2017 has been a pretty stacked year when it comes to video games. At the same time, many figured that Mario Odyssey would win the title of Game of the Year, or perhaps Sonic Forces would get to claim it. I wrote an editorial a while back about how Sonic Forces would certainly claim victory. Here’s a link to that original article if you’re curious.
https://dreager1.com/2017/08/20/why-sonic-forces-is-going-to-be-better-than-mario-odyssey/
Unfortunately, I hadn’t expected the game to get skimmed down all the way to 3 hours. It’s just too short to really compete with Odyssey but let’s break this down.
When it comes to the story, Sonic still destroys Mario. We have an end of the world plot going with a hype new villain called Infinite. In comparison, Mario has the same ole Bowser kidnaps Peach plot which is neither fresh nor imaginative. It’s a plot that we have all seen many times before to the point where it is fairly stale. It’s just not the kind of story that excites you anymore and the game even pulls a cop out for the ending to keep the status quo. In this area at least, Sonic Forces stil claims the win.
Now let’s look at the graphics. Well, this one is a pretty close one. Both games look pretty solid. Mario is top of the line for Nintendo and they spared no expense for him. On the other hand, Sonic Forces doesn’t look quite as good as it should considering that it’s on the PS4 but it does have a nice advantage of being on the stronger console from the start. It also has more explosions and better level designs to really use the graphics. Odyssey does look a little better on the whole, Sonic Forces is just more striking to look at. This is purely for graphics though so Odyssey wins here.
When it comes to gameplay, Sonic has 3 different styles while Mario has just one. Mario’s does beat retro Sonic’s gameplay style but loses to the Avatar and Modern Sonic. You just can’t beat Boost 2 Win and It would have been cool for Mario to have been able to do that when running around the worlds. It’s pretty close though and the difference is relative since both games have really solid gameplay.
Now at this point it probably seems like Sonic is demolishing Mario so what’s the problem right? Well, one of the big areas that hurts Sonic is the length/replay value. The main story will only take you 3 hours in Forces. After that you need to get all of the S Ranks and obtain all of the rings. This will buy you some time, but not a whole lot. Moreover, thanks to the daily login bonus, getting S Ranks is really easy in this game. You can definitely 100% this game in a week if you don’t mind some grinding for the enemies and coins. On the other hand, Mario’s main campaign is at least double of not triple as long. Grabbing all of the moons in the post game and completing the new worlds will take quite a few more hours as well. You’re likely looking at a 20-30+ hour game right there. It’s a world of difference and this is crucial for a game. You don’t want to drop 40-60 dollars on a game that you will play and then immediately throw back in the drawer. You want a game with a lot of replay value and that’s exactly what Odyssey is. It’s the game that keeps on giving. The sheer amount of content and minigames in Odyssey puts Forces to shame.
You can’t really stress this enough. I’ve put in over 35 hours in Mario Odyssey and there are still a bunch of moons to get. I’ve already gotten all of the S ranks in Sonic Forces and around half of the Red Rings in a third of the time or potentially even less than that. It’s just not an equal ball game when you’re looking at the content. It’s not as if being long makes you an automatically better game, but when you’re a solid game that also happens to be long, then it’s a winning combo. It’s even more lethal to the short game when it’s only around 3 hours long.
Mario Odyssey will likely last close to 50 hours by the time all of the Moons have been obtained which is definitely very impressive. It’s also less repetitive than getting everything in Forces since in that game you have to keep replaying the same levels over and over again. It doesn’t really get old since the levels are so well done and the soundtrack is so awesome, but it still feels like a shortcut by the devs. In Mario, you have a lot of variety among the worlds for finding Moons so it never becomes a big issue of repetition. I can only hit this point for so long though so this editorial is coming to a close.
So when it all boils down to the center of the game, Odyssey is simply better. Sonic Forces may sound better than Odyssey but that’s not the issue. It may be more fun to play as Avatar and Modern Sonic as their gameplay modes both destroy Odyssey’s but that’s also not the point. Odyssey has the slightly better graphics. You have to forget about the plot and the technical aspects and just look at the replay value. Mario’s the longer game and you really feel like you’ve spent your money’s worth there. I don’t regret buying Sonic Forces since it was still an incredible game, but I certainly can’t reward the developers with the same stamp of approval that I can give Odyssey since they really didn’t give it enough effort. So, Sonic Forces is the more enjoyable game, but Mario Odyssey is the better game and actually managed to defeat Sonic this time around. It may seem like Mario only won in one area (length) while Forces had the advantage just about everywhere else, but it’s a very important advantage and one that you can’t overlook. It’s shocking for Sonic to lose and and I have to keep asking myself if this is really the answer since this basically never happens and I’m a little worried, but 3D Sonic shall return. You can tell how confident his fans are because even if you google things like “Mario beating Sonic” you get more pictures of the reverse happening which made the images for this article a little difficult. It is quite fitting though that the time Mario finally manages to beat Sonic, it’s because they quickly went through their old Adventure 2 Battle memories and thought to do a Mario version. Food for thought!
