The popular Pico Park series is expanding with one of gaming’s coolest collaborations. Trading in its adorable cats for hedgehogs and echidnas, the franchise’s new Sonic Pico Park game blends its signature co-op puzzle platforming with Sonic the Hedgehog’s high-speed gameplay. It’s a natural fit for both and results in one of the best times you can have in gaming this year.
The bite-sized levels start deceptively simple as you learn Sonic’s controls, with everything from the spin dash to the underwater countdown carrying over from the classic platformers. Puzzles quickly require both players to communicate and work together to clear them, and that’s where Pico Park’s real fun kicks in. Throw in some character-specific abilities, such as Tails being able to fly and Knuckles’ glide, and you have a nice mix of skills while still staying approachable for all players.
As with the regular Pico Park game, all levels can be played with anywhere between two and eight players. Puzzles get even more chaotic with more players, since each extra person can mess things up, so it’s definitely easier with just you and a friend. However, this gives the game, which lasts a bit over two hours, plenty of replayability, since you’ll want to check out levels with different numbers of players.
Each world of four levels has a gimmick, such as using large guest characters (Big the Cat!) or roping players together. This helps the game feel both focused and stay fresh, as there’s constantly a unique spin. Some of my favorite levels were all-out dashes that required everyone to be on their A-game and stick together through tricky platforming exchanges. The game mixes precision platforming tests with puzzles that really challenge your problem-solving skills. My only complaint is that the game is, as mentioned earlier, done quite soon after it begins and I wish there were a few more boss fights that really test players’ abilitiy to communicate as a team.
Once you’ve cleared all the base levels, there’s still some fun to be had, though. Three different endless levels will test your reaction speed. These are essentially spins on an endless runner, as you will have to dodge oncoming obstacles. It makes for a fun high-score chase, but it’s not something I’d go back to all the time. However, I love that it was added for an extra bit of fun as it’ll be particularly competitive with a larger group trying to see who can get the top score.
Sonic Pico Park Review: Final Verdict
Though it lasts only a few hours, Sonic Pico Park is the most delightful co-op gaming experience of the year. Pure fun from start to finish, Sonic fans will get a real kick out of this new take on the Blue Blur, while the whole family can enjoy the tricky, yet never unmanageable, puzzles. It’s a brilliant collab that blends the best of each title.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received a PlayStation 5 code from the publisher for its Sonic Pico Park review.
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