• Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Sep 30, 2008
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Image
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74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 125 Ratings

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  • Summary: Sonic and friends have banded together with leading RPG developer BioWare to create a stylish blend of strategy and speed for Sonic's first RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. The game mixes a rich story, hand-painted visuals, fast-paced team combat, and wireless collectible tradingSonic and friends have banded together with leading RPG developer BioWare to create a stylish blend of strategy and speed for Sonic's first RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. The game mixes a rich story, hand-painted visuals, fast-paced team combat, and wireless collectible trading into a uniquely compelling adventure. Players customize their party and characters, choosing from Sonic, Tails, Amy Rose, Knuckles,Shadow, Rouge, and more, and prepare to defeat a menacing new enemy. Rhythmically tapping anddragging with the stylus in Sonic-style battles, players level up and use Rings to buy new specialattacks as they progress through 20 different and beautifully hand-drawn areas including new andclassic Sonic locales. With an engaging storyline, lightning fast attacks, high production values, and impeccable visuals, Sonic Chronicles allows gamers to experience Sonic in a whole new way. [Sega] Expand
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 55
  2. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. 100
    Sonic Chronicles' light action elements provide plenty of fun puzzle-solving and exploration opportunities without cramping the fairly traditional RPG style.
  2. Sega’s blue hedgehog comes back with his most unlikely incarnation: an RPG. Developed by BioWare, Sonic Chronicles is a good game, with a great pace, an interesting roster of characters, many things to do (especially side quests, BioWare’s favourites), and charming visuals. Sonic is back at his best, and we hope it’s the beginning of a new era for the hedgehog.
  3. It’s a bit formulaic in its design, but levels are a nice slice of gaming on the go that require almost no level grinding.
  4. 70
    Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a solid role-playing experience, but it's ultimately an overly lightweight one that is unlikely to truly grab the attention of genre veterans.
  5. Sonic Chronicles is undeniably a nice-looking game, and its slick presentation makes for an enticing experience to begin with. The longer you play, however, the more the cracks start to show, and what seemed like a potential minor classic is soon reduced to just "pretty good".
  6. A noble effort by the folks at BioWare to translate the lore of SEGA's beloved hedgehog and his cronies to an RPG format. Largely, the game succeeds at providing an interesting experience. However, it seems to be too simplistic for its own good, lacking the depth of gameplay needed to make it truly special.
  7. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood isn't a bad game, it's just a disappointing one. If you're a diehard Sonic fan, it's probably the best outing containing your favorite blue hedgehog in years, regardless of how low a benchmark that may be.

See all 55 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 35
  2. Negative: 6 out of 35
  1. Jan 27, 2013
    10
    This sonic game is a rare jewel: combines adventure and RPG with the most loved characters of the franchise. It has nice graphics and aThis sonic game is a rare jewel: combines adventure and RPG with the most loved characters of the franchise. It has nice graphics and a interesting plot. In the fights you will use the stylus to perform the character's moves, which add much fun. If you're a Sonic fan or a RPG fan, I recommend this game! Expand
  2. Sep 12, 2015
    10
    This game had a very good story and the game itself is quite long. Just make sure you try to work out where to go by yourself and you shouldThis game had a very good story and the game itself is quite long. Just make sure you try to work out where to go by yourself and you should enjoy this game as I have. Expand
  3. Sep 8, 2021
    9
    Recommended for anyone who is into the RPG genre. Has so many characters to play as, each with their own unique moves, and the chao guardiansRecommended for anyone who is into the RPG genre. Has so many characters to play as, each with their own unique moves, and the chao guardians are a nice addition Expand
  4. KhoiP
    Nov 5, 2008
    8
    Game was fun... Kinda repetitive. I wish the little Elite Beat kind of actions were available during regular attacks too. I'm used to it Game was fun... Kinda repetitive. I wish the little Elite Beat kind of actions were available during regular attacks too. I'm used to it for other games to just sit and watch but mman, it was boring to watch a blue ball go across the screen after clicking attack because you don't have enough PP. Expand
  5. Aug 7, 2016
    8
    Sonic chronicles was the first game I played on my DS. And easily the most enjoyable. I don't feel the same way others have felt for this gameSonic chronicles was the first game I played on my DS. And easily the most enjoyable. I don't feel the same way others have felt for this game since I found the story very engaging. The battles with the chaos-thingies were also really fun with the rhythm aspects. Although some aspects were a bit confusing and some puzzles a bit hard the game was overall very rewarding and enjoyable from the standpoint of my then 12 year old self (7 years ago). Expand
  6. Mar 29, 2014
    6
    I can't help but want to like this game. Note I said "want to like", but the truth is, this game really was a mixed bag for me. To keep itI can't help but want to like this game. Note I said "want to like", but the truth is, this game really was a mixed bag for me. To keep it simple, I'll list the pros and cons that I believe hold the game back.
    Pros
    - Story and script. Whether canon or not, I don't care, but the story does have interesting moments and follows through with its narrative pretty fairly. Mind you, the premise is a bit hackneyed, but this is Sonic, tropes in the franchise have been to death, often by the desire of fans, so no big deal.
    - Art Style. At first, I wasn't too keen on the art style Sonic Chronicles had, but as I played, and eventually got into the later game acts, the design choices began to make more aesthetic sense to me. The character designs and backdrops were nicely rendered, and meshed well with the cartoony feel the game was going for.
    - Conversational Freedom. The fact that you could make Sonic reply to people's statements in either a passive, aggressive, sarcastic, or crass manner made me smile. And with BioWare aware of this trend in RPGs, I was glad it was implemented as it adds to the story, not to mention the interaction between the characters.
    - Characters. This includes enemies and NPCs. I enjoyed the fact there were a multitude of people to talk to, including other Sonic characters, such as GUN Commander and Vector.

