The final, ultimate redpill is that very few of the 3D Sonic games are legitimately bad. In fact, you can count the truly terrible entries on one hand.
They just have a very high skill ceiling that rewards memorisation and mastery of the physics and controls; this causes the average gamer to bounce off them because they cannot be brute forced, claiming they are "shit games" because they don't want to take the time to learn them.
Sonic Heroes, for instance, far from being "slippery" has incredibly consistent physics and movement, it just demands that you meet it on its terms. Once it clicks, it never unclicks.
Of course this group of people includes journalists, hence the persistent anti-Sonic stigma. People are thickos who don't want to put any effort in beyond holding a few buttons to generate dopamine, so as soon as legitimate skill is required, it triggers an anger response because they are no longer being coddled to feel like they are good at something. They want to be able to hold right and win, and go "WHAT! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO DODGE THAT!", failing to comprehend the entire point is replaying the stages over and over to become an ace at it.
Once you git gud at 3D Sonic, you unlock platforming godhood. The barrier of entry to smoothbrains is simply too high. And that's okay.
>t. has 100%'d every 3D Sonic from SA1 to Shadow Gens, yes 06 does suck but it isn't even the worst Sonic game, that's Secret Rings