Sonic Mania

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 678 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 560 out of 678
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 678
  3. Negative: 82 out of 678
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  1. Wodahs
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    It's not perfection, but it's the closest thing to it.
    Mania nails the Sonic tone with an atmosphere that entices fans and newcomers. If you are a long time fan like me, there will be at least more than ONE stage that will make you feel amazed. If you are new, you are in for one intense ride. But, the game will probably be hard for you. Good luck, kids.
    Graphics: 9 (What I liked about    It's not perfection, but it's the closest thing to it.
    Mania nails the Sonic tone with an atmosphere that entices fans and newcomers. If you are a long time fan like me, there will be at least more than ONE stage that will make you feel amazed. If you are new, you are in for one intense ride. But, the game will probably be hard for you. Good luck, kids.

    Graphics: 9 (What I liked about Mania as a retro revival, is that it didn't try to replicate the style exactly. There are smoother sprite animations, a new color palette and new surprises in the visuals that stand out. It's not like Megaman 9, where they decided to use the NES sprite for Megaman which is a step back in the evolution, but instead it progresses that style.)
    Story: 7 {SPOILERS} (While the story for Mania is very basic, it does bring up a lot of...plot holes. For example, where did the Phantom Ruby come from? Why is little planet vanishing again after Sonic CD? Did we rewrite Sonic CD? What timeline takes place in the bad future, is Mania the good future? Is CD in another timeline? Is Sonic 4 no longer canon? How long did Eggman have to build the Hardboiled heavies after Sonic & Knuckles? ...I hope these questions are answered. The endings are a bit anticlimactic as well.)
    Sound: 10. (Amazing.)
    Controls: 9. (From the minute I first played Mania, I could tell Sonic felt...faster but more controlled. If I were to describe it, the physics from Sonic 3 and Knuckles came with Sonic 2's speed and the drop-dash is very useful!)
    Content: 8. (You can collect blue spheres to unlock new modes and mini games! It's very nice. I just wish maybe you could unlock a concept art gallery like in Generations. I would have loved to see the behind the scenes production of this game. There's also debug mode, if that's your thing. Personally, I think Mods for PC really bring more depth to the experience but I did feel the lack of using Mania's Super peel out and Insta shield only in no save mode was a turn off. Lots of fun features but I wished there was a bit more. The stages are needless to say great, though I was mildly disappointed by Lava Reef Zone Act 1, Metallic Madness and Hydrocity. I felt the originals were better, despite them having the superior soundtrack. There's also a strange lack of transitions sometimes? I'm thinking the order was messed around last minute.)

    Overall I recommend this game to the salty people in my freshman year of High school who thought I was weird for liking Sonic and his supposed ''rare'' set of games. **** you, you annoying ''PC MASTER RACE'' and League of Legends nerd. You know who you are. I'm glad this game is out so I can prove to you that Sonic was always good and this game proves it.

    8.6/10.    … Expand
  2. SANICHEDGE
    Sep 16, 2017
    10
    The better version of Sonic 4! Except it's not Sonic 4...
    This game is the best Sonic game I've played! Other than Sonic 1, 2, 3, &K, 3&K, Sonic Colours, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Gems Collection, Sonic's UGC, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 and Sonic Lost World.
  3. semigod
    Dec 4, 2017
    9
    (edit)Tiene una velocidad muy buena , unas fisicas de movimiento perfectas y los mapas decir que estan bien diseñados es poco, porque la nueva green hill tiene una variedad de posibilidades de jugar ,de lugares increiblemente diseñados ...cada rincon es muy diferente
    y otro como flying baterio me encanto , como combino elementos de flying battery original y de wing fortress de sonic 2.
  4. Ali_Moghimi
    Nov 7, 2017
    9
    Sonic Mania is a great Sonic game
    probably not better that most of the 3D games but pretty fun and awesome
    the redesigned stages are nothing like the past games and feel pretty new
    and the special stages are so fun and even better than the previous 2D sonic games
    ill give it a 10/10
  5. Simsmagic
    Aug 15, 2017
    8
    Sonic Mania is a great game that is unfortunately hurt by some serious design issues.

    We'll start with what's good: the level design in this game is fantastic, and just playing through the levels is by far the strongest point of the game. Everything flows smoothly and it's just an absolute joy to play. But there are are some flaws that the developers need to take into account, as    Sonic Mania is a great game that is unfortunately hurt by some serious design issues.

    We'll start with what's good: the level design in this game is fantastic, and just playing through the levels is by far the strongest point of the game. Everything flows smoothly and it's just an absolute joy to play.

