Sonic 4 Episode 2 Reviews

[Drunk Michael Myers]

- those Spindash and rolling sound effects which are still reversed... (plus many other minor nitpicky moments)

Fuck'em. Going with no SFX and custom soundtrack. Again.

Can't take the schwiish-schwiish-boing-boing-boing-bleepwoosh-bleepwoosh-bleepwoosh again. And that fucking 1up jingle. Like....ten 1ups in every stage. Horrible.

- the special stages have an incredibly high difficulty curve after the first one or two

Edited May 15, 2012 by Michael Myers

[Neon]

EGM Review:

http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-ii/

6.5/10

[Blue Blood]

Actually, they're pretty inoffensive this time around. They're very underplayed. It's as if Episode I overdid it on purpose to showcase the fact that you had a homing attack. Now they're just kinda... phoned in. There's no more than two or three per Zone, and to be honest, that's the perfect balance.

I'd still rather there were fewer, they were varied and moved around. i can tolerate what we have though.

However, there is one stage built entirely around the homing attack. Sylvania Castle 3 uses the HA more than any level in E1 or E2 at all. It's also one of the best stages in the game because it's used somewhat creatively (and it's not overused elsewhere).

[Vec]

EGM Review:

http://www.egmnow.co...g-4-episode-ii/

6.5/10

Wait...Wasn't EGM the one who made that Generations review that had false information? (Like the first level wa Emerald Hill and that you played the same level but in different perspective?

Anyway, this doesn't go to the final score if I remember right

[Blue Blood]

That EGM review is really dumb.

As a nice additional bonus, if you purchased Sonic 4: Episode I, once you beat Episode II, you can unlock an additional act where you can play as Metal Sonic and learn just how it was that he came back as he traces a unique path through levels from the first three Sonic games.

No.

[Vec]

That EGM review is really dumb.

No.

Well...at least they are making wrong statements in this review

[Komodin]

That EGM review is really dumb.

No.

I know, right? None of the levels in Episode 1 look remotely like the Sonic 3 & Knuckles levels! Sonic 1 and 2, on the other hand...

[SenEDDtor Missile]

That EGM review is really dumb.

No.

Why do I get the feeling they didn't even look at the game?

[pppp]

Well, I was wondering when we were gonna get a "Game sucks because it should be Sonic only" kind of review. I also love how he loves the classics even though there were also friend moments in Sonic 3 like the Marble Garden boss.

[Nintendoga]

Well, last week I was going to post a "special" kind of review about this game, but since that info is gone thanks to the backspace button and Chrome, I'll have to work on it again and post it later.

For now, here's my thoughts on Sonic 4 Ep.2

[media=]

Edited May 15, 2012 by Mike Dawson

[jennytablina]

My initial thoughts on Sonic 4: Episode 2

First off, I'll give props to DIMPs and Sega for fixing the physics and sorting out the graphics. While Episode 1 didn't look bad, it did look rather plastic or suffering from SA:DX's shiny syndrome a bit. That's gotten better in Episode 2, the first 2 levels look great. I'm only up to Oil Desert but that looked a bit more drab, like Planet Wisp with sandstorms. But I love the environments and the change in play. Which I guess is progression from some of Episode 1's issues, and actually playing up the elements that worked better

That said I feel conflicted on the gameplay, it's great having Tails along for the ride, and him actually being useful. But am I the only one a bit perplexed that he's suddenly a fantastic swimmer, yet his tails can't handle long distance 'copter rides with Sonic now? He should really get that checked out. In all serious, the combo mechanic is a neat addition once you are used to it. Sega certainly have tried to work the game so it works with the combos, but also doesn't break the game. The only problem is the level designs feel kinda iffy at times. There's still FAR too much Pit death in this game, I wish DIMP's would realize that mechanic is only frustrating, it's bad enough being slowed down. I haven't gotten to special stages yet, but I suspect I will learn to dread them for similar reasons I dread the pits (and the special stages in Episode 1 too, still haven't got all the emeralds :/)

The music is pretty forgettable, even Episode 1 had some stand out tracks, but nothing in Episode 2 stands out for me at all. Maybe one or two might grow on me, but there's not been a single track I really enjoy. I do slightly lament the loss of "Metallic Hoedown" - though the new Boss themes are a bit more like it (and less comically unfitting)

[Sega DogTagz]

There's still FAR too much Pit death in this game, I wish DIMP's would realize that mechanic is only frustrating, it's bad enough being slowed down. I haven't gotten to special stages yet, but I suspect I will learn to dread them for similar reasons I dread the pits (and the special stages in Episode 1 too, still haven't got all the emeralds :/)

some things that might interest you

1.)

