Sonic Forces is bare minimum the video game. It has just enough polish to be playable but absolutely nothing beyond that to be anything other than one of the most ordinary experiences you will ever have. It doesn’t actively go out of its way to do much I would consider the absolute worst of the worst, but it never once tries to be anything good which in turn just creates a special blend of bad. I hate beating games to the ground, but it’s genuinely shocking how unremarkable Sonic Forces is. It’s like taking the blueprint of something and submitting the blueprint as the finished product before any construction was done.
Honestly, I’d barely consider it a game at all. Most stages are able to be completed in barely over a minute and require little to no input from the player. This is the one game people actually have a case for when they call Sonic a hold stick and occasionally press button to win simulator. Forces plays itself for you. The level design offers no incentive for your input. It largely consists of singular, unbroken straight lines with little to no obstacles. And the occasional times it does require your input? The characters control so frustratingly bad. They jump like they have 100 pound weights tied to their shoes. It takes them ages to turn around if at all. Running feels stiff, especially for Classic Sonic who feels like he’s always running against a wind current. Nothing about the control scheme or physics feel good at all. Overall I can only describe it as feeling like an extremely watered down Sonic Generations which frankly can be said about the entire game.
The story is absolutely miserable. On paper, a Sonic story about a resistance trying to take back an already conquered world sounds really cool. Unfortunately this game is barely over two hours long if even, and has Sonic’s 2010’s writing. So what you get instead is trailer bait and plot points that are resolved in the same breath they are revealed. I’m not even kidding. Cutscenes are typically only 30 seconds to a minute long and most major plot points are resolved in just those 30 seconds with no extra room to breathe for any additional dialogue. The pacing is WILD. Characters are lacking all the substance they used to have and only speak in cliche one liners. Its level of depth is only comparable to a basic plot synopsis you’d find on the back of a game’s box.
The only positives I can say is that…visually it looks solid? Like, really. I’m actually pretty disappointed such cool and colorful locations were wasted on this nothing of a game. The soundtrack has a small handful of decent songs…? It’s actually a shockingly mediocre soundtrack for a Sonic game.
…and that’s really it. Even in some of the worst games, I at least try and give credit to clear ideas, care, and passion even if they don’t always work out. There’s plenty of not so great games that still showcase a level of effort. Unfortunately…I cannot give that credit to Sonic Forces. This is still one of the laziest, effortless, passionless games I’ve ever played. The game’s existence feels like it was only designed to meet a release quota. Its best achievement is that it’s playable…and even then, if it’s so uninteresting why should anyone want to play it? Sonic Forces is the culmination of everything that was wrong with Sonic during that time. So much so that the series has since steered into an entirely new direction. Hopefully we never see another Sonic game as unremarkable as this ever again.
Honestly, I’d barely consider it a game at all. Most stages are able to be completed in barely over a minute and require little to no input from the player. This is the one game people actually have a case for when they call Sonic a hold stick and occasionally press button to win simulator. Forces plays itself for you. The level design offers no incentive for your input. It largely consists of singular, unbroken straight lines with little to no obstacles. And the occasional times it does require your input? The characters control so frustratingly bad. They jump like they have 100 pound weights tied to their shoes. It takes them ages to turn around if at all. Running feels stiff, especially for Classic Sonic who feels like he’s always running against a wind current. Nothing about the control scheme or physics feel good at all. Overall I can only describe it as feeling like an extremely watered down Sonic Generations which frankly can be said about the entire game.
The story is absolutely miserable. On paper, a Sonic story about a resistance trying to take back an already conquered world sounds really cool. Unfortunately this game is barely over two hours long if even, and has Sonic’s 2010’s writing. So what you get instead is trailer bait and plot points that are resolved in the same breath they are revealed. I’m not even kidding. Cutscenes are typically only 30 seconds to a minute long and most major plot points are resolved in just those 30 seconds with no extra room to breathe for any additional dialogue. The pacing is WILD. Characters are lacking all the substance they used to have and only speak in cliche one liners. Its level of depth is only comparable to a basic plot synopsis you’d find on the back of a game’s box.
The only positives I can say is that…visually it looks solid? Like, really. I’m actually pretty disappointed such cool and colorful locations were wasted on this nothing of a game. The soundtrack has a small handful of decent songs…? It’s actually a shockingly mediocre soundtrack for a Sonic game.
…and that’s really it. Even in some of the worst games, I at least try and give credit to clear ideas, care, and passion even if they don’t always work out. There’s plenty of not so great games that still showcase a level of effort. Unfortunately…I cannot give that credit to Sonic Forces. This is still one of the laziest, effortless, passionless games I’ve ever played. The game’s existence feels like it was only designed to meet a release quota. Its best achievement is that it’s playable…and even then, if it’s so uninteresting why should anyone want to play it? Sonic Forces is the culmination of everything that was wrong with Sonic during that time. So much so that the series has since steered into an entirely new direction. Hopefully we never see another Sonic game as unremarkable as this ever again.
