Sonic: Lost World

 Wii U
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Oct 29, 2013
  • Also On: 3DS, PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 604 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 324 out of 604
  2. Mixed: 188 out of 604
  3. Negative: 92 out of 604
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  1. mysteryracer
    Oct 30, 2013
    7
    Sonic Lost World, in a way, is almost like having a bipolar disorder; at one moment, the game almost perfectly captures the essence of a good Sonic game, while at others, becomes an incredibly infuriating and frustrating platformer that tries to put Sonic in situations where he does not excel in. For what Sonic Lost World does right, it really hits home, reflecting on the multipleSonic Lost World, in a way, is almost like having a bipolar disorder; at one moment, the game almost perfectly captures the essence of a good Sonic game, while at others, becomes an incredibly infuriating and frustrating platformer that tries to put Sonic in situations where he does not excel in. For what Sonic Lost World does right, it really hits home, reflecting on the multiple archetypes Sonic's initial outings in terms of its level structure. However, for its wrongdoings, one can only question why SEGA did not overlook these wrongdoings, as they become apparent so easily. Specifically, Sonic Lost World is a balance between levels whose philosophy in design reflects his initial outings, and levels whose philosophy in design is questionable at best.

    In terms of this balance, the levels are associated with two different categories. One category places an emphasis on speed, and balances it out with plentiful of platforming and many alternate hidden paths and exits. This emergence of depth in level design was shown to an extent with Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, but has not been shown with as much depth since Sonic's initial outings. Sonic Lost World rekindles this fire incredibly strong in these sorts of levels. Grinding Levels are also welcome to this edition, as their depth has risen drastically. Multiple routes to grind and tons of ingeniously tricky spots make these levels almost, if not as enjoyable, as the sorts of levels listed above. The second category, however, withdraws almost all of these aspects in place of gimmicky and linear level design that lacks the depth of the multi-route levels. Whether this may be rolling around in a snowball, having to remain hidden from an owl, scale up a linear set of platforms, etc., it withdraws from the essence of Sonic's initial outings in place of something mediocre at best.

    To be even more precise, let me list every level that's fun, okay-ish, and not fun:

    Fun:
    Windy Hill: Act 1, 2, 3, 4
    Desert Ruins: Act 1, 2, 3, 4
    Tropical Coast: Act 1, 3, 4
    Frozen Factory: Act 3
    Silent Forest: Act 1
    Lava Mountain: Act 2

    Okay-ish:
    Tropical Coast: Act 2
    Frozen Factory: Act: 1, 4
    Silent Forest: Act 3
    Sky Road: Act 1
    Lava Mountain: Act 4

    Not Fun:
    Frozen Factory: Act 2
    Silent Forest: Act 2, 4
    Sky Road: Act 2, 3, 4
    Lava Mountain: Act 1, 3
    Hidden World: Act 1, 2, 3, 4

    There are 32 zones in total (Not counting the Hidden Stages in each world, the Carnival Stages, or the Nights DLC), and 14 of them are fun, 6 of them are okay, and 12 of them are not fun. This means 44% of the stages are fun, 19% of the stages are okay, and 37% of the stages are not fun. Add either the fun stages and the okay stages, the okay stages and the not fun stages, or none as you will, but only 44% of the game is truly and undoubtedly fun. Luckily, that 44% of the game nails the gameplay down just fine. Also, if you think about it, 14 acts is roughly 7 zones in Sonic 2, and more acts than Sonic 3 (not & Knuckles) has to offer. Adding the okay acts with the fun acts, and you have almost as much acts as Sonic 3 & Knuckles (and that's not even counting the omission of Sandopolis and Lava Reef Zone -due to their mediocrity- from the list). If you think about it, that 44% isn't really that bad in retrospect.

    Sonic Lost World fumbles a lot, which is definitely a huge disappointment to an otherwise fantastic game. However, the parts that Sonic Lost World doesn't fumble on are truly fantastic and unforgettable parts. Take Sonic Lost World how you will, but it's a game in which its good aspects are engaging and creative enough to become incredibly replayable. Sonic Lost World is a game that may stumble quite a lot, but it comes through in the end on its feet.    … Expand
  2. jcbelinda
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    Well i have made it to the 5th world... and i must say that i was both impressed and let down. At first, the levels were fun and exciting, but as the game progressed, the difficulty level increased so much and there were millions of death traps at every turn by the time i reached the frozen zone. At this point i became extremely frustrated and cut the game off. The first few worlds wereWell i have made it to the 5th world... and i must say that i was both impressed and let down. At first, the levels were fun and exciting, but as the game progressed, the difficulty level increased so much and there were millions of death traps at every turn by the time i reached the frozen zone. At this point i became extremely frustrated and cut the game off. The first few worlds were amazing and fun for me. The game does a lot of things right, but it also does a lot of things wrong... i do see the resemblance between mario galaxy and this game, and i must say, im a 100% fan of the mario galaxy franchise, and this doesnt come close. but i am an extreme fan of sonic, having every sonic game from the genesis days, to the dreamcast day games, and the newer ones when sonic went to gamecube, xbox 360 and now wii u, and anything in between. I have every game... and this is ok to me. To me this game is like Sonic Colors, its ok. I have never been a fan of the color powers myself... im more into sonic generations gameplay style myself.... and evne sonic adventure 2 gamestyle. but its worth picking up at least.… Expand
  3. Steth
    Nov 2, 2013
    7
    Here are my impressions of the game...No, this is not a bad game at all. In fact, I think it's a good step for Sonic to be slower. I don't know why those are complaining because Sonic is slower, or having similar Super Mario Galaxy aspects.

    This game isn't perfect, however. My biggest gripe about the game are tied with having to hold ZR to run, and the storyline. Why do I have to hold    Here are my impressions of the game...No, this is not a bad game at all. In fact, I think it's a good step for Sonic to be slower. I don't know why those are complaining because Sonic is slower, or having similar Super Mario Galaxy aspects.

