Sonic Forces (Nintendo Switch)

Disappointing, not the worst. I had high hopes for this game, but it turned out to be nothing but a massive disappointment. It had so much potential but it was rushed out the door like every game after generations.The soundtrack is mediocre at best, there are some good ones like “luminous jungle” and “fist bump”, but the other songs are just meh. But the same can’t be said about classic sonic’s, it sounds like someone smashed a genesis, and recorded the sounds as the console died.The levels are bare bones and too easy aside from the 2-d segments of modern sonic, they’re all straight lines that you just boost through with the only challenge being to try and stay awake. Not to mention for things like turning, the game does that for you. And there’s no point in ... MoreDisappointing, not the worst. I had high hopes for this game, but it turned out to be nothing but a massive disappointment. It had so much potential but it was rushed out the door like every game after generations.The soundtrack is mediocre at best, there are some good ones like “luminous jungle” and “fist bump”, but the other songs are just meh. But the same can’t be said about classic sonic’s, it sounds like someone smashed a genesis, and recorded the sounds as the console died.The levels are bare bones and too easy aside from the 2-d segments of modern sonic, they’re all straight lines that you just boost through with the only challenge being to try and stay awake. Not to mention for things like turning, the game does that for you. And there’s no point in speed running the levels like in Unleashed or Colors, cause in a majority, there are unskippable QTEs. Not to mention there aren’t any alternate routes, or anything like that to try and complete the Level in a quicker time.Speaking of missed potential, Infinite and the rookie are characters with lots of it. For example, in sonic unleashed, the friendship between sonic and chip feels real, because they actually went on this journey together and worked through each other’s tough times. With sonic and the rookie its like some kind of fanfic. Not to mention infinite, this character could’ve been a good villain but we got a villain more edgy than all of shadow the hedgehog.Back to my point of it being easy, there’s no challenge aside from some platforming, which is only somewhat difficult because of the terrible controls. Enemies barely fight back, bosses are predictable and don’t change halfway through their fights. Sonic ‘06 actually required you fo learn, to improve, to learn how the game works and what else it could throw at you, and when a game is worse than Sonic ‘06, than you know you screwed up.The rookie is a good idea but a poor execution, its just sonic but you don’t have boost. The wispons are a good idea, they add a sense of replay value, opening up different routes depending on which you have equipped but they are severely underused. Many wispons either do none to a lot of damage making them unusable for certain bosses like Your first fight with infinite, and to the point where you can blow through the game with just burst.The story is also a colossal joke. The writers present something to try and shift your emotions, but when they show it, it’s like the completely forget about it. An example is when classic sonic shows up, in prior cutscenes, the characters bring up after sonic was defeated, Tails “lost it” and it missing, but when we see him, he’s still the same useless character he always it. Why bring it up if they’re not gonna show it?In conclusion this game has been nothing but lies and deception. Sega and sonic team promised a game to bring sonic back to the spotlight, but instead we got this. This is mostly likely on sega for rushing it instead of waiting.

This game isn't terrible, But it is far from good.The physics are janky at times, the levels are short, and at times tend to just be unfriendly to the player, occasionally launching you off the stage for not taking a turn 100% correctly.The avatar levels are decent, but they often fall into the trap of the levels playing themselves. In one level, I counted 12 seconds where I didn't have to do anything. 12 seconds isn't a lot, but it is when the level only lasts a minute more.The customization options are enjoyable, playing dress up is always fun.The classic sonic levels aren't too bad, but they have such weird feeling inertia. It feels awkward to start moving forward, and has such an abrupt stop. The drop dash from Mania is included, and is a nice plus, it works ... MoreThis game isn't terrible, But it is far from good.The physics are janky at times, the levels are short, and at times tend to just be unfriendly to the player, occasionally launching you off the stage for not taking a turn 100% correctly.The avatar levels are decent, but they often fall into the trap of the levels playing themselves. In one level, I counted 12 seconds where I didn't have to do anything. 12 seconds isn't a lot, but it is when the level only lasts a minute more.The customization options are enjoyable, playing dress up is always fun.The classic sonic levels aren't too bad, but they have such weird feeling inertia. It feels awkward to start moving forward, and has such an abrupt stop. The drop dash from Mania is included, and is a nice plus, it works well, makes things faster and more fun.However, the level design in the classic sonic stages is underwhelming and feel tacked on. Which, I guess is appropriate since classic sonic doesn't seem to have a reason to actually be there.The story is fine, nothing to write home about, but not offensively bad.Nothing further comes to mind.