    Cons
    - Sprite Textures. OMG were these things ugly. I mean, it'd be one thing to have used the models from Sonic R, which were simple polygons and well done for the hardware, or even to go full-on 2D sprites. First off, the models had this annoying charcoal grey outline that was, I guess, to look like a hard inked line seen in 2D artwork. Not to mention, the models were clunky and jarring. Simpler models or even 2D sprites would have sufficed.
    - Music. Central City theme and the battle music. Central City's theme, a detuned, broken down remix of Diamond Dust Zone for 3D Blast, was terrible in the sense it wasn't calming, it wasn't very town sounding, and seemed to be more fitting for an abandoned amusement park. The battle themes leave something to be desired, as much of them start to sound more and more similar as time goes on. Though the sound is very electronic and gritty, it almost feels as if there's no structure, no beat to get pumped for a fight. Now, not to try and compare it to Final Fantasy, but I will, which had the same intro for the first six games, all varied their own battle themes in some way or another so that they could be easily discernible from one another. It's not that I don't like that kind of music, as it seemed to have worked in the Adventure series, but it just doesn't feel right in the setting. Now in the chase scenes, it seemed more appropriate, but not in the battles, where so many are used to a driving bass riff to start off.
    - Platforming and QTEs. I'm sorry, but having to stop, tap the icon, and then perform the action just to reach a platform is ridiculous to me. But this wasn't just a flaw with Sonic Chronicles, many RPGs on the DS suffered this dilemma of relying on the touch screen for motion and platforming. Now if it were implemented well, then yeah, maybe, but no. It's jarring, it's ugly, and it just kills any pace any level of player has. Also, on a similar note, the quick-time events for battle, a nice idea, trying hard to utilize the concept Mario RPG started in 1995, but just falls short into aiding in delivering a enjoyable playing experience. How come? Because the actions become too complicated too quickly, and the fact it requires the utmost precision to perform, on a system damned for its imprecision. One pixel off, or two frames late, too bad, the action has failed. And thankfully, QTEs were only special attacks and chase scenes, because though I'd have liked to see Normal Attacks utilize QTEs for damage boosts, the way they were implemented here in Chronicles makes me glad they weren't.
    - Experience curve. Experience curve so sharp, even Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance is like, "Ouch." Instead of steadily diminishing with each level gained or just an increase in required EXP, what happens? After a level or two, an enemy that dropped 100 XP will then drop only 10 XP after the next level up. Understandably, there is a limited amount of levels to aspire to, but that doesn't mean there should be a sheer cliff or roller coaster ride with XP. Not to mention, most of the time you actually have to grind for a long while to just to increase a level, like an hour at some points.
    - Status Allocation. Not as loathed as some of the other cons, but still a negative feature overall, mostly just because it's poorly utilized. Even though the points are defined as to what they improve, the flexibility to improve a character in a general direction and terms are not accurate as to what they actually are. Your attack, defense, and special are improved automatically, and what you improve is your accuracy, evasion, and luck. RPGs are should be flexible. Period.
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  7. David
    Feb 17, 2009
    0
    This game was the worst Sonic game I have played. RPGs are meant to be slow, and Sonic games are meant to be fast. The music was poor and the This game was the worst Sonic game I have played. RPGs are meant to be slow, and Sonic games are meant to be fast. The music was poor and the end was a ripoff. Expand

See all 35 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

42
7
#7 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared DS Game of 2008