by Danreb VictorioAt events like Summer Game Fest, it’s too easy for those in games media to get caught in the bottleneck and grind of previewing certain games for work. Whether it’s for the clicks, something you’re contracted to do, or to be the first to play what’ll probably be a Game of the Year contender. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but it’s also when the demos give you a chance to kick back and enjoy yourself, and maybe even your peers, too. That’s exactly what Sonic Pico Park did for some of us at SGF Play Days, and that’s also why the game was a standout.
Stranger than Heaven and Alien: Isolation 2 were the biggest draws at Sega’s Play Days booth, but Sonic Pico Park ended up being the only one I got to play, and it was a great time. For those unfamiliar, Pico Park is a cooperative multiplayer puzzle game with platforming and action mechanics, where up to eight players work together to reach each level’s end. Tasks vary, ranging from grabbing a key to unlocking a door. A Sonic collaboration is definitely on the random side, but considering it’s also the mascot’s 35th anniversary, it all ends up on brand in enjoyable ways.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to play the game with complete strangers, as Mike Fertitta joined me in the fun. It was actually the first time we played a video game together, and it’s interesting because while I’m often reserved, whenever I’m at a Sega event or Sega booth, I get extremely animated, and I think their PR people know that about me. (Shoutout to Alexa and Ruby)!
The demo consisted of two parts, each with four levels each that increased in difficulty both in terms of communication and understanding gameplay mechanics. One aspect that was particularly impressive was that the experience was definitely part Pico Park and part Sonic. On the Pico Park side of things, there were times when we had to build a staircase so some characters could hit a switch at higher ground to open paths for the other characters that couldn’t reach that height.
On the Sonic side, it was more than just the characters we were using. The four of us playing used Sonic, Tails (me), Knuckles, and Amy Rose, and it was nice seeing their abilities and classic series nuances put to use. Each character could use the spin dash, and it was cool to put Tails’ ability to fly to actual use by carrying other characters over otherwise impossible-to-cross gaps. There was even a clever use of rings, where it became a necessity to purposely sacrifice themselves to move forward, but it wasn’t a real sacrifice because they had the ring to protect themselves. Clever stuff, indeed!
Of course, most of the fun came from a combination of poor communication, skill issues, and people just trying to lone-wolf it. There were times when my own impatience came into play, where I decided to try to handle myself as Tails and fly to the next section of a level myself, but you can’t do that, as that always ended in unfortunate and hilarious results. On that note, one thing that I found confusing was that there were times when a character died but respawned immediately, but there were other times when just one player dying forced you to restart the level. It wasn’t obvious figuring that part out. Sure, you can just die and see what happens, but I’d imagine that isn’t always going to be an option.
Despite the really cool usage of various Sonic series features, one thing I did wish to experience was some classic Sonic music. I don’t know if that’s something we can expect to see, but it would definitely be another nice touch.
Sonic Pico Park has so far only been confirmed for a PC release this year, but it’s bound to show up on more. This is definitely a game we plan on reviewing, so we’ll definitely keep you updated on all things Sonic Pico Park.
