honestly, it was great. as a kid i LOVED it. the RPG style gameplay was really a twist on the regular fast paced speedy games which SEGA usually follow, but having a change is really a good refresher, and this game presents that very well in my opinion.
Even though the game received a lot of hate due to this change in pace, the game itself is truly a work of art. the fans had to realize sonic isn't just your everyday speedy hedgehog who saves the day alone by running as fast as he can.
personally, i think the modern games must go back to the idea of involving and choosing which characters can be played, since it provides many playable opportunities
the tl;dr of this is: great game, love it :3