as a sequel sequel to this post about spark the electric jester 2 i'm going to say some quick things about 3 in comparison. it has a few different strengths and is a totally reasonable place to start the series, so if my descriptions of the other games sounded almost interesting enough to pick up but not quite, consider this one!
tl;dr, the most important point: spark 3's final level is so ambitious, artistic, and genuinely emotional that i can't tell you anything about it. this has a spoilable sonic level.
so gameplay-wise, they got rid of, imo, the single best feature in any 3d sonic game ever made, which was parrying stage hazards while running through them. there's a power you can get that gets invincibility on dash, which is similar, but not quite as incredible feeling. the combat is much improved over the second game, and has sort of a character action-lite feel to it, as well as enemy attacks that need to be responded to in multiple types of ways (so it's not just mashmashmashmash PARRY mashmashmashmash PARRY anymore). its bonus objectives are also much more fun and playable than 2's were, so if you're someone that could use a little more extrinsic motivation to replay levels over and over, 3's going to be a much better pick for you.
level design wise, we've gone hard into quality over quantity, compared with 2. way fewer levels, but they're longer, more thought out, prettier, and much more ambitious. the third to last level was in contention for the most ambitious 3d sonic level of all time when i played it the first time. then the second to last level was in contention for that title. then the last one became the DEFINITE winner of that title.
a thing i've been saying about the other games is that they're not high art. they're junk food, brain candy games. i am... less confident saying that about this game. it's not that the much-improved and genuinely pretty twisty and surprising writing is "high art", it's actually that last level. let me put it to you this way... i can't tell you anything about spark 3's last level because i don't want to spoil it. this is a spoilable sonic level. that's just not something i would say anywhere else!
and about that writing: still fairly hammy sonic adventure 2 fare, but while the overwhelming emotion in spark 2 was "YOOOO HELL YEAHHH", spark 3 better captures those little glittering moments in sonic adventure where you are genuinely attached to the characters, in between the dorky, cheesy, ridiculously fun rest of the story.
spark the electric jester 3 is goofy, dragonball z/sonic adventure inspired candy. it's also the most anyone has ever explored fast 3d sonic gameplay as a storytelling or atmospheric tool. i think it's worth a shot even if you're just academically interested in how it's possible that both those sentences are true.
