Sonic Forces Reviews
I have to admit, that middle schooler who drew his own characters back in the day got super giddy when Sonic fist bumped the Custom Avatar and called him partner.
Sonic Forces may be short and easy, but it is a fun experience. The darker story line and presentation is surprising at first, but becomes a great way to bring the player-created character into the fold.
The famous weaknesses of the 3D Sonics are still present, but the sheer wealth and variety of stages and missions largely makes up for them in my eyes.
2017 is the year the Sonic franchise stops running from itself. Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces celebrate different eras, but they both take the same shameless “all-in” approach. Sonic Forces is a confident game, serving up a story and stages that go for broke, while dodging the pitfalls of the past. As long as you're not a hardline 3D Sonic hater, this earnest, entertaining adventure is worth a spin.
There's a moment early on in Sonic Forces where Sonic says that it's “not time for thinking. It's time for running.” Not only does he perfectly describe his series' design philosophy, he also sets the blueprint for who will enjoy this game. If you're willing to turn your brain off for a few hours, and just take in the pure spectacle that is watching hundreds of Sonic characters fighting on a battlefield during a cutscene, then you'll find a lot to enjoy here. It's a really dumb game at its core, but it's also just pure fun in a well-meaning, lighthearted package.
As the latest generation of Sonic series, Sonic Forces remains the high-speed game experience. To comply with the trend of the time, Sonic Forces reduce the difficulty, hoping using this strategy will attract new players who have never tried this kind of game. Unfortunately, the length is not good enough to satisfy players, and too much repeat content makes this game boring.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
It's clear Sega doesn't really know what to do with Sonic but they're getting there. Sonic Forces is surprisingly a good game. The price is attractive and the gameplay is fun for the most part.
Sonic Forces is a decent time.
Sonic is a good game, very entertaining, with plenty of things to do. With very few arrangements it would be a very good game with a good scoring.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite its weird, war-focused beginning, Sonic Forces turns out to be a fun return to form for Sonic Team.
Sonic Forces mashes together everything from Sonic's history, from 2D/3D mechanics to over-the-top action spectacle pieces. The new customizable hero feature breathes fresh life into the franchise, but the 3D gameplay it uses overpowers the game's attempt to combine what has made the different eras of Sonic work.
What ends up holding Sonic Forces back is that it — ironically — moves too fast to leave any sort of lasting impact, speeding through both its plot and levels in short bursts instead of leaving more time for anything to soak in.
Sonic Forces stands side by side with the best 3D Sonic games. It gives a lot of good feelings and a few very bad ones, but it's an honest game, and you should trust the Sonic Team this time.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sonic Forces is not a bad game, but it isn't great either. Negative points: Classic Sonic gameplay, unnecessarily short (almost without alternative paths) and a simple story (even for a Sonic game). Positive points: Modern Sonic and Avatar gameplay, soundtrack (mainly Avatar stages), beautiful graphics at 60 frames per second and many challenges. Sonic fans will play it anyway, but if you're not a fan, play Sonic Mania instead.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The short campaign, uneven level design, and imperfect controls all put a hamper on the overall experience. While Sonic Forces may be far from the perfect Sonic game, there's still an enjoyable adventure worth experiencing especially for platformer fans and those who've enjoyed Sonic Team's recent efforts.
It's no Sonic Mania but it's not that bad either. Your kids will love it as they won't find anything appealing in Sonic Mania. So die-hard Sonic fans should avoid this game but it's perfect for your kids as it's more streamlined and goofy.
Review in German | Read full review
It’s inconsistent, varying wildly from 9/10 moments to 3/10 moments, and it’s frustrating to see. If you love Sonic games, want an entertaining story and a ton of fan-service and can see through a few mis-steps, pick this up. Otherwise, you may be somewhat disappointed
Sonic Forces isn't a particularly bad game, it's just a game that never seems to find it's true potential. An overly complicated story and some design flaws stop Sonic Forces just shy of greatness, leaving a decent enough experience to enjoy.
On top of the joy of creating and playing as your own character, there's a lot of goofy charm that makes Sonic Forces hard to be too disappointed with. The graphics are colorful and engaging, and the music is a pumping backdrop for extreme team-ups, super-speed cinematics, and lots of ruminations on the power of friendship. There are some really fun levels in the mix, too, and surprisingly strong boss fights make for some unexpected highlights. But Sonic Forces doesn't build on its handful of good ideas as much as it should, and it screeches to a halt just as it seems to hit its stride.
Sonic Forces is one of the most charming and addictive entries in the series to date. With plenty of colorful energy, a great new character creation feature, and catchy soundtrack, it ultimately won me over in the end, despite its flaws.