Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 122
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 122
  3. Negative: 36 out of 122

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  1. Funkymonk
    Oct 21, 2010
    7
    Not awful just good. But is good acceptable? Surly the least we could expect was gameplay to match the standard of the 16-Bit originals with better graphics and perhaps some new ideas? But Sega couldn't even give us that (well, apart from better graphics). I've read most of the other user comments and agree with complaints and the psysics. While none of the little gameplay faults are dealNot awful just good. But is good acceptable? Surly the least we could expect was gameplay to match the standard of the 16-Bit originals with better graphics and perhaps some new ideas? But Sega couldn't even give us that (well, apart from better graphics). I've read most of the other user comments and agree with complaints and the psysics. While none of the little gameplay faults are deal breakers on their own, together they make for a more sluggish, less fluid experience then the originals. Sega would have been better just keeping the gameplay as it was.
    The other problem is the complete lack of new ideas. All levels are rehashes of old Sonic levels with the same baddies and slightly different layouts. The level design is actually very good but after 16 years you would think Sega would at least have some new level ideas.
    I will stress again it is pretty good and there is the potentia at last for Sonic to be truly great again so lets hope Sega listens to the fans properly this time and makes the neccessary changes for Episode 2.    … Expand
  2. GeneralJewel
    Oct 17, 2010
    6
    Just wow...Yes its a good sonic game for years a beloved legend butchered by SEGA. But this doesn't deserve the title of Sonic 4. Clunky controls, Sonic moves wierd and not natural the dumb spastic look when he jumps into the air and starts floating. Once again Sega deliver somthing dreadful.

    Do yourself a favour and go and play Sonic 1 Sonic 2 Sonic 3 Sonic & Knuckles then come    Just wow...Yes its a good sonic game for years a beloved legend butchered by SEGA. But this doesn't deserve the title of Sonic 4. Clunky controls, Sonic moves wierd and not natural the dumb spastic look when he jumps into the air and starts floating. Once again Sega deliver somthing dreadful.

    Do yourself a favour and go and play

    Sonic 1 Sonic 2
    Sonic 3
    Sonic & Knuckles

    then come back to this dissapointment. Well short and brings back SOME memories while it lasts.

    but the irony
    look at the below video why does a fan made game look better then sonic 4?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Hn1XhyWB0&feature=player_embedded#!    … Expand
  3. Stealthgear
    Oct 19, 2010
    5
    They had an opportunity to make a true sequel to Sonic 3, but only managed to clone the gameboy engine and slap on unoriginal sonic 2 graphics. There was no effort to make an original sonic game here. Worse, Sonic doesn't handle like the superior genesis games. Even Sonic 1 is more fun. Sega tricked us.
  4. G_homes
    Oct 12, 2010
    6
    It's been nearly two decades since Sega decided to create a side-scroller for Sonic on consoles, and sadly, they did not deliver. Being a long time Sonic fan, I was giddy at the fact that Sega was bringing Sonic back to its classic 2-d gameplay style. That being said, I was constantly waiting for PSN to update, and when it was in, I did not hesitate to purchase it. Now I realize how bad ofIt's been nearly two decades since Sega decided to create a side-scroller for Sonic on consoles, and sadly, they did not deliver. Being a long time Sonic fan, I was giddy at the fact that Sega was bringing Sonic back to its classic 2-d gameplay style. That being said, I was constantly waiting for PSN to update, and when it was in, I did not hesitate to purchase it. Now I realize how bad of a decision it was of me to do that. Sonic 4 may look like its predecessors; however, it is far from it. For starters, Sonic himself is very sluggish. As you progress through the first act, you will notice that Sonic 4 differs greatly from the previous versions, mainly because Sonic is incredibly slow, which impacts the game significantly. The levels alone are stunning; however, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Though the visual presentation may be enough to sell you the game, the level designs are a setback, and at times you're finding yourself asking "how was I expected to know that?" All in all, this game does not feel like Sonic at all, and fans of the series will be incredibly disappointed with their purchase. Before you decide to lay down $15 on the game, be sure to play the demo of the game before hand, because if I had the chance, I would refund the game instantly.… Expand
  5. krazeeKidd102
    Apr 20, 2011
    6
    Ugh! A dissappointing title. Sonic handles just like he did in Sonic Advance 2, except worse due to a complete lack of horizontal momentum. The stages flop back and forth between linear/fast and slow/platforming, absolutely flow-breaking. However, the worst part are the abundance of speed boosters. They constantly speed you forward, making the game play itself. I had fun the first time IUgh! A dissappointing title. Sonic handles just like he did in Sonic Advance 2, except worse due to a complete lack of horizontal momentum. The stages flop back and forth between linear/fast and slow/platforming, absolutely flow-breaking. However, the worst part are the abundance of speed boosters. They constantly speed you forward, making the game play itself. I had fun the first time I played it despite the bad controls...but then it just turned into a piling fest of mediocrity. You can critisize the Sonic Rush games and the Sonic Unleashed daytime stages for being linear and speed-obsessed, but at least I felt like I was playing a video game. Here...it's like watching a movie. None of these stages have a lot of replay value, not to mention that they're all complete re-hashes of previous stages in the classic games. The enemies and bosses are re-hashes, including the final boss. Sorry, but this is NOT the retro throwback I had been anticipating. In fact, there's even a petition that resulted from this kind of rubbish: http://www.petitiononline.com/m0m3ntum/petition.html

