If looked at just for its visual beauty, Sonic 4 does just fine. It's still one of the prettiest platformers I've ever seen, even with the background flying away at breakneck (or painfully "sorta-quick") speeds. The bonus round ripped from Sonic 2 looks great, and it's a nice return to the one bonus in the series that I didn't find utterly frustrating. But everything here feels recycled. Nothing stands out as particularly original.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic Team · May 15, 2012
About
Following the events of Episode I, Metal Sonic has returned to form a formidable alliance with Dr. Eggman! To face this new threat, Sonic will have to call upon an old friend to help him save the day! Joined by Tails, utilize ingenious combination moves and race across four brand new Zones, in order to put an end to their evil plans!
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Critic reviews
- 6.0Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 disappoints. While the addition of cooperative play is a big step in the right direction, the core elements that made Episode 1 a tepid experience persist here: mediocre level design, slow pacing, and erratic levels of fun. Like its predecessor, this is a functional "time waster" of a game, but should you spend too long in its world, Episode 2 reveals its feet of clay.
- While the main content can be completed within an hour, there is some replay value associated with trying to get faster times on each stage, discovering alternate routes, or acquiring the elusive chaos emeralds. Both local and online cooperative play are also supported, but the multiplayer aspect is more frustrating than fun since you have to share rings and life between characters. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Two ultimately feels loose where it should be tight, slow where it should be fast, and tedious where it should be exciting.
- 4.5Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II is 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. You may experience a few moments of nostalgia when playing through the short campaign, but you’ll really just wish you could bust out your Genesis, dust off your old cartridges, and play a real Sonic game.
- 5.0What's most galling about the whole exercise is that you find yourself wanting nothing more than a graphically-enhanced version of the Mega Drive originals. It says much about how far this former trailblazer has fallen that we hope for nothing more than that, and expect quite a bit less. With every new Sonic release that groan grows louder, that glimmer of hope ever fainter.
- 6.5pisode II is a better game than that one was when it comes to the fans' key criticisms, but yet this second – and final – installment of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 still seems bland. Buy it and enjoy it as much as you can if you're a longtime Sonic follower. Just don't get your hopes up too high again. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, once more, has not been the true second coming of your hero.
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