Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 65 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 65
  3. Negative: 19 out of 65

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  1. gml74
    Jan 2, 2013
    0
    This game insults the Sonic brand. Levels are designed in good nostalgic style but the controls of this game, at least on PC, make it frustrating to play. Add to that the poor support and guesswork required to make it actually run. If you really want a traditional sonic experience go get the classic collection or something. The updated graphics are not worth the headache.
  2. ReviewScope
    Jun 14, 2014
    0
    To be incredibly honest, this has to be the worst game I have played in my life

    Pros:
    (None)

    Cons:
    Messy Controls
    Slow, irritating physics
    Repetitive Soundtrack
    Uninspired Levels

    If you are a hardcore sonic fan, i would suggest you avoid this game
  3. warren_beatty
    Jul 29, 2014
    4
    Sonic's movement lacks fluidity; his acceleration is pitiful, his reactions are slow and cumbersome. The game fails to deliver the basic fundamentals of a what makes a Sonic Platformer a Sonic Platformer.

    It has some nostalgia value, with classic zone themes and boss battles being revisited, but even here it falls short as the soundtrack doesn't come close to replicating the simple    Sonic's movement lacks fluidity; his acceleration is pitiful, his reactions are slow and cumbersome. The game fails to deliver the basic fundamentals of a what makes a Sonic Platformer a Sonic Platformer.

    It has some nostalgia value, with classic zone themes and boss battles being revisited, but even here it falls short as the soundtrack doesn't come close to replicating the simple brilliance of its 16-bit predecessors.

    Not the successor I'd hoped for.    … Expand
  4. Mpbpl
    May 3, 2021
    1
    Easily the worst Sonic game I ever played, probably the worst Sonic game ever.
    Let's start with the engine, the sound effects are from the Adventure series, and Sonic model, the enemies, Robotnik, the crates everything seems to be 3D, the game is 2D and that is the biggest problem, this is a converted 3D game into 2D on a 3D engine.
    The environment looks like sh*t, everything else looks    Easily the worst Sonic game I ever played, probably the worst Sonic game ever.
    Let's start with the engine, the sound effects are from the Adventure series, and Sonic model, the enemies, Robotnik, the crates everything seems to be 3D, the game is 2D and that is the biggest problem, this is a converted 3D game into 2D on a 3D engine.
    The environment looks like sh*t, everything else looks like it's not on the game, but put in front of the screen like the very old games, becuase of the 3D engine, the physics are all over the place, Sonic loses moment too fast, the camera is CRAZY close, when Sonic jumps he feels like in the moon, knock back is too far, Rings go TOO FAR depending on how you get hit, i could go on on.
    The stages are the not so different version from Sonic 1, all the best stages are here but hardly improved, if at all, almost nothing was created only rehashed, and some creations make tha slower than it already is.
    Sonic has a lot of momentum but he takes waaaay too long to run, that means that there is no indication of how fast you are really going, sometimes you can simply walk a ramp when you thought you had to run, and spindash is in it's worst form, too slow!
    Besides, the maintained bonus stage is the worst in the series, and with a difference, instead of controlling sonic, you control the stage with a time limit, making the worst EVER!
    Buy SONIC MANIA!! AVOID THIS!    … Expand
  5. patrickmurphy09
    Sep 7, 2020
    4
    I really, really wanted to like this game. I wanted to be the contrarian to the many people who have hated this game and lived to tell the tale. Sure, I was not expecting this to live up to the gems that are the original Genesis classics, but I went in open-minded. And yet, I walked away never thinking I could dislike a 2D Sonic game so much. Y'all warned me, and I didn't listen.
    Mini    I really, really wanted to like this game. I wanted to be the contrarian to the many people who have hated this game and lived to tell the tale. Sure, I was not expecting this to live up to the gems that are the original Genesis classics, but I went in open-minded. And yet, I walked away never thinking I could dislike a 2D Sonic game so much. Y'all warned me, and I didn't listen.
    Mini rant: Why doesn't spin dash work after falling off edges? Why is Sonic so dang slow? Why does even his walk animation feel slower than me trying to get off the couch after overindulging on pizza? Why are there so many free fall animations that eliminate Sonic's hitbox altogether? What's worst? These must have been all intentional gameplay decisions by the developers. I'm all for mixing things up and changing things up a bit. However, what the best Sonic games did was build upon Sonic's skills and abilities while ramping up the dificultly around them. Past Sonic games did not eliminate capabilities to make Sonic weaker resulting in increased difficulty. They strove to be additive, always adding more. This feels like they wanted to insert new features (cool) like homing attack but instead removed hitboxes that should have been retained from the previous games.
    I would also fault the developers for creating such a small world here, except for the fact that I was glad there weren't any more levels, and that I was glad the trip was just over when I finished. To say this is 17 levels compared to the classics is misleading, as five of said levels are boss fights. I recall thinking after I played Splash Hill Act One, "Hm ... that's kinda cool, I get access to the first four worlds off the get-go and then can unlock the rest later." Nope! That's it! No more than those four worlds. And they are lazy worlds with unnecessarily boring and punishing platforming. You know, the kind of boring lazy approach to platforming that is more about creating artificial challenges while having nothing interesting for the player.
    There is not a singular level I want to go back and play. The music is unmemorable, which is ironic because it is inspired by Sonic 2, mostly, which has incredible music. Speaking of, the stages here are mostly influenced by Sonic 2 it seems. You would think this would make me happy, given the love I have for Sonic 2. No. This game puts you in a world with a nerfed, slower version of Sonic that is supposed to look more visually appealing but instead just aggravates you even more throughout the process.
    I really wanted to like you, Sonic 4. I wanted to prove the other reviewers wrong. This has been my least favorite Sonic experience yet. I loathe the fact that I will still probably play Episode II in a little bit because I want to check that one off my list. Except now, I know a taste of what i am in store for. May God have mercy on my soul.    … Expand
  6. referencia
    Sep 18, 2020
    0
    Absolutamente horrível, controles ruins, gráficos ruins, músicas ruins, fases ruins, não possui nada que eu possa falar "pelo menos isso".

    Não perca seu tempo com isso.
  7. Heracross93
    Oct 11, 2022
    4
    A flawed and disappointing extension of a beloved, classic trilogy. Lazy level design and poor physics are some of its biggest issues.

Critic Reviews

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  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
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  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Mar 1, 2012
    79
    Although I do not normally side with gamers who prefer digital versions of games, in the case of episodic games, it's perfectly rational, especially when it's accompanied by a very logical price- priced at 7 euros, Sonic 4.1 does not disappoint. [March 2012]