Sonic Runners Review
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Sonic Runners Review

Our Review by Campbell Bird on July 1st, 2015
Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar :: SONIC STUMBLES
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This free-to-play endless runner does a good job of capturing some of what made Sonic games great, but then layers on so much other stuff that it's hard to enjoy.

Developer: Sega
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Playtime Rating: starhalfstarblankstarblankstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starblankstarblankstarblankstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar

Upon every Sonic the pro- and anti-Sonic crowds get increasingly more disagreeable. Although I don't have particularly strong feelings one way or the other for the blue hedgehog, I think it's safe to say his earliest work was among his strongest. Sonic Runners is an endless runner that captures the speed and platforming of 2D Sonic games, but there are a lot of things wrong with thenon-running parts that make it hard to enjoy.

The actual meat of Sonic Runners is a pretty fun and challenging runner. Players attain a specific score on a level by accumulating rings and emeralds before facing off against Dr. Eggman, much like the original games. They can unlock Tails and Knuckles as playable characters, both of which lend their strengths in specific situations.

Unfortunately, Sonic Runners isalso overwhelmingly full of freemium stuff. Some of it is relatively innocuous, like the ability to get helper items and level-up characters, but there are a lot of unbearable things as well. Namely, the constant need for an online connection, ads that pop-up after every run, pushes to post to facebook, stamina metering, and - most infuriating of all - content downloads that can make booting the game take minutes. They make what could be a great, quick game feel super bloated without adding anything to the experience.

The ideal makeover for Sonic Runners would be to keep the core gameplay while replacing the F2P stuff with more nostalgic nods to the old games (it doesn't even have classic Sonic music in it!). Almost everything about the monetization actively detracts from the overall experience.

iPhone Screenshots

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iPad Screenshots

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