Sonic Adventure 2

 Dreamcast
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Jun 19, 2001
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 593 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 484 out of 593
  2. Mixed: 61 out of 593
  3. Negative: 48 out of 593
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. JimPickens
    Dec 20, 2021
    8
    Sonics first outing into 3D was good, if a little... very janky. And Sonic Adventure 2 still has a healthy amount of jank but overall I think the good far outweighs the bad here.

    Sonic Adventure 2 is the sequel to Sonic Adventure, who'da thunk right? Similarly to the first game we follow several characters, but here the characters are split up into two teams; the Hero team, including    Sonics first outing into 3D was good, if a little... very janky. And Sonic Adventure 2 still has a healthy amount of jank but overall I think the good far outweighs the bad here.

    Sonic Adventure 2 is the sequel to Sonic Adventure, who'da thunk right? Similarly to the first game we follow several characters, but here the characters are split up into two teams; the Hero team, including Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, and the Dark Team, including new comers Shadow The Hedgehog and Rogue The Bat, as well as Dr. Eggman himself. There are three gameplay styles including your standard gameplay from SA1, being S P E E D shared between Sonic and Shadow, a worse version of the emerald hunting gameplay from the first game shared between Knucks and Rogue, and finally, a pretty easy if boring third person shooter section shared between Tails and Eggman. You may have realized that I don't seem to care much for a whopping 2/3rds of the gameplay styles here, but unlike Sonic Unleashed where I similarly only like a third of the gameplay, I find the non-Sonic gameplay to be fairly superfluous, they don't take 30+ minutes, they're not mind numbingly boring and they don't force a half baked combat system down your throat. The worst gameplay is undoubtedly the Emerald Hunting, it's pretty bad. Like the first game you must find Emeralds with a tracker, only now levels are way bigger and take way more time, they never lasted quite as long as the Werehog but man were not fun. Next on the chopping block is the shooting, it's pretty much the same as Gamma from SA1, if a little better, they're not quite as easy as Gamma but they're still pretty easy, a bit of platforming here and there, some mindless shooting and you're done, nothing that'll put you to sleep but nothing very engaging either, fairly middle of the road if you ask me. Finally there's the speedy go fast levels, these are predictably the best, they're great fun, especially the first Stage for the Hero Team, City Escape, which yes, is where the infamous "rolling around at the speed of sound" Song comes from... Which I love, unironically, it's a good song cowards! But yeah the gameplay is your standard Sonic affair, not quite as perfectly fluid and fast as Unleashed, not Automated to hell like Forces but not quite as janky as SA1, it's pretty great but some improvements could definitely be made, and they were in future titles.

    The story revolves around Shadow in his first appearance, coming to earth to kill everybody... Yup. See Shadow has amnesia and believes his dead friend Maria asked him to take revenge on humanity after G.U.N, remember G.U.N? Killed her. Why Shadow would think Maria would ask for revenge and against all of humanity at that is beyond me, but it's fine, they straighten him out eventually. He's aided by Dr. Eggman who's doing the usual Eggman things and Rouge The Bat, a secret agent for G.U.N. This game also started the trend of people mistaking Sonic for literally anybody and everybody else, despite Shadow being red and black and Sonic being blue... Maybe humanity should be wiped out by Shadow. On the Heroes side, Sonic has to clear his name and he's aided by Tails and Knuckles because friendship is dope. This game introduces Gerald Robotnik, Eggmans grandfather, he doesn't do much outside of this game but hey, it makes it all the more confusing when Forces tries to convince you the world is made up of anthro's and not humans.

    Adventure 2 carries a lot of flaws that the first game had, weird controls, a funky camera, bad gameplay sections and uh... interesting character animations and dialogue, but overall the game manages to be a more enjoyable time overall, be it it's slightly better gameplay or it's melodramatic story that actually lands a few of it's emotional beats, I find this game to be far more enjoyable than the first and it's the one I go back to more.

    ALSO THAT SOUNDTRACK OH MY GOD THE FINAL BOSS? THAT SH*T IS JANKY AS ALL HELL BUT DAMN THAT SONG IS A BANGER, JUST MAKES YOU WANNA BEAT SOME WEIRD SPACE SQUID IN THE FACE WITH TWO GOLDEN HEDGEHOGS    … Expand
  2. Suterusu
    Jun 30, 2020
    9
    The people that dislike Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 need to git gud. The Sonic franchise peaked at this era and took a nosedive afterwards.

