Sonic 4™ Episode I

About

"Sonic 4™ Episode I," a long-awaited sequel, is an action-packed hack and slash game with impressive graphics and soundtrack. Its mechanics stay true to the classic Sonic games, making it a delight for both new and returning fans. Players control Sonic as he battles enemies and navigates through exciting levels with speed and agility.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,685 reviews

graphics66 positive mentions

stability29 negative mentions

The 3D graphics and reimagined levels are visually impressive and bring a nostalgic feel to the game.
The homing attack feature adds a fun twist to the gameplay, making it easier to navigate through levels.
The music and sound design are enjoyable, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

The touch controls are clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to maneuver Sonic effectively.
The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and crashes, particularly on newer devices.
Many players find the special stages frustratingly difficult, leading to a negative gameplay experience.

graphics
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their quality and vibrant colors, especially in comparison to previous versions. However, some users criticize certain character designs as cheap or outdated, and there are reports of graphical glitches and inconsistencies across different devices. Overall, while the graphics are often highlighted as a strong point, they are not without their flaws, particularly in terms of resolution and performance on specific platforms.
- “The graphics look a hell of a lot better, and good riddance for the weird cel-shading whatever the console version was supposed to look like.”
- “Great graphics, classic gameplay.”
- “Awesome game that not only brings me back to the good old days but improves on them with better graphics.”
- “Okay, this game is legendary for being one of the worst Sonic games ever made, due to the poor graphics, cheap physics, and low framerate.”
- “The graphics are incredibly bad.”
- “The graphics seem dated and the text is sometimes blurry.”
music
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
56%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchiness and nostalgic quality, while others criticize issues such as music cutting out during power-ups and low-quality sound effects. Some users appreciate the soundtrack's alignment with classic Sonic games, but others find it lacking compared to previous titles, particularly the Japanese soundtrack. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, technical issues detract from the experience for some players.
- “The music is wonderful and the graphics are colorful.”
- “The soundtrack, the levels, and the bosses are fantastic!”
- “The game has interesting level design, good music, and is well worth the price.”
- “The music does not loop correctly; it cuts off when you get invincibility, and the sound effects are all lower in pitch than they should be.”
- “Music just stops when you get power-ups.”
- “I've tried restarting it, but I keep getting the same result: sound effects work, but the music is gone.”
stability
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The stability of the game is highly variable, with many users reporting frequent freezing and crashing, particularly on certain devices and operating systems like Android Lollipop and Ice Cream Sandwich. While some players have experienced smooth gameplay on specific models, others have encountered significant bugs, including sound issues and graphical glitches, making the game unplayable for them. Overall, while there have been improvements in stability for some users, many still face frustrating issues that hinder their experience.
- “Runs great on my HTC Vivid and Nexus 7.”
- “Have this game on my Samsung Galaxy S and it runs great on my Galaxy and strangely runs better and has better graphics than EP.2.”
- “Other than that, the gameplay is awesome; no glitches or crashes, really fun and brings me back to the 90s.”
- “It is unstable and buggy on the latest Android OS.”
- “I wouldn't get this if you've got or are getting Lollipop, as it has major graphic glitches.”
- “The game freezes or force closes with any interaction from the rest of the phone while on a loading screen.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its classic Sonic mechanics and graphics, while others criticize the controls and physics as unresponsive and frustrating. Many players noted issues with touch controls being too small or poorly placed, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, some users enjoyed the fast-paced action and nostalgic elements, indicating that the gameplay can be enjoyable if the control issues are addressed.
- “Best graphics ever, gameplay is perfect, controls are pretty good thank you for making this game Sega.”
- “Cool bosses, exclusive levels, catchy music, touch and tilt controls, and classic Sonic gameplay and environments help make this Sega's best sequel to Sonic and Knuckles.”
- “Great to have that classic Sonic gameplay back!”
- “The physics are horrible, Sonic looks horrible, the gameplay is horrible.”
- “The movement and mechanics are awful as is the gameplay.”
- “Controls are horrible and affect gameplay, making it almost unplayable...”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
Overall, user feedback on optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and good graphics on certain devices, many express frustration with poor control schemes and lack of optimization for specific models, particularly external controllers and older smartphones. Several users noted that despite updates claiming "bug fixes and optimizations," significant issues remain, leading to refunds and dissatisfaction.
- “I love Sonic games and this one is play optimized.”
- “Runs smoothly and handles great!”
- “But it's not optimized for me, so I got my refund.”
- “If you guys want to get in on the smartphone market, then it helps if your games are optimized for the latest OS.”
- “Lags a lot, isn't optimized correctly for mobile devices.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The monetization aspect of the game has received negative feedback, with users expressing disappointment over its limited content, frequent ads, and perceived lack of value for the price paid. Many feel it resembles a cash grab, highlighting the absence of features like cloud saving, multiplayer options, and achievements, which further detracts from the overall experience.
- “I can't forgive myself for wasting three dollars on a trash game because I saw the game ads and thought, 'Oh, this is a game that looks good for me.'”
- “Lazy cash grab.”
- “In-app purchases in this app, no cloud saving features, gamepad support, local & online multiplayer game mode, no achievements.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game offers entertaining quests and adventures, making it enjoyable to play through the main story. However, despite its excellent graphics, many users feel that the narrative itself is lacking depth.
- “The best game for me to play for entertainment and to finish the main story.”
- “This game has fun quests and adventures!”
- “Despite the excellent graphics, the story is lacking.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in relation to the chaos emeralds and challenging boss fights, which can lead to frustrating experiences. The unoriginality of the game further compounds these issues, making the grinding feel less rewarding.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I spent hours just repeating the same tasks to level up, which became incredibly frustrating.”
- “The grind is so excessive that it overshadows the fun aspects of the game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users find the humor in the game stemming from its graphical glitches on the Nvidia Shield, particularly noting that the broken visuals lead to amusing situations, such as missing enemies.
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever dialogue and funny character interactions that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with plenty of hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
- “The quirky animations and silly sound effects add a delightful layer of humor that makes the gameplay even more enjoyable.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a preference for the classic Sonic character design, suggesting that fans feel a stronger connection to the original aesthetic and personality traits associated with the older version of the character. This highlights a desire for character development that aligns with nostalgia and established traits rather than newer interpretations.