The game is a 3D platformer, following the trend of recent Sonic games such as Shadow the Hedegog 2: A Twist in Time. Each level has three possible missions — "Hero", "Dark", or "Normal" — that may be completed by the player. Which missions are completed determine the direction of the game's plot progression, a feature referenced by the game's tagline, "Good way or bad way? Anyway!" To defeat the enemies found in the game, Silver can use his psychokinesis and levitation, as well as homing attack and hand-to-hand combat. The plot of the game involves Silver, a mysterious time-traveling hero, attempting to learn about his past and parents, since his life had been ruined by the Ifrit.