    It's not perfect but it's a damn good game and has a well written(relatively for a sonic game) yet delightfully silly story and amazing soundtrack and art style at a level that has never been achieved in a Sonic game since.
  3. neojotic
    Aug 28, 2020
    10
    Best 3D Sonic game for sure! No argument that this is a top 3 DC title and a must have for your collection.

    Great story and great graphics. A lot more development work put into the Chao garden with the addition of mini games as well.

    A+
  4. vaughanwo
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    Still to this day I think about this game regularly. The heart of my gaming nostalgia. For me, it was and still remains the perfect gaming format for Sonic.
  5. Simpsons657
    Sep 19, 2020
    10
    Very good game lots of character play styles and alot to do in the game and it leaves you wanting more back to the old good sonic games
  6. MGamerS
    Oct 25, 2020
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. Great story, Great Soundtrack, Great level design. It is a true Sonic game.
  7. Shadow12345
    Oct 31, 2020
    10
    One of the best games of its time, and still one of the best Sonic games today. If SA3 happens, it has a lot to live up to.
  8. Spidermanfan18
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Almost Perfect when people say sonic was never good I show them this game and shake my head
  9. Tails392
    Jun 5, 2021
    9
    This game is really fun and good! It improved from the first game which is also good. Though the camera is a bit bad.
  10. STARMARTIN
    Jun 28, 2023
    9
    This game is truly amazing even though the controls are kinda slippery. The story, gameplay and levels are astonishing.
  11. ReviewerGames
    Aug 1, 2021
    10
    Sonic Adventure is a great game. Sonic Adventure 2 is a masterpiece. He defined what the saga would be in the following years, gave us two characters to remember and gave us one of the most iconic themes in the history of gaming, Live & Learn.
  12. ThisReview2000
    Sep 26, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This might seem overated but trust me this game's story and presentation is amazing. Shadow is a great rival and his backstory tends to take turns along with the story. Well there are two sides to Play as the hero and the bad guys which gives main characters of the series get more of a spotlight. By the way the controls are exceptional and all the levels are creative and are explorable with iconic titles and pretty great graphics for a 2001 game. The only problem is that the story can get pretty confusing just pay attention and have fun with this Great game.… Expand
  13. Jattaman
    Oct 7, 2022
    8
    Bellissimo seguito del primo capitolo.
    Ottima grafica e giocabilità per un videogame che avrebbe meritato una più larga diffusione e notorietà.
  14. Soso4ek
    Nov 10, 2021
    9
    Одна из лучших игр про ежа, переигрываю кучу раз, всё очень нравится, есть недочёты, но на них можно закрыть глаза. Что сюжет, что музыка прекрасны. Геймплей стал чутка хуже с первой части, но мне он тоже по душе. До предшественника не дотягивает, но хороший балл заслуживает однозначно. Мамаш хейтеров жду к себе по выходным.Одна из лучших игр про ежа, переигрываю кучу раз, всё очень нравится, есть недочёты, но на них можно закрыть глаза. Что сюжет, что музыка прекрасны. Геймплей стал чутка хуже с первой части, но мне он тоже по душе. До предшественника не дотягивает, но хороший балл заслуживает однозначно. Мамаш хейтеров жду к себе по выходным.
  15. Minus_Infinity
    Mar 21, 2022
    10
    Wow this game rules, Sonic Adventure 2 is awesome. Definitely give the game a try
  16. Marxi
    Apr 19, 2022
    10
    Amazing and well designed levels, memorable characters, good graphics, epic story, medium difficulty, amazing soundtrack... probably the best Sonic game
  17. BiggestSonicFan
    Dec 5, 2021
    10
    Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
  18. VyseHD
    Nov 20, 2022
    9
    yes i like this game, if it would have the combination with an little open zone lobby like in DX it would be a 10 but the levels are great exspecially Knuckles and yes good games ya know
  19. sackydzNG
    Mar 10, 2022
    10
    First off, let me get the flaws out of the way.
    This game ain't perfect, it has its fair share of issues, such as the light dash and the bounce attack being mapped to the same button (leading to some **** moments), the radar in the treasure-hunting levels being gimped (but the neat hint system exists so it's not a big issue), the mech stages having some real bs enemy placements (more    First off, let me get the flaws out of the way.
    This game ain't perfect, it has its fair share of issues, such as the light dash and the bounce attack being mapped to the same button (leading to some **** moments), the radar in the treasure-hunting levels being gimped (but the neat hint system exists so it's not a big issue), the mech stages having some real bs enemy placements (more visible in Mission Street and Eternal Engine), and the lack of a hub world in the likes of SA1, which is a shame. All of these shortcomings don't really matter to me, but these are still shortcomings nonetheless. But hey, at least there are mods for the PC version that fixes some of these issues.