Better than the critics say (for the price it is)

30 short stages. 3 Play styles. A dozen or so bonus stages. Infinite (pun) possibilities so character customization and all for a really low price. Sure this game isn't anything spectacular, but its nice to have another 3D Sonic game us Playstation owners can actually play (Colors, Lost World and the 3 BOOM games were all Nintendo exclusive) The music is generic with no Crush 40 which sucks and ranges from catchy to repetitively annoying. Thankfully there are less instant death moments like in Sonic: Unleashed and the Buddy system is actually really fun. Different species have different abilities and it makes for fun and slightly varied gameplay. Look you now what you're getting in for when you buy a Sonic game these days. If you a pompous old school purist, go play ... More30 short stages. 3 Play styles. A dozen or so bonus stages. Infinite (pun) possibilities so character customization and all for a really low price. Sure this game isn't anything spectacular, but its nice to have another 3D Sonic game us Playstation owners can actually play (Colors, Lost World and the 3 BOOM games were all Nintendo exclusive) The music is generic with no Crush 40 which sucks and ranges from catchy to repetitively annoying. Thankfully there are less instant death moments like in Sonic: Unleashed and the Buddy system is actually really fun. Different species have different abilities and it makes for fun and slightly varied gameplay. Look you now what you're getting in for when you buy a Sonic game these days. If you a pompous old school purist, go play Sonic Mania. If you'e up for something new and fun, try this game.The critics all said that the stages were lacking, I don't know about you but 50+ total stages plus free Shadow DLC is pretty good, and I actually really like the shorter length of the stages. It makes for faster, funner gameplay and easy replayability, especially when going for those Red Star Rings, Numbered Rings and Silver Moons (100% enthusiasts will understand). Plenty of fun to be had with the goofy story that is taken way too seriously. The bosses suck though and the new big bad guy has no reveal or payoff which was disappointing. He's literally a new masked character with no twists or development and without the free Shadow prequel DLC you know nothing about his character. Also critics said the movement felt clunky like Sonic was too heavy, not once did I ever experience misplaced jump. I guess they just suck at the game.

Good graphics, too fast paced and hard to control

I bought this for my kids, and to see if I could still play sonic like I used too ha ha. My boy (13) can play it no problem but my youngest girl (11) found it really hard to play and same for me who's much older obviously, as it's too fast pace to control. My eldest girl (16) found it a little better. U have to build an avatar to play and sonic isn't the main character to play with all the time. Brilliant graphics and abilities but annoying music at times over and over again, ha. Getting loads of different types of clothing and shoes, which again is annoying and a waste of time because I remember a time when sonic wasn't about fashion accessories which isn't helping kids to be normal (not worried about how they look) and has no affect on your character's ability. ... MoreI bought this for my kids, and to see if I could still play sonic like I used too ha ha. My boy (13) can play it no problem but my youngest girl (11) found it really hard to play and same for me who's much older obviously, as it's too fast pace to control. My eldest girl (16) found it a little better. U have to build an avatar to play and sonic isn't the main character to play with all the time. Brilliant graphics and abilities but annoying music at times over and over again, ha. Getting loads of different types of clothing and shoes, which again is annoying and a waste of time because I remember a time when sonic wasn't about fashion accessories which isn't helping kids to be normal (not worried about how they look) and has no affect on your character's ability. Alot of game play that you have no control over and does itself for you. Good for people who are used to fast paced games, however not so good for those who aren't. Never keeps a time record either, which again is annoying when it has a --:--.-- rather than an actual time you've done, so I don't see why it's there at all? Sonic has got revamped too much, I suppose that's playstation 4 for you. Call me old fashioned but bring back the old sonic where playing was fun and fast, just not too fast haha.

