[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1XU0ST5J0[/youtube]
IGN has put out the worlds first review of Sonic Free Riders, SEGA’s first Xbox 360 Kinect title. Associate Editor Jack Devries has given the game a 7.5/10, just .5 less than the website gave Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Devries is very positive about the multiplayer aspects of the game, even the new relay and tag modes. The only real complaints expressed are that the game is shallow, isn’t so easy to jump into for casual players. You can check out the video review for yourself in the video above or read the written review at IGN’s website.
Outside of the review, we get a look at more gameplay footage from the various tracks and characters, as well as some of the static cutscenes and voice acting.
Source: IGN
Video review
Written review
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads up!
Awesome, but I’m not spending pounds and pounds on an Xbox 360 and an Kinect just for one game tho
Pretty good news, though I always feel IGN is a bit soft on reviewing games, Sonic or not. I’ll see how the game fairs in other sites and publications.
ProjectZuel: IGN being soft on Sonic? In the last 5 years they rated Sonic games 6 or below and the previous Riders and ZG didn’t even get above a 7. I’m shocked that this game got a 7.5 but I’m still not buying an Kinect anytime soon.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees !!!
I’m sorry guys but i didn’t expect Sonic Free Riders gonna have a high score like this , well it’s not that high but high 😀 .
i’m really speechless, i’m empressed, i’m overwhelmed by the score , i’m happy 😀
Great review and I’ll be picking the game up this month!
This is great news. I wasn’t expecting this game to wow anybody.
The 4th Sonic game this year getting reviews above 7? If this ain’t proof Sonic’s back, I don’t know what is.
That said, it’s kinda sad that Sonic Riders is the best thing on the platform. Sorry, but the Kinect is just so shallow.
LOL @ Sonic and Tails touching hands to win a race. There’s an easy comic joke out of that!
To be honest I sort of expected this, not as good as All-Star Racing (Close, but not better). The only reason I wouldn’t buy with for my Kinect is if….nope, I’m gonna buy it anyway. 😉
I’m curious to see why Vector replaced Big The Cat in Team Rose…..not that I really care about the underlying stories of “Sonic Heroes” but…why? Wasn’t there a brawl between the Chaotix and Team Rose? Besides, I’d doubt he’d just abandon Espio….maybe Charmy…but definately not Espio….but he did abandon Mighty somewhere in the judicial system…or something.
Sorry, inner-fanboy on the loose. I’ll be picking this up for sure! 😀
@ JasonTheJackass
No that’s just your furry mind in the gutter.
Vector probably replaced Big as Big already had a role in SASASR and Vector does a good job in making something like Team Rose appeal to boys.
PLEASEE port this game to a console I own!!!! I so wanna play it but I can’t buy an Xbox just for that!!
Wait, they put Vector in team Rose?! LOL
@SonikkuHedghog
I ain’t no dang furry and there’s a million Sonic/Tails jokes out there. Having a mode where you’re close up while touching hands and having Sonic and Tails doing the same thing on screen doesn’t help much. XD
@ sonfan1984
Few Sonic games have got above 6 in many reviewing mags or sites. IGN usually rates higher than other reviewing bodies even if they haven’t rated the Sonic franchise highly. Sonic Riders ZG didn’t even get above a 7 ? No flippen surprise there as it was a mediocre game.
7.5 isn’t too bad of a score. The game does look kinda shallow, but this is the definite must have game for Kinects launch. Expect the game to be sold out everywhere.
“Pretty good news, though I always feel IGN is a bit soft on reviewing games, Sonic or not. I’ll see how the game fairs in other sites and publications.”
So you’re saying that Sonic Unleashed getting a LOWER SCORE than SONIC 06 and SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT was soft? What world do you live in?
@ Monic
Comparing Sonic game ratings from the same source site to back up an opinion on whether the site is soft or not is an absurd notion because you are entirely missing the point. A comparisson between multiple sites and magazines on the same game(s) would be a more worthwhile endevor. We should also consider obvious opinion varience. I just believed IGN was a bit softer thats all and thus want to wait for a more varied and perhaps trustworthy opinion.
Also IGN gave different scores for Sonic Unleashed dependant on which system it was on, varying between 4.5 on PS3 and 360 to 7.2 on the Wii. Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 averaged 4.5 while Sonic and the Black Knight got a 3.9.
It appears the world I live on is Earth because I clearly make sure my sources and statements are accurate before slandering others.
Surprising, but certainly not unpleasing.
Also yay for Vetor sounding good again.
I think I’ll be all over the internet to search for cutscenes of this game just for the new VA.
Hmm..Good thing I convinced my bestie to get kinect XD
His sis bought 360 just for it..
Meh, not suprised. Free Riders was looking food afterall. XD I’m a bit shocked they’re doing the handheld/Rivals/Storybook series type cutscenes and frankly disappointed too. =( I hope that’s not the majority of the game. x.x That IS shallow.
