The first zone plays more or less like Sonic 2 with the constant teases of speed and consequent disappointments as the game breaks the very flow it starts to establish. But once you beat that first zone, any semblance of a flow completely dies, and you're left with a slow and methodical platformer that still nevertheless carries the mechanical baggage designed for a fast gameplay. Sonic still gains speed and glides when you try to stop him. He's clearly uncomfortable being forced into these timing-based platforming sections, but you have to just bear with it.

The whole game ends up feeling like a slog.