סבבה
What the fuck
lol
Overhated but still not good
I wanna meet the guy who wrote the Sand Hill line. I wanna find 'em and I wanna meet 'em.
This game was my first exposure to Persona 5 so it did something good for me
Realistically it’s not that bad but this games whole existence just pisses me off. I hate you Sonic Forces.
I normally sit and watch the credits to pay respect to whoever worked on a game or a movie because they spent their valued time on crafting something, a product or a piece of art for my own personal enjoyment doesn't matter how good or bad I will sit and wait until it's finished, Sonic Forces is the first time I got UP OUT OF MY CHAIR to LEAVE during the credits such a bastardization of a series I'd tend to really enjoy.
Not the worst game in this franchise but pretty much the low point for me. It's like 2 hours of levels that pretty much boil down to "just run forward" and a story that doesn't even try.
I can't say I really agree with the modern re-evaluation that a lot of the 2000's games were secretly underrated masterpieces but even they have more going on than this.
I can't say I really agree with the modern re-evaluation that a lot of the 2000's games were secretly underrated masterpieces but even they have more going on than this.
i've always wanted to make a sonic oc
GooeyScale: 35/100
GooeyScale: 35/100
Just bad idk what to say.
infinite was cool but man this game rlly gave us nothing
holy hot garbage
My least favourite game of all time. Like a giant spit to the face.
Waving around Chaos and Shadow as villains and then having them do nothing at all in the actual game was such a... "fuck you" move for no reason.
Also the character customizer isn't even that cool, that sucks ass too.
Wait, isn't it ironic that my most favourite and least favourite game is both from Sonic? Huh.
Waving around Chaos and Shadow as villains and then having them do nothing at all in the actual game was such a... "fuck you" move for no reason.
Also the character customizer isn't even that cool, that sucks ass too.
Wait, isn't it ironic that my most favourite and least favourite game is both from Sonic? Huh.
Sonic forces is poopy butt and I mean that with the utmost sincerity.
i just dont care for sonic games.
Cycle deniers will defend this crap.
the game isnt the worst thing ever but its just such a nothing game
its way too short and the level design is way too simple
this game could have been cool if sega gave sonic team time
its way too short and the level design is way too simple
this game could have been cool if sega gave sonic team time
What is there to say about Sonic Forces that hasn't been said before, this game is just plain terrible. I don't think there is even a single idea in this game that is at all original, everything in this game is just recycled from prior games. The game is so easy and short that it is one of the most forgettable in the series despite being so bad. Creating your own avatar is kind of cool but there is just no depth in the customization to it that the feature just fails. The avatar sucks to play as, modern sonic is basically just boost to win, and classic sonic feels abhorrent in this game. Not even the music is good, and the story is even worse. The best thing I can say about this game is that some of the levels look decent.
It was a game
Its a fine 3d platformer just mid
i fucking hate this game. garbage
Why do people like these games genuinely
Erm... what the sigma, I cannot believe I actually got excited for this game at some point. So uninspired, bland, boring, generic, AHHHH WHAT HAPPENED
Why did I complete this game?
Did I try to prove something?
Have I gone insane?
Im I real?
Did I try to prove something?
Have I gone insane?
Im I real?
Infelizmente, paguei caro nesse jogo comprando na pré-venda. Fui na emoção, lembrando o quão bom tinha sido o Generations, mas minhas expectativas não foram alcançadas
Things i liked: making my character. I actually found it quite fun to make a sonic oc! Maybe bc i'm a furry so i could just make a sonic version of my sona, but yeah i think its a fun thing that should come back.
Things i didn't like:
the gameplay- dear god sega is it really hard to come up with fun gameplay that isnt "run in a straight line and hit a button"
i could only tolerate this game bc i was in a sonic phase and enjoyed consuming sonic content.
the story- if sonic wants to be darker and edgier that's fine but the tone needs to stay consistent. Sonic games have gone darker in tone in the past but they don't try to wisecrack and make dumb jokes the whole time. also the main villain is like stupid and his reason for villiany is almost comical. also why did they bring back old villains it adds nothing to the story. this is not a crossover or a celebration of the series put chaos back in his box.
this game is a chore and a half and i love you sega but dear lord give me a break.