    But please, let's not pretend that Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine (games that came out around the same time as the GC version of this game) are flawless as well. Those games have problems of their own and yet everyone still praises them to death. Everyone's happy to talk down to SA2 for its flaws and yet ignore the flaws in those two other games, great as they are. A bit unfair, don't you think?

    But now, let's get to the good parts.
    In my opinion, this is one of, if not, the best Sonic game ever made. I don't have much nostalgic attraction towards this game, and yet I still love it a lot. This game builds on top of its predecessor, SA1 (which is a pretty good game) and improves almost everything from it. Gameplay is better, music is as amazing as usual, story is neat and enjoyable, graphics are charming as hell (well, the Dreamcast graphics, anyways) and the writing is as cheesy as ever, but in a good way.

    The game features fast speed stages that require you to be attentive and reactive to any obstacle coming your way, with the reward being the satisfaction of speed. You're encouraged to do special tricks like grinding rails and chaining homing attacks to get A ranks here.
    Then there are the treasure-hunting stages, which are quite fun. I see people bashing the treasure-hunting stages non-stop, and while I can see where they're coming from, to me they are pretty damn neat. It's so damn fun to just explore the stages and glide around. They are still quite fast imo, just not as fast as the speed stages.

    The mech stages are also great. The movement is definitely a bit slow but the levels make up for that by requiring you to be extra-attentive and quick-minded when to protect yourself from getting hit by enemies. I love getting combos and farming chaos drives for my Chao Garden in these stages.

    Oh, speaking of which, the Chao Garden is the best part of any videogame ever and I don't need to tell you why. All I can tell you is that my pet chao are now legally my children and you can't tell me otherwise, I love them that much.

    The ranking system is also amazing and adds loads of replay value to these stages and it's really damn cool.