    This game isn't perfect, however. My biggest gripe about the game are tied with having to hold ZR to run, and the storyline. Why do I have to hold ZR to actually move? And the Storyline feels week, alongside with Colors and Generation. I wish the storyline could've taken the Sonic Adventure route. I also would've liked the option to use my d-pad in side-scrolling sections, but that's not much of a problem.

    +1 Choices instead of one line
    +1 A more 'controllable' sonic
    +1 Return of the Spin-dash, and away from the boost to win.

    -1 Hold ZR to run
    -1 Cheesy Storyline.

    I honestly feel that Sega is trying too hard to keep the old aspects and even try too hard with making new aspects. I think Sonic is close to being on the right path. This game isn't what reviewers are saying about the game, but I can guarantee that it is no gem. Very fun game, worth the buy, but I stand by saying that this is a good game.    … Expand
  4. klaptrap
    May 22, 2014
    7
    Sonic Lost World is a game that shows just how important the fluidity of controls are to any experience. First I'll start with the positives. Right off the bat you can tell that the game is absolutely gorgeous. Honestly the visuals in this game are very impressive and I'm surprised that more people have not praised it for it's impressive art style (which is a tasteful nod to the GenesisSonic Lost World is a game that shows just how important the fluidity of controls are to any experience. First I'll start with the positives. Right off the bat you can tell that the game is absolutely gorgeous. Honestly the visuals in this game are very impressive and I'm surprised that more people have not praised it for it's impressive art style (which is a tasteful nod to the Genesis era Sonic we all love) and high graphical fidelity.

    Next the sound is also very well done. The music is catchy and sounds like it belongs in a Sonic game. The story is fresh and the new characters, while at times silly, are ultimately a plus. It's fun to play against someone other than Robotnik, err Eggman, as Sonic. I welcomed their presence. Also the game is focused entirely on Sonic, which is a great positive.

    The content in the game is also pretty extensive. Each level has red rings which of course leads to the Chaos Emeralds and there's also a co-op mode and time trials along with online leaderboards. I also love the Yoshi and Zelda DLC as they feel like they were put together using a lot of effort and charm. Overall the amount of content is pretty good.

    Now it comes time for me to mention the gameplay. Firstly I would like to say that I found the level variety to be very enjoyable and added to the experience. There are several different types of levels (ranging from both 2D and 3D) that keep the game fresh throughout. Another positive is the new moves that were added to the gameplay. The wall jumping/running is a welcome addition. But that is where things turn sour.

    Unfortunately for Sonic Lost World it has a very...clunky feel to it. And clunky just doesn't work with video games. In fact I would go as far to say that if anything should be as far from clunky as possible, it's Sonic. I just don't feel nearly as fluid as I had while playing other Sonic games. Of course there is a learning curve and you can learn to adjust, but it still isn't at the level of past Sonic titles (but better than Secret Rings). Sonic loses momentum very easily and seems to be very touchy while doing a lot of his moves. The double jump is sporadic and can often screw up any wall jumping or running leading to cheap deaths. There's nothing I hate more than cheapness. Overall the gameplay just feels a bit....off.

    In the end I really want to love Sonic Lost World. I am willing to go as far as to say that if the gameplay was more fluid that it would be the best Sonic game since Sonic 3. Everything is superb except for those controls, which aren't awful, but a bit frustrating. If you're a die hard Sonic fan, pick it up. If not, it's probably not for you.    … Expand
  5. TheNPC213
    Feb 5, 2014
    6
    Just to start this off, the game is good. Not great nor bad, just good. It passes just above decent. Though I'm sure you're wondering why. That is why I'm typing this down.

    Now what most of us expect in a Sonic game is being able to run fast. Well, how fast you move in this game has been taken down a bit. And it takes the Rayman Origins/Legends approach and has you hold down one of the    Just to start this off, the game is good. Not great nor bad, just good. It passes just above decent. Though I'm sure you're wondering why. That is why I'm typing this down.

    Now what most of us expect in a Sonic game is being able to run fast. Well, how fast you move in this game has been taken down a bit. And it takes the Rayman Origins/Legends approach and has you hold down one of the Z buttons in order to start running. Which I suppose is actually needed, considering that there is a lot of platforming in this game, so running all the time would prove to be incredibly annoying.

    Some of levels can get pretty frustrating. This is mostly because of how some of them are designed. Most times, it's hard to tell where you're supposed to go, as one of the snow levels causes you go around in circles for what seems like an eternity. This level just proves how bad some of the designs are. Of course, not all levels are like that. In short, levels range from being straight-forward and easy to 'holy crap, where the hell do I go?'.

    The bosses are really easy...like, really easy. I'm sure most have noticed that the difficulty for the bosses seems a bit too easy. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm a bit better at games than I used to be, but I honestly think these bosses are too easy. You may only die a few times trying to figure out how to dodge some of their attacks, but once you get down when to hit them, the fight is over in just a few minutes. Not that I'm saying that the fights should be longer, but just a bit more challenging.

    Just the one thing that bothers me more than anything else in this game. When you die way too many times on a level, the game will give you this little capsule that has a wing in it. What happens when you touch it? It sends you to the end of the level. I really hate this kind of hand holding. Even New Super Mario Brothers 2 did something similar, but with the gold tanuki power up, which makes you invincible to all enemy damage and have unlimited flight. Only with this game, the power up just immediately ends the level for you. I understand most people would like to get to the end of the level, but what point is it when it's just handed to you? It doesn't make the game fun, it makes boring. What point would there be in beating the level when all I have to do is die a few times and the level will just be like "Oh hey, you just wanna beat the game now?". This feature I cannot ignore.    … Expand
  6. ChiyoChan
    Mar 28, 2014
    7
    If only the DLC of Zelda and Yoshi could of been the main theme worlds of the whole game. Serious I would buy this again if this was how they made a Sonic game. As the main game stands... its okay/bad. Game play is everything I don't like and come to expect. Buy this if you wanted to see a Zelda and Sonic game level or love Sonic colors that much.

