Sonic Forces wants to be three games at once. It hands players Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and a custom hero built from scratch, each with its own way of moving through the screen. That ambition is the whole pitch, and it is also the problem.
Trailer, via Sonic the Hedgehog.
Three Characters, One Pace
Classic Sonic runs along a narrow path the way the original Genesis games did. Modern Sonic moves through open 3D stages built around White Wisps and speed boosts. The custom hero, the Avatar, gets a grappling hook and a mix of Wispon weapons. None of those three feel like they were built together.
The result is a game that keeps asking players to switch between modes, often within the same level. A stage might start with Classic Sonic, then throw in a stretch where the Avatar fights robots, then hand control back to Modern Sonic for a dash across a ruin. The pace shifts hard between each mode, and the game rarely smooths that change.
The Resistance Cast
The story sends Sonic off to stop Doctor Eggman, who has taken over the world with the help of Infinite, a mercenary powered by the Phantom Ruby. Sonic is captured aboard the Death Egg, and the rest of the cast steps in: Knuckles, Tails, Amy Rose, Shadow, Rouge, Silver and a newcomer called the Rookie. The Rookie steals a space shuttle to break into the Death Egg and rescue Sonic.
Knuckles forms a resistance group with Tails, Amy and the others. They fight through cities and ruins, spying on Eggman’s plans and trying to bring down the Phantom Ruby. The plot is thin by design — a setup, a capture, a rescue, a final charge — but it gives the cast a reason to be there.
Levels and Their Parts
Stages pull from past Sonic games, including Green Hill Zone, and they fill the screen with springs, rails and boost pads. Enemies come in waves, and golden rings act as health. The difficulty rises and falls without warning, since the game rarely tells players when a boss is coming or what the next danger will be.
Boss fights lean on familiar setups: a dash to dodge, a moment of stillness before the next wave hits. Nothing here feels like a fresh idea, but nothing feels wrong either.
What Works
The Avatar creator is the best part of Sonic Forces. Players pick a base type — hedgehog, rabbit, cat, bear and more — and build from there. Each type comes with a unique ability tied to a Wisp color, and the game lets players swap Wispons and weapons on the fly. It is the closest the game comes to offering a personal sense of ownership.
Modern Sonic’s 3D stages move at a good clip, and the White Wisp system gives them a reason to look around rather than rushing straight ahead. Classic Sonic’s narrow paths keep the original feel alive, even if the level design is thinner than in older games.
What Falls Short
The game asks a lot of its players. Moving between Classic, Modern and Avatar modes can break the flow of a level, and the difficulty often rises at the worst possible moment. Some stages repeat ideas from earlier Sonic games without adding much new, and the story stays thin enough that the final charge against Eggman’s empire feels rushed rather than earned.
The multiplayer mode, built around racing and battles, adds variety but does not solve the core pacing issue. Playing alone remains the clearest way to see what Sonic Forces is trying to do, and that path is uneven from start to finish.
The Verdict
Sonic Forces is a game trying to honor its history while building something new. It succeeds in giving players a custom hero to build, and it fails in making the three modes feel like one game. The pace shifts too hard, the difficulty rises without warning, and the story never earns its final charge.
Sonic Forces is a mixed bag, and the mix leans toward disappointment.
Key Facts Box
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (Windows), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Genres: Platform, Action, Fantasy, Science fiction
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Perspective: Third person
- Developer: Sonic Team
- Publisher: Sega Games, Sega
- Anniversary: 25th anniversary of the Sonic franchise
Schedule Table
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Eggman takes over the world | Within six months of his attack |
| Rookie rescues Sonic from Death Egg | After the attack |
| Boss fight against Infinite | Late in the campaign |
| Final charge against Metropolis | Campaign finale |
Sonic Forces is a game with a good idea — a hero built from scratch — trapped inside a package that cannot hold three modes together. It is worth playing for the Avatar creator alone, but the rest of the package is a rough ride.
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