Things i didn't like:
the gameplay- dear god sega is it really hard to come up with fun gameplay that isnt "run in a straight line and hit a button"
i could only tolerate this game bc i was in a sonic phase and enjoyed consuming sonic content.
the story- if sonic wants to be darker and edgier that's fine but the tone needs to stay consistent. Sonic games have gone darker in tone in the past but they don't try to wisecrack and make dumb jokes the whole time. also the main villain is like stupid and his reason for villiany is almost comical. also why did they bring back old villains it adds nothing to the story. this is not a crossover or a celebration of the series put chaos back in his box.
this game is a chore and a half and i love you sega but dear lord give me a break.
I was so, so excited for this game. I didn't have crazy high expectations or anything, but I was just hoping for more of the same fun I got out of Generations. Despite the template being right there, Sonic Forces is a flop in every department. There are some parts of it that technically aren't that bad, but they still leave me feeling utterly hollow. This game stinks.
Gameplay:
Sonic Forces is a fast-paced platformer that sees you switching between three different gameplay styles. The first is just good ol Sonic in the modern day. He can run and jump and double jump and boost and homing attack and that's it. The only interesting thing to note is that boosting in the air will give the boost a bit of an arc, which actually feels pretty like a pretty good addition. Unfortunately, Sonic's levels are the least involved of the three gameplay styles, as there is very little real level design in them making it so all you really gotta do is just holding the boost button and maybe jump a few times. Levels are super short too, but that goes for all gameplay styles.
The next gameplay style is Classic Sonic, who didn't need to be here but is anyway and they somehow absolute butchered his controls. His gameplay is solely 2D, and it does try to maintain some of his traditional game design philosophy with branching pathways and areas to build speed. Unfortunately, his momentum system is completely broken and doesn't really work. His levels all feel very bland.
The third gameplay style is the Avatar. I was on the way out of my Sonic FC phase in 2017, but I was still so excited for this feature nonetheless. I loved the character creator in Dragon Ball Xenoverse, so I was very hopeful. I'd strangely say that my expectations were met in the end. There's a lot of good customization options with tons of stuff to unlock. I do think some of the species appearances could be a biy better, but overall, I'd say it's solid. The Avatar's actual gameplay is just okay though. You can choose between multiple weapons for your Avatar, and while they aren't really balanced in the level design, they are still all some degree of "fine". The Avatar also has a grappling hook which can lead to mildly interesting moments in gameplay. It is their method of homing attack too, but there is a slight delay before they actually execute it, making it far more annoying than Sonic's. Speaking of Sonic, there are a few levels where the Avatar and Sonic team up and both of their abilities (boosting and the weapons) can be used in one level. It's not really that exciting. The worst part about the Avatar is that their levels are more focused on platforming yet their speed can easily go from zero to a hundred in a second, making movement unpleasant. Sonic has this issue too, but the Avatar's slightly slower pace highlights it way more.
Story:
Eggman attacks alongside a new enemy guy named Infinite. Sonic is imprisoned. Eggman takes over the world. A resistance is formed with every character from the series ever. They do nothing. Sonic is then rescued by the Avatar early on in the game. Then they... uhh... take down Infinite and Eggman I guess... Yeah, there is just nothing going on in this game's story, and I mean NOTHING. There's not a single attempt made to flesh out anything. There's tons of other small issues too that are simply way too numerous to get into. This game's story is genuinely worthless. It's a shame too, because the concept for Infinite was really cool, but they just do nothing with him.
Music and visuals:
The music is the highlight of the game, but no surprise there. It's seriously super well done with loads awesome songs. I'd say it's my second favorite Sonic OST from the sheer number of songs from it I'd listen to on a regular basis. Does the music necessarily fit the game's vibes? Not really, but something had to get me through these nothing-burger levels.
The visuals range from competent to bad. Technically, everything does look vibrant and smooth, and the UI is pretty good too, but there is still a clear lack of effort. Animations are so devoid of personality. Most cutscenes lack creative direction, and animation in gameplay feels like it's doing the bare minimum. There isn't even any idle animations. The environment design also uses the same areas over and over again, and none look particularly exciting.
Conclusion:
It's been almost 7 years, so I don't think it's crazy news that Sonic Forces is bad lol. I wanted to write this review to 1. not just review games I like 2. scream into the void because I'm still not over this game as a Sonic fan. I said this in the beginning, but it's still baffling to me how this game had the perfect template yet still managed to miss the mark so hard. It failed to capture almost anything that makes these games appealing to begin with. The actual gameplay experience never truly dips into being awful even if it is painfully hollow, so I guess you could play it and not be miserable, but I would still never ever recommend this game unless you were a big Sonic fan and just wanted to do it to say you did it. Play literally anything else. In fact, play Sonic Mania. It was unfortunately forever cursed with the fate of being this game's prequel, but it was fortunately made with actual love and care.