    The point is: Don't waste your time buying this game. For the same fifteen dollars you could spend on this game, you can buy something like Megaman 9/10, or better yet, Sonic 2, 3, and Knuckles; The entire Lock-On Trilogy, with Sonic 3&Knuckles being one of the best platformers of all time. Or certainly better than this smoldering mediocre sandwich.    … Expand
  6. SawnikAdventure
    Mar 2, 2012
    5
    Remember the good old days? Remember the fun we had exploring every nook and cranny of Sonic 3 & Knuckles? Remember how the levels were extremely well designed and complimented the physics and momentum that Sonic posessed? And then remember how Sonic gradually went from hero to zero in the wake of his 3D outings? 16 years later, SEGA wanted to say sorry, and attempt (keyword: ATTEMPT) toRemember the good old days? Remember the fun we had exploring every nook and cranny of Sonic 3 & Knuckles? Remember how the levels were extremely well designed and complimented the physics and momentum that Sonic posessed? And then remember how Sonic gradually went from hero to zero in the wake of his 3D outings? 16 years later, SEGA wanted to say sorry, and attempt (keyword: ATTEMPT) to revive a dying franchise. They create "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I". So... does it actually live uo to it's namesake? Answer: no. While on it's own it may be a relatively fun experience, it pains me to say that SEGA have lied to us once again and this game does not deserve such a pompous title as "Sonic the Hedgehog 4". Let's dig in. The graphics in this game look... odd. It's not godawful, but the art direction is pretty bad, with clashing art styles and textures that make the game look like a plastic mess. However, the game benefits from being HD and makes the experience at the very least look clean and pristine, regardless of the overall aesthetics. Sound is also a mixed bag. Sound effects from the original Sonic games return, and ooze nostalgia all over the place. But the music just sounds like a choir of dying cats. The tunes in themselves are pretty catchy, but they're ruined by the horrible instruments used. That said, I can't help but hum now and then when playing this title. So, with the presentation being rather mixed, let's dig into the gameplay. Funnily enough, the gameplay is a mixed bag as well. The way Sonic feels (the "physics, I will call them) is not very good at all. There's little to no momentum here, and Sonic does things which he souldn't be able to. For example, he can walk up walls with little effort and rolling down a hill does nothing to increase your momentum. His default speed also feels very sluggish and I find myself using the spindash all the time just to get anywhere quickly. It just doesn't feel right and I keep wondering why SEGA would sell the game in a state like this. Moving on to the level design, now. It's... actually not that bad. There's a nice ammount of platforming and exploration, although it could do with some more multiple routes. But what makes the level design feel MUCH worse is the constant use of speed boosters and springs. In the classics, they're there to compliment the level design and are used SPARINGLY. In this game, they are EVERYWHERE! There's no point in having them here and it just removes interaction from the player, making the game feel automated and much less fun because of it. What's more, SEGA decided that they should place the HOMING ATTACK in the game. This move is POINTLESS! It's fine in 3D games, because it helps you attack enemies (which is quite hard in 3D). But in this game, there is no use to it apart from spamming it over and over and over and over again through chains of enemies just to get multiple routes. It's annoying, boring and it's NOT NEEDED. On a different side of the tin, Sonic 4 claims to have "new levels". What p*sses me off is that they're just rehashes of levels from Sonic 1 and 2! And so are the enemies, bosses and level gimmicks. OK, so I've probably given you the impression that Sonic 4 is a bad game. But, let me spill the beans: it IS fun. I did have fun playing it on my first run. The only problem is that all of the issues I listed totally destroy the game's replay value. I barely touch this game anymore and go and play brilliant games such as Sonic Generations and the classics instead. So, with all that said, go and buy the game if you want to check it out. Just be warned that it can't sustain itself after a full playthrough. It's dissapointing that SEGA bothered to call this game "Sonic 4" and it doesn't compare to the classics whatsoever. I give the game a 5/10.… Expand
  7. Tokyochuchu
    Jun 11, 2012
    5
    Sonic 4 is quite an engaging game on it's first play-through. Despite the odd momentum physics, the game plays well and has some solid, thoughtful platforming. The re-use of zone themes and boss types plays to nostalgia well, but the lack of completely new content ultimately hurts the re-playability of the title. It also must be noted that the stage design and graphical style both feel bitSonic 4 is quite an engaging game on it's first play-through. Despite the odd momentum physics, the game plays well and has some solid, thoughtful platforming. The re-use of zone themes and boss types plays to nostalgia well, but the lack of completely new content ultimately hurts the re-playability of the title. It also must be noted that the stage design and graphical style both feel bit too sterile. Sonic 4 is solid, but definitely missing the X-factor.… Expand
  8. skyminster
    Jan 6, 2016
    7
    This first episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a good little game. Even though some of the level design isn't as good as it could be, it's stuck in between two styles (old Sonic and new, which doesn't work) and I';m not a fan of the final boss, it remains a good little game.

