Sonic Rumble, the latest addition to the blue hedgehog franchise, moves to the Battle Royale format but with an approach clearly inspired by games like Fall Guys. Scheduled for the end of the year on consoles, the game which propels Sonic and his friends into a series of platform mini-games and ring-collecting challenges is also preparing to land on iPhone and Android. Unlike traditional Sonic games known for their speed, Sonic Rumble offers a surprisingly slow experience. We tested it in preview, here is our opinion with this quick test.
What is Sonic Rumble?
The game’s pitch involves the indescribable Dr. Eggman who transformed Sonic’s characters into toys, paving the way for a 32-player battle where players compete over three rounds, with eliminations halving the competition each time . Gameplay includes racing and mini-games, with unique mechanics like using Sonic’s homing attack, for example. There is a mix of cooperation and competition, where players may need to work together to progress, such as breaking walls or defeating robots, only to turn against each other to win. It’s more or less Fall Guys, with specialties specific to the SEGA hero.
Unusual gameplay for Sonic
So yes, the game is good. It’s even excellent for fans of the genre, with smooth controls and beautiful production. Better, no in-app purchases or advertising were observed during testing, but it’s a safe bet that this will change by launch next year.
The game is difficult but fair, with simple but intuitive mechanics where the objective is to collect the most rings. It features four types of challenges (race, team, chase, battle) across seven different worlds, each with unique objectives. Characters are purely cosmetic with no impact on gameplay. A season pass is included, offering rewards like skins and emotes.
Despite some of its faithful visuals, Sonic Rumble seems disconnected from the initial philosophy of the franchise, which mixes speed and agility. Movement is slow and the game lacks the dynamic momentum typical of Sonic titles. You have to know this before you get started.
Like all games in the genre, Sonic Rumble also features plenty of unlockable skins, Chao companions, and references to past Sonic games like Sonic Riders.
Our opinion on Sonic Rumble
While Sonic Rumble may not revolutionize the genre or take advantage of Sonic’s core gameplay strengths, it serves as another fan-focused entry into the blue hedgehog universe. This is unlikely to disrupt the battle royale market, although it’s definitely fun. Apple subscribers can wait with the very good Sonic Racing and Sonic Dream Team on Apple Arcade.
Release scheduled for February 28, 2025 on App Store and Play Store.
Download the game Sonic Rumble
