This game may have broken my brain. i've never cared for speed medals in a game before, but something about the movement in this game is so gratifying I want to anyway.

I'm jumping over speed pads because I'm going so fast they'll only slow me down. I'm taking a well timed jump to sail over entire sections of level to shave off a few seconds. I'm giving myself tension headaches trying to perfect my route, restarting the level over and over again. It's so gratifying to finally reach just a few seconds under the diamond time....

And then I load up the level again to go for the score medals. I'm exploring for the hidden coins. I may 100% every level before I finish this game and I'm not sure why it's just so fun to play. This is the game that I always dreamed 3D Sonic would turn into. Fast, precise platforming with tons of style and an earnest enthusiasm in everything that makes it cheesey. Momentum based exploration puzzles, alternate routes, and a dash of brawler combat to spice things up. If you're sad with how 3D sonic has progressed through the years, play this game. For me it finally scratched the itch that Sega just wasn't able to capitalize on.