Big Let-Down for a previously awesome franchise

I purchased Sonic the hedgehog 3 for PS3 this past week, for the great price of $27.00. It is hard to find any PS3 game for less than $50, but now I know why.

To cut to the chase, this game was a major disappointment. The game begins with some stunning cut scenes and animated clips, but even by the end of the 4 minute opening sequence you are bored and un-entertained.

You start the game in a town setting, in which you can interact with other characters. It is a very static and linear story line in which you have to complete certain phases and steps before moving on. There is no choosing one story line over another.

Graphics:
The graphics of this game are very good. The backgrounds, level of detail in water, etc are above average. However, the poor game play and buggy software outweighs the awesome graphics.

Gameplay:
In short, horrible. Missions are incredibly static, and you will have to play levels and sequences over and over again because there is no direction as to what is coming up. For instance, there are levels that are overly complex maps, but really there is only one path that will allow you to complete it in the allotted time. You will have to play the level multiple times in order to determine what path you have to take to beat the level. A simple mapping utility would have solved this, but it was neglected. Also, I have experienced many bugs in the game, such as your character passing through bridges to die, or flying further than you intended them too. Also, clipping (where your character blends into a wall).

Physics:
The game physics are very poor. Interactions with the landscape do not react as you anticipate (bouncing off of walls or objects in the wrong direction).

Camera:
The worst part of the game is the camera angles. It shifts around the wrong direction, often causing you to run in the wrong direction. There are even parts where you will not be able to see your character. The quick camera view button will give you a different view every time you hit it, which makes it worse.

Sound
The sound is good, but repetitive.

Overall,
I would recommend you spend your money elsewhere, or rent it, because you will get bored or frustrated with it quickly. They rushed to get this out way to quickly, the original games were far more enjoyable.