Sonic Rumble is Being Review Bombed

Sonic Rumble has launched to a flurry of negative reviews on Steam, where it currently sits at a 36% “Mostly Negative” rating. The Fall Guys-inspired platforming racer had already attracted some controversy ahead of release, as it was delayed numerous times, sometimes without explanation, in the wake of its 2024 beta. Now that it’s out, some might be wishing Sonic Rumble spent some more time in the oven.

Sonic Rumble is an online, free-to-play multiplayer game whose main gameplay mode revolves around long-term survival and resource collection: 32 players compete to survive three rounds while collecting the most rings, with the number of competitors getting halved each round. There are also Co-Op Battles, where players team up to defeat a boss, and Special Rumble, a kind of medley event. Being free-to-play, Sonic Rumble naturally features quite a bit of in-game monetization, and it’s this slice of the game design pie that seems to be bearing the brunt of audience criticism so far.

Sonic Rumble Faces Review Bombing Upon Launch

While Sonic Rumble‘s paltry Steam rating is the result of several factors, most of the game’s detractors seem to be honing in on what they consider predatory monetization and pay-to-win schemes. For instance, Steam user haunter claims that they encountered a player using a Metal Sonic skin that granted them a massive ring multiplier, leading to a wildly unbalanced match. Other reviews, such as one from user RockBN, call out the exorbitance and prevalence of the game’s monetization: “It charges over $40-$60 for skins, multiple simultaneous paid battle passes, gacha rolls, subscription service, tedious grinds seen in other mobile games like farming fragments of a rare/premium skin/character, etc.”

Sonic Rumble - teaser trailer screenshot

Still, Sonic Rumble isn’t without its supporters. While they are certainly the minority, there is a vocal subset of Steam reviewers that downplay the significance of the game’s microtransactions, or otherwise claim that it can be enjoyed despite such monetization. One positive review from Le Heartlight Queen says that “microtransactions were to be expected,” and that Sonic Rumble “does not require you to spend anything to have a good time.”

sonic rumble limited-time costumes window

Time will tell if and how Sonic Rumble evolves over time. After so many delays, it’s certainly disappointing that the Fall Guys clone has met a cold reception upon release, but perhaps, as Le Heatlight Queen puts it, these shortcomings should have been anticipated. After all, this is primarily a free-to-play mobile game; here’s hoping it can find the right balance of financial success and fun.