    But there are are some flaws that the developers need to take into account, as they can easily ruin the entire experience for someone. The first of these is that some of the boss fights in the game (roughly half of them) are just poorly designed and a chore to fight. The worst offenders are either completely unintuitive or feature instant-death mechanics that completely ruin any sort of goodwill that I had.

    The second biggest flaw is the fact that the game features an archaic and outdated lives system that unfairly punishes failure by having to redo sections of level that can take up to 10-15 minutes to complete. And while the levels themselves are still really good, it's not fun if you have to play them again due to cheap deaths, usually from the terrible bosses.

    These two flaws really put a damper on the game, but at the end of the day I do still really enjoy playing it. When you handle a section well, it feels super satisfying to complete and it's an absolute joy to play these levels when you get good at them. If it's possible for the Mania team to fix these issues, then I could easily see this as being my favorite Sonic game.    … Expand
  6. leo14zar
    Sep 7, 2017
    10
    better than sonic 1,2 and cd
    i love this game its soo good,the level desing is clever the visuals are beatiful and the music is amazing,i wish it had more original stages but the older ones feel new again
  7. Jfksh
    Feb 13, 2018
    9
    Yes, It's a sorry moment that Sonic Forces is a bad game at any cost, but at that time Sonic Mania is different.
    Sonic Mania is a, well, it's the 4th 16-bit genesis Sonic game to say the ĺeast. With intense level designs and great gameplay
  8. MannWithNoEyes
    Oct 7, 2017
    8
    Sonic Mania is the only Sonic game to immediately grab my attention and nearly always keep it. Despite having a few flaws, the developers of Sonic Mania made one of the most consistent experiences of this year. The creativity and originality in the visuals is awe-inspiring, and I loved how animated and beautiful each of the levels were. Every single one had an original premise, with theSonic Mania is the only Sonic game to immediately grab my attention and nearly always keep it. Despite having a few flaws, the developers of Sonic Mania made one of the most consistent experiences of this year. The creativity and originality in the visuals is awe-inspiring, and I loved how animated and beautiful each of the levels were. Every single one had an original premise, with the only one I didn’t like being Hydrocity. No path took advantage of the great pacing mechanics, it was either fast or slow, with very few moments that crossed over. The rest of the game, however, worked extremely well. Every path demonstrated how well the levels were designed, and the branching paths gave the game a great sense of exploration with the rewards being completely worthwhile. Despite the speed sometimes launching Sonic into hazards that were unavoidable, the game is a remarkably controlled and thought out. Through pacing the speed, the developers show immense confidence in how their levels are designed, and rightfully so. Every level has unique mechanics and feels distinct and memorable. Akin to the classic Sonic games, they force Sonic to go slow and build up to speed. They make the player earn the speed they gain, which is infinitely more rewarding than being forced to go a certain speed like in the more modern games. Each level feels connected to the last, as certain levels use neglected mechanics from previous levels, and the end result is a game that feels cohesive and very smooth in terms of difficulty. On the other hand, a few bosses were frustrating and there were a few moments that I felt were unfair, often due to the speed throwing Sonic into unavoidable obstacles, which contradicted the otherwise extremely well-paced difficulty curve and brilliant level layout of the game, however as said previously they didn't ever frustrate me to the point of wanting to stop playing. This is the first Sonic game that still makes me want to replay it, and I cannot wait to do so. I’m going to give Sonic Mania an 8 out of 10.… Expand
  9. Lucas04032
    Jan 20, 2018
    10
    Sonic Mania é um jogo íncrivel, superou todas as minhas expectativas, e na minha opinião é o melhor Sonic 2D de todos os tempos e no TOP 5 da minha lista dos melhores jogos do Sonic. Sem dúvida nenhuma, Sonic Mania é um clássico indispensável ao lado de Sonic Colors e Sonic Generations.
  10. SortOfCritic
    Dec 30, 2017
    8
    Sonic Mania sees a much needed return to form. Similar to what sonic 4 tried and failed to achieve, Sonic Mania is great fun and does take you back to the old days while adding more things as to give it its own spin. It's clear the fans made this sonic game, but there is nothing wrong with that. My only real problem being the lack of new levels, as we get to see green hill zone for theSonic Mania sees a much needed return to form. Similar to what sonic 4 tried and failed to achieve, Sonic Mania is great fun and does take you back to the old days while adding more things as to give it its own spin. It's clear the fans made this sonic game, but there is nothing wrong with that. My only real problem being the lack of new levels, as we get to see green hill zone for the 5oth time and more. But the game does make an effort to keep the levels fresh by adding new elements… Expand
  11. JPSantosS
