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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode I
The sequel fans have waited 16 years for is finally here - Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I! Featuring enhanced gameplay elements, including the classic Sonic Spin Dash, and the versatile Homing Attack, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I picks up right where Sonic and Knuckles™ left off. Dr.
View on Steam ↗ $9.99 (US · as of 2026-09-05)What players say
Steam review score and the most-helpful voices, which may include critical ones. Score via Steam as of 2026-08-31 · quoted reviews as of 2026-05-12.
What reviewers agree on
34 of the 101 reviews raise this.
“I honestly dont understand the hate for this game i like it”
4 of the 101 reviews raise this.
“This game doesn't stand out to me anymore. Sure, I played it a lot as a kid, but looking at it now years later, I finally see the mediocre side of this game. The visuals are mid, the physics suck, sonic looks all blurry…”
“Good music, lame platforming, just lemme hold right and go fast got as far as labrynth and gave up not as good as sonic 2 and 3”
“Even though I had fun playing this game, and unlike Sonic Forces where I think it's Overhated, Sonic 4 Ep-I is probably perfectly rated as a contender as the worst 2D Sonic game. Although there are some elements that I…”
3 of the 101 reviews raise this.
“best graphics, xbox 360 keyboard binding is annoying ,but the game is still fun aslo on the iphone 4(IOS 7)”
“It’s not that bad it’s a little good with certain mods that fix the game like the original Wii soundtrack mod and hd mobile textures mod”
38 of the 101 reviews raise this · 9 of them still recommend the game.
“first, it isnt really that bad (well, compared to other games). the physics are bad ofc, they recycled other places, and the music is trying to replicate the genesis but i actually had fun playing this! i am actually…”
“Genuine Misery to Fully Complete and get your money's worth out of it. Also ♥♥♥♥ the 1000 enemy kills that you are supposed to get in one play session, which means if the game closes, you have to grind a full hour on…”
20 of the 101 reviews raise this · 8 of them still recommend the game.
“This game doesn't stand out to me anymore. Sure, I played it a lot as a kid, but looking at it now years later, I finally see the mediocre side of this game. The visuals are mid, the physics suck, sonic looks all blurry…”
“First impressions are important, and Sonic 4 Episode I definitely misses the mark with them. Its presentation leaves a lot to be desired. However, [i]it is a decent game[/i]. There is an attempt to blend many aspects of…”
“This game takes all the best parts from the classic and modern games providing the best possible classic to modern transition From the classic: - Annoying level design that punishes you for going fast - Easy to miss…”
10 of the 101 reviews raise this · 2 of them still recommend the game.
“Genuine Misery to Fully Complete and get your money's worth out of it. Also ♥♥♥♥ the 1000 enemy kills that you are supposed to get in one play session, which means if the game closes, you have to grind a full hour on…”
“There's no point at all in playing this game. There are better Sonic games out there and this game doesn't really have any story to speak of so you won't be missing anything at all. There are worse games than this,…”
“This game takes all the best parts from the classic and modern games providing the best possible classic to modern transition From the classic: - Annoying level design that punishes you for going fast - Easy to miss…”
8 of the 101 reviews raise this · 4 of them still recommend the game.
“first, it isnt really that bad (well, compared to other games). the physics are bad ofc, they recycled other places, and the music is trying to replicate the genesis but i actually had fun playing this! i am actually…”
“This game takes all the best parts from the classic and modern games providing the best possible classic to modern transition From the classic: - Annoying level design that punishes you for going fast - Easy to miss…”
“Ugly, terrible music, lame bosses, the labyrinth torch "puzzle" was an egregiously bad decision. I'm usually pretty lenient, sometimes too lenient, with Sonic but I'll be honest, I'm having a hard time finding any…”
7 of the 101 reviews raise this · 1 of them still recommend the game.
“best graphics, xbox 360 keyboard binding is annoying ,but the game is still fun aslo on the iphone 4(IOS 7)”
“Genuine Misery to Fully Complete and get your money's worth out of it. Also ♥♥♥♥ the 1000 enemy kills that you are supposed to get in one play session, which means if the game closes, you have to grind a full hour on…”
“This game takes all the best parts from the classic and modern games providing the best possible classic to modern transition From the classic: - Annoying level design that punishes you for going fast - Easy to miss…”
Counted across 101 English reviews, sampled to match this game's 39.7% positive rating · as of 2026-05-12
“I love this game. Here's my extensive review on it. Introduction I went into this game aware of all the hate and negativity around it. People treat this game like the hell spawn of this franchise and as one of the worst Sonic games. After actually playing it, I got an experience…”
— a player, Steam review · 45 hrs played“if you think 06 is worse than this your head aint screwed on right. 06 is a broken rocket trying and failing to reach the moon. this is a slingshot trying to shoot a couple feet ahead but backfiring and hitting you in the eye. theres no reason something this creatively bankrupt,…”
— a player, Steam review · 4 hrs played“This game is like THE worst sonic game u could play it will give u a headache with its abysmall level design and geniuenly eyestraining graphics”
— a player, Steam review · 7 hrs playedPlayer activity
Monthly average concurrent players. Live data self-collected from the Steam API · history through 2026-06 via SteamCharts.
Achievement stats
Global completion rates across all Steam players — a data view of how far people actually get. Source: Steam official stats · as of 2026-09-05.
Price tracking
US-region pricing (USD), sampled twice daily by our own tracker since 2026-07-11. Steam prices vary by region — always confirm your local price on Steam.
Regional prices at last sample, in local currency — Steam sets each region's price independently.
Cheapest → most expensive, converted to USD at ECB reference rates (2026-09-04). Relative comparison only.
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Screenshots
Official Steam store screenshots — click any shot to enlarge.
Facts & details
From the Steam store record, snapshot 2026-05-12.
| Player tags | Platformer · 2D · Action · Adventure · Colorful · Singleplayer · Fast-Paced · 2.5D · Family Friendly · Great Soundtrack · Psychological Horror · Side Scroller (SteamSpy community voting) |
| Features | Single-player · Partial Controller Support · Family Sharing |
| Languages | English * , German * , French * , Italian * , Spanish - Spain * , Japanese * * |
| Achievements | 12 |
| Official site | http://www.sonicthehedgehog4.com |
Minimum system requirements (PC)
Minimum: OS *: Windows XP/Vista/Win7 Processor: Pentium 4 @ 3.2 GHz/Athlon 64 3000+ or Equivalent & above Memory: 1 GB (2 GB on Vista) GB RAM Graphics: 256 MB (NVIDIA GeForce 7600/AT Radeon X1300) & above DirectX®: dx90a Hard Drive: 500 MB HD space Sound: DirectX Compatible Additional Notes: Microsoft no longer supports Windows 10 or older versions.