    So yea... Conflicted gets a 7 game    If only the DLC of Zelda and Yoshi could of been the main theme worlds of the whole game. Serious I would buy this again if this was how they made a Sonic game. As the main game stands... its okay/bad. Game play is everything I don't like and come to expect. Buy this if you wanted to see a Zelda and Sonic game level or love Sonic colors that much.

    So yea... Conflicted gets a 7 game overall but people will be happy once they get to the DLC levels ....    … Expand
  7. AwesomeCakester
    Apr 23, 2014
    6
    The problem with Sonic Lost World is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It mixes in many different gameplay styles, some that don't work at all. Sadly the wisp power-ups, one of the great features in Sonic Colors, are one of the biggest pase brakers. The characters interactions are charming enough, and the game is very colorful. Over all this is not the worst Sonic game, but it'sThe problem with Sonic Lost World is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It mixes in many different gameplay styles, some that don't work at all. Sadly the wisp power-ups, one of the great features in Sonic Colors, are one of the biggest pase brakers. The characters interactions are charming enough, and the game is very colorful. Over all this is not the worst Sonic game, but it's not one of the better ones either. Over all I'd put Sonic Lost World a step below Sonic Unleashed. They have the same set back, in that they show new ways to play a Sonic game. However Sonic Unleashed was more sure of what it wanted to do, where Lost World feels like it can't make up it's mind.… Expand
  8. rhaynes7
    Dec 27, 2013
    5
    I've grown up with Sonic the Hedgehog. I've been there for the high points as well as the many low points along the path. After hitting a brief wave of decent to good games, it feels like things are beginning to slip again.

    The games largest failure is in the games controls. It's not very intuitive and it took me quite awhile to get a grasp of it. Even when I finally mastered the    I've grown up with Sonic the Hedgehog. I've been there for the high points as well as the many low points along the path. After hitting a brief wave of decent to good games, it feels like things are beginning to slip again.

    The games largest failure is in the games controls. It's not very intuitive and it took me quite awhile to get a grasp of it. Even when I finally mastered the games controls I still found that they would often fail me. Jumping is horrendously inconsistent. In 3-D, your jumps carry a lot of momentum, and once you perform that double jump, there's nothing more you can do. You lose control of Sonic, and I have died many times as a result. Once you reach 2-D, you find that your jumps carry little to no momentum. I kept trying to push the control pad further to get him to budge and it further hindered the experience. Jumping provides this games greatest obstacle, and the changes between 2-D and 3-D jumping make it difficult to gauge movement.

    Then there's the parkour system. I love the idea of the parkour system, and in 3-D, it works very well. It took me awhile to master some of the more technical maneuvers, but once I had them, zipping through walls, climbing up ledges, and wall jumping were marvelously thrilling. I would love to see the parkour system return in future games. There is room for improvement though, particularly in 2-D sections. If you're hold the R trigger, Sonic will run up walls whenever you come in contact, and when you hit some narrow passages, it can be a pain to control.

    My only other complaint is that the other buttons need to be better utilized. The 4 buttons on the right each share one function with another. It would've been nice to separate the double jump and the homing attack, or even giving a separate parkour button to one of them.

    As far as level design, the game is a mixed bag. There are a few enjoyable levels, some mediocre levels, and some terrible levels. Frozen Hill and Silent Forest in particular feature some frustrating level design, and the late game levels feature several frustrating sections as well. Frozen Hill features some of the same level design as Windy Hill, but with ice. Skating along the ice works great and the 2-D ice skating sections were a blast. Jumping seems simple enough, but Sonic will completely follow the momentum of his skating, making it hard to maneuver, sometimes forcing you to stop to perform your regular jumps. Furthermore, when you jump on ice to break it, Sonic flies off the handle once you hit 3 blocks. This created many infuriating deaths as well. Of course, then you're placed in a giant snowball in the second act and forced to roll around along narrow pathways which will almost certainly cause dozens of deaths due to the levels unforgiving nature.

    The level design as a whole feels overly ambitious. It expects players to have mastered it's hard to grasp control scheme in such a short while, and then throws everything they've got. It leads to an overall disconnect that makes the later levels of the game unsatisfying.

    The bosses were a drag too. They were never difficult, by the battle with Zavok and whatever the girl was names are bad simply because of the failures of the control scheme. Zavok's was a pain due to the fact that the lock-on targeting for the homing attack is spontaneous and often unreliable, and the later because she was the boss of the ice stages.

    Good thing the music is great. If it were as annoying as some of the levels, I would've quit, but it seems that the music was it's best during the most annoying parts of the game. Oh well, it's a small treat for a game that's so disappointing. The game's Deadly Six and their dialogue though are embarrassingly horrible. It tries to be dark and childish at the same time. It's disgusting.

    The color powers make a return from Sonic Colors. Although I don't care for them in particular, they functioned well enough as I played through them.

