Review - Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Has it really been the best part of a year and a half since Sonic 4: Episode I appeared? You wouldn’t think it, but the gap between that and this latest instalment has certainly been longer than you’d expect for an episodic gaming experience. Still, maybe the whole ‘episode’ thing isn’t really all that important – after all, what matters with Sonic are the high-speed thrills and the inevitable dying when you run off cliffs, into spikes and through enemies that you didn’t see coming until it was too late. And not surprisingly, Sonic 4: Episode II (with its crazy mish-mash of numbers and roman numerals still intact) has both of those in spades… although once again, it’s not always for the better.

Boasting five new stages, high-score leaderboards and some semblance of multiplayer (where everyone argues over who gets to play as Tails), it’s not like Episode II doesn’t have all the right things on paper. Unfortunately though, rather than bolting at the gun, Episode II makes a bit of a sluggish start out of the gate… and I do mean that literally.



Even if you’re not familiar with previous Sonic titles (and if you not, what have you been doing?), you can’t fail to notice immediately how slow Sonic himself moves. Even with a well-executed spin dash to start us off, Sonic never seems to move past a leisurely jog and while this makes for a slightly more controllable experience, it means the game lacks that exciting feeling of insane speed that’s become synonymous with the franchise.

The first stage also gets off to a slow start since it spends most of its time trying to teach you about the ‘Tag Actions’, a new addition for Episode II. There are three in total, all of which can be performed by pressing X and vary depending on our duo’s situation; the ‘Rolling Combo’ is similar to a spin dash but can break walls, the ‘Copter Combo’ lets you reach high places or save yourself from an otherwise fatal drop and the ’Submarine Combo’, which lets you move through water at increased speed. Sadly, the flashy titles are probably the most interesting thing about these new additions, as they prove to be pretty forgettable for the most part. Hell, the ‘Submarine Combo’ even becomes completely useless after Stage Two due to a complete lack of water…



Thankfully, things start to pick up a bit past Stage One, with the backgrounds becoming vastly more interesting. Ranging from a snow covered neon amusement park, to a trip in Tails’ famous biplane which leaves you running across a floating fortress at sunset, it’s certainly all very pretty. Some stage-specific events also help to add depth and interest later on, with snowboarding and oil slicks quickening the pace across each act as you make a grab for those rings. And as is traditional for a Sonic game, snagging fifty rings grants you entry to the Special Stage – a bonus treat akin to the one in Sonic 2 that now includes a Retry option upon failure. Yep, there’s your concession for the casual market right there…

Unfortunately, if there’s one word that could be used to describe Episode II as a whole, it’d be ‘uninspired’. With the usual mix of three acts/boss spreading across the stages, some clumsy level design and all the Boss encounters offering nothing particularly memorable outside of reverting to the traditional dodge, strike, repeat formula, it’s all a bit bland. Indeed, if there was anywhere Team Sonic could have used the new ‘Tag Actions’ to make a difference, it would’ve been during the boss battles, but they didn’t. Some of the showdowns even threaten instant kills which, when coupled with the slow pacing of the encounters, can lead to some frustrating deaths.



Even when you consider the various extras that have been thrown in (Chaos Emeralds for replay value, co-operative play either locally or online and the bonus Metal Sonic stages if you’ve also got Episode I stored on your 360), the fact that you’re looking at around two hours of playtime here is rather disappointing. That’s not to say that Episode II is terrible, because it’s not – by sticking to the tried-and-tested formula of side-scrolling arcade action, Sonic 4: Episode II doesn’t go too far wrong aside from some wonky level design in places. However, it also doesn’t do anything to breathe fresh life into the series and makes for a fairly middle of the road release, failing to stand out as anything more than ‘yet another Sonic game’. Fans of the franchise will enjoy this instalment for what it is, but those looking to get in on the action for the first time may find it difficult to understand what all the fuss is about…