It takes a lot to write a rebuttal editorial, so most impressive. Honestly, I had a feeling this editorial was coming from the start. 😉
You needed more confidence in Forces Destroyer!
As someone who has limited free time I don’t mind games being short. I have money to buy games, but no time to play them all. Quantity doesn’t equal quality. In this case however I am pretty sure Mario is better than Sonic. I played through the Shadow stages of Forces the other day and wasn’t too impressed. Hopefully the main game wins me over.
I can sympathize since I have far less time to play games myself. Still, 3 hours just felt really short especially since the plot was so ambitious. If the Shadow levels didn’t impress then the main game may not fare too well since they basically just reused main levels for it. Of course, the story can possibly help and the Avatar levels
You could have explained why the autopiloted gameplay Forces has is better than the sheer freedom and control in Super Mario Odyssey.
I guess I could have made that case. Nothing beats linear autopilot
Hell no. Mario Odyssey beats Sonic is story and Gameplay wise. Mario’s freedom gameplay is way better than all three of Sonic’s gameplay styles.
I can’t agree to that. Sonic’s story is a lot more ambitious and awesome than a classic save the Princess story. Mario is still a fun game though
Hell no. Sonic’s story isn’t ambitious. Mario’s story is more simple and actually does better than Sonic’s many confusing horrible stories. Nope, what I said was a fact.
You can’t deny that Sonic’s story is super ambitious
You can’t deny that Mario’s story is more simple and more interesting. And more ambitious.
Mario’s story is definitely more simple, but far less interesting and less ambitious
Mario’s story is more interesting and more ambitious, facts.
Sonic Forces is better. Facts
No it isn’t and that’s not facts. Super Mario Odyssey is better. Facts. Accept it.
I can’t accept it. Sonic Forces was phenomenal
Sonic forces was completely bad and a disaster. Mario odyssey was a masterpiece.
Nonsense Sonic Forces is one of the best Sonic games we’ve ever gotten
Mario Odyssey is better. Facts.
Sonic’s definitely the best tbh
Mario is factually definitely the best. Sonic isn’t
Mario can’t keep up with Sonic
Yes Mario can and always will keep up and surpass Sonic.
He’s too slow. That’s the main reason I always say Mario can’t win this fight
When it comes too game play, its completely based on the consumer or like a cup of tea scenario, but sonic forces game play is kinda of just use boost to win or go forward to succeed,Not to mention unlike other boost formula sonic games, the enemies barely do nothing in force, they just stand there, and the few that do anything aren’t a threat to modern sonic or the custom character due to boost and frame attack exploits, Odyssey wins game play due to having better programmed AI, even if the enemies aren’t all that threatening, they aren’t cannon fodder that stands still as a blue hedgehog blows through them like a hot knife through wet butter, And Marios moveset is a lot more diverse than sonic’s. As for the story, it was more ambitious, but things made little to no sense, How do “illusions” make you faster than a hedgehog moving faster than sound? Did egg-man make the phantom ruby or was found in the ground like mania? And why is infinite such a crybaby and rip off of shadow, I mean he referred to himself as the “Ultimate” Mercenary, that is such a thing shadow would say. Characters within the game also feels like cameos rather than important plot elements within the story, Any juicy story details can only be found by reading the comics and even then there not 100% canon, just adaptations of the story itself, But even then the story, despite its complication, has more story then Odyssey, I would say that its the only aspect it win in, but avatar creation is a little bit cooler than dressing mario up in a cute little tuxedo, Now only if sega could allow the avatar to run around in his boxer short with his fur shaved, if it worked for mario than it’ll work for them.
Fair Points. Sonic Forces could have done more with the concept
The avatar creation is not better than Mario’s costume change, and the story is better than sonic forces. Even the gameplay is better.
No, No, no, and No. Sonic Forces destroys it in those areas
No no no no Super Mario Odyssey destroys Sonic Forces in those areas. Sonic forces doesn’t destroy jack
Sonic Forces has the better soundtrack and story though
No it doesn’t, it has a bad soundtrack that’s completely forgettable and a story filled with nothing but plot holes. Mario odyssey has the better soundtrack and the better story.
Mario gets destroyed in both soundtrack and story. Why did you go for the two attributes where Forces dominates?
Yeah no. Super Mario Odyssey crushes Sonic Forces in every level
I gotta disagree there. Sonic Forces was a masterpiece!
Haha no. Sonic Forces was a horrible and crappy game. Super Mario Oddysey was a masterpiece and that’s a fact. Sonic Forces sucks and so does Sega
I think you mixed up both games here tbh
Lol no I didn’t, I actually stated a fact while you didn’t. Mario odyssey is better, sonic forces is not good. You’re the one who’s got their games mixed
Mario Odyssey is a great game but so is Sonic Forces