For a moment there I thought I was gonna hear the typical “It’s awesome, BUT… I’m still not getting it *crosses arms and stays strong” line I’m always hearing from people who want to make sure we’re not confused that they’re not getting a Kinect. XDD
@JasonTheJackass
I don’t think the Kinect is shallow, just ahead of it’s time. XD (No, I’m not giving the credit to Kinect for the idea. Just saying, we need to catch up to that style of technology for it to work well. XD)
@ProjectZuel
Nuuuu! You don’t live on Earth cuz you talk about making sense. If you lived on Earth you wouldn’t make a lick of sense cuz Earthlings are mental like that! o.O I’d say “Everyone knows that” but we’re on Earth so… they probably don’t. XD
I’d love to play this game or at least try it out! Its nice to see Vector again! Its definitely the best of the sonic riders series!
However, Idk about the IGN reviewer, but to me, Tails’ doesn’t sound any more as a boy as he did before… and he doesn’t sound very lively…
It sounds like Kate is trying TOO hard to try and sound like a boy and less on sounding like a child and lively…. he sounds kinda dull
Awesome I want to Touch the other Player!
damn…another 7? when will be see sonic score an 8? makes 9s in his sleep. c’mon son.
ignore that! im so cold my last comment was full of typos. but sonic c’mon dude you should be making 8s! mario makes 9s all the time. yo top that shit son! D:
Just preordered a Kinect and Sonic Free Riders at my local Gamestop. Can’t wait to get my hands on this!
Actually, it’s hands-free. Hmm… Can’t wait to get my… body movement… on this? Eh…
“There are even modes that require you to physically touch the person next to you, that is awesome if you actually want to touch them”
As sonic would say, THAT’S NO GOOD!
However, i say this review is good =D
Wow…didn’t see that comin. a 7.5 While i think the game doesn’t look awesome i also think it’s not bad. this isn’t my official take mainly because i haven’t PLAYED IT(COUGH!ign commenters!) but i would at least give it a 6-7. also i’m kinda surprised at how i hear people say it deserves a 3-4.5. this game is NOT as bad as 06 and i can say that without playing it. Either their just haters of the kinect or they’re just jealous that they don’t have it. sure it would have been way better if they had controllers on my opinion.
@toddywoddy: IGN gave Sonic 4 an 8.0. I dunno if you’re aware of that or not.
Can’t wait to get this Thursday!
I think people should give it a chance first before they go saying it sucks…-.- I mean really…
@ sonfan1984
thats nothing. overall it received scores within the 70 range. That wasn’t fair.
Got the Kinect and this preordered for Thursday.
S’gonna be a good weekend. :3
JasonTheJackass: My guess is that Vector’s looking after Cream as a favour to Vanilla. We all know he fancies her.
@TheHumbleFellow
That’s only in Sonic X. lol Like how Tails actually had romantic feelings for someone in Sonic X, and we all know that’s not very likely. =P (That’d be like Espio falling in love with Wave and Big falling in love with Blaze! XD)
OMG, they didnt even mentioned Mario Kart once!!! 😀
Meh, still not convinced to be honest. As far as I can see it’s just like the other 2 Riders games but with controls that take EVEN LONGER to get used to.
I care more about what the new voice cast sounds like then the actual game to be honest.
@sonicfan1984
As much as I like how the game looks so far, I have to agree with you. I am most interested in the voices.
So what!? I’m not saiyng the voices are the most important thing. Just if they’re gonna be there I want them to be good. And to me as long as they’re not WAY OFF then they ARE pretty good. And since I haven’t heard them yet I’m curious. Since I probably won’t play the game anytime soon, voices ARE a bigger interest at the moment.
I just wish there’d be ACTUAL cutscenes! I mean it’s a game for kinect, the cutscenes should show them moving since body languages is important and adds to the feel of a cutscene too. (What? Are they afraid we might move and accidentally make a character walk off-screen in mid-sentence? XD)
But I digress. I’m most interested in Knuckles, Jet, Shadow, Amy, Rouge and Vector’s voices. =)
@Amt
Hmm, well, the last actress had the same problem with sounding lively and childish. It may be that Sega wants Tails to sound boring, dull, and not his age on purpose, I guess.
Is it Opposite Day or something, because IGN gave an out of the ordinary Sonic game a good rating while EVERYONE ELSE is totally dogging it like a dead baby joke.
Sorry to pop your dreams people, but this is one of the worst games of 2010.
IGN is giving a fake review, if you want a real review of this game, go watch this
http://angryjoeshow.com/2010/11/sonic-free-riders-review/
I don’t care if you think im just randomly spamming a website for views that aren’t even mine, but this game will make you sick.
You can be a sonic fanboy for all i care, but try to evade spending a lot of money on this terrible game