At any time during a special stage, you can pause and restart - basically giving you unlimited chances to learn the stage and keep taking stabs at it until you get the chaos emeralds (Episode 1 let you do this too)

2.)

The copter combo can basically save your butt from any pit.

That first tip will save you a ton of frustration if your having trouble.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Sega DogTagz

[T-Min]

Welp, here's my review. (spoilered for size) ;D

The year is 2010. A number of mediocre to absolutely disgusting console titles have utterly annihilated the reputation of the once beloved blue hedgehog, Sonic. Fans and critics alike treat each new release with more and more vitriol, and look to the second dimension, in which the hedgehog was much better received, for help. The well-received handheld Advance and Rush games, developed by Dimps, had already set a precedent that 2-D Sonic games tend to fare better than the console-based 3-D ones, and thus many believed that a return to 2-D on consoles would save this declining franchise from the trash heap. Thus, SEGA once again outsourced to Dimps and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, the start of a downloadable throwback series to the original Genesis trilogy, was created…and it received one of the most polarized receptions of any game in the series since Sonic Adventure 2. Most critics liked it, most others thought it was okay, and much of the fanbase treated it with almost as much bile as the despicable Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. To go into detail would make this introduction drag on forever, so I’m just going to use some popular buzzwords: physics, automation, physics, rehashing, and physics. Oh, and green eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lim1W7BkcB8

Of course, I did review the game back in October of 2010 and, at the time, I freaking loved it. It was the most fun I had had with a console Sonic game in nine years. Of course, after the shock of actually enjoying a Sonic game wore off and I played the game more and more, some of the problems did begin to become more apparent. In particular, the glitchy, inertia-less physics started to bug me more and even aside from that it really couldn’t hold a candle to the classics it was billing itself as a sequel to. That said, I did find myself going back to it a lot and enjoying myself every time, so I’m still happy that I bought it in the end. Now we have Episode 2, for which they promised to take our complaints to heart and make a better game. Did they succeed at doing so or do what Square Enix did earlier this year with Final Fantasy XIII-2 and fail miserably? The answer lies herein.

----------------------------------

Let’s start things off this time by talking about the aesthetics. One thing veterans of Episode 1 will immediately notice is that the game’s visual style has been completely redone, and it looks great. The visuals are a lot more vibrant and colorful and Sonic’s sprite looks considerably better and is a lot more expressive. Environments are made out of a lot more materials than the plastic and cardboard of old. The backgrounds are simply gorgeous as well and there’s usually a lot going on in them. In Oil Desert’s background, for example, you can see the drills and machinery operating and you’ll be able to see the various colorful attractions in the background of White Park. Zones, in general, look very inspired and quite diverse, and they feature some nice set pieces as well. Oh, and rest assured: this game, for the most part, does NOT rehash Zones or enemies from older Sonic games. I can’t say, aside from the enemies, that it’s all-new, as some elements – especially in Sky Fortress - are definitely going to feel familiar, but the Zones feel new enough that I doubt you’ll have a problem with it. Unfortunately, the soundtrack doesn’t fare quite so well. Many decried the “dying cat” synthesizers of the first episode, and thankfully, they’re gone, but they’ve been replaced by what will come off at first as an obnoxious metallic buzzing, or, in the case of Oil Desert Act 2…quacking ducks. Some tracks may eventually grow on you and there may be some that you’ll love immediately, but there were definitely several, such as the Eggman boss theme and White Park Acts 1 and 2, that I just couldn’t get into.

Now it’s time to discuss the gameplay and before you ask, yes, they did fix the physics and they did a pretty good job at that. All of Sonic’s jumps and other such movements carry inertia just as they should and Sonic can no longer stand upright on walls as if his shoes contain ridiculously powerful magnets. As such, movement feels a great deal better than it did in Episode 1. They still haven’t gotten the rolling mechanic quite down just yet, but eh, it’s a small problem at worst. So, with that said, the Rush and Rivals games aside, if you’ve played a 2-D Sonic game before, you should have a good idea of what to expect from Sonic 4: Episode 2. It’s a platformer based around the fact that Sonic can run really, really fast. There are also Rings to collect so you won’t die, enemies to bounce and homing attack into, springs to bounce off of and everything you associate with Sonic. However, Sonic 4: Episode 2 introduces a new gimmick that you will be making use of a lot in the game.

