Sonic Lost World

60%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,980 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Sonic Lost World Game Cover
It's probably the weakest Sonic game in a while, but Sonic: Lost Worlds ultimately overcomes its transgressions and provides a largely fun platforming experience.
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Sonic Lost World is a platformer game where Sonic and his friends must stop the Deadly Six, a group of mischievous and power-hungry creatures. The game features both classic 2D and 3D gameplay, with Sonic using various parkour moves to traverse unique and colorful levels. Players can also collect different kinds of power-ups and abilities to enhance Sonic's speed and abilities.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Wii
  • Wii U
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

60%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,980 reviews
gameplay136 positive mentions
story117 negative mentions
  • Unique gameplay mechanics that blend platforming and parkour elements.
  • Vibrant graphics and a colorful art style that appeal to fans of the genre.
  • Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Clunky controls that can feel unresponsive and frustrating, especially in 2D sections.
  • Poorly explained mechanics that lead to confusion and trial-and-error gameplay.
  • Weak story and one-dimensional characters, particularly the Deadly Six, detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay556 mentions

    The gameplay of "Sonic Lost World" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a steep learning curve due to poorly explained mechanics and controls. While some appreciate the introduction of parkour elements and the unique level design, others criticize the game for its slow pace, inconsistent mechanics, and frustrating gameplay experiences. Overall, the game offers a blend of traditional Sonic elements with new mechanics, but its execution leaves many players feeling confused and dissatisfied.

    • “The gameplay is genuinely so much fun, it's insane.”
    • “The gameplay is much the same.”
    • “The gameplay has a flow that's pretty good, but not without its flaws, and the parkour (wallrunning/climbing, edgegrabbing) is a welcome and also logical extension of Sonic's abilities.”
    • “The gameplay is a hodgepodge of undercooked ideas that if properly fleshed out in a better game, would be really fun.”
    • “The game design is pretty bad in areas, does a poor job at teaching the player its mechanics; I mean, I didn't even know how to activate the hints on my first run.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are so different from any other Sonic game, and for that reason many people don't like it.”
  • story472 mentions

    The story of "Sonic Lost World" has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers describing it as bland, poorly written, and lacking depth. Characters are often seen as one-dimensional, and the plot is criticized for being generic and unengaging, with forced humor and awkward tonal shifts. While some players appreciate the gameplay and visuals, they generally agree that the story detracts significantly from the overall experience.

    • “I'd also argue the story has compelling villains, clear stakes, and even some neat character moments.”
    • “The story ideas genuinely could've been interesting: Eggman teaming up with Sonic and gaining his trust, Tails turning on Sonic and Sonic being left alone without any support.”
    • “The story itself was entertaining (much more in-depth than the average Sonic game), and the voice cast performed their parts well.”
    • “The story is so bad that it is essential that you skip over all cutscenes and turn the voices off in the audio settings.”
    • “The story is awful, with characters that lack depth and insufferable jokes, making serious moments laughable.”
    • “The story is a joke, filled with plot holes and unreasonable character reactions, making it one of the worst in the Sonic franchise.”
  • music306 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise, with many reviewers highlighting it as one of the standout features. While some tracks are considered exceptional and fitting for the game's atmosphere, others are viewed as less memorable compared to previous Sonic titles. Overall, the soundtrack is described as eclectic and enjoyable, maintaining the high standards typically associated with Sonic games, despite some criticisms regarding repetitiveness and a lack of standout tracks.

    • “The music is great, I love Windy Hill, the main theme, the Deadly Six theme, and the underwater rail level music is bliss.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, as per usual with Sonic games.”
    • “The music is phenomenal.”
    • “Very boring and unfun… music was mediocre for Sonic standards and the story was poorly executed with terrible writing.”
    • “Even the music doesn't win me over outside of a few tracks, and that is really disappointing for the high standards Sonic usually sets.”
    • “The music is bland and uninspired.”
  • graphics221 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant and colorful art style, which is often compared to titles like Super Mario Galaxy. While some players appreciate the high-quality visuals and aesthetic charm, others criticize the design as generic and lacking creativity, particularly in level themes. Additionally, the PC port has been noted for its poor optimization and limited graphical options, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and arguably the best in the entire series.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, the gameplay is diverse and engaging, and the soundtrack adds an extra layer of excitement.”
    • “The graphics and art style are really beautiful, you can see an obvious Mario Galaxy influence, but also some roots of what would have been Sonic Xtreme for the Sega Saturn back in the day, all that beauty is well complemented with a nice soundtrack.”
    • “Somehow the graphics are 10x worse on PC than on Wii U, though how is that even possible?”
    • “Not only that, but this port is poorly made, has poor graphics, audio, and cutscenes are heavily and obviously compressed.. and for some reason there are some pretty major lag spikes throughout.”
    • “The lack of graphics options for a port of a Wii U game is actually insulting; tell me if there are mods that fix this, because I just can't recommend this version of the game if it's going to be like this.”
  • humor48 mentions

    The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it genuinely funny and reminiscent of previous titles like Sonic Colors, while others criticize it as cringeworthy and poorly executed. Notably, Eggman is often highlighted as a standout character with humorous moments, but many feel that the writing lacks depth and relies on childish jokes that fail to resonate. Overall, while there are moments of absurdity and charm, the humor is inconsistent and may not appeal to all players.

