The idea is sound: Create a classic Sonic game based around the unique and interesting mechanics of Knuckles.
Unfortunately, I found Knuckles actually played pretty awkwardly in a game designed around him. Many ledges had little outcroppings, preventing Knuckles from climbing past. Most of his punching attacks were awkward to use, and usually led to damaging yourself when a simple jump worked better. There's also a sequence at the end of the stage with a huge vertical raise, and if you glided over the armor initially, you could spend quite a while climbing up just to find that one of those tiny lips is keeping you from getting up. So you drop down, get in the axe armor (cool idea), then just... fly up and beat the stage. You don't use the axe for anything? Hopefully that's just a "for the demo" element.
I like the idea of this game, but Knuckles needs to feel more natural in the environment he's in, instead of fighting it.
(59:41)
Unfortunately, I found Knuckles actually played pretty awkwardly in a game designed around him. Many ledges had little outcroppings, preventing Knuckles from climbing past. Most of his punching attacks were awkward to use, and usually led to damaging yourself when a simple jump worked better. There's also a sequence at the end of the stage with a huge vertical raise, and if you glided over the armor initially, you could spend quite a while climbing up just to find that one of those tiny lips is keeping you from getting up. So you drop down, get in the axe armor (cool idea), then just... fly up and beat the stage. You don't use the axe for anything? Hopefully that's just a "for the demo" element.
I like the idea of this game, but Knuckles needs to feel more natural in the environment he's in, instead of fighting it.
(59:41)