Sonic Forces creators' good intentions and interesting ideas don't amount to much in a game so clumsy and limited in design. It certainly doesn't help that Forces follows right on the heels of Sonic Mania, a game that not only demonstrated a more focused design sensibility but also did a far better job of realizing its creators' ambitions. Forces may have had a larger budget than Mania, but it feels like the poorer creation all around. Unless your dearest dream has always been to play a Sonic game as your own original fan art character, Sonic Forces doesn't have much to offer.

Famitsu - 35/40 (9, 9, 9,

Sonic Forces has a strong story and stronger fanservice at the expense of inconsistent and, at times, outright broken gameplay that yields only minimal dividends. Replayability exists, but only the most patient will pursue.

While I see potential in Sonic Forces, the execution just isn't there, especially with the Switch edition. In the future I really hope Sega reinvents the wheel, taking a more Mario Odyssey adventure approach. The whole level-based 3D "thing" hasn't worked out so frequently that it's worth a shot.

Whoever this shoddily made platformer is meant to please it won’t be those that like Sonic Mania, or any of the better 3D Sonic games.

To answer our initial question, Sonic Forces hasn’t managed to convince us that it is a must-play title in the series, but has at least alleviated some of our initial fears. A relatively short five-hour or so campaign, a lack of difficulty that ramps up unexpectedly on the final boss, and the non-coherent blend of 3D sequences, 2D sections and cutscenes make Sonic Forces a mixed experience, with positive moments undone by weaker areas.

This is a short game of short levels, yet desperately short of real ideas. It sacrifices everything for speed, while failing to offer any challenge beyond some sudden, stupidly unfair sections right at the end. And while there’s some fun to be had in building and customising your avatar, thanks to an almost silly stream of new costumes and options at the end of every level, it’s not nearly enough to keep you coming back for more. You’ll have finished Sonic Forces in a day – and forgotten everything except the waste of money not long after.

What ends up holding Sonic Forces back is that it — ironically — moves too fast to leave any sort of lasting impact, speeding through both its plot and levels in short bursts instead of leaving more time for anything to soak in. Outside of its length issues, however, the gameplay is solid, the character customization is incredibly fun and the aesthetics are impressive as always. It kind of goes without saying that it doesn’t hold a candle to Sonic Mania, which is still a must-buy and the one to pick if you somehow have to choose between the two, but it’s still serviceable enough that fans may want to check it out. Here’s hoping things slow down a bit for the next game, though.

Though not without its moments, Forces is a depressing return to form for Sonic the Hedgehog after the joys of Mania.

Sonic Forces is messy. The story is a jumble of references and nearly incoherent plot points while the level design is scattered and frequently undermined by conceptual flaws. Messy games just aren’t always the worst. This game plays out with so much infectious energy and excitement that it’s hard not to smile while playing it. It’s not very polished but Sonic Forces manages to find excitement in spite of rough edges. It’s a playable Saturday morning cartoon: silly, janky but for a brief period of time, a fun distraction.

Despite my multiple gripes with Sonic Forces, I still enjoyed the adventure. 3D Sonic games still aren't to where they should be after such a long time of iteration and experimentation, but through improved gameplay and level design, Sonic Forces continues the series' evolution in the right direction.