Gameplay:
Sonic Forces is a fast-paced platformer that sees you switching between three different gameplay styles. The first is just good ol Sonic in the modern day. He can run and jump and double jump and boost and homing attack and that's it. The only interesting thing to note is that boosting in the air will give the boost a bit of an arc, which actually feels pretty like a pretty good addition. Unfortunately, Sonic's levels are the least involved of the three gameplay styles, as there is very little real level design in them making it so all you really gotta do is just holding the boost button and maybe jump a few times. Levels are super short too, but that goes for all gameplay styles.
The next gameplay style is Classic Sonic, who didn't need to be here but is anyway and they somehow absolute butchered his controls. His gameplay is solely 2D, and it does try to maintain some of his traditional game design philosophy with branching pathways and areas to build speed. Unfortunately, his momentum system is completely broken and doesn't really work. His levels all feel very bland.
The third gameplay style is the Avatar. I was on the way out of my Sonic FC phase in 2017, but I was still so excited for this feature nonetheless. I loved the character creator in Dragon Ball Xenoverse, so I was very hopeful. I'd strangely say that my expectations were met in the end. There's a lot of good customization options with tons of stuff to unlock. I do think some of the species appearances could be a biy better, but overall, I'd say it's solid. The Avatar's actual gameplay is just okay though. You can choose between multiple weapons for your Avatar, and while they aren't really balanced in the level design, they are still all some degree of "fine". The Avatar also has a grappling hook which can lead to mildly interesting moments in gameplay. It is their method of homing attack too, but there is a slight delay before they actually execute it, making it far more annoying than Sonic's. Speaking of Sonic, there are a few levels where the Avatar and Sonic team up and both of their abilities (boosting and the weapons) can be used in one level. It's not really that exciting. The worst part about the Avatar is that their levels are more focused on platforming yet their speed can easily go from zero to a hundred in a second, making movement unpleasant. Sonic has this issue too, but the Avatar's slightly slower pace highlights it way more.
Story:
Eggman attacks alongside a new enemy guy named Infinite. Sonic is imprisoned. Eggman takes over the world. A resistance is formed with every character from the series ever. They do nothing. Sonic is then rescued by the Avatar early on in the game. Then they... uhh... take down Infinite and Eggman I guess... Yeah, there is just nothing going on in this game's story, and I mean NOTHING. There's not a single attempt made to flesh out anything. There's tons of other small issues too that are simply way too numerous to get into. This game's story is genuinely worthless. It's a shame too, because the concept for Infinite was really cool, but they just do nothing with him.
Music and visuals:
The music is the highlight of the game, but no surprise there. It's seriously super well done with loads awesome songs. I'd say it's my second favorite Sonic OST from the sheer number of songs from it I'd listen to on a regular basis. Does the music necessarily fit the game's vibes? Not really, but something had to get me through these nothing-burger levels.
The visuals range from competent to bad. Technically, everything does look vibrant and smooth, and the UI is pretty good too, but there is still a clear lack of effort. Animations are so devoid of personality. Most cutscenes lack creative direction, and animation in gameplay feels like it's doing the bare minimum. There isn't even any idle animations. The environment design also uses the same areas over and over again, and none look particularly exciting.
Conclusion:
It's been almost 7 years, so I don't think it's crazy news that Sonic Forces is bad lol. I wanted to write this review to 1. not just review games I like 2. scream into the void because I'm still not over this game as a Sonic fan. I said this in the beginning, but it's still baffling to me how this game had the perfect template yet still managed to miss the mark so hard. It failed to capture almost anything that makes these games appealing to begin with. The actual gameplay experience never truly dips into being awful even if it is painfully hollow, so I guess you could play it and not be miserable, but I would still never ever recommend this game unless you were a big Sonic fan and just wanted to do it to say you did it. Play literally anything else. In fact, play Sonic Mania. It was unfortunately forever cursed with the fate of being this game's prequel, but it was fortunately made with actual love and care.
Bad level design, terrible Classic physics, very fun Avatar levels and a lackluster story. Music depends on taste but I like them.
This game had so much potential and it all got wasted. Thanks Sonic Team. I had high expectations from this game and all of my dreams were crushed. Makes me sad to think this game could've been so much better, just like the Sonic 06 disaster.
I give it a 6/10. Worth a try. Just don't get your hopes up about the story.
This game had so much potential and it all got wasted. Thanks Sonic Team. I had high expectations from this game and all of my dreams were crushed. Makes me sad to think this game could've been so much better, just like the Sonic 06 disaster.
I give it a 6/10. Worth a try. Just don't get your hopes up about the story.