Troublesome oversights get in the way of enjoyment, such as the bizarre lack of a health meter, and the notion that tons of fast-moving metal can be brought to a screeching halt by straw-thin branches. These issues are all symptomatic of Fatal Inertia's crippling unwillingness to strike far enough out into new territory to find fresh rewards. However, Fatal Inertia does not sink to the bottom-of-the-barrel status, but neither does it ever manage to rise above merely average.

Back in the day of the Dreamcast, the excuse that the gameplay was just going through growing pains held water, but frankly, Sonic's time has run out. We're holding out hope that the Sixaxis control for the PS3 version will shake some life out of this franchise, but the prospects for this franchise are bleak.