Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 54
  2. Negative: 0 out of 54
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  1. Sep 3, 2021
    100
    Sonic Colors: Ultimate is exactly what it claims to be, an Ultimate version of an already decent Sonic title. Many gamers dismissed it the first time, but if you are a Sonic fan, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Blind Squirrel Games did an excellent job, changing what needed to be changed and leaving what worked originally intact. Super fun, challenging, and reasonably priced (even for the deluxe edition), this is a perfect title to celebrate Sonic The Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary.
  2. Sep 1, 2021
    90
    Sega aims to please Sonic fans during the Blue Blur's 30th anniversary, trying to learn from the mistakes of Sonic games that launched this past decade and improve on them. From the enhanced graphics and extra customization, to the addition of the Tails Save mechanic, Rival Rush, and a brand new and elusive Wisp, Sonic Colors: Ultimate has proven to be the most colorful remaster in Sonic's history.It may be a rehash of a decade-old game instead of an entirely new one, but Sonic Colors: Ultimate still manages to pass the test with flying colors.
  3. Sep 1, 2021
    89
    Sonic Colours Ultimate, the beloved return colored and brightest than ever, with improvements and a new mode called 'Rival Rush' to test your skills against Metal Sonic. Did you think Sonic Colours radiated with so much power that it was already phenomenal? SEGA has taken one step further and delivered even more hours of fun with this remaster.
  4. Nov 1, 2021
    88
    Overall, Sonic Colors Ultimate is a must-buy for anyone who loved the original release – or who missed it and always wanted to try it out. On the PS4 and PS5, it plays wonderfully and our time netted zero issues either visually or with crashes. Some have reported issues on the Switch version and it seems like it would be best to wait for that one to get fixed-up before buying. However, if you’re playing on PlayStation and Xbox hardware, you’re in great shape to enjoy one of Sonic’s finest adventures ever and his best 3D outing in history.
  5. Sep 1, 2021
    86
    Great Sonic games are a rare breed. At least from a gameplay perspective, it's tough to nail that balance between blistering speed and precise controls. While Colors: Ultimate never reaches that platonic ideal, it gets pretty close! Really, it's hard to ask for much more than that. Plus, the writing is snappy, the graphics are vibrant, the soundtrack is amped up, and the difficulty scales up nicely.
  6. Sep 1, 2021
    85
    In many ways, Sonic Colors: Ultimate represents the unhindered high points of the 3D Sonic games. It's Sonic as a single playable character, so there are no werehogs, gameplay changes, or an adorable pudgy younger version of himself. It's the "run incredibly fast through loops" gameplay boiled down to its essentials, and it works really well. Even a decade out from its initial release, it's still a darn fun game, and Colors Ultimate definitely captures the feel. It won't change your mind if you never liked the 3D style of gameplay, but if you did, Colors is arguably the best of the lot. It might not have the highs of Unleashed or Generations, but it also is a far more focused affair.
  7. Sep 1, 2021
    85
    It might sound hyperbolic because Colors is one of the better ones to trot out, but I hope this ensures that Sega stops trying to hide its Sonic history.
  8. Sep 15, 2021
    84
    Sonic Colors Ultimate takes one of the best 3D Sonic games from the past and brings it to platforms it has never reached before, all in a fairly-priced, nicely done Ultimate package. It’s easy to recommend to any fan of Sonic games, including those like myself that never got around to playing the original in the last decade.
  9. Sep 14, 2021
    84
    Despite being a 2-year-old game, Sonic Colors feels fresh, fun, and dynamic. The levels are colorful, interesting to navigate and fun to repeat. Control is decent, something that's more than can be said for most 3D Sonic titles. The music is energetic, upbeat and in tune with the setting of the game. The art direction corresponds to the title: bright colors and different palettes for each world. The story is simple but entertaining and does not go to the extreme of being naive or pretentious. In addition, the power-ups that the wisps give add a lot of depth to the game. Although the cinematics are poorly scaled and it has very little new content and is not revolutionary, it is a charming title worth spending a couple of afternoons. No bugs found in the PS4 version of the game.
  10. Dec 2, 2021
    80
    As a remake, Sonic Colors: Ultimate does not pay much attention to many of the details, there is not much difference from the original except for a better graphics. However, based on the excellent quality of the original game, Sonic Colors: Ultimate is still a work that allows players to fully appreciate the charm of the Sonic series.
  11. Oct 12, 2021
    80
    Disappointing cutscenes aside, Sonic Colors Ultimate offers a solid package that finally gives modern console owners a chance to play one of the best entries in the Sonic catalog, and any hedgehog fans out there who haven’t tried it yet should track it down.
  12. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Let's face it: you have no excuses anymore for not playing this little gem.
  13. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Sonic Colors largely holds up well, and Ultimate is a great way to return or introduce yourself to what is arguably the best designed 3D Sonic game so far.
  14. 80
    While it might be a hard sell for those that have already experienced the intergalactic highs of the original, Sonic Colours: Ultimate is packed with value and tweaks that make it well worth your time if you haven’t jumped into it before. It sports a simple yet entertaining narrative, great gameplay and a visual facelift that unleashes the potential of its namesake. All of this combines to further cement Sonic Colours as one of the best entries in modern Sonic.
  15. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Ultimate is a good remaster for one of Sonic’s best 3d adventures, that includes some nice additions like voices in new languages.
  16. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Despite the eleven years on his shoulders, Sonic Colors is confirmed to be among the most interesting adventures of the polygonal "second life" of the hyperkinetic hedgehog. Enjoying it fully is still possible today, certainly thanks to its intrinsic qualities - level design, in particular - but also the efforts made by Blind Squirrel in packaging Ultimate: a very good level of remastering work, albeit perfectible, and a product that we recommend without delay, especially to those who have not had the opportunity to get lost in the colors of the old edition.
  17. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a decent return to arguably one of the best 3D entries in the series. Though there are some solid visual upgrades, I was disappointed by the missed potential in having a version for the newest consoles. Besides that, refined controls, a revamped soundtrack, and some new features still make Sonic Colors: Ultimate a game that fans of the franchise will surely enjoy.
  18. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    As a remaster, Sonic Colors: Ultimate throws in a decent amount of new stuff, but nothing beyond the frame rate and resolution bump really add up to anything that elevates the experience beyond what it was on the Wii. That said, it was already great in 2010, and still holds up as one of the best modern Sonic games to date thanks to its imaginative level designs, a laser focus on the things that make the series fun, and the addition of power granting Wisps that add a ton of variety to each level without compromising the speed that should define a Sonic game.
  19. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    An impressive remaster of an already entertaining Sonic game, this should keep Sonic fans busy until we get something new (as long as you're happy replaying levels for S-Ranks, because otherwise it's pretty short).
  20. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    In short, Sonic Colors Ultimate remains one of the better Sonic the Hedgehog games to appear over the last 11 years.
  21. 80
    Sonic Colors: Ultimate is an exceptional port for modern day consoles. It’s one of the few great 3D Sonic games that gives hope that Sega will give the iconic Blue Blur a proper return to form.
  22. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Sonic Colors: Ultimate is exactly what I like to see in a Sonic game: it's fun, it's fast, and the level design is exceptional. Developer Blind Squirrel Games has also added some quality-of-life features that make it welcoming for younger fans as well. It would have been nice to see the game's cutscenes receive the same visual upgrade that the rest of the game got, but that's a minor gripe. For fans that missed out on Sonic Colors when it first released, or those looking to revisit the game, Sonic Colors: Ultimate offers one of the best experiences to ever feature the blue blur.
  23. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Sonic Colors Ultimate is a remastered version of one of the best 3D Sonic games released over the last fifteen years. Resolution, frame-rate and graphics are up to date and with several add-ons this game feels brilliant and very enjoyable, becoming a must have for every Sonic the Hedghehog fan.
  24. Sep 1, 2021
    80
    Sonic Colours represents some of the blue hedgehog's finest 3D hours. As it was only released on the Wii, it deserved to be remastered for more powerful hardware. And now that it has, it's a pleasure to run through Eggman's theme park at 60 fps. Sonic Team was clearly inspired when it came up with Sonic Colours' level design and Wisp power ups. Everything still works in 2021. Sonic Colours Ultimate is the game that can be shown to those who say that Sonic and 3D don't mix.
  25. Sep 1, 2021
    79
    A good remaster for one of the most appreciated 3D chapters of the franchise.
  26. 78
    Sonic Colours: Ultimate improves on the fine game released many years ago on Wii, but after all this time it was fair to expect something more, especially for the hedgehog's 30th birthday.
  27. Sep 17, 2021
    75
    Visually attractive remaster of the successful Sonic episode from the Wii era. Mechanically the platforming action is not as appealing as it was more than ten years ago.
  28. Sep 2, 2021
    75
    Sometimes Sonic can end in products only suitable for its core followers, but Colours: Ultimate is a game easy to recommend to almost any platformer fan.
  29. Sep 1, 2021
    75
    Dusting a bit of dust on Sonic Colors, Sonic Colors: Ultimate may not be the best of remasters, but it does the job well enough to spark interest in a perfectly acceptable episode.
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 273 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 79 out of 273
  1. Sep 8, 2021
    10
    I had a good time playing it was a fun experience for never played colors before this
    And I would like more remasters.
  2. Sep 8, 2021
    0
    The game is an absolute disgrace to this franchise. It's filled to the brim with bugs, glitches, a terrible story and uninspired level design.The game is an absolute disgrace to this franchise. It's filled to the brim with bugs, glitches, a terrible story and uninspired level design. I tried it for the first time and I can agree that the game is overrated. Please never go back to this Sega. Full Review »
  3. Sep 8, 2021
    6
    Sonic Colors was never really that great, but Ultimate is both a downgrade and an upgrade.