    Feb 19, 2018
    9
    The game was beautiful, well done and memorable, I'm very happy that a 2D game was able to surpass and be even better than a 3D game full of Hype.
    I was hoping that Sonic Forces would please me more, though, only Sonic Mania pleased me in 2017.
    The game is inspired by its level design, the songs are stupendous and the creative Bosses. The only negative thing about the game was the    The game was beautiful, well done and memorable, I'm very happy that a 2D game was able to surpass and be even better than a 3D game full of Hype.
    I was hoping that Sonic Forces would please me more, though, only Sonic Mania pleased me in 2017.
    The game is inspired by its level design, the songs are stupendous and the creative Bosses.
    The only negative thing about the game was the little addition of new phases, but still the experience was how I first played Sonic again!    … Expand
  12. PanosGX
    Apr 9, 2018
    7
    Sonic mania is a good game.
    The graphics are amazing, gameplay is tight and fair and the music is just ok. The 20€ price tag is amazing, even though there isn't anything to compell you after the end.
    It took me about a week to finish the game 100%, trophies and all. I finished the game on three separete save files with 3 separete characters, with all the chaos emeralds on each one with    Sonic mania is a good game.
    The graphics are amazing, gameplay is tight and fair and the music is just ok. The 20€ price tag is amazing, even though there isn't anything to compell you after the end.
    It took me about a week to finish the game 100%, trophies and all. I finished the game on three separete save files with 3 separete characters, with all the chaos emeralds on each one with all the gold medals. After that, I only popped the game up to mess around in debug. There was nothing else to keep me coming back. Sonic mania is a 3 time wonder.
    Also the callbacks and referances are epic for long time fans!    … Expand
  13. rayrod07
    Apr 18, 2018
    10
    its everything you grew up playing just with better tricks and level designs..boss battles are great
  14. bobthefrog003
    Apr 30, 2018
    10
    this game was the best sonic game in years but if i had any problems with this games is just a few glitch that happens to me like when i played as knuckles and the fact im still waiting to play with mighty and ray all in all this game was a solid 10/10
  15. Normiereview
    Jun 13, 2018
    9
    The Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise has had a rocky road with successes and failures and this time it feels that SEGA have finally accomplished what they've been trying to do for so long and that is bring Sonic back to his former glory. This game offers an amazing blend of both old and new with classic zones such as Green Hill and Chemical Plant whilst also offering refreshing new experiencesThe Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise has had a rocky road with successes and failures and this time it feels that SEGA have finally accomplished what they've been trying to do for so long and that is bring Sonic back to his former glory. This game offers an amazing blend of both old and new with classic zones such as Green Hill and Chemical Plant whilst also offering refreshing new experiences with zones like Studiopolis and Press Garden.
    The game is packed with bosses ranging from fan favourites like Metal Sonic and the Death Egg Robot as well as a surprising appearance of the Mean Bean Machine. But with so many bosses, this brings up my only real complaint which is that some of the sub bosses feel forgettable.
    In the future I would love to see more of games like Sonic Mania and soon Sonic could be put back on track    … Expand
  16. Terracraft
    Jun 27, 2018
    10
    Its A Great Return To Classic Sonic With Plenty Of Rewards To Getting Everything In The Game
  17. Turgun
    Jun 28, 2018
    10
    This, in my opinion the best series of the Sonic game. Gorgeous work of the game, and the connection from old locations, improved music, animation, levels, but I realized the plot with difficulty.
  18. Bladefox
    Jul 13, 2018
    8
    A splendid throwback to the Classic era of Sonic with the uncanny look and psychics returning. It's obvious that so much passion went into this project. What I love the most about this game is the set of brand new stages. What holds it back is how most of this game is covered into repeated stages and boss fights. I'm under the impression that Sega ordered most of the levels being heavy onA splendid throwback to the Classic era of Sonic with the uncanny look and psychics returning. It's obvious that so much passion went into this project. What I love the most about this game is the set of brand new stages. What holds it back is how most of this game is covered into repeated stages and boss fights. I'm under the impression that Sega ordered most of the levels being heavy on nostalgia-pandering for good measure. With that, I can't call it a "true" successor to the Classic era and I certainly won't call it the best Sonic game ever.… Expand
  19. ff7master
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Simplemente perfecto, una obra maestra de las plataformas 2D cargada de nostalgia.
  20. DerekSCritic
    Jan 1, 2019
    10