    Ultimately, this game let me down. I knew it when I watched the trailers that this game would be a flop. The levels are overly ambitious, and expect the player to remain on track with the steep learning curve. Once you do, the difficulty spikes further and some inconsistencies in mechanics will only continue to frustrate. After completing the game though, I've gotten a better grasp of the controls, but the gameplay isn't rewarding enough to forgive this issue. The parkour system is promising though. Sega made a mistake, and it's certainly not as bad as some of there other flops. I only hope to see the parkour system improved for further installments and for Sega to find it's mojo again.    … Expand
  9. jakethesnack
    Jan 4, 2014
    7
    I did enjoy the game for a while but after beating Tropical Coast, the game suddenly became frustratingly hard. There are some good things, like i said Windy hill, Desert Ruins, and Tropical Coast all have fun levels, the acting is good, and I do like the deadly six. Then there's the bad stuff, the story felt rushed and unfinished, each world now only has 4 levels which is reallyI did enjoy the game for a while but after beating Tropical Coast, the game suddenly became frustratingly hard. There are some good things, like i said Windy hill, Desert Ruins, and Tropical Coast all have fun levels, the acting is good, and I do like the deadly six. Then there's the bad stuff, the story felt rushed and unfinished, each world now only has 4 levels which is really disappointing, after figuring out how to attack the bosses they become way to easy, I had to figure out some of the controls by experimenting with buttons, and every time I died after Tropical Coast, was because of a cheap death trap. This could have been a great game like Sonic Colors, but someone messed up.… Expand
  10. SonicAndMegaMan
    Jan 11, 2014
    7
    Sonic lost worlds has its very strong points and allot of negative. People didn't expect this type of a sonic game coming out because its a lot like Mario galaxy but that's were people get mad because its not as good as super Mario galaxy. the concept is the same but once u feel the controls its nothing like Mario galaxy. the positives are: this is as tight and the best sonic has everSonic lost worlds has its very strong points and allot of negative. People didn't expect this type of a sonic game coming out because its a lot like Mario galaxy but that's were people get mad because its not as good as super Mario galaxy. the concept is the same but once u feel the controls its nothing like Mario galaxy. the positives are: this is as tight and the best sonic has ever controlled. you have more control into sonic's turning and controls compared to ever before. sure hes slower but that's the beauty of it. I'm a sonic adventure 2 guy so i like super speed but this game is like its own play style. nothing like anybody has ever seen from sonic and it controls well and the general amount of the levels are fun and enjoyable. the music is decent and its a good game. Negatives: for some people it is too slow ironically. the storyline is plain and boring but all of the 2d sonic games weren't very good either because it was all about game-play so focus on the game-play for this game. Negative is that they introduce you to the controls so poorly stopping you in the middle of your level to tell you which stops the game flow completely. overall a solid good sonic game. But there is allot more they could have done and i feel they went in the wrong direction for the fans stand point… Expand
  11. HoovyWeaponsGuy
    Jan 19, 2014
    5
    This game, It does I admit have its fair share of fun moments an speedy gameplay(The type you would expect from a Sonic game) but in other times it trys to be something I believe a Sonic game just shouldn't! It adds gameplay features that you may recognize to their similarities to Mario Galaxy(And even Sonic X-Treme) but these gameplay features are just horrid in my eyes when they are usedThis game, It does I admit have its fair share of fun moments an speedy gameplay(The type you would expect from a Sonic game) but in other times it trys to be something I believe a Sonic game just shouldn't! It adds gameplay features that you may recognize to their similarities to Mario Galaxy(And even Sonic X-Treme) but these gameplay features are just horrid in my eyes when they are used the way they are, The controls for me are just awful! I miss the classic controls of the Sonic Adventure series or hell, Even Sonic Unleashed and Generations had the nice controls you would expect a game like this to have but sadly, It doesn't. The homing attack is flawed in this game to say the least, Some of these moves I've never seen in a Sonic game before are just impossible to get used to if you are trying to play this the first time. Another mistake this game made was trying to make Sonic a slow-paced Platformer game, I cannot stress how much I hated the platforming in this game. I went from Generations which I loved the New-Gen Sonics gameplay in that. I presumed that this game wouldn't be that far off , I was wrong. Even when you're running through the level in 3D It's awkward and INCREDIBLY clunky. Another major problem that bothered me was the Deadly Six's voices are so annoying to hear when you're running through the level, It gets to the point where I wanted to rip my ears off when I would keep messing up but have to keep redoing the part of the level and hearing the Bosses annoying voices over and OVER AND OVER! But, I have only been speaking of the bad parts of the game, It has its own(Minuscule) amount of good features, When you get to the speedy parts, You get there. When it comes to the small amount of parts where you can actually go fast, It gets really fun. I also love some of the cinematics..But..That's all the good I can think of. So yeah. I personally think if you want a good Sonic game, Stick with the older ones, Sega just screwed this one up. Bad.… Expand
  12. Khajiit2
    Mar 27, 2014
    7
    This Sonic game has good graphics. Sonic is unfortunately a little to slow in this game. The music is not the greatest but there are a few good songs, like The Deadly Six Theme, Desert Ruins, Lava Mountain and colour power Yellow Drill sound. There should have been a feature to watch cutscenes after you watched them already. This game is fun but could have been better.
  13. ShadowRush
    Jun 12, 2014
    6
    An average game that honestly disappoints. This game is actually the reason I saved up and bought a Wii U in the first place. The story is bare bones and isn't very fun to listen too. The gameplay however is a mixed bag. I like the exploration, I like the sense of speed, but the parkour never works for me. Maybe I'm running on the wrong side of the wall or something, I don't know. But fromAn average game that honestly disappoints. This game is actually the reason I saved up and bought a Wii U in the first place. The story is bare bones and isn't very fun to listen too. The gameplay however is a mixed bag. I like the exploration, I like the sense of speed, but the parkour never works for me. Maybe I'm running on the wrong side of the wall or something, I don't know. But from someone who got this game launch day, I'd say approach with caution.… Expand
  14. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Aug 7, 2016
    7
    Sonic Lost World is a game that will not please everyone. It does show that the Sonic Team has the potential to make a good Sonic game. Unfortunately whenever they do strike on a good idea or formula they throw the baby out with the bathwater. Lost World feels like an experiment. As such it excels in some areas while falling short in others due to poor execution.

    Lost World is not a bad    Sonic Lost World is a game that will not please everyone. It does show that the Sonic Team has the potential to make a good Sonic game. Unfortunately whenever they do strike on a good idea or formula they throw the baby out with the bathwater. Lost World feels like an experiment. As such it excels in some areas while falling short in others due to poor execution.