    Overall, my favorite Sonic game ever (right next to Sonic Mania) and one of my favorite games ever. It deserves way more love than it gets on the internet imho. 9.7/10, right next to Sonic Mania.    … Expand
  20. angeldna4
    Feb 21, 2022
    9
    It's a good game, a very nice one, but, it has a problem, that, is by far, Sonic and Shadow levels, not because they're bad levels, it's becase this levels are too short and there are not too much, just 11 of 30 levels, they're the third part of this game, the other levels are too largue compared with Sonic/Shadow levels.
    Away from that, it's one of the bests Sonic games
  21. KrillerBomb
    Nov 25, 2022
    10
    One of the best Sonic games to have ever released. And I don't mean that lightly.
  22. ronmckong
    Jul 17, 2022
    10
    This is the best Sonic Game of all time, I really love the Music of the game and the levels and to be fair I really like the Sonic and Shadow stages in Sonic Adventure 2 alongside the Tails and Eggman stages, but I think the story of the game is well made, I think the game is very enjoyable to everyone and I think it is a amazing game to play and I think it is a good Sonic Game and theThis is the best Sonic Game of all time, I really love the Music of the game and the levels and to be fair I really like the Sonic and Shadow stages in Sonic Adventure 2 alongside the Tails and Eggman stages, but I think the story of the game is well made, I think the game is very enjoyable to everyone and I think it is a amazing game to play and I think it is a good Sonic Game and the best game ever made.… Expand
  23. nippeliito
    Apr 12, 2022
    10
    I played this game for the first time because i heard that it is the best 3d sonic game, but i disagree. IT is the best sonic game of them all. Holds up well even by today's standards, all three gameplay styles are enjoyable and soundtrack is FIRE.
  24. Xx_ammar10
    May 14, 2022
    9
    The only thing not good in this game is mad space level and sometimes the camera is preventing you from playing freely
  25. louiesifleet
    Dec 30, 2022
    10
    Absolute perfection of a game, Great visuals (For the time) Memorable story, The introduction to two iconic characters, shadow the hedgehog and rouge the bat, has great level design, has a Fantastic Soundtrack
  26. corujadiurna
    Jun 26, 2022
    10
    This game is not flawless, but it's so much fun, I can't deny how well everything was executed, the gamepaly, the story, everything
  27. Freddienote
    Jul 20, 2022
    10
    I wasn't there when it came out, but playing it not too long ago was definitely great
  28. PoopNuggets
    Aug 20, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is great they introduced 2 of some of the most beloved characters in the franchise, they added ranks, added a darker story while making the game still suitable for younger audiences. i love this game but i really dont like the mech levels. The sonic and shadow levels are great and fun to play, and the treasure hunter levels are mid to me. But overall this game still deserves a 10.… Expand
  29. MatheusGames
    Nov 11, 2022
    9
    O jogo é perfeito!Otima história,o shadow é o melhor personagem do sonic,tudo é muito bom,eu me diverti em tudo no jogo,na minha opinião o SA2 é o melhor jogo do sonic e o melhor jogo que já joguei!
  30. LittleSticker
    Aug 26, 2022
    9
    city escape and chao garden are the best levels in gaming history
    ROLLING AROUNF SATEH SPEED OF SOFDUINGOT PLCES TO GO GOTTA FLOW MY RAINBAEOW
  31. Mariodealer1st
    Sep 13, 2022
    10
    Every gameplay style is fun and everything is well put together, great game
  32. Kdog152
    Dec 19, 2022
    10
    Everything about this game is amazing: the story, the gameplay, the music. It's not perfect, but it's great. And this was Shadow the hedgehogs debute game.
    This is also home to one of the most iconic stages in sonic history: City Escape.
    The characters in this game have great development, they have personalities which the majority of characters in any other video game series lack.    Everything about this game is amazing: the story, the gameplay, the music. It's not perfect, but it's great. And this was Shadow the hedgehogs debute game.
    This is also home to one of the most iconic stages in sonic history: City Escape.
    The characters in this game have great development, they have personalities which the majority of characters in any other video game series lack.
    Graphically, it hasn't aged well, but graphics don't make a game good or bad, so it doesn't matter.    … Expand
  33. DevThePie
    Oct 14, 2022
    10
    My favorite sonic game of all time. The story is amazing and the gameplay too. Definitely a must play.
  34. TheWinterWarman
    Oct 23, 2022
    9
    This game is one of the best 3d Sonic games if not one of THE best Sonic games. The characters are loveable, the soundtrack is amazing, the levels are unique and interesting, and the gameplay feels action packed and unique for each character. There may be some levels that miss the mark, but the good levels mostly outweigh the bad ones. The ending is also a tear-jerker. This game alsoThis game is one of the best 3d Sonic games if not one of THE best Sonic games. The characters are loveable, the soundtrack is amazing, the levels are unique and interesting, and the gameplay feels action packed and unique for each character. There may be some levels that miss the mark, but the good levels mostly outweigh the bad ones. The ending is also a tear-jerker. This game also introduces two staple characters in the series as well. The fact that this was the last Sonic game for the Dreamcast speaks volumes on how great this game is. It's great to know that Sonic still held the quality he had back when he started on the Genesis to the Dreamcast.… Expand
  35. LVB1002
    Dec 11, 2022
    8
    8.5/10
    very iconic and nice platformer, reccomended if you enjoy advetnture 1, heroes, and the classics.
  36. Isaika
    Nov 7, 2022
    9
    Amazing game, although age has not treated it well, it holds up great! The sonic stages are absolutely the best in the series and knuckles stages are almost like little open worlds you can explore! The mech stages have aged the worse in my opinion, they can be slow and annoying sometimes. The chao world holds depth that will suck you into the game and keep you grinding to make your chao anAmazing game, although age has not treated it well, it holds up great! The sonic stages are absolutely the best in the series and knuckles stages are almost like little open worlds you can explore! The mech stages have aged the worse in my opinion, they can be slow and annoying sometimes. The chao world holds depth that will suck you into the game and keep you grinding to make your chao an utter god. A master class game!… Expand
  37. CrossoverMovie2
    Nov 16, 2022
    10
    This game really has the best story in the game. But my only criticism for this is the Knuckles gameplay...
  38. Shamp058
    Nov 21, 2022
    9
    This is an easy top 5 sonic game for a lot of reasons