    Read my Sonic Mania Plus on PS4 review for more details. Sonic Mania is an amazing Sonic game that has to be one of the best Sonic games released in years. This game is a fantastic celebration of classic Sonic that has fantastic gameplay, amazing level design and an awesome soundtrack. If you're a Sonic fan, please buy this game. Special thanks to the team of fans that developed thisRead my Sonic Mania Plus on PS4 review for more details. Sonic Mania is an amazing Sonic game that has to be one of the best Sonic games released in years. This game is a fantastic celebration of classic Sonic that has fantastic gameplay, amazing level design and an awesome soundtrack. If you're a Sonic fan, please buy this game. Special thanks to the team of fans that developed this fantastic Sonic game.… Expand
  21. Fede66761
    Aug 17, 2019
    10
    Un juego muy bien logrado,grandes gráficos,música hermosa,personajes fluidos es bonito de controlar y jugar muy recomendable.
  22. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    9
    This is really a great game, there is so much to love about it, must play for sure!
  23. KratosKong
    Jan 18, 2019
    10
    Uno de los mejores juegos de sonic en 2D jamas realizado, con niveles nuevos y otros antiguos pero re interpretados.
  24. RK800
    Jun 16, 2019
    5
    I was blind after **** playing dis game, this is so sickeningly. Epilepsy **** warning
  25. Onaru27
    Apr 25, 2019
    10
    O Jogo é muito bom uma fiel representação dos tempos de gloria no mega drive que esta de volta e muito bem melhorado com fase que apresentam novas mecânicas e que não deixam o jogo ficar repetitivo e sempre inovando durante o jogo o que foi genial em minha opinião.
  26. X_247
    Jul 8, 2020
    9
    this game is good and the music is perfect and the frameworks well in PS4 and in every final stage there are an boss to fight but the problem with the bosses it is they are very easy, so if you like platforming games so go and buy it.
  27. maVSmo
    Jan 29, 2020
    10
    O que dizer sobre este jogo, já o zerei inúmeras vezes, e em todas o sentimento é o mesmo, é como se o eu criança me visitasse e me desse um aló, o trabalho feito nesse jogo fez quem que ele se tornasse, para mim, o meu jogo favorito de toda a historia., ainda preciso jogar a versão plus.
  28. AlBal665
    Feb 20, 2023
    9
    I grew up playing the 2D Sonic games on the Sega Mega Drive so when I saw this on PS Plus I jumped at the chance to get it and I can happily say that Sonic Mania is an excellent modern 2D Sonic game. While it’s not quite as good as the original games (partially due to nostalgia but also Sonic 3 & Knuckles was an outstanding game) it’s nostalgic enough that it keeps people like me happy andI grew up playing the 2D Sonic games on the Sega Mega Drive so when I saw this on PS Plus I jumped at the chance to get it and I can happily say that Sonic Mania is an excellent modern 2D Sonic game. While it’s not quite as good as the original games (partially due to nostalgia but also Sonic 3 & Knuckles was an outstanding game) it’s nostalgic enough that it keeps people like me happy and it’s also a great game by itself. If you grew up with the Mega Drive Sonic games like me then definitely give this a go!… Expand
  29. Tmz
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Uma obra prima entre os jogos d plataforma. Sonic Mania é colorido, divertido, com uma trilha sonora magistral e níveis bem feitos.
    Sonic foi um jogo que acompanhou minha infância e fico feliz em dizer que esse é melhor jogo da franquia atrás de Sonic CD
  30. LikeaPisces
    Dec 22, 2019
    8
    Sonic Mania brings together everything I can enjoy in the Sonic series, and removes almost everything that pisses me off in it. Excellent level design. The best blue hedgehog game!
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best PS4 Game of 2017
33
#33 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
46
#46 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    90
    With this brilliant game Sonic at last reminded us why he was once a worthy rival for Mario. [11/2017, p.56]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Sep 28, 2017
    90
    It is surprising how well the developers understood the underlining reasons Sonic was so loved in the 16bit era. Gone are the autorun, the messy 3D levels and the horrible clown characters, gone is the linear cheap thrill design of the modern 3D games. In their place, we got excellent level design with hundreds of different routes, elegant design choices and supremely balanced gameplay which bring us one of the best Sonic games since Sonic & Knuckles. Pity Sega was too afraid to budget for modern graphics because they would have had a full priced, instant classic on their hands.
    Read full review
  3. DarkStation
    Sep 28, 2017
    80
    Sonic Mania is a wonderful celebration of what's made Sonic so great in the past while also striving to push it forward. This isn't to say it's perfect – it has some of the problems of the previous games as well – but it's such a perfect encapsulation of old Sonic games, it's impressive. If you've ever been curious about what makes these old games special, or if you're just interested in revisiting the series you loved as a kid, this is the best way to do it. It's the old and the new wrapped together in a way that makes both shine. I hope this team goes on to do more, and eventually break themselves away from needing to remix old levels and just make their own.
    Read full review
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