See, Episode 2 brings Sonic’s sidekick Tails back into gameplay. You won’t be able to control him solo in single player mode, but you will be using him a lot to help Sonic get through the level. Pressing the “Square” button (on PS3) on the ground will cause them both to curl up into an uncontrollable, spinning ball of death that destroys everything in their path, which is useful for clearing otherwise insurmountable obstacles and just annihilating everything. You will have to uncurl from it eventually, however, as you can’t control left or right movement while using this move. Tails’ ability to fly using his two tails also comes into play; press the “Square” button in mid-air and Tails will be able to fly you upwards for a short time, and doing so while underwater will let you use Tails to swim since, as usual, Sonic can’t do it himself. Really, you’d think he’d have taken lessons by now. Anyway, this is an interesting gimmick that is executed pretty well. You will be using it a lot to find different routes through levels and the level design puts it to some other pretty fun and inventive uses, such as navigating an underwater cave filled with suicidal ice-breathing walruses, as the game goes on.

And that’s another thing that people hoped would see improvement: the level design, and, well…it definitely has in some ways, but some fans will still be disappointed by the overuse of automation. Yes, Episode 1 was criticized for its perceived overuse of springs and speed boosters, which some thought was often unnecessary and made the game feel like it was playing itself at some points. Unfortunately, there’s still plenty of that here. I never actually found this inherently problematic in Episode 1, but honestly, even I’m getting kind of tired of it at this point. Don’t get me wrong; in moderation, just setting the controller down and watching Sonic blast around at high speeds can be pretty satisfying and there are even times where it’s kind of satisfying here, but the problem is that this game just overuses it. Of course, that’s not to say that the level design is bad; there’s still plenty to enjoy here and the automation doesn’t hurt the experience too much – at least for me – but it is disappointing. Actually, there was one level that I thought it kind of worked for, and that was White Park Act 2. Being a level meant to simulate a giant rollercoaster, the use of springs and boosters felt like it fit and there was still some decent platforming here and there. Some fans will find the level to be bland, but personally, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Anyway, while Episode 2 doesn’t get rid of the automation, its level design does prove to be quite a bit better than Episode 1’s regardless. For one thing, levels tend to be a lot larger, providing a lot more to see and plenty of different ways to get through each stage, which is always a very good thing. Straight-up platforming appears more frequently than in Episode 1 and there is much more creative use of stage-specific gimmicks as well as the previously mentioned team actions. Levels are also very diverse in the challenges they pose, and speaking of challenge, there’s a LOT more of it than in Episode 1. It’s not quite what I’d call a particularly difficult game, but it won’t be a cakewalk either, especially in its second half. Oh, and the game also has a level that features Sonic riding on Tails’ airplane, in the vein of such stages as Sky Chase or Tornado Defense (eh…sort of), and it’s probably the best stage of its kind to appear in the series thus far. And then there are the bosses, which actually impressed me a lot. Okay, the first one is bad – really bad – but beyond that, things improve considerably. The Oil Desert and final bosses, in particular, are some of the most epic, unique and challenging bosses I’ve fought in a Sonic game in a long time – barring Generations of course – and all of the fights against Metal Sonic are really fun. It actually surprised me how good the boss design was; you can really tell that Dimps got on their A-game here…after the first one. Honestly, it confuses me how that one turned out so ridiculously easy and boring, especially considering how awesome it looks. But I digress.

The other ones are awesome, it's just...this one. How.

And then there are the special stages, which are reminiscent of Sonic Rush’s special stages, which means that they’re reminiscent of Sonic 2’s special stages, which have been recycled by the franchise a number of times now. Sonic 4: Episode 2 unfortunately doesn’t even go as far as Sonic Heroes or Colors DS did to cover this up; you’re just running forward through a half-pipe, collecting Rings and dodging obstacles. Don’t get me wrong; the stage is still plenty fun and does add a couple of new twists, and the last few are pretty dang tough. It’s just that the Sonic 2 special stage is getting kind of old at this point, and it’s about time for them to come up with a new one. And if not that, then they really need to give the Blue Sphere special stages from Sonic 3 & Knuckles a nod. Those were the best in the whole freakin’ series.

