Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut

 GameCube
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Jun 18, 2003
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 27
  3. Negative: 6 out of 27
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  1. GameZone
    83
    This game offers tons of different things to do that include: six different playable characters, a new mission mode, and even the Game Gear Sonic games.
  2. Nintendo Power
    74
    The levels are inconsistent in their difficulty and some of the play mechanics - fishing, in particular - are frustrating, but the game offers a lot of play. [July 2003, p.145]
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  3. GameSpy
    73
    The additions are nice, yet it's obvious that Sega didn't even try addressing the well-known shortcomings of the Dreamcast game.
  5. Village Voice
    70
    Thrilling and refreshingly buoyant, Sonic Adventure DX-Director's Cut actually justifies '90s nostalgia.
  6. GMR Magazine
    70
    The game alone is worth the price of admission, but this version features an all-new Mission mode that, while fluff, is nonetheless fun, plus 12 entirely cool Sonic games taken wars and all from the Sega Game Gear. [June 2003, p.72]
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  7. netjak
    65
    A good way for Sega to make up for the whole "we canned the Dreamcast because it wasn't popular in the US, but we had some really good titles on it that the US liked" thing.
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  8. NintendoWorldReport
    65
    The gameplay has serious setbacks, but possibly the worst part of Sonic Adventure DX is its cut-scenes. Featuring an atrocious English translation and mind-numbingly horrible voice acting, Sonic Adventure will, at best, leave many players embarrassed for Sega, and at worst, leave them disgusted with the game.
  9. Deeko
    65
    The graphics, while still brilliant in terms of eye candy, simply fail to live up to gamers expectations simply due to bad camera work and a massive dose of framrate droppage.
  10. GameCube Europe
    65
    The extras are nice but not worth the purchase of a game you already own, especially since the DC version runs smoother.
  11. TotalGames.net
    61
    A total disappointment. It certainly has all the bells and whistles that you'd expect, so we have to commend SEGA for that; however, with the quality of the main game being lower that we've come to expect from Sonic's homestead, it's just not enough to justify the asking price.
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  12. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    60
    It doesn't look any prettier on the more powerful Cube - the periodic slowdown is inexcuseable (especially in a Sonic game), and the camera is still awful. [June 2003, p.122]
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  13. GamePro
    60
    A deeper, more interesting game than its sequel, but the camera and collision problems hurt the overall experience. [June 2003, p.104]
  14. G4 TV
    60
    Sonic Adventure DX is at its absolute best during the Sonic and Tails segments. Their levels are what you paid the admission price for. The rest are just leftovers.
  15. Game Chronicles
    58
    The Dreamcast version might not have the fancy new audio and video enhancements but the gameplay is more fluid and ultimately more fun.
  16. GameSpot
    57
    If you've already played the Dreamcast version, these extras definitely aren't worth your money.
  17. Eurogamer
    50
    It's a straight port, with a few minor alterations, and in this day and age it just can't stand up to the competition.
  18. IGN
    50
    There are so many flaws in execution that can't be ignored, either, from one of the worst camera systems in a 3D game to the fact that Sonic himself catches onto the environment and sometimes comes to a dead stop in mid-sprint.
  19. Game Informer
    50
    The pumped-up graphics look pretty mediocre at best... the game mechanics are bland and simplistic - like the worst of the Genesis era. [May 2003, p.87]
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  20. GameCritics
    50
    Maybe this DX is redefining film grammar for videogames. Because in this case, director's cut means the same damn thing, complete with glitches and issues of the first game.
  21. Gaming Age
    50
    Sonic and his buddies get hung up on scenery far too often and have trouble hitting what should be solid objects. Characters shouldn't fall through the floor for no reason.
  22. Play Magazine
    50
    While DX is polished somewhat, the ancillary models reamain in a sad state, the pop-up is rampant, the special effects dated, and the collision detection, sadly, is still far from acceptable. [July 2003, p.78]
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  23. Armchair Empire
    46
    Sonic Adventure DX should have, could have been so much more than a straight port with a few improvements.
  24. Nintendophiles
    45
    If you or someone you know is interested in Sonic Adventure DX please save my sanity and get "Sonic Adventure 2: Battle" instead.
  25. Game Revolution
    42
    The Game Gear titles are a welcome bonus, but having to play through the broken game just to get them is a hassle.
