Sonic Rebound Episode 7 Review – Silent Sniper

I’d say the 2 year wait was worth it

Ladies and gentlemen, Sonic fans far and wide, the day has finally arrived. Sonic Rebound Episode 7 is here, and trust me, it was one for the books. Since I’d just rewatched the earlier episodes, it didn’t feel like a two-year wait…but it was. And now, in this Sonic Rebound Episode 7 review, I can confidently say: it was worth it. Silent Sniper moves the story forward in a big way, as any arc semi-finale should, and it sets the stage for an epic showdown in Episode 8.

In this episode, Sonic heads out to Eggman’s base – Arsenal Pyramid, for the Sonic Forces fans, on a tip from Rouge that he might catch Whisper there. Along the way, he runs into Silver, who knows of Whisper as a legendary figure from his own time. Soon, the three of them are working together to shut the place down and get answers about the recent Badnik attacks, and who’s really pulling the strings.

There’s a lot to love in this one. While it still pulls inspiration from the comics, it’s slowly starting to branch into its own storyline, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for. The visuals? Great across the board. One or two shots had a style I didn’t love, but nothing that actually took away from the experience. The battle scenes were easily a highlight, especially this one moment where Sonic and Silver are taking out flying Badniks around a giant Super Badnik. That sequence alone was incredible.

No complaints on the audio front either. The music fit perfectly and enhanced every scene without overpowering anything. Voice work was top-tier. I actually thought Silver might’ve been voiced by GamerGuyd7Aces, but it turns out it was RobertMartyr, and he nailed it. Hdubs as Whisper also delivered a strong performance. In the comics, Whisper always felt like she was literally whispering—but in a show, you gotta project a little more, and Hdubs found the right balance. And Swordtee did a great job as Mimic—his voice sounded exactly how I imagined it when I first read the comics, which made the scene he was in hit even harder.

The surprise appearance of the Freedom Fighters in Silver’s timeline caught me off guard, but it actually makes sense the more I think about it. Sonic SatAM took place in the year 3234, and we’ve never really gotten a confirmed timeline for the IDW comics. If Sonic’s world is just another dimension with its own timeline, it tracks. But it does raise questions, especially since Eggman Neo, aka Robotnik, is pulling the strings, and he’s usually tied to the Freedom Fighters. If he really is from another dimension like the show implies, then GamerGuyd7Aces is definitely leaning into the creative freedom, and I’m here for it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this episode. The two-year wait wasn’t easy, but this made it feel justified. At the end of the day, this is a fan series, and it’s already miles ahead of the last official Sonic show. Hopefully, Episode 8 doesn’t take quite as long to drop, because I’m ready to see how this arc wraps up.

Silent Sniper

Story
Visuals
Audio

Summary

Episode 7 of Sonic Rebound delivers a high-stakes team-up between Sonic, Whisper, and Silver as they take on Eggman’s base. The visuals, action, and voice acting are some of the strongest in the series so far. With the Freedom Fighters teased and the arc finale approaching, this episode sets the stage for something big.

4.8

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

, , ,

No Comments

Sonic Rebound Episode 5: Mr. Tinker Review – The Story Must Go On

This one felt a little like filler

You ever watch an episode of a show that isn’t filler but feels like filler? That’s how I felt watching Episode 5 of Sonic Rebound, Mr. Tinker. Think Dragon Ball Z levels of “this probably matters later, but right now I’m just along for the ride.” It’s not a bad episode by any means—just the most self-contained one so far.

To be fair, that’s not really on GamerGuyd7Aces. He’s pulling straight from the IDW Sonic comics here, and this episode sticks close to the source. The big creative swing already happened in Episode 4 with the reveal that Dr. Robotnik from the Archie Sonic continuity is the real villain in Rebound. That twist still holds weight—and let me just say, Protagonist absolutely owns the role. His Robotnik voice is pitch perfect.

This time around, Sonic heads to a quiet mountain village where Team Chaotix—Vector, Espio, and Charmy—have discovered a familiar face. Only thing is, Eggman doesn’t remember being Eggman. He’s calling himself Mr. Tinker now, living a peaceful life and genuinely helping people. He’s kind, soft-spoken, and totally unaware of his past as the world’s biggest menace. Naturally, this raises a huge question: if the villain has no memory of his crimes, does he still deserve to pay for them?