    Lost World is not a bad game. It is however a flawed one. The parkour system is an interesting idea but doesn't always respond the way you want it too. The level designs are fantastic though I think some of them have shoehorned Sonic into a platformer. While Sonic games are platforming games, they have always been more about speed and getting through the level in the most expedient way possible. The level designs in Lost World while creative place greater emphasis on precision platforming, jumping, etc. This is an area where Mario has excelled at for years. Speaking of Mario I think its clear where many of the level designs drew their inspiration from. However it seems like the developers also tried just about anything to see what would stick. One time your racing through a level, the next your in a 2-d side-scrolling aerial battle reminiscent of asteroids or space invaders. These oddball levels break the pacing and don't really fit within the game.

    The storyline isn't anything to write home about. The villians (with the exception of Robotnik) are utterly forgettable. Yes I know I called him Robotnik, so sue me! The production values are fantastic though. It is really one of the best looking Sonic games I have seen in a while. Sonic Lost World is ultimately worth a look if your a Sonic fan. I would suggest renting it or playing a demo first before you commit to a purchase however.    … Expand
  15. ChaoticFox
    Nov 4, 2013
    5
    A lot of polish with little substance. This game is lacking in the most fundamental areas, which is a damn shame because in concept it showed much promise. Sega played it too safe with this one, and the result is an awful lot of uninspired aimlessness with a few brief glimmers of what could have been.
  16. SoundSword
    Dec 18, 2014
    7
    This game is already criminally underrated. Now, don't get me wrong. There are some poor choices here. A couple levels in here are too gimmicky and do drag down the game. But this game stays truer to the original sonic series than even the first 3D sonic games. When the game gets its levels down, its a fun time. The parkour may be hit or miss, but in the games case, it at least is tryingThis game is already criminally underrated. Now, don't get me wrong. There are some poor choices here. A couple levels in here are too gimmicky and do drag down the game. But this game stays truer to the original sonic series than even the first 3D sonic games. When the game gets its levels down, its a fun time. The parkour may be hit or miss, but in the games case, it at least is trying something new without smothering the whole game in a shroud of confusion. The new enemies are designed nicely and dont feel out of place in the retroesque world. They may be very stereotypical, but im pretty sure that's the point. Theyre a team called the deadly six. They were going to be cheesy. Overall this game is worth playing. And its damn better than anything Sonic related in the 2000s.… Expand
  17. liquidcool24
    Nov 2, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So after playing Sonic Lost World, I can say that this game is very solid, but needs several improvements to the formula and some polish in all areas. To start off, Sonic feels very slow. I know this was to make sonic platform better, but even then, it fells like a snails pace. And running is good for speeding in straight lines, but try to turn and Sonic's speed will plummet. Then there is the new parkour system, which is a good concept, but can get complicated at times, and cause deaths when you need to navigate over bottomless pits. Despite these complications, Sonic manages to control well enough to make platforming manageable. Most frustrations arise from some levels with poor design. And when stages bite, they REALLY bite.
    The story is alright for a kids game, but contains two problems I felt hurt the story overall. The first problem is the zeti who, despite containing charm and humorous lines, are only really there as a Big Bad for Sonic to pulverize (and it doesn't help that there boss fights are pathetically easy). The second is that it Eggman was put in as a Big Bad at the last second after "dying", but the way they did it seems like it was a last second decision just to have Eggman as the final boss.While an ok story, with much character building between our heroes, it kinda felt flat at certain points.
    The music and art is as good as usual for Sonic. Not only is the music a great listen, but it is also used at the right points during the levels. The visuals are also bright and cheery or dark and ominous to fit the situation.
    Overall, the game has some problems, but it didn't stop it from being a good experience. The music and visual are nice, the gameplay is very good (when it isn't very bad), and story is generally ok. I can definitely recommend this to anyone who has a Wii U and looking to add something to their much needed library of Wii U games, they just need to do it better next time.    … Expand
  18. porcino
    Nov 2, 2013
    5
    I liked the game, could be to the best Sonic game of all.
    Pros:
    Clássiquista graphic style. Difficulty, exploration, music

    Contra: Wisps, boss design, only Sonic playable Homming Attack, level design, few levels, bosses easy trail 1 ups (for that?).
  19. Streakside
    Nov 14, 2013
    6
    Very bland level design, parkour is a cool idea but poor execution, and the deadly six are some of the most one dimensional and boring villains in video game history in my opinion. Its a decent game at best but a huge step backwards from Sonic Generations.
  20. HappyHeavy
    Dec 29, 2013
    5
    A game with so much wasted potential. It looks amazing, with vibrant colors and wonderful backgrounds, with very catchy music. Everything else is just... ugh. The 3D tube like levels are fun, but the other levels are terrible. The 2D sections have sluggish jumping controls, are very slow and generally poorly designed. Very few multiple pathways in them, unlike the well designed 3D ones.A game with so much wasted potential. It looks amazing, with vibrant colors and wonderful backgrounds, with very catchy music. Everything else is just... ugh. The 3D tube like levels are fun, but the other levels are terrible. The 2D sections have sluggish jumping controls, are very slow and generally poorly designed. Very few multiple pathways in them, unlike the well designed 3D ones. The gimmick levels like the flying levels and the snowball levels are horrible, some of them are some of the worst levels I've ever played in a Sonic game. The new parkour system is fun in 3D, but in 2D it will lead to many death due to you climbing up things by accident. The Wisps returning are pointless gamepad gimmicks, not even explained in the story. They all control terribly except for the laser and drill since you don't need to use the gamepad. The story itself has a few plotholes, but it's OK for the most part. The Deadly Six are all very annoying sterotypes, and the only funny lines are from Eggman. The "Deadly" Six are all pathetically easy boss fights which are short and unfun. The game is easy until you get to the last world, which will make you want to throw your gamepad into the wall. Especially if your going after the red rings.... Overall, this game is just a massive disappointment. It could have been good, but it's just meh. Don't buy until it goes down massively, until it drops to about 20 dollars. Even that's pushing it, though.… Expand
  21. Tylercolins
    May 13, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While it's not the game I expected to be, Sonic Lost World is a decent entry to the Sonic series. Yeah, the parkour system are pretty bad, the controls are floaty at times, the boss battles are just embarassing, the special stages are awfully hard, difficulty spikes are infuriating, story mode are short, and uninspired level themes and designs.