Overly mediocre, with little redeeming qualities

This is the most passable Sonic game I've played. The Adventure games haven't aged well, but they're still ambitious in gameplay, story, and scope. Unleashed gets a bad rep, but arguably has the best art direction/graphics and soundtrack Sonic has ever achieved. Even Lost World has a sense of platforming and soundtrack, even if it's somewhat confused.Sonic Forces has none of that. Gameplay has literally become "boost to win", coupled with short, linear stages that don't promote exploration or excitement. Classic Sonic somehow feels and moves worse than Generations (only emphasized further by the stellar Sonic Mania), Avatar is too slow to be exciting, while Sonic is just... passable.Everything just seemed mishandled. The story seems to neglect any history or ... MoreThis is the most passable Sonic game I've played. The Adventure games haven't aged well, but they're still ambitious in gameplay, story, and scope. Unleashed gets a bad rep, but arguably has the best art direction/graphics and soundtrack Sonic has ever achieved. Even Lost World has a sense of platforming and soundtrack, even if it's somewhat confused.Sonic Forces has none of that. Gameplay has literally become "boost to win", coupled with short, linear stages that don't promote exploration or excitement. Classic Sonic somehow feels and moves worse than Generations (only emphasized further by the stellar Sonic Mania), Avatar is too slow to be exciting, while Sonic is just... passable.Everything just seemed mishandled. The story seems to neglect any history or personality traits characters did have, and attempts to tell a serious war story without understanding the severity of the scenario itself (why is Sonic still cracking jokes? why don't we ever see the effects of imprisonment and "torture" on Sonic?). The music actually has amazing compositions, but is plagued by using the same instrumentation (the same synth is in every song) and poor implementation (Classic sonic stages attempt to emulate the Genesis font, but comes off as irritating).The only thing in this game I can praise is the graphical quality. As a game that asked for $40 at launch, I wouldn't recommend purchasing. And even at $20, I still wouldn't recommend.

Pretty alright! (Spoiler warning)

I’ve been involved in the Sonic franchise since I was a kid, so I’m pleased to have new content! The game’s mechanics are fluent, the graphics are favourable, and the character customization is very neat. I love Infinite’s character, and it’s been refreshing to see Robotnik win. Unfortunately, the game’s lore is not well expressed, along with lackluster character interactions, there are a lot of areas of growth. I especially wanted to see more meaningful reactions to Sonic being tortured for all those months, yet it’s never brought up. Classic Sonic’s existence entirely, as well, is never explained past Tails’ one-liner on the subject. Good game, but it could have been so much more. Nonetheless, check out some fan rewrites and AU’s if you want to see the game done ... MoreI’ve been involved in the Sonic franchise since I was a kid, so I’m pleased to have new content! The game’s mechanics are fluent, the graphics are favourable, and the character customization is very neat. I love Infinite’s character, and it’s been refreshing to see Robotnik win. Unfortunately, the game’s lore is not well expressed, along with lackluster character interactions, there are a lot of areas of growth. I especially wanted to see more meaningful reactions to Sonic being tortured for all those months, yet it’s never brought up. Classic Sonic’s existence entirely, as well, is never explained past Tails’ one-liner on the subject. Good game, but it could have been so much more. Nonetheless, check out some fan rewrites and AU’s if you want to see the game done some justice, there are a lot of good ones out there. I recommend this.