    • “Zonom hitting Sonic with a sandwich is hilarious.”
    • “This game made me laugh like crazy more times than I can count.”
    • “Eggman is not an intimidating villain, but he actually is kind of funny in this game.”
    • “It tries to go for a comedic tone similar to that of 'Colors', however, it fails by being painfully unfunny, with character writing clearly done by people who have no affinity for the characters they’re writing for and a lack of ideas.”
    • “The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making it hard to connect with the characters or the story.”
    • “Attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they become cringeworthy rather than entertaining.”
  • grinding40 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding mechanics in the game are inconsistent and often tedious, with players expressing frustration over the lack of momentum and engaging gameplay. While some rail grinding levels are appreciated for their design and physics, many other levels feel gimmicky and detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration. Additionally, the achievement system is criticized for requiring excessive grinding, further diminishing enjoyment.

    • “The achievements are also a real tedious slog in this game and I cannot be bothered with them.”
    • “They're not really challenging, there's just a lot of grinding.”
    • “The rail-grinding mechanic, for example, is introduced for one level and then abandoned for several worlds before being suddenly brought back with an expectation that the player has now mastered the mechanic and can navigate a difficult obstacle course full of instakill hazards using it.”
  • stability34 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and inconsistent gameplay that can hinder progression. While some users experienced smooth performance with minimal issues, others encountered game-breaking glitches and problematic controls that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game appears to be a mix of solid performance for some and a buggy mess for others, leading to a lack of confidence in its stability.

    • “The game runs great throughout the entire experience; I only had 2 very minor frame rate hiccups occur during my playtime.”
    • “I encountered no glitches, visual or mechanical, and the game ran at a smooth 60 fps for the entire experience.”
    • “Runs great on Intel Graphics 5500.”
    • “This on top of the wonky hitboxes and pretty frequent glitches made me feel as if this game wasn't even finished.”
    • “There are entire levels that can't be passed because of persistent glitches.”
    • “Even though it's beautiful, it's too buggy to the point you may get 'game over' three times before you can end an act.”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame drops and slowdowns, particularly on PC. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly after tweaking settings, others criticized the lack of graphical options and overall poor optimization, especially given its origins as a Wii U port. Despite these challenges, a few players found the game enjoyable when performance issues were not present.

    • “The game is very well optimized and level design is for the most part great.”
    • “This is a very well optimized port performance-wise, even though there aren't that many graphical options, the art style and easy to hit 60fps makes it a good port.”
    • “The port is really good, I have had no problems with the performance issues at all.”
    • “I have no issues with the game itself, just the performance is really awful.”
    • “The game's performance was decent, but there were stages when it was running at a constant 60 then suddenly dropped to 30 causing major slowdown, the fight with the Gluttonous Deadly Six was one of them and it was a major annoyance when it did drop.”
    • “The game is good so far, but the main problem is that the game is poorly optimized with its technical capabilities that the game has, the requirements speculate that it'll run on weaker and lower-end chipsets and I have a good, strong chipset, but eventually even if played on the lowest resolutions the game will frame drop and become unplayable at 30fps, also a lack of texture settings, no co-op like the Wii U version as well.”
  • replayability24 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some levels are enjoyable and offer opportunities for exploration and collecting items, many players feel that the lack of alternate paths and limited content diminishes long-term engagement. Although there are missions and collectibles to pursue, the grind and short length lead to a consensus that it lacks the replay value expected from a Sonic title. Players suggest that while the game can be fun, it may not justify its price for those seeking extensive replayability.

    • “I would recommend this game to fans of the platformer genre, for it has nice visuals, fun gameplay, nice music, and decent replayability.”
    • “There's the added replayability of completing all 100 of the missions (each one is an achievement) and collecting all the red star rings to unlock Super Sonic.”
    • “Most of the levels are really good with great replayability.”
    • “It is very short and has very little replay value for a game that is $30.”
    • “There is no real replay value… red ring collectibles, bonus levels, and your standard stuff like most modern Sonic games.”
    • “One downside is there aren't too many alternate paths aside from 'secret rooms' for red star rings; it doesn't really help replay value, and branching level paths is an important part of Sonic games (to me).”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players expressing frustration over technical issues and lackluster gameplay, leading to disappointment and a decision to uninstall. In contrast, others found a sense of nostalgia and satisfaction in completing the game, despite its flaws, highlighting a bittersweet connection to the original Sonic experience.

    • “Playing this after playing Sonic Generations has made me feel like I'm back in the original Sonic era.”
    • “I completed this game in a brisk 13 hours (without touching the bonus levels) and I'm very happy I gave it a chance.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game has been criticized for its poor execution, with users highlighting the unappealing designs of the Deadly Six and a lack of engaging plot points. While some appreciate the initial character designs, they feel these are wasted in a game that fails to deliver coherent character arcs or meaningful interactions, leading to frustration with the overall experience.

    • “Bought the game, was super excited, the character designs are awesome, and it feels like they went to waste being used in this game.”
    • “And honestly, we all know the Deadly Six are possibly the worst character designs to come out for Sonic; let's just throw it out there and ignore that.”
    • “-story (no interesting plot points in Lost World, the Deadly Six are just obnoxious and obvious in their character design, and the characters also seem to have amnesia at points).”
    • “This game was really aggravating me with the gameplay, and then they came along and messed up the whole character development.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is visually stunning, featuring unique weather-themed environments that enhance the overall experience. While the soundtrack complements the visuals well, some players find the level design repetitive, which detracts from the immersive quality. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its beauty and variety, despite some gameplay mechanics that may hinder enjoyment.

    • “A pretty cool 3D platformer (with an occasional 2D level) adventure game with beautiful typical weather-themed maps with great atmosphere including winter, tropical, and desert.”
    • “Forming a great atmosphere and making the levels really enjoyable to play.”
    • “The atmosphere feels incredibly dull and uninspired.”
    • “There's a lack of engaging elements in the atmosphere, making it quite boring.”
    • “The overall ambiance fails to captivate, resulting in a monotonous experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

53% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
3-19hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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