    Besides all of that, you all need to give this game a chance. It's a fun game and worth the buy    … Expand
  22. LBC
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    Lost World is exactly what the Sonic series needed! By slowing the pace down they've actually made Sonic more nimble and easy to control. It seems like the players like this game and the critics do not. I wanted to make sure I actually played a decent chunk of the game before commenting. Bottom line, if you're looking for a great Wii U game (and let's face it, there aren't many right now)Lost World is exactly what the Sonic series needed! By slowing the pace down they've actually made Sonic more nimble and easy to control. It seems like the players like this game and the critics do not. I wanted to make sure I actually played a decent chunk of the game before commenting. Bottom line, if you're looking for a great Wii U game (and let's face it, there aren't many right now) or you're a long time Sonic fan, GET THIS GAME!!… Expand
  23. TeraVex
    Nov 6, 2013
    7
    Okay, lets start with the story.
    The plot is okay, I don't really care for it. I can tell effort was put into it, but some things just weren't explained that well (I.E The deadly six's origins/Lost Hex). It is dark, but cheesy at the same time. I feel that the edgyness of the story is the same level of sonic adventure 2. with that being said the cheesyness and the edgyness clash and ruins    Okay, lets start with the story.
    The plot is okay, I don't really care for it. I can tell effort was put into it, but some things just weren't explained that well (I.E The deadly six's origins/Lost Hex). It is dark, but cheesy at the same time. I feel that the edgyness of the story is the same level of sonic adventure 2. with that being said the cheesyness and the edgyness clash and ruins some of the story because of it. I think the writing is trying too hard to be like colors, but due to the darker story, it fails miserably (Although I did get a few laughs here and there from the dialogue.) I also must remark that the deadly six are decent villains, but their personalities are too generic and stereotypical. Which is a shame because that is the only thing from keeping these villains from being somewhat intimidating. Now, on to the gameplay and graphics.
    The graphics are beautiful, they are faptastic and filled with vibrant HD colors and textures. Not only that, but the game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second which is something i've been waiting for in a modern sonic console release since 06. Gameplay-wise, it's all over the place. Some things I really liked, some things i didn't like, and some things I down-right hated. The things I liked included the parkour, the nice change of pace of the game (I.E it's not the Boost To win game like in past games) and the very neat and challenging platforming. I also feel that this is the first sonic game in a while to really ramp up the difficulty. This brings me into the things I didn't like. What I didn't like was the cheap difficulty in some levels (I'M LOOKING AT YOU ZAVOC AND LAVA WORLD ZONE 2). Seriously, It almost made me rage quit, some levels are chalk full of instant death hazards. Some are easy to avoid and are not a problem and some are plain unfairly placed. And the things I down-right hated: The control and level design. Now, Let me tell you, I liked the parkour. and I liked some levels. But the majority of the levels were either A) A Pipe-like structure A Tube or C) Legit levels that weren't a pain to navigate through. If you didn't notice, I'm not a fan of A or B mentioned above. They honestly in my opinion were generic and boring.
    Also, I hated the wisps. They were unneeded. I didn't even use them unless I was forced to. They have no reason being there and they aren't even plot important like they were in colors. Now to the last thing i hated. The Control. It wasn't all horrible, but the majority of it is. First of all, sonic doesn't gain momentum unless he's moving in a straight line in a 3d place. Also, I feel that sonic stays at one speed, and nothing influences his speed, which is a same because I really felt that they could have done more with it.
    Now the last thing, the music. I will proudly like to report that the music is beautiful. Everything is memorable and I'd like to say that the cutscene music is the best in the franchise in my opinion. I gotta download that ****
    Final Verdict:
    It's an good game although it has some flaws that really takes away from the experience.... Also it has a ton of replay value.    … Expand
  24. BaronVonTang
    Oct 10, 2014
    7
    Had this been the first ever 3d Sonic game to come out it would have been a revelation. This certainly feels the most like a classic Genesis Sonic game was translated to a 3d environment, much more so then any of the other attempts at this, but therein lies the problem.

    You see, there has been other 3d Sonic games; and while they've suffered from some harsh criticism, I've enjoyed most    Had this been the first ever 3d Sonic game to come out it would have been a revelation. This certainly feels the most like a classic Genesis Sonic game was translated to a 3d environment, much more so then any of the other attempts at this, but therein lies the problem.

    You see, there has been other 3d Sonic games; and while they've suffered from some harsh criticism, I've enjoyed most of them (with some exceptions). And what I enjoyed most is how they explored the different things you could do with a speed based character in a 3d enviroment, things you couldn't do with 2d; and, although, some of those experiments didn't produce the greatest results I always got the feeling that they were cultivating a formula with each game being a bit better then the last (with some exceptions); but with this game they've achieved this more classic approach to Sonic through a method of subtraction. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but in some areas it's very frustrating.

    Now I'm not just upset that we're not getting another Generations or Unleashed, I was sure of that from the trailers before I bought this. I did enjoy the Super Speed approach to Generations and Unleashed though, with the fun of the game coming from level memorization, the reward being getting through the whole level without letting go of the boost button, but I know that's a very limited style of game play and doesn't appeal to everyone, and it would get tired fast if a whole franchise were built around those mechanics. But even coming off of Colors or Secret Rings the capabilities of the eponymous Hedgehog in this title are severely limited. Just some examples, if I covered everything we'd be here all day: Sonic can no longer increase or decrease speed while grinding, he also can't quick switch rails; there's no slide ability; no ring dash; Sonic can still execute a stomp, of sorts, but when and where you can execute it is a bit strange, like, you can't execute it coming off a rail (which would have been useful) and you can't execute it coming off of springs...Anyway, just a few examples here.

