Sonic the Hedgehog

Screenshot from "Sonic Forces'" story trailer

After its release on Nov. 7, the new video game "Sonic Forces" did not do well according to online reviews. Critics point out that the game is lacking in creativity to further reinvent Sonic the Hedgehog.

The game received a 5 out of 10 score from Polygon and 6 out 10 from Steam. Most of the elements of the platform action video game were criticized including the gameplay, 2D setting, and storyline. The game was developed by the Sonic Team and was published by Sega.

The story revolves around Sonic as a member of the resistance team battling Doctor Eggman's force consisting of a new villain named Infinite, Shadow the Hedgehog, Zavok, and Metal Sonic. The gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games like "Sonic Unleashed" and "Sonic Generations." Most reviewers are disappointed with the lack of execution. According to Destructoid, the difficulty for each level is plain and by far, average.

One factor of the game that was commended was the customizable avatars. Players can create their own avatars to take on levels with weapons and a grappling hook. Metro indicated that the developers focused most of their ideas on this element.

The storyline was reported to be dull by critics with an unusual and unbalanced tone. With the success of the previous side-scrolling platform game "Sonic Mania," many fans are disappointed with "Sonic Forces."

Sega also dealt with a recent problem raised by PC gamers about the game crashing. Several gamers complained about the tendency of the game to crash after the first stage. SEGA has already addressed the issue with a patch. The game publisher said in a statement, "FORCES PC Players – we've just released an update that should fix most crashes. Please restart your game to ensure it's applied, and let us know if you run into any other issues." "Sonic Mania" was released last Aug. 15 and it got impressive score ratings from several video game critics.