I liked seeing the Chaotix crew again, and they were handled well. Charmy wasn’t nearly as irritating as usual, which is always a win. Vector was perfectly cast—Trevzed sounds almost exactly like pre-2010 Vector, and I respect the accuracy. Espio’s voice was just okay for me, and honestly, he hasn’t sounded great since the Sonic Rivals era. The uncredited VA here was fine, but something about the newer direction for Espio never fully clicks with me.

Visuals? Mostly strong. There were a few dips, but nothing that killed the vibe. The opening scene with Sonic and Espio running corkscrews through the mountain while fighting Badniks? That was sick. It was fast, colorful, and smooth—just not consistently that way all the way through. But the use of Sonic Unleashed music again? Always a win.

Voice-wise, Paxton Lee continues to impress as Sonic. I actually thought it was still BobbyDubs in Episode 3 and 4, which says a lot. Paxton stepped in quietly and nailed it. Politics aside, I still have a soft spot for Mike Pollock’s Eggman, so Colin’s version didn’t quite do it for me—but again, that’s more personal bias than anything else. The episode also gives us a quick tease of Shadow and Rouge at the end, and Mardiculous’ Shadow sounds so close to Jason Griffith’s take that I couldn’t help but get hyped.

So yeah, even though this one felt a little slower, it’s not filler—it really does move the story forward. It just felt like a side quest until Shadow and Rouge popped up. I still liked it more than Episode 3, but not as much as 2, and definitely not as much as 4. That said, it’s still a good episode. Five episodes in, and not a single one has been bad—and for a fan series, that’s seriously impressive. The second arc has officially begun, and tomorrow we’re diving into Episode 6, where Sonic and Shadow go head-to-head over the fate of Dr. Eggman. You won’t want to miss it.

Mr. Tinker

Story
Visuals
Audio

Summary

Episode 5 of Sonic Rebound slows things down with the introduction of Mr. Tinker, giving us a thoughtful twist on Eggman’s identity. Team Chaotix gets their time to shine, the visuals hold strong, and the voice acting continues to impress. It’s a slower episode, but it still pushes the story forward in meaningful ways.

4

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

, , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Sonic Rebound Episode 3 Review – Entangled Encounter Stumbles Slightly

Rebound lost a little steam with this episode

We’ve got a double feature tonight, starting with Episode 3 of Sonic Rebound, Entangled Encounter. If you watched all the way through, you might’ve caught that Knuckles didn’t show up like he originally did in the IDW comics. Instead, Tangle takes the spotlight this time. In the comics, Knuckles popped up in issue 3, with Tangle and Blaze showing up in issue 4. Why the swap? Who knows. Doesn’t bother me, though.

This time around, Sonic rolls into yet another village getting stomped out by Egg Pawns. While fending them off, he meets Tangle the Lemur, a newer face with a wild tail she uses like a whip—and she’s quick to jump into the fight. Mid-battle, Blaze shows up too, pulled into Sonic’s world thanks to the Sol Emeralds. The three of them tag team the threat and, like clockwork, Sonic continues on his journey.

Story-wise, this one follows the same formula as the first two: Egg Pawns attack, Sonic shows up, teams up, moves on. Tangle being brand new does help shake things up a little, but it doesn’t really change the rhythm. It’s not bad—it just doesn’t add much weight. The episode ends by teasing the mystery villain again, which would be cool… except I know who it is, and I’m judging a little, because they should absolutely know Sonic isn’t about to take an L to some newcomers like Rough and Tumble.

That said, the audio in this episode was on point. Music was balanced well, nothing drowned out the voice acting, and it all sounded clean. I actually thought Sonic’s voice glitched in the beginning until I realized it was an inner monologue—which, cool touch. BobbyDubs is still killin’ it as Sonic. Tangle and the rest of the cast sounded solid, too. The one weak link for me was PinkoJunko’s Blaze. Not terrible, but something about it just didn’t click for me.