    There are some added features, however; I guess in an attempt to supplement all that they took out: there's now a wall run, a kick attack, multiple lock ons, and they brought back the spin attack, I guess in an attempt to make it more like classic Sonic. But the thing is, these new features weren't implemented well. The wall run doesn't add anything, it's useless, anytime you use it a simple wall jump could suffice just fine. The kick is an interesting idea, it adds a bit more variety to combat so it's not just lock on and press jump twice everytime, it reminds me a bit of Sonic Heroes, but it's not as well implemented: in Heroes it's very clear what enemies can and can not be hurt with a lock on jump, they'd have a shield or an electric bubble or something, here it's trial and error; you jump into an enemy, lose your rings, and then you know you have to kick that enemy first. The multiple lock-on is another good idea, that could add variety to combat, but it's so hard to control: locking on to a single enemy multiple times does extra damage, but you initiate this by getting close to the enemy and waiting for the lock on's to activate, but, by the time they do, another enemy may have come into view, and jumping into position to hit the first enemy may switch the lock on to this new enemy, it's very frustrating. And then there's the spin dash, which is completely useless; there's a reason it was taken out of most 3d sonic games, it's just a wasted button; it can hurt some enemies, but the times it will hurt enemies or the enemies will hurt you while using it seems to be completely random, on a side note, it's the same thing with the standard jump attack, you know, without locking on. Sometimes just jumping on an enemies head will take them out just fine, and sometimes it doesn't; added to this frustration, alot of the enemies that appear in this game are ripped directly from classic Sonic games, and I remember those games, I remember I could just spin dash through them or jump on their head and take them out, but in this game you gotta kick first, or you just can't kill them at all (like the tree monkeys); so, what? Did Sonic just get weaker over time?

    This isn't a bad game, I don't want to give that impression; it's extremely fun, and they did a lot of things right! Like, it's all Sonic levels, no Tails in a mech or Werehog **** and, just in general, no filler levels; The Wisp powers are integrated into a lot of boss battles (something, very much, lacking in Colors); and, shockingly, the Red Rings actually do something in this game! Instead of just netting you a trophy. But being such a long time fan of the series, I can't help but feel they threw the baby out with the bath water a bit with this one.