    74/100.
  9. notmichael
    Jan 31, 2015
    5
    I don't know whether this would be a good experience to fans of the original Sonic games, but I didn't find this anything but frustrating. A sad step back.
  10. robertoiglesias
    Apr 24, 2020
    5
    An ok game. I didn't think it was great, and the controls weren't that good imo. It's not bad, but it's not really good. Episode 2 is thankfully better though
  11. clanky9
    Mar 20, 2022
    6
    Theres nothing special about sonic 4 ep 1 they tried just copied some memorable moments from the first two sonic games and somehow the managed to make them worse. But I aprecciate some new ideas for example the card levels. Overall 6/10 its not a bad game but you can have much more fun by playing 90s classics.
  12. Domdom21br
    Jan 26, 2022
    7
    deve funcionar para os fãs do mega drive, porém o jogo não é pra quem gosta do novo sonic, e os graficos do sonic são muito feios por conta da iluminação, quando o sonic apnha ele fica imovel e isso é bem irritante
  13. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    5
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Best PS3 Game of 2010
26
#26 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 51
  3. Negative: 4 out of 51
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jan 25, 2011
    80
    But for every archaic design choice that's needlessly re-trodden for the sake of sticking to 'the blueprint', Sonic 4 introduces other new features that help to replace the nostalgia with a bit more substance. Just the simple ability to quick-jump to any zone, act or special stage in any order (and to compete with your mates scores and times) makes this instantly better than its predecessors. Long-suffering Sonic fans rejoice; the magic is back. [February 2011 p80]
  2. Eurogamer Portugal
    Jan 15, 2011
    70
    Sonic 4 is a good first episode.
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  3. Multiplayer.it
    Jan 13, 2011
    78
    Dimps Corporation had the not-so-easy task to release a sequel without making a remake out of it, keeping it trustful to the original game design while adding new features. As a result, Sonic 4 has its ups and downs and does not stand the top quality of the Mega Drive age Sonic. Nevertheless, Sonic 4: Episode 1 is much more "Sonic" than the latest entries in the franchise, a must-have for the hedgehog's fans and all those unlucky players who never ran in those fancy red shoes.
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