Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

 Xbox 360
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 31
  3. Negative: 3 out of 31
  1. GamesBeat
    May 19, 2012
    45
    A frustrating experience for Sonic fans. You can sense the old, creaky bones of what once made the franchise so much fun, but they're surrounded by chewy, rancid meat.
  2. Gameblog.fr
    May 25, 2012
    40
    The original question was : "is it better if we're two players?". The answer is definitely yes, but it's still quite mediocre. Prettier, much better designed than the first one, but this Episode 2 still remains a sad version of a platformer with annoying musics and dull level design.
  3. Digital Spy
    May 22, 2012
    40
    What we have now is a Sonic game that takes a step forward from Episode 1, but is still a step back from a game half a year old. Sonic 4: Episode 2 certainly isn't the worst game to grace the series over the years, but not even the most steadfast Sonic fans will fondly remember Episode 2 as one of their favorites, if it is remembered at all.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
72
#72 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 116 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 116
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 116
  3. Negative: 24 out of 116
  1. sonicfan
    May 17, 2012
    4
    The game is simply awful and everything they had promised to fix from episode 1 to 2, except for the momentum, has had been a lie. Sonic 4The game is simply awful and everything they had promised to fix from episode 1 to 2, except for the momentum, has had been a lie. Sonic 4 episode 2 feels more like a marketing gimmick than a game that could sell itself.… Full Review »
  2. Sawnik98
    May 18, 2012
    6
    Sonic fanboys will probably hate me for saying this, but I don't think Sonic 4 deserves it's title so far. While Episode II is an improvementSonic fanboys will probably hate me for saying this, but I don't think Sonic 4 deserves it's title so far. While Episode II is an improvement over Episode I and is a lot of fun, both episodes have failed to capture the magic of the classics. Let's explore a little bit deeper. First and foremost, I will talk about the physics. The physics are one of the crucial elements in a Sonic game, 2D or 3D, and Sonic 4: Episode II lives up to this well. Sonic feels surprisingly nice to control and everything feels a lot more smooth than Episode I. The rolling, however, still doesn't work properly. Sonic only picks up a little bit of momentum even when you hold forward while performing it and on half of the slopes on the game, it works just as badly as it did in Episode I. I've no idea why the developers of Sonic games these days can't get rolling right. Ever since the end of the Advance series, rolling is pretty much pointless these days and that's not how it should be. Rolling was an awesome and fun way to earn speed effectively in the classics and it's a shame that it can't be put to use like that anymore. The graphics are excellent. This is a major improvement over Episode I - everything pops out and looks clean, fresh and realistic. No longer does Sonic run over plastic grass but he now runs through achingly pretty, fully rendered, 3D environments. The only real criticism I have on the graphics is the lack of anti-aliasing. Some of the edges look really rough, like on a Wii game at times. I don't know why it wasn't included, it's not as if the PS3 can't handle it, after all. Nevertheless, great job, DIMPS. The music is... disappointing, to say the least. There are no longer dying cats in the melodies, which is a definite positive, but some of the tracks sound so repetitive and boring, it's easy to fall asleep. Don't get me wrong - there are some great tunes in the game, my favourites being the Metal Sonic boss fight and Sky Fortress Act 2, but c'mon, Jun Senoue. You've done better. The level design is... OK. It doesn't flat out suck but nor does it shine. There's a good amount of platforming involved, which is great, but there's a lack of multiple routes and exploration going on and the amount of times the game plays itself for you is ridiculous. There's loads of speed boosters everywhere and so many springs. It's like they were trying to turn the game into a movie. What I hate just as much is the use of the homing attack. This move is simply a stupid idea for a 2D Sonic game. Is it REALLY that difficult to jump on an enemy? That's how it was done in the classics, the Advance trilogy and even the freaking Sonic Rush games. This wouldn't be so terrible if it wasn't forced upon you! Seriously, there's always a chain of stationary Bubbles badniks flying in the air for you to use your attack on. It's REQUIRED to beat the game. WHY?! What if I don't WANT to? This also extends on into the combo moves. With Tails with you, you can now do a load of combo moves like flying or doing a 69-roll of death. Some of these moves are pretty handy and fun to use, like the submarine combo, but others kinda... suck. The 69-roll, like the homing attack, is forced upon you and it's very overpowered. A nice feature with Episode II is the ability to play with another person either locally or online. It's great fun to play with and it's probably the mode I play the most on now. The problem with it though is that you are forced to have both players on screen at the same time, even when online. I don't know why split-screen wasn't implemented but it's not that terrible if I'm honest. Just a tad frustrating at times. Overall, Sonic 4: Episode II is a fun title (with some great plot elements, I must add), but this game doesn't deserve it's title. It's not a bad game, but it will probably be forgotten in 10 years time, unlike Sonic 1, 2, CD and 3&K. I give the title a 6/10 and if you want to have a nice little platformer on your console, go ahead.… Full Review »
  3. TheateraNerd
    May 17, 2012
    10
    Honestly people are so unwilling to give Sonic a chance. This game murders Episode 1, and exceeds in every way that Episode 1 did and didn't.Honestly people are so unwilling to give Sonic a chance. This game murders Episode 1, and exceeds in every way that Episode 1 did and didn't. Even though Im a fan Im NOT going to lie, of course the game isn't perfect, for example the music is really high pitched and jingly (sounds like a concoction of bells), and on boss fights there is an insanely amount of rings provided which kills all the difficulty the boss brings(even though you will appreciate this later when you get all the chaos emeralds hence Super Sonic )!! But the game gives you some nice trade-offs, in return you get superb graphics, great platforming, and lots of speed (not as fast as the Classic Sonic from Generations though)! I love this game because it introduces things I've never seen before in the series. It has some slight downfalls that keep it from being great, but it's a solid sequel this time around that I will play over and over, and in my opinion that's the definition of a good game... ;)… Full Review »
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