his list of the best opening levels in video games, stating that it's the best Sonic has been since the Mega Drive games. He felt that the level was the best representation of what 3D Sonic games should be, citing the soundtrack, speed, and the platforming. He praised it for being useful to teach players how to play Sonic Adventure 2 and what to expect.[78] Comic Book staff felt similarly, stating that City Escape was better than the rest of the game.[79] GamesTM staff regarded it as the best 3D Sonic level in the series, calling it an "iconic moment on Dreamcast."[80]

City Escape in Sonic Generations was regarded as one of the most impactful moments of 2011 by Kotaku writer Chris Carolan, who stated that Generations didn't click until he came upon this level. He attributed it to nostalgia, describing the theme, which he considered annoying when he first played the level, was now "incredibly perfect."[81] PCMag staff also felt that City Escape was a standout part of Sonic Generations, calling it a "prime example" of the developers transitioning City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic Generations.[82]

Polygon writers Allegra Frank and Philip Kollar praised the theme of City Escape as being the high point of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, stating that the level itself "represents the epitome" of the series as well. They also state that the level is far and away better than any other levels in the game, with the theme being a large part of why it's so memorable. They praised it for being well-integrated into the level, and for being uncommon in video games when Sonic Adventure 2 released.[83] Despite being excited to see City Escape in Sonic Generations, GameZone writer David Sanchez was annoyed by the presence of "Escape from the City," not liking Sonic songs to have lyrics.[84] Nintendojo writer Marc Deschamps felt that "Escape from the City" set the tone for the rest of the game, praising it for capturing the feel of speed.[85]

Shadow and Rouge, who debuted in Adventure 2, have become recurring characters in the Sonic franchise. Both appeared along with new character E-123 Omega as "Team Dark," one of the playable character teams, in Sonic Heroes (2003), the follow-up to Adventure 2.[100] A Shadow spin-off, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), expanded on the Adventure 2 plot and featured a similar 3D platforming gameplay.[101]

With a few modifications, the plots of Adventure and Adventure 2 were adapted into the second season of the anime Sonic X (2003–06). American licensing corporation 4Kids Entertainment hired an entirely new voice cast for the English dub, but the Japanese cast from the games reprised their roles in the original version of the show.[102]

Sonic Generations (2011), released to mark the series' twentieth anniversary, contains gameplay elements and levels from various Sonic games.[103] Elements from Sonic Adventure 2 included a remake of the City Escape stage in the console versions[104] and a remake of the Radical Highway stage in the Nintendo 3DS version.[105] Shadow also appears in a re-creation of his boss battle,[106] and the Biolizard boss is re-created in the 3DS version.[105]

Pat Casey and Josh Miller, writers of the Sonic movies, have expressed interest on adapting elements from Adventure 2 and the Shadow game, as Shadow will appear in the third film Sonic the Hedgehog 3.[107] They stated: "The fact that Shadow is clearly going to be in the franchise moving forward, I don't think it's revealing anything to say we'd love to incorporate elements from Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog, his solo spinoff game."[108]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Sonic Adventure 2.

Media related to Sonic Adventure at Wikimedia Commons

• Sonic Adventure 2 at Sega's Dreamcast Minisite (in Japanese)
• Sonic Adventure 2 at sega.com
• Sonic Adventure 2 Battle at sonicteam.com