    For starters, the story is absolutely the best in the series. Shadow's arc was done so well, his rivalry with sonic was amazing, it has a lot of amazing moments, and the ending is so memorable. The level design is also some of the best with a bunch of alternate routes, engaging gameplay and great set pieces. The only problem I    This is an easy top 5 sonic game for a lot of reasons

    For starters, the story is absolutely the best in the series. Shadow's arc was done so well, his rivalry with sonic was amazing, it has a lot of amazing moments, and the ending is so memorable.

    The level design is also some of the best with a bunch of alternate routes, engaging gameplay and great set pieces. The only problem I have is that the knuckles and rouge stages do get a bit annoying towards the end.

    The music is iconic and probably the 3rd best sonic soundtrack. Live and Learn being probably the BEST song to come out of this series. Metal Harbor also is just amazing

    The chao garden is super relaxing and cute. I never really got super into it, but if they put it in a future game, then i might revisit it more

    Overall, this game is a BLAST, and is one of the best games to come out of this franchise    … Expand
  39. wyatt_dennison
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    this is the best sonic game i have played the only problems are the camera and the tails and egg-man levers with death pits and the fact that if you still have rings you can still die and the final story were if you get a game over you have to do every thing over but it is still the best.
  40. FeelStar
    Nov 25, 2022
    8
    Sonic Adventure 2 is a great addition to the Adventure series with it's top tier soundtrack and story still being great to this day. Some aspects show it's age and the gameplay has it's weaker points making it not as SA1. But it's still a great title that with enough playtime can get most sonic fans and gamers to enjoy themselves.
  41. EGWG
    Mar 14, 2023
    10
    Can you feel life moving through your mind ooh looks like it came back for more
  42. TUNN
    Apr 3, 2023
    10
    Good! Great! Awesome! Outstanding! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing!
  43. Jimbok3rr178
    Apr 13, 2023
    10
    Definitely the one of the best sonic games my only complaint is the space levels with rouge and knuckles other than that the story is one of the best the characters are great
  44. ShadowBestGame
    May 21, 2023
    10
    Best sonic ever, nothing more to say, the only bad thing its the rouge/knuckles gameplay but with the sonic/shadow, tails/eggman gameplay makes a great balance
  45. Cosmic74
    Jun 17, 2023
    10
    Peak fiction. I love this game with my heart. This is the best Sonic game, by far
  46. zlt
    Jul 17, 2023
    10
    This Is Easily One Of My Favorites Games Of All Time! The Story The Characters Its All Good... I really Hope This Game Gets More Positive Reviews Because It Is Easily One Of The Best Sonic Games Ever!
  47. GameMan2005
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    Not only my favorite Sonic game but also has my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. Metal Harbor, Green Forest, and Live and Learn all incredible.
  48. PunisherTeam
    Sep 1, 2023
    8
    The second best 3D sonic in history. DREAMCAST console version as it should be
  49. TreasureOrTrash
    Sep 8, 2023
    10
    Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
next
Page:

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best Dreamcast Game of 2001
1
#1 Most Discussed Dreamcast Game of 2001
1
#1 Most Shared Dreamcast Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Gaming Maxx
    97
    It's chocked full of speed and action throughout that should satisfy almost any Sonic fan.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    94
    If this is the last Sonic game in these declining Dreamcast years, it's satisfying to know that the DC didn't go out with a bang, but with a sonic boom.
    Read full review
  3. AllDreamcast
    90
    The graphics in SA2 are truly next generation material, and Sonic's stages have never been faster or more intense.
See all critic reviews »