Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Reviews
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice already had a lot stacked against it, which is an unfortunate position to be in. However, it isn’t the first game that had something to prove, and many others have come and surmounted all obstacles put before them.
Being better than the other Sonic Boom games really isn’t a compliment, as this dull, ugly platformer continues to sully the memory of Sega’s once great mascot.
If the story, characters and voice acting doesn’t get to you, the frustrating controls and level design might put you over the edge.
Fire and Ice just isn't a good game. While its platforming may be mechanically sound, the game just tries to do too much - and fails at most of it. If you're looking for a return to form for Sonic the Hedgehog, Fire and Ice unfortunately isn't it.
Overall “Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice” is not a bad game. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s a good game, either. The game really excels as a quick pick up and play game for you to play in your downtime, but the 3DS has so many of those (and much better ones, I may add,) that I find it extremely hard to recommend this game to people who aren’t already fans of the Sonic Boom TV show. While it is surely a step in the right direction from Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, the series still has a long way to go to be held in the same rank as other platformers on the 3DS.
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice isn’t a bad game, it just isn’t a good Sonic one. It’s a solid, if bland, outing for a character that still deserves much better. Fans of the Sonic Boom animated series will still likely find something to enjoy, but younger gamers may struggle with the new-found emphasis on multiple abilities and gated areas.
Sonic boom is a side scrolling platformer designed for a young public, that suffers from a linear level design, flat and fairly anonymous.
Review in Italian | Read full review
After the terrible previous entries in the Sonic Boom series Fire & Ice manages to look superb in comparison, but, on its own merits, it's simply a good game… and there's nothing wrong with that. Not every title has to reinvent a genre or break the mould. This is an enjoyable 2D scrolling platformer that has the added benefit that may introduce some new players to "The Fastest Thing Alive." It may not be perfect, but it's fun and certainly one of the best Sonic games in recent memory.
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice has a forgettable story and some rather tedious, but optional, side missions.
It's good to see that Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, while far from the higher thresholds of the classic Sonic games that built the character, improves on its predecessor and presents a very decent gameplay and good ol' high speed action on its levels. It doesn't go all the way with it, though, as its lacklustre visual presentation demonstrates, not to mention the lack of alternative paths but this new chapter is closer to what is expected from a game bearing the name of Sonic.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
This isn’t the smartest, most exciting or most imaginative 2D platformer you’ll find on the 3DS. In fact, Sega seems hell-bent on hobbling its chances with a selection of tedious or frustrating mini-games.
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is - rather like its predecessor - a solid effort and worth consideration on 3DS. The core campaign blends a variety of styles, with the main stages employing an enjoyable mix of exploration and puzzle solving with moments of satisfying momentum and speed. There are some slightly disappointing downsides, and it's a game that occasionally feels constrained rather than supported by its source material. Overall, however, it deserves credit for what it does well, and should certainly be tempting to fans of the show and also broader Sonic enthusiasts willing to accept its limitations.
Sonic tries to reconquer the throne, but this is not his best attempt. Fire & Ice brings back the speed levels, but the special arcade sections are inconsistent and technically insufficient. Only for the biggest fans of the blue hedgehog.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is an enjoyable if easy platformer with a good sense of speed and a handful of fun mini-games.
Sonic is back with a rather good platform game on 3DS. Sometimes the screen is a bit too crowded, but the level design keeps everything enjoyable.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice successfully builds on the lessons that were learned from identifying Shattered Crystal's faltered mistakes. With flashes of near brilliance, the sense of speed becomes an unrivalled thrill, even if that is best seen in the few Bot Racing stages. Brevity is the game's pitfall, but we expect some would argue that they would rather have a shorter, more polished adventure than a lacklustre, lengthier experience.
Despite an overly simplistic story and maybe being a bit too laid back, I really enjoyed my time with Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice. It’s a well-paced platformer, with the right mix of stages when I’d get bored of the basic platforming. Although it’s missing some of the polish I’d expect from other platformers, there’s a good foundation here for possible greatness if Sanzaru continues to be given the opportunity.
It’s not quite the next big step that some may want, but Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is nevertheless a fun, funny little platformer that’s a worthwhile romp for fans of the genre.
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is not ever going to rank in the top echelon of Sonic games, and is definitely not good enough to make up for how bad the two previous Sonic Boom games were- but judged on its own merits, it's fun enough that series fans won't necessarily regret giving it a go.
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is a complete and entertaining game that brings back Sonic to the right way. However, there are some elements and issues that do not have a possitive effect on its gameplay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review