The Water Level in Sonic 3

Hydro City is a thing of the labyrinth zone from Sonic 1. And it starts, or at least opens... There's that one bit in Labyrinth where you're permanently sliding until you interrupt the slide and solve a little puzzle. It all feels very organic despite the fact that it's obviously floating platforms and floating slides. The fact that the water slides have cascading water coming from above. Like it's all in universe. It's not just some bullshit. It's floating there. But Hydro City, if you look in the background here, now, am I wrong in saying that there's a little bit of foreshadowing going on with the ruins and the murals and things? Am