Sonic 4: Episode 2 allows you to play co-op with a friend, either locally or online, in which one player takes control of Sonic and one takes control of Tails. I’m not much of a co-op guy myself, but I did try it out, and it seems to work pretty well. The one thing I found fault with was that both players share one Ring counter, basically meaning that if one player gets hit, neither player will have any Rings. Honestly, I think that it would have worked better if they either had separate Ring counters or only half of the collected Rings were lost if one of them took a hit. Regardless, because of this, you will want to play co-op with someone as skilled as you are, and also because it’s easy to outrun other players thanks to how fast the game moves.

One more thing: if you own both Episodes 1 and 2 on the same console, you will actually have access to a free bonus episode called “Episode Metal”, in which you play as Metal Sonic through four levels from Episode 1 in a story that bridges the gap between Episodes 1 and 2, and the four levels feature different designs from their original incarnations. Unfortunately, since I bought Episode 1 on Wii, which Episode 2 is not available for, I probably won’t be playing it anytime soon. I can’t say it’s not cool that they did that, though.

The Good:

+ Great graphics

+ Greatly improved physics

+ Team gimmick works well

+ Generally solid level design

+ Co-op is good

+ Free bonus episode if you own both main episodes on one console

+ Great boss fights…

The Bad:

- …Except for the first

- Too much automation

- Hit or miss soundtrack

- Sonic 2-style special stages are getting old

--------------------------------------

So how does Episode 2 fare when compared to the classics? Well, I’m afraid Dimps still has a ways to go before they can reach that standard of quality. Sonic 2 and 3 & Knuckles are, after all, some of the greatest 2-D platformers ever made, though, personally, I don’t think Sonic 4 will ever get that good no matter how many episodes it gets. In its own right, though, Sonic 4: Episode 2 is a very enjoyable 2-D platformer despite the flaws and it’s a significant improvement over Episode 1. I personally found it to be worth the money I paid for it, and you just might, too. Until next time, adios.

Grade: B

[Neon]

GamesRadar Review: http://www.gamesrada...sode-ii-review/

5/10

]Episode II still looks sharp, but the visually-stimulating stages of Episode I far outclass the bland settings of Episode II

Metro Review: http://www.metro.co....-from-the-crypt

6/10

Edited May 16, 2012 by Neon

[SenEDDtor Missile]

GamesRadar Review: http://www.gamesrada...sode-ii-review/

5/10

Metro Review: http://www.metro.co....-from-the-crypt

6/10

@Gamesradar

Visually Stimulating!? What's visually stimulating about looking at plastic models?

[KrazyBean]

GamesRadar Review: http://www.gamesrada...sode-ii-review/

Visualy stimulating...Episode 1...LMAOOO!

Yeah, I can't take that review seriously now.

Edited May 16, 2012 by KrazyBean14

[frokenok3]

Nice going reviewers. I laugh at your face with all i got.

SSMB's members reviews are SO much better!

[Blue Blood]

I hope this game gets more average/negative scores. Not because I want to see Sonic games do badly (anything but that). it's because I want SEGA to make a GOOD 2D Sonic game. 5 and 6 and of 10 should do that.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Blue Blood

[Salamander]

Visually Stimulating!? What's visually stimulating about looking at plastic models?

I suspect that that's precisely their point - Episode I is more vivid, more colourful. Episode II clearly has the more sophisticated graphics, but do they stand out as much? That's the point GamesRadar is highlighting, I think.

[Neon]

Consol.at Review:

http://www.consol.at/reviews/test/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-2.html

4.5/5

[speedfreak]

I hope this game gets more average/negative scores. Not because I want to see Sonic games do badly (anything but that). it's because I want SEGA to make a GOOD 2D Sonic game. 5 and 6 and of 10 should do that.

[SuperLink]

As long as it still sells I don't think they'll care sadly.

