i was not on the internet in 2017 so no one heard my hot take about this but i think sonic forces was good and people are mean to it because they're afraid of being cringe >:C
character customization makes it at least top 3 3d sonic games for me alone. character creation is so ubiquitous in the sonic fandom that there's a running joke about searching your first name + the hedgehog and getting assigned a sonic OC. it's good! character creation is good! everyone wants it, if they're being honest with themselves! i got to play as a cyborg bunny!!
also, its random level-replay events where you go help someone else's OC, or borrow their OC for a bit, were a good incentive to replay levels. people should be replaying sonic levels way more than they do. it's like, at least hundreds of hours of labor hours gone into each level you blazed through in 3 minutes, i guarantee you didn't appreciate it enough the first time through
also, this line is unironically more iconic than anything since SA2
like. sonic's always been goofy, and impossible to take 100% seriously, but i don't think you're supposed to! we're having fun here! open your heart!!