The Sonic team and SEGA have a lot to celebrate this week.
The newest game in the Sonic franchise, Sonic Mania, has received extremely positive reviews from critics over the past week, after being released on August 15 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch (the PC version will be coming at a later date). It managed to become the highest-rated Sonic game from critics reviews in over 15 years, according to the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account.
“Sonic Mania is the highest-rated new Sonic game in 15 years. Thank you all so much for being part of this journey with us,” it said in the tweet posted by the Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account.
On Metacritic, the game received a score of 86 for PlayStation 4, a score of 85 for Xbox One and a score of 88 for the Nintendo Switch.
One review from COGconnected gave Sonic Mania a score of 86 for PlayStation 4.
“For better or for worse, this is classic Sonic the Hedgehog at its purest. The graphics, the sound, and the controls are all pixel-perfect reproductions lifted straight from your memories. Everything you loved and hated about the old games is back. If you took the time to master the special stages back in the day, you’ll find many opportunities to dust off those skills,” it says in the review. The full review of Sonic Mania from COGconnected can be found here.
One review from Game Informer gave the game a score of 85 for Xbox One.
“A return to the series’ roots in every sense, Sonic Mania is a joyful reminder why the franchise became such a hit in the first place. Though it’s content with reliving past glories, it does so exceptionally well. Exciting level design, a stellar soundtrack, and cool expansions on the original formula work in one accord to deliver the Sonic game fans have been waiting for,” it says in the review. The full review of Sonic Mania from Game Informer can be found here.
One review from Nintendo Life gave the game a score of 90 for the Nintendo Switch.
“Sonic Mania is a true return to form for the mascot, in his 2D ‘Classic’ guise at least. It celebrates the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts and some delightful boss encounters, the development team has poured a lot of passion and talent into the project. The occasional bug and a couple of brief and cheap areas deprive it of Sonic-style perfection, but it’s pretty darn close. Is it the best Sonic game ever? It’s in the conversation, though the classics it’s honouring may stake a claim for slightly greater ‘flow’ in the campaigns. Frankly, it’s better just to call it a dead heat and skip the argument – Sonic Mania belongs in the company of the games to which it pays tribute – the Blue Blur is back,” it says in the review. The full review of Sonic Mania from Nintendo Life can be found here.
The Sonic franchise has taken many exciting, shocking and strange turns throughout it’s lifetime. To see SEGA and the Sonic team come back to what made the original Sonic games so popular proves their extreme dedication and want to improve Sonic the Hedgehog. I cannot wait to pick up my own copy of Sonic Mania and freak out over the nostalgia and new happiness I feel playing something similar what made me love Sonic in the first place. It must be an emotional but amazing time for the Sonic team and SEGA, too. Congratulations!
Featured image via BagoGames.