[SilentDoom]

I think the main issue with Sonic 4 (both episodes actually) is identity crisis. It doesn't know what the heck it wants to be. It doesn't actually have a proper direction. For the sake of relevance though, I'll stick with just talking about Episode 2, so let's break the main elements apart:

First off, let's start with the big one of physics and level design. As we all know the physics of Ep 2 are improved from Ep 1. Sonic retains his momentum when going off slopes. He no longer uncurls off ramps and overall it feels a lot more natural. Rolling is still kinda gimped, but even that feels slightly improved from Ep 1. It's evident that they were making more of concious effort to make physics more akin to the classic games. However, the main issue is that the level design almost NEVER compliments these physics. Throughout the classic games there were loads of awesome slope formations so you could take advantage of momentum and the game's physics to reach additional areas and collect stuff and explore, as well as use rolling mechanics and slopes to build up as much speed as possible and try and retain it. Even Generations Classic Sonic (console versions mind, not the 3DS one) had its levels better suited to the Generations physics engine. There were plenty of moments where I could charge up my spindash, leap off and incline and successfully bounce off and enemy and land on a higher route. However, in Sonic 4 (both Ep 1 and Ep 2) the level designs never really get the chance to make use of these physics, and rely a lot on level and character gimmicks to push them along. The design is either pretty dang basic or just plain needlessly automated. Is it really necessary to place speed boosters and springs everywhere? It's not only insulting to the player but to the designers of the physics engine. Are the level designs that incompetent enough to think that a player cannot run into a spring on their own and thus need a speed booster to propel them into one? Or that they are incapable of spindashing up a hill so they need a line of 2 to 5 speed boosters to push them up? Even Rush had a more certain direction when it came to level design. At least it gave you the freedom to boost through the entire stage or not, and the levels were more streamlined and designed for user generated constant speed. Whether or not this is a good thing, you may argue. But it's certainly a more definitive thing.

The other main thing that shows Sonic 4's uncertain direction is its music. It's trying to homage the classic titles by being all 16 bit and all that jazz. Or is it? You see, the main thing we have to remember with the classic games was that they were ALWAYS trying to push the boundaries of their technology and this includes in their sound direction. The compositions were ambitious and had a lot of depth and felt like they really could've been designed so well for real instruments. I even remember the composer of Sonic 1's music (Masato Nakamura) stating that he didn't want to compose the music like video game music, but rather more like film music. He wanted it bigger and bolder. Sonic 4 on the other hand, has very little ambition when it comes to sound direction. The compositions aren't particularly ambitious, a lot of it isn't very memorable and the choice of instruments is horrible and honestly I think it's some of Jun Senoue's worst work. If they truly wanted to homage the classic titles when it came to music, they would've used real instruments and proper pieces. Something more along the lines of Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed or Colours or pretty much EVERY OTHER MODERN SONIC GAME. Heck, even if they really wanted to insist on using 16 bit, they should have done it in the same way Generations did for its classic levels.

On the plus side, visuals feel like a nice step up (in Ep 2 at least, definitely not in Ep 1). Personally I think it looks really gorgeous. However, one thing that really bugs me is the animation. It's really quite mediocre and quite a lot of the animations look kind of out of place and really basic and don't have all that much personality to them save for a few animations. The ones that bug me the most has to be when he bounces diagonally off a spring and the homing attack flip. For the former, why is it so slow? Infact, why is he flipping at all? It looks so stupid and unnatural. And you see it so frequently it hurts my eyes. For the latter, how come only one flip? In every Sonic game, he always he bounces up as a ball after landing a homing attack or he does a variety of cool flips and tricks. In this he just does his one slow ass flip. And again, it's something you see pretty often.

Well, that's my two cents. Not really a review as such, but I hope I still got my point across and it wasn't too painful to read

[Carbo]

@Gamesradar

Visually Stimulating!? What's visually stimulating about looking at plastic models?

To be fair, in defense of the "visually stimulating" claim, Sonic 4 Episode 1 did have a very colorful and vibrant aesthetic design, but that's not really saying much since all the zones in that game were rehashes of designs we love because of other games. Episode 2 is much more graphically sound, but personally I always thought that apart from arguably White Park, most of the stages are pretty generic and muddled, so in that regard I can kind of see where they're coming from.

[Komodin]

Visually Stimulating!? What's visually stimulating about looking at plastic models?

To be fair, though they are rather plasticy in appearance, the levels in Episode 1 do look more vibrant and colorful.