Sonic: Lost World

Sonic: Lost World is a solid game that simply tries to do too much. The variety keeps things entertaining, but also frustrating at the same time. Still it is a step in the right direction. Wii U owners are starved for games, and this one is definitely one they should check out. It has its moments of brilliance, and is a treat for Sonic fans.

This is a game that genuinely entertained and surprised us by the size of the levels.

SEGA have introduced a greater amount of variety and what appears to be a more consolidated sense of direction and themes in Sonic Lost World. It's certainly not without its numerous issues, but is a worthy entry to at least try first.

In its effort to expand the classic gameplay of the series, Sonic Lost World ends up with mixed results: some of the new ideas of the game work pretty well, while other elements appear to force Sonic into doing something he simply isn't comfortable with.

Sonic Lost World offers some of Sonic's classic gameplay styles mixed with some tiny tidbits of Mario Galaxy. It's not the perfect match for a platform game, nor is it the best Sonic in the last decade. Easy for hardcore fans and perfect for newcomers.

If dealing with frustration to reach high points is an acceptable sacrifice of your gaming time then this is worth strong consideration, but be under no illusions — this isn't the definitive Sonic experience we may have desired.

By taking so much inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy, Sonic Lost World could have lost its way, or its origins at least. On the contrary, it stays true to its roots, the extended control over pace letting Sonic develop a whole new set of acrobatic moves while exploring new heights. But in spite of this vertiginous evolution, this episode still bears gameplay issues inherited from the series' transition to 3D, showing that Sonic has a long way to go in order to reach the level of his old rival Mario.

Many design flaws, confusing at some points, an unbalanced difficulty… certainly, not the game that Sonic deserves. If you're a huge fan of the hedgehog you will enjoy it, but after Colors and Generations, we were expecting something better.

Sonic: Lost World is a weird mixture of great times, mediocrity, joy and annoyance, it should be considered an enjoyable and honest experience that is plagued by inconsistencies and bad design decisions: the result is something that might be loved by some, but should not be considered a real example of the franchise.

Sonic: Lost world introduces a few very strong new elements, but clings to old formulas that can’t be combined with the new 3D-style. That makes Sonic: Lost World great from time to time, but an awkward failure at others.

Sonic: Lost World could have meant that the blue hedgehog was definitely back in the business. But the game goes exactly in the opposite way because of imprecise gameplay, a lack of clues in the way you have to play and a random rhythm. Fortunately, Lost World is a technical success and a beautiful game. Sonic Team will have to find its balance for the next chapter.

Sonic Lost World has a great game hiding inside somewhere but is really held back by uneven game design. The game looks and sounds incredible and there are some really good ideas, but they aren't implemented cleanly enough to make a consistently great game. Lots of cheap deaths, questionable mechanics and a lack of focus keep this one from meeting its true potential.

At its best, Sonic Lost World delivers some of the best platforming the series has seen in years, with an intriguing fusion of classic design and innovative 3D worlds. Unfortunately, the game simply can’t maintain those temporary highs, resulting in an uneven, frustrating overall experience.

Sonic: Lost World is not the best Sonic game, but it still has good moments for their loyal fans and Wii U users who want a new game for their console.

The latest Sonic expedition sports a lot of good ideas, variety and beautifully designed worlds. But the overloaded controls and confusing camera make sure that the hedgehog can’t live up to the potential.

Bizarre inconsistencies. [Issue#141, p.106]

While it looks and sounds fantastic, Sonic Lost World is hobbled somewhat by poor level design and an immediately oppressive difficulty. It still retains some appeal, but oh, what could have been...

Lost World could have been a great Sonic game, but agitating cutscenes, an overly complicated control scheme and a really unclear general direction puts a stop to that. I have a hard time imagining this will satisfy anyone to a full extent.

An irregular game, with a few brilliant moments but a frustrating control and an average level design that blocks the speed and space you expect from a Sonic game.

A handful of fun levels and some exemplary graphics do not make a great game. Sonic: Lost World is front-loaded, pocked with bad boss fights and obsessed to a fault with creating some of the coolest 2D stages of 1993.

Sonic Lost World is not a fundamentally bad game, it’s one that borders on greatness. If not for some fatal flaws, this could be a truly compelling experience– but it still has those flaws.

Sonic Lost World clumsily tears all the wrong pages out of the Super Mario Galaxy playbook, and in so doing, loses the breathless speed and fluidity that makes a Sonic game a Sonic game.

The attractive landscapes and engaging ideas behind Sonic Lost World are no match for the demolition of morale suffered under unreliable control and inconsistent quality. Lost World is undoubtedly the most realized and best playing modern-era Sonic game, but Sonic still has ways to go before he's in a game one might actually have the best time playing.

In Team Sonic’s attempt to move on from the old days, every new idea has been thrown into the mix and the game slowed down to allow for this...It’s just not very Sonic and the core of what makes the early games great – speed and simplicity, have been lost in this Lost World.

There are definitely positive elements to be mined out of Sonic: Lost World, but once again this isn’t the return to form that Sonic fans have been hoping for.

It's more clear than ever that Sega doesn't know where to go with Sonic. The game tries to do a lot of things and end up failing at most of them. Those of you who want a great platformer for the Wii U should just pick up Rayman Legends or wait for Super Mario 3D World.

The game is a blatant rip-off of the Super Mario Galaxy series, unsuccessfully transporting the high-speed antics of Sega's famous blue hedgehog, who's been pretty down on his luck lately, to the planet-vaulting environs of Nintendo's Wii-era masterpieces.

It’s a shame, because there are parts that are genuinely excellent, like one level where Sonic is a giant snowball; awkward controls, a clump of dreadful levels (including insta-death grind-rail nonsense) and some horrendous, unfunny boss encounters, though, make you wish he’d genuinely get lost.

It's a rehash of what made Sonic awesome in 1991. It's not a videogame from 2013. It controls like a game from 1991, it has gameplay like a game from 1991. Warts, blemishes, sluggishness and all. It is, by all measures, an astoundingly average game.

That some inoffensive visuals and a few fun 2D sections are the highlights of a largely 3D game is telling. Sonic Lost World desperately wants to be Mario Galaxy, but in overtly coveting the great Italian plumber, it smothers the talents of its blazing blue hedgehog.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but Sonic’s mimicry of Super Mario Galaxy’s planet-hopping formula is an embarrassment. Sonic Lost World is a confused mash-up of finicky platforming, aggravating level design, and some of the most aggressively annoying villains ever.