User blog comment:Slug-Drones/SEGA knows Rise of Lyric sucks/@comment-5354215-20141114002833

What can I say? I saw this coming, I really did.

I took one glance at the trailers and knew this wasn't what Sonic was supposed to be, so I was baffled by all the hype it was getting. The excitement the fans displayed was almost unheard of for a Sonic game, and yet it looked so... un-Sonic. I felt like the only one who saw what was to become of this: utter disappointment. Turns out I was right. And now I discover that SEGA had the greed to not give journalists copies to review, just so they'll get more sales from unsuspecting customers? Do they even realize that's only going to exacerbate the negative reputation of the game, as well as their own? Not only is this a deplorable money-grabbing tactic, but since they knew the game would bomb, this shows how very little love they have for their mascot. If they don't love him, how can I?

SEGA poured tons of merchandise and marketing into this game, but they didn't put in any heart and soul. Sonic Boom is clearly a sell-out. They didn't care about the quality, the style, the enjoyment factor or how Sonic-esque it would be. All they want is the $$$. Because they know that kids all over the world will buy this game for the sole fact the blue hedgehog's smug face is on the box. He's still an icon, yet his legacy is a laughing stock.

I said that I'd left the fanbase earlier this year, but secretly promised that I would become a fan again on one condition: Sonic Boom goes against my expectations and scores well with critics and consumers alike. Now that's not a reality, and no thanks to SEGA's avarice and bad decisions over the years, I can't help but lose faith. For now I'll keep playing the older (and better) Sonic games, but don't expect any enthusiasm for the franchise on my part.