Probably the Worst Sonic Game of all Time

Sonic Forces is the type of game that puts you on a watchlist. If you only play like one or two Sonic games before and don't care about basically anything in your games, it's fine, but for people who do love Sonic at least the slightest bit, this game is trash. The game has no substance to it. In the Sonic (he's not modern, he's just Sonic) and Avatar stages, the 3D parts are so shallow that quite a lot of the 3D parts you can beat without barely pressing anything. There's so much automation that it shouldn't even be there, but there's so little of the 3D (at least in the Sonic stages) that it just becomes another 2D filled rehashed, which at that point a new Sonic Rush game should've been made. The Avatar stages are kinda neat since the customization options is ... MoreSonic Forces is the type of game that puts you on a watchlist. If you only play like one or two Sonic games before and don't care about basically anything in your games, it's fine, but for people who do love Sonic at least the slightest bit, this game is trash. The game has no substance to it. In the Sonic (he's not modern, he's just Sonic) and Avatar stages, the 3D parts are so shallow that quite a lot of the 3D parts you can beat without barely pressing anything. There's so much automation that it shouldn't even be there, but there's so little of the 3D (at least in the Sonic stages) that it just becomes another 2D filled rehashed, which at that point a new Sonic Rush game should've been made. The Avatar stages are kinda neat since the customization options is only real rewards you get for S-Ranking stages, but they really don't do much and are also pretty shallow. Sometimes there's a double boost section in some of the stages, and these are so automated, that you don't even have to press the button at all, and you'll still do it just fine. Classic Sonic is also back and he's totally shoehorned in. Just comparing it to Generations, his level design is so plain and boring and doesn't take advantage of the space being 3D. But when also comparing it to Mania, the pure 2D level design is way better and the repeated level themes from the Genesis games are so much more interesting and fun to play than this. The presentation of the game is pretty bland when compared from the Sonic games of the previous generation of consoles, let alone the games from the PS2 generation and the Dreamcast games. The models feel very ridged and there's barely any movement on the models, to the point where Sonic doesn't have any idle animations. The environmental graphics feel very plastic (like Lost World) in comparison to the lush and beautiful landscapes of Unleashed and Generations. The music is good, but you can just listen to that on Youtube or Spotify. The story wants to be cool and serious like previous games, but fails at this with the unfunny and out of character dialogue and the rushed pacing. The world doesn't even have normal humans when the past games have shown they're in towns everywhere. This game is just an absolute mess. Go play Sonic Mania or even go back and play any other Sonic on previous consoles instead of this.

Replay Potential and Worth the Price

A solid addition to the Sonic franchise. The avatar system allows you to feel immersed in the story, with each playable race bringing something new to the gameplay. Forces created a compelling villain with the introduction of Infinite. The game leans heavily in the nostalgia of past transitioning between 3D, 2.5D, and the classic 2D styles in a dynamic way. Characters and levels from previous games in the franchise also make a return in interesting ways.

Sonic Lovers

I would highly recommend this game purchaseMy family has always been big on sonic and we are definitely some sonic lovers. so for the most part I can say this game was definitely an excellent make that we have a great time with when playing it. Super fun for the kids & family it gives us a spin to our regular sonic adventures that we’re used to playing.

You could have gotten a good review…

This is a review from my 10 year old daughter who is a HUGE Sonic fan…A month ago my mom got me this game and I has very excited to play it…HUGE MISTAKE!! In the beginning of it it’s good, but later in the game you’re supposed to like, hit and punch the bad guys, which I don’t really find OK, even though they’re bad guys. It’s also VERY hard in some bits. Somewhere near the end of the game Eggman (the main antagonist in the series) says to Sonic “I’m glad you could make it to your funeral”! Is that really something you would want to say to someone you don’t like in real life?! Worse of all, when your having the final battle with Infinite (the main antagonist in the game), Sonic eventually defeats him…AND BY DEFEAT I MEAN KILL. If there’s anything this game is ... MoreThis is a review from my 10 year old daughter who is a HUGE Sonic fan…A month ago my mom got me this game and I has very excited to play it…HUGE MISTAKE!! In the beginning of it it’s good, but later in the game you’re supposed to like, hit and punch the bad guys, which I don’t really find OK, even though they’re bad guys. It’s also VERY hard in some bits. Somewhere near the end of the game Eggman (the main antagonist in the series) says to Sonic “I’m glad you could make it to your funeral”! Is that really something you would want to say to someone you don’t like in real life?! Worse of all, when your having the final battle with Infinite (the main antagonist in the game), Sonic eventually defeats him…AND BY DEFEAT I MEAN KILL. If there’s anything this game is trying to teach, it’s that the only way to save the world is to hurt and kill others, WHICH IS DEFINITELY NOT THE ANSWER BECAUSE HURTING OR KILLING IS NEVER OKAY!!! At the end of the game Classic Sonic has to go home and I’m sure Tails was about to cry. I don’t know about anyone else who’s played this game, but to me finishing it is like hearing the story of the Titanic.