They praised its presentation, character creation system, and Modern Sonic gameplay, but criticized the level design, plot, short length, and noted technical problems.
Sonic Forces received mixed reviews from critics. It was announced at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con during the Sonic 25th anniversary event, alongside Sonic Mania, under the working title of Project Sonic 2017. The game was intended to have a darker tone compared to previous entries in the franchise, and the character creation system was inspired by Sonic fan art the developers had come across over the years. Development began after the release of Sonic Lost World in 2013. The game was primarily developed by staff who had worked on Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, using an updated version of the Hedgehog Engine, used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. It features three gameplay modes: "Classic", side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games "Modern", 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors and a mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's custom character. The story sees Sonic the Hedgehog joining a resistance force to stop Doctor Eggman. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's twenty-fifth anniversary, it was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017.
Sonic Forces is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega.