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Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is an adventure game based on the Sonic Boom television series. The game has lots of cartoon violence, including martial-arts moves on enemies, hammer attacks, bombs, and an Enerbeam electric whip. Although it's not realistic, some parents might not want very young kids exposed to the constant fighting. The game is relatively easy to control, but thanks to the accelerated speed with which Sonic and his friends move through each level, some players may have trouble moving through environments.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
10 and up.
Good for 7 and up, but you need to be older to understand how to play...
Sonic Boom, basically
What's it about?
The first title on the Wii U console to utilize the CryEngine, Sega's SONIC BOOM: RISE OF LYRIC serves as a prequel to the television series wherein Sonic and his team unite to fight Lyric, a giant serpent-like creature. Sonic and his friends -- Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks (each of whom has a unique power) -- must explore, fight, and collect items to destroy the threats to their world. Played mostly from a third-person view, the game folds in combat, platforming, and puzzle solving as gamers fight through multiple environments.
Is it any good?
Unfortunately, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric isn't good at all. The game suffers from many issues that mar the experience, such as choppy frame rates (which drag you down to a near standstill in some cases) to short draw distances (so you can't see what's coming up in front of you). It also has a bad camera (which obscures your view instead of helping you see what's going on) as well as poor pacing and jarring shifts from gameplay to cinematics. The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, even though each character has a unique ability and the Enerbeam, a high-tech whip of sorts, can help you zip-line, swing, and throw enemies. Even the characters make a comment about the repetition with the line, "OK, this is getting old!" The co-op multiplayer (up to four people) is a great idea but falls short in execution, mostly because of the frame-rate and draw-distance issues. Too bad for Sonic fans, but this seemingly incomplete and sub-par game should be left in the bargain bin.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. Is the constant combat in Sonic Boom OK because it's cartoonish, or should a game for kids not advocate violence of any kind?
Talk about teamwork. How can you and your friends use your skills and talents to solve problems you face in everyday situations?
Game details
- Platforms: Nintendo Wii U
- Price: $49.99
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online? Not available online
- Developer: Sega of America
- Release date: January 3, 2015
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Robots, Space and Aliens
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Cartoon Violence
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.