I think it'll be interesting; the larger install base of PS4/Xbone and those versions being technically better versus Switch being arguably a better home for a mascot platformer and the perk of portability.

No way I say, Unleashed is much better than Forces. Just look at any Unleashed day stage compared to Forces modern Sonic stages, the difference is night and day (pun intended hehe). 

Unleashed as a whole has nothing on this game. The day stages are cool but the werehog stages really bring down the experience to nearly unplayable levels.

As far as what works for Sonic? I'm surprised they didn't continue the Sonic Adventure route. I hate the "Go Forward Really Fast" on rails style they use for 3d sonics now. The best part of the 2d adventures was always exploration and multiple paths thru stages. It seems like they've completely lost track of what made sonic so special to begin with.

I don't think that Mania and Odyssey are comparable games.  They're both great, but one is a modern, AAA beast.  The other is a low budget, quasi-indy.  With that said, I think that Sonic Mania is a better value.  It is definitely the best game I've ever purchased at a $20 full price.  

Modern Sonic is what matters most, the best part of the game, so even if that's true, the amazing day stages alone outweigh the three underwhelming gameplay styles in Forces. However I might be misremembering but I don't think Werehog was actually that bad mechanically, just not what anyone bought the game for, so it's probably not that much worse than Avatar.

Cmon, Werehog isn't that bad and it's well worth getting through. Unleashed's lows might be slightly lower, but it's highs are definitely way higher. What payoff is there for slogging through the bland uninteresting levels in Forces?

I bought it on launch and frankly am really enjoying it. I don't think it's going to convince anyone that Sonic is a great Mario-esque franchise or anything, but I think the level design has been cleaned up for the most part in many regards. I still have some control issues but that can be said for many games.

My only concern with this game is how easy it is to get S-Ranks. I'm not saying this because I think I'm awesome at the game, but it's really forgiving with its ranking system. This is good for a younger audience I suppose but I wonder how the hardcore community feels about it. I think Generations was far more difficult than this game.

I came back to this thread to say that, well, I've beaten the game today (had a complete playthrought with a friend of mine in his home), and... I know what reviewers are saying. I'm completely aware that it's not precisely being a critical acclaimed game (not that it should be imho), and that some people are going to absolutely hate it. But I had... fun. Don't know how to put it, but it was a solid and enjoyable adventure for me. We took some time in getting some S ranks (which are fairly easy to achieve) and unlock some new stuff. Though there was a one particular level that I really, really disliked (A 2D section near the end of the game), the rest of them was a fairly enjoyable and fun little adventure. I wouldn't completely say that it's a platformer more than an action game. So I guess that if people are expecting tricky, clever platforming this might not be the game for that. And, well, though I can see the game flaws, I had fun, so I can say I was pleased with the result. Heh, heretic thought, I think it's a better game than Mania, which is massively overrated imho. I'd probably rate it with a solid 7.5/10.

The trick is... don't expect going into the game to find some clever platforming, level design or plot. It's just pure, silly fun. I'd same the game core is bland, but, still, it's flashy enough and speedy enough to make it an enjoyable game and a fair successor to Generations. 

I think this is one of the times when I feel alone into thinking this, but my opinion is grounded based on my few hours with the game, and I don't think it'd change. I'd probably replay it at my home one day.