    Last complaint: DON'T MAKE ME BEAT THE GAME TO UNLOCK HARD! Have that **** available at game start, normal's sooooo easy in this game    … Expand
  25. EpicLadySponge
    Jan 14, 2016
    6
    There's something this game has and then it just keeps on trying and trying over again to be a decent Sonic game. It's not a bad one, but it's just only for those who loves the hedgehog throughout the years. On the other hands, the final boss music is well made and some of the music are too.
  26. MiOdd
    Nov 14, 2014
    6
    If you have the patience to learn exactly how everything works you will find that Sonic Lost World isn't as bad as it seems. The largest complaint I have is that many of the features and controls are not intuitive and are not properly explained. There are way too many sudden deaths that could have been avoided with a better control scheme. Nonetheless, once you figure out on your own howIf you have the patience to learn exactly how everything works you will find that Sonic Lost World isn't as bad as it seems. The largest complaint I have is that many of the features and controls are not intuitive and are not properly explained. There are way too many sudden deaths that could have been avoided with a better control scheme. Nonetheless, once you figure out on your own how to overcome these obstacles, things start to make sense and the game becomes more enjoyable but players shouldn't have to put this much effort into learning how to control, what should be, a simple platformer. Once I became acclimated with the controls I did enjoy my time with the game. The level design was much more fantastical than recent Sonic games, which I appreciated.… Expand
  27. TheMitch
    Jun 24, 2014
    6
    Sonic Lost World, like any game, has its strengths and its weaknesses. Its main strength is very easy to identify, as from the moment it loads the first time, you will be drawn in by its stunning visuals and gorgeous level designs. But as it starts to grip you, it slips quickly through your fingers, leaving you cold to experiencing the daft, clunky controls that everyone despises so much.Sonic Lost World, like any game, has its strengths and its weaknesses. Its main strength is very easy to identify, as from the moment it loads the first time, you will be drawn in by its stunning visuals and gorgeous level designs. But as it starts to grip you, it slips quickly through your fingers, leaving you cold to experiencing the daft, clunky controls that everyone despises so much. Because the controls are so lackluster, Sonic Lost World is made that much more frustrating -- that much more disappointing -- that it's an absolute shame it wasn't taken better care of. As a gamer, I am always going to be attracted by great visuals, but that won't ever be enough to hold me. Silky controls are an absolute necessity, especially when playing as a character as wild as Sonic. Granted, some of Sonic Lost World's stages are absolutely brilliant, highly reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy -- a game that I am particularly fond of. The great stages don't control any better than the mediocre ones, but the hazards involved are not nearly as frustrating to overcome. The stages that require fine movements are awful to play, as Sonic is very much a two-gear fellow; he either isn't moving much or moving really fast. Wide open areas played much better, such as in the The Legend of Zelda DLC, which I found to be awesome. Even the Yoshi's Island DLC was great because it didn't require tiny fiddly movements. On the other end of the spectrum, the boss battles were so astoundingly bad. Sonic's homing attack is pitiful, and as a result you're forced to put him in way more danger than you'd like. Overall, Sonic Lost World is a very challenging game, but for all the wrong reasons. If you're a die-hard Sonic fan, you'll enjoy this game without question. However, it's not one of the Hedgehog's better outings. That's an absolute certainty.… Expand
  28. SuperSkyler64
    Oct 17, 2014
    5
    Alright here is an interesting little mess in the Sonic franchise. When I first heard of this game I really didn't know what to make of it and frankly its still very confusing to me. The story in this game is almost unbearable to witness but here it is. Sonic and Tails are pursuing Eggman and his two robot cronies in an attempt to get back a capsule of animals that he had stolen. In aAlright here is an interesting little mess in the Sonic franchise. When I first heard of this game I really didn't know what to make of it and frankly its still very confusing to me. The story in this game is almost unbearable to witness but here it is. Sonic and Tails are pursuing Eggman and his two robot cronies in an attempt to get back a capsule of animals that he had stolen. In a desperate attempt to save the creatures, Eggman damages the Tornado (Tails' plane) and forces the duo to land on a mysterious planet/floating isle called the "Lost Hex". It's a very interesting looking place to say the least and the opening scene is unsurprisingly incredible for the beginning of the game. Unfortunately, unlike Little Planet, the Lost Hex is given no narrative about itself at all and is merely.....a place. At least in Sonic CD gave a little backstory about Sonic going to visit Little Planet in the place where it only appears once every year and that it was rather mysterious in nature. Here is not the case and is never questioned by Sonic and Tails. Anyways the Lost Hex is home to the Deadly Six, easily the most boring and mundane villains I have ever seen in a Sonic game. They hardly have any personality and while they can be funny at times, I find them completely uninteresting. The cutscenes in this game are also pathetic I must say and while I'm at it I will confess my complete distaste for the tone SEGA has been making these Sonic games these days. Recently since Colors, SEGA gave Sonic and many of his friends new voice actors and gave Roger Craig Smith the new role for the blue blur, who he has had for the past 4 years. I really despise Sonic's voice as it really doesn't sound how I imagined him to be. In previous titles (even Colors to an extent), Sonic was rad, cool, a hero willing to do anything it took to save the world and look cool doing it (but not showing off too much). Here, Sonic is seriously dumbed down to an Adventure Time style character who jokes about everything all the time and really fails at it most of the time. Really I can't believe the lines I hear Sonic say sometimes like when one of the crazy Zeti's announcing he's about to kick Sonic, with Sonic retorting "Oh I know just where to kick YOU"! The delivery is off with Sonic's lines and the script isn't helping anything, but your hearing this from someone who was spoiled with the Adventure games and Unleashed. Moving on, Eggman loses control of the Deadly Six with the help of Sonic thoughtlessly destroying the device keeping them under his control, and the two teams end up having to team up to survive the Six and save their home world down below. Now after some painfully simplistic dialogues and a very bipolar Tails who can't decide if he hates Sonic or not (they're arguing over Eggman joining or something idk it really comes out of nowhere), Tails gets kidnapped in the 5th World much to the fault of Sonic and it's really bogus to me what happens next. The game is ending, the planet is in a crisis with Sonic's friends getting hurt in the process down below, and Tails is about to be transformed into a robot by the Six. What bothers me here is how they make Tails COMPLETELY helpless. Did he FORGET that he could run as fast as Sonic?! Tail's is Sonic's sidekick! Why has SEGA been ruining Tails by just making him a techy and a pilot for the Tornado whenever Sonic needs one?! This has been bothering me increasingly since Unleashed and I think their is no reason for it. Anyways a lot of boring stuff happens later. Eggman "dies", Sonic is all alone, and the Six turn a very dumb looking robot Tails on Sonic, only to be given the turnaround almost immediately (how Tails kept himself from being roboticized I'll never know) with Sonic giving the chase once more. The Six are defeated only to.....disappear and Eggman reappears in his clone mech to the final boss in Sonic Colors and is quickly defeated, with power once again returning to the planet (their was a power sucking machine I forgot to mention but there you go). Okay the gameplay is okay...but that's just it, it's a convoluted mess, with confusing spherical world design that I don't like, a parkour system that's only fun SOMETIMES, and inconsistent level design that becomes UNBEARABLE later in the game. This game has the worst level design since Sonic 06 (yeah I said it). The music still good though but has some annoying tunes I don't care for (like the main theme). Also I feel like this level design makes Sonic look like he's trying to copy Mario Galaxy which does fit well with Sonic. Also the bosses are pathetically easy and boring as heck too. The speed is very inconsistent too with the game switching between 3d and 2d views. The 3d is good but the 2d brings Sonic to a slow down that regresses the player's inertia. Also the introduction of a run button is not a good choice imo. The game really just feels bland and was not really designed well. All in all I would not recommend his one.… Expand
  29. Skyrus
    Mar 24, 2022
    7
    Sonic Lost World is a very different take on the Sonic games. I've 100% completed the game and I say its a good Sonic Game. Single-Player and Multiplayer are both a blast to play (with the exception of the RC Vehicles). Multiplayer was surprisingly fun to play, the two screen feature works perfect for the Multiplayer. However, this game is not perfect. In the last world, there is a hugeSonic Lost World is a very different take on the Sonic games. I've 100% completed the game and I say its a good Sonic Game. Single-Player and Multiplayer are both a blast to play (with the exception of the RC Vehicles). Multiplayer was surprisingly fun to play, the two screen feature works perfect for the Multiplayer. However, this game is not perfect. In the last world, there is a huge difficulty spike and can really get annoying and frustrating. The Boss Battles are Jokes, with the new Homing Action it is pretty easy to defeat the bosses. The Pre-order bonus is alright, but could have been better. Gyroscope controls and the Wisp are poorly implemented into the game. Gyroscope controls are twitchy and are from the console instead of the senor bar and can be frustrating to control. Wisp are not even mentioned or put into in the game's story which is a complete let down to me. Other than those small problems, the game is great. Very underrated game in my opinion.… Expand
  30. ThatCooperGuy
    Nov 2, 2015
    7
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Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best Wii U Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2013
7
#7 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 64
  3. Negative: 9 out of 64
  1. Level7.nu
    Dec 11, 2013
    70
    Sonic Lost World has its problems. The controls are imprecise and the difficulty somewhat uneven. But it is still one of the better Sonic games in later years with some great level design. It is not the best platform game out there but well worth a closer look.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    Nov 27, 2013
    87
    The best true Sonic in years. [Christmas 2013, p.83]
  3. Gamers' Temple
    Nov 18, 2013
    35
    Sonic is no longer a good or even passable video game character.
    Read full review
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