Soundtrack Review: Sonic Generations

Released in celebration of the Sonic franchise's 20th anniversary, Sonic Generations is truly a product of love for its loyal fans. The game positively brims with nostalgia; references to past Sonic games are everywhere, from the old-school gameplay to the classic sound effects to the modern interpretations of iconic Sonic levels. The music, of course, is no exception.

Table of Contents

• Game Information
• Creativity
• Implementation
• Replay Value
• Notable Tracks
• Final Score

Game Information

Release Date: November 1, 2011
Consoles: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developers: Sonic Team, Devil's Details
Publisher: Sega
Composers: Jun Senoue, Naofumi Hataya, Tomoya Ohtani, Kenichi Tokoi, Richard Jacques, Yutaka Minobe, Yasafumi Fukuda

Creativity

I mentioned Sonic Generations' huge nostalgia factor earlier, and for me, this is epitomized by the game's soundtrack. Nearly every track in the game is a returning piece from a former Sonic game, beautifully rearranged or remixed for its new context. With all of this reliance on past musical material, you might expect me to dock some points on creative grounds. Thing is, I'd argue that its imaginative use of the existing material is precisely what makes Sonic Generations most creative. In the interest of length, I'd like to narrow in on one specific example of this: how the soundtrack expresses the concepts of "classic" and "modern" through purely musical means.

TIL "modern" means "taller and skinnier."

One bit of background about Sonic Generations: its main levels are each broken into two parts: a "classic" stage, where the gameplay is old-school and 2D, and a "modern" stage, with three-dimensional gameplay resembling more recent games. Correspondingly, and in line with a long tradition of Sonic games, the music for the two stages are variations upon the same thematic material. The distinction is clear here: the stage 1 music should invoke a retro feel consistent with the old-school gameplay, and the stage 2 music should work well with the modern style. Take, for instance, the following music for Crisis City Acts 1 and 2:

Crisis City: Act 1 -- Sonic Generations


Crisis City: Act 2 -- Sonic Generations


The common source material for each is evident, but Act 1 has an old-school "fire level" feel, while Act 2 is more upbeat and energetic. It's important to note that the distinction between the two comes not from a mere change in instrumentation, but in a difference in overall style. What's even more impressive is that both tracks in Generations are distinct from, while still clearly inspired by, their parent track from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006):

Crisis City -- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)


Crisis City is my favorite example of how well the classic-modern interplay weaves itself into the score for Generations, but the other stages are definitely no exception. While perhaps not the most conventional form of originality, this attention to detail certainly deserves its creativity points.

I only have a few complaints. For one, a select few pairs of level music don't strike me as very compelling, especially in comparison to the brilliant music for the other levels. Speed Highway: Act 1 and Act 2 were the worst offenders in my opinion, conveying its differences strictly through synths rather than style. A second criticism is that the music specifically written for Generations isn't particularly striking. Still, these are but small fish in a sea of creative excellence.

On a final note -- and this is mostly me gushing -- I can't resist mentioning the credits piece, a beautiful medley of the stage songs that's a clear tribute to the credits medleys from older Sonic games. On first seeing the credits after beating the game, I nearly cried. Good stuff.

Creativity Score: 9/10

Implementation

The best way to judge how well music is implemented is to see it in action, so here are some clips featuring the above Crisis City Acts 1 and 2, respectively:




Personally, I think the music works pretty damn well. The more deliberate, melody-driven Act 1 music is great for the slower-paced platforming action of Classic Sonic, while the more energetic feel of Act 2 matches the faster pace of Modern Sonic's gameplay. Again, I used Crisis City as an example, but the music in other levels all work comparably well.

I'd also like to discuss the dynamic aspects of Sonic Generations' soundtrack, something for which I'm always eager to give extra Implementation points. Within the levels, the dynamic music mainly occurs when Sonic grabs a pair of speed shoes. The associated speed-up in music is much easier said than done, since modern soundtracks can't just "up the tempo" on demand. In an elegant solution, the composers used a short drum sequence to ease the transition into a specific sped-up phrase in the music, which then smoothly eases back into the slower original theme. You can hear a collection of the speed shoe transitions here.

A cooler implementation of dynamic music can be seen in the level hub. Each area of the hub has native music that's a lighter arrangement of the actual level theme. Interestingly, the hub themes are structured in a 10-bar looping phrase: 8 measures of melody, and a 2-measure bridge to transition back to the beginning. When Sonic enters the territory of a new level, the music shifts to the new level theme, picking up where it left off in the phrase. The transitions are a little awkward at times, but the effort is commendable. Again, let's see it in action:



Sonic Generations doesn't do anything earth-shattering in the implementation department, but its classic/modern dynamic, speed shoe speed-ups, and dynamic hub themes are more than enough to earn it a great Implementation score.

Implementation Score: 9/10

Replay Value

Being the longstanding Sonic fan that I am, the Generations soundtrack is clearly something I'd enjoy listening to outside the game, and indeed, it's been sitting in my iPod for several months now. For fellow Sonic fans, this soundtrack is a must-have. Even for those newer to the franchise, though, the soundtrack contains many standout gems worth listening to.

One of the strengths of this soundtrack is its incredible diversity. The tracks encompass a larger variety of styles and genres, from rock to electronica, from metal to elevator music. Regardless of your taste in music, you'll probably find some songs in the Generations soundtrack that will appeal to you (and admittedly, some that don't). For instance, I'm particularly partial to the numerous jazz tracks in the lineup, like this fantastic arrangement of Casino Night from a DLC:

Casino Night -- Atsushi Kosugi & Jun Senoue


All of that being said, however, I admit that one of the primary reasons I enjoy the Sonic Generations soundtrack is because of the strong nostalgia factor. While the soundtrack is certainly great, it loses some of its appeal for those who aren't as intimate with the Sonic series. There's no single standout track (think Portal or Skyrim) to enchant even those who haven't played the game. Still, it's definitely a solid soundtrack, and quite an enjoyable experience.

You can find the "Blue Blur" Generations soundtrack here, or if you're feeling particularly spendthrift, buy the collector-friendly three-disc album on Amazon.

Replay Value Score: 8/10

Notable Tracks

Sky Sanctuary: Act 2 -- Jun Senoue


City Escape: Act 1 -- Cash Cash


Crisis City: Act 2 -- Tomoya Ohtani (no surprises here)


Collection Room -- Jun Senoue


Gallery -- Jun Senoue

Final Score

With such an extensive musical legacy, the Sonic Generations soundtrack has big shoes to fill, but it lives up to its Sonic name in every way. It makes no apologies about drawing upon said musical legacy, of course, but that's a big part of what makes it so charming. The creative interpretation of the source material, neat classic/modern styles, and excellent implementation of dynamic elements allow me to confidently bestow upon it the great score it deserves.

Final Score: 9/10