Design wise, it doesn't look that great at all. I'm really questioning the whole point of the sword if it's not really doing anything special. Secret Rings was given a bit of a free ride because it was early into the console's life and some of the actions the fire ring had made sense. The blade, however, just seems thrown in. Even Sonic Unleashed on Wii/PS2 looks far more entertaining than this, and those two still have a "cheap" feel to them.
Frankly, I'd rather not waste my cash. Usually I can tell when I'll like a Sonic game or not... call it years with the franchise. Unleashed had me at the Holoska trailer. This one though, as much as I found Secret Rings fun, really isn't making me go, "Sega, take my $50."