    There's a bit of a perception that Sonic Colors
    Sonic Colors was never really that great, but Ultimate is both a downgrade and an upgrade.

    There's a bit of a perception that Sonic Colors saved the Sonic franchise when it came all the way back in 2010. In fact, it was viewed as a refreshing change of pace to the games that came before. In retrospect, there are a lot of flaws about the game that are very hard to overlook, things like the incredibly short campaign that takes maybe a few hours at best to complete.

    There's a feeling of cheapness about Colors from its writing, cutscene animation, to the amount of content it originally had. But this is Colors Ultimate, and it does have more content than the original game with unlockable cosmetic option to encourage replaying through levels. That would be great, if most of the levels were fun to play through. Unfortunately, only the first level of every act is really any good, and the rest were very apparently made to extend the gameplay length of the game artificially. Only people who really want to acquire all achievements would see any worth in playing through those levels again. Not to mention, for a 3d Sonic title game, over half the gameplay time it actually 2d.

    Having said all those negatives, there are positives. The finale of Colors is memorable and exciting, and even though the wisps go on to be unwelcome additions to Sonic games games after Colors, they were and still are a fun part of Sonic Colors.

    Overall, I'd recommend anyone who hasn't played Sonic Colors to get Ultimate, since it is basically Colors but with more content. At the moment there are some glitches that need to be patched, but that will most likely be done in time. People have also pointed out that there are a few visual differences in Ultimate, such as more bloom, than the original Colors. I'm going to be controversial and say I actually like Bloom. Also, they remixed the soundtrack and it's very give and take.

    Overall, a Mixed bag.
    Full Review »