  26. GameNow
    42
    This version isn't as good as the original. There's a lot of choppiness going on, most of the lighting effects have been dialed down, and the soundtrack is scratchy and distracting. [June 2003, p.39]
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  27. Cinescape
    42
    The camera is by far one of the worst in a 3d game ever. When you're zipping along, it's not too big a deal, but in any sort of exploration mode you might as well just give up now.
  28. Cheat Code Central
    40
    A dated game that is today belittled by the very games that it helped inspire. I can't believe that this game hasn't been tweaked. It's nearly identical, warts and all to the DC port.
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Best GameCube Game of 2003
3
#3 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2003
7
#7 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2003

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 333 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 225 out of 333
  2. Mixed: 84 out of 333
  3. Negative: 24 out of 333
  1. ErikTV
    Aug 4, 2014
    10
    I really like this game.
    Sometimes it does get hard, and I don't really like it.
    But except that, it's AWESOME! It's 2014. We like a 2003    I really like this game.
    Sometimes it does get hard, and I don't really like it.
    But except that, it's AWESOME!
    It's 2014. We like a 2003 game.
    Logic much?    … Full Review »
  2. ohaiKendyl
    May 20, 2011
    6
    Sonic Adventure DX doesn't fix any of the original's problems, but overall, Sonic fans of all ages will enjoy having the best-selling DC gameSonic Adventure DX doesn't fix any of the original's problems, but overall, Sonic fans of all ages will enjoy having the best-selling DC game on their GCN. Pros: Fast, fun, and 3-D gameplay; fantastic visuals; glossy soundtrack; variety of Game Gear games to play. Cons: Doesn't have many improvements at all; frequent framerate issues; poor camera; too many cheap deaths; some annoying characters.… Full Review »
  3. Tomic-Hedgehog
    Jun 22, 2011
    7
    Sonic Adventure DX is the edition of Sonic Adventure that most people own, with reason: nobody owned a Dreamcast. Is this game worth yourSonic Adventure DX is the edition of Sonic Adventure that most people own, with reason: nobody owned a Dreamcast. Is this game worth your money? Sonic Adventure, on it's own, played like a classic Sonic game in 3D. It even had momentum based gameplay, which is seen as a novelty for even 2D Sonic games these days. But this does have it's flaws. It's sometimes extremely annoying and can make you loose all control. The collision detection is poor - for a game that came out in 1999, it would be acceptable. But this edition came out 4 years after it's predecessor. A little tuning would have been nice. What's bad about the collision detection is that you will hit something and you will stop, even if it looks like you're nowhere near a wall or a tree. Sometimes, the player on screen will go into spasm and again, control will be lost until you find a way out of the collision detection's bad work. And what's really annoying is that you sometimes phase THROUGH a wall. It's not a regular occurrence but it does happen at least once on your first playthrough, and more times when you replay for speedruns and goodies. Level design is generally great. There's a great combination of platforming and speed and this is one of the reasons why I replay the Sonic stages of this game. Sonic Adventure introduced new playable characters each with their own missions and goals. Sonic and Tails are the most fun. Amy and Knuckles are not amazing, but won't scold you. Gamma's gameplay is mediocre at best and Big the Cat is an awful, awful AWFUL piece of work and the excuse for extreme frustration. Overall, this is a nice idea but some of the core things of the classic games are missing, such as more platforming based gameplay for the Knuckles stages, and not lockon-mediocre shooting levels like Gamma. The camera is a total mess and using it will break you. Don't you dare use the R or L buttons or else you will cry. Let the camera do it's own thing, even if it is extremely spazzy and incredibly annoying. A terrible camera for a good game. Music for this game is superb. Every track feels dreamy and a delight to listen too. The main theme, Open Your Heart, is a total earcandy and will - well, open your heart! The graphics are... a mess. The original Sonic Adventure had good graphics, but 4 years on and there's hardly any change. The only major difference is the shininess of the models, and let me tell you this: it's nice at times, but I can't escape the fact that Sonic looks like he's had a condom stretched all the way over him. I really do think the textures could have been updated and the shapes made less square. A poor effort here, Sega. Sonic Adventure DX added some extras to the original title. You can now unlock Master System games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Drift. While I think these are a nice addition, I really don't find them as a great reward and don't really fit well on the GC. Overall, Sonic Adventure DX is a good game, and I would recommend you try it out. It's not everyone's cup of tea and there will be some WTF moments in here. But trust me, you will feel a sample of some of the Dreamcast magic through this game. A 7/10 from me.… Full Review »
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