Visually, this episode didn’t land as strong as I’d hoped. The quality was mostly consistent, but it felt like a step down from Episode 2. Some scenes looked more like moving sketches than finished animation. There were moments where the art style jumped up a notch and looked pretty clean, but overall, it wasn’t as polished as last time. I get it—it’s a fan project and not everything can be a glow-up every week.

So yeah, Entangled Encounter isn’t bad, but it’s definitely the weakest episode so far. After how much Episode 2 leveled up, I was hoping to keep riding that momentum. Still, every show hits a dip here and there, and I’m not jumping ship. It’s still a great fan series and I’m hyped for what’s next. Episode 4 review coming up next—let’s go.

Entangled Encounter

Story
Visuals
Audio

Summary

Episode 3 of Sonic Rebound introduces Tangle and Blaze, adding some variety to the familiar formula. The audio and voice work are strong, but the visuals take a noticeable step back. It’s still a solid episode, just the weakest so far in an otherwise impressive fan series.

2.5

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

, , ,

No Comments

Sonic Rebound – Episode 1: The Aftermath – A Solid Start

The potential is quite evident.

Let’s be real—Sonic the Hedgehog has been around forever. The blue blur’s fanbase is massive and very creative. Fan games are the usual go-to for that creativity, but in recent years, fan series have started making waves too. One that really caught my eye is Sonic Rebound, an animated fan series by YouTuber GamerGuyd7Aces. It’s kind of a retelling of the Sonic IDW comics but with some twists that actually raise the stakes instead of just rehashing stuff we already know.

Now, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again—I’m a Sonic fan through and through. So when Sonic Rebound dropped on YouTube back in the summer of 2019, of course I was there. And it’s still going strong. Episode 7 drops Saturday, May 24, and I figured now’s the perfect time to do a little rewind. All week, I’ll be reviewing each episode leading up to that big release. Let’s start at the top—Episode 1: The Aftermath.

If you’ve read the IDW comics, then you know they had a decent run (I tapped out around issue 50). The first issue was… fine. It did just enough to get the ball rolling—Sonic, Tails, some random village—but nothing that made me sit up. It tried to drop hints about the bigger arc, but eh, it didn’t really stick the landing.

Sonic Rebound’s first episode follows that same path, pretty closely. Honestly, it’s almost a panel-for-panel recreation of that first comic—same dialogue, same scenes. It’s basically the comic, but animated. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. Like with most pilots, it’s all about setting the stage. You meet the characters, see where things are headed. It’s a slow burn, but there’s a spark there.

The setup? Post–Sonic Forces, Sonic’s poking around after a surprise attack on a village by some leftover Egg Pawns. Tails joins him, and together they realize something’s not adding up. Turns out, there’s a bigger force pulling the strings. Dun-dun-dunnn.

Voice acting? Mixed bag. BobbyDubs as Sonic is solid. He’s got a slightly higher pitch than Roger Craig Smith, but the vibe is spot on. I could close my eyes and hear Roger in there somewhere. KennyVoices handles Tails, and he nails it too—sounds similar to other fan vids I’ve seen, but that’s not a knock. He’s got the tone, the delivery, everything. Some of the other voices though? Not bad, just… a little too normal. Like, I shouldn’t be picturing the cashier at Walgreens when a Resistance member speaks.

Now for the rough stuff. The art quality jumps around a lot. Some scenes? Super clean, really impressive. Others? Kinda rough—like a sketchbook that got color dropped in. Same thing with the animation: some parts move fluidly, others feel like a still image slideshow. Audio also bounces between crisp and YouTuber-who-just-got-their-first-mic. The inconsistency doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does remind you this is a fan project.

But hey—when it works, it works. It’s not action-heavy, but it sets the tone for what’s coming. And even with my complaints, it’s not a bad episode. Not even close. It’s a solid foundation, and it only gets better from here.

Episode 2: Fallout review drops tomorrow. See you then.

The Aftermath

Story
Animation
Audio

Summary

The Aftermath is a solid start that plays it a little too safe by sticking so close to the comic, but it still manages to lay some decent groundwork. The voice acting’s mostly strong, the story shows promise, and when the visuals hit, they hit hard—but the quality dips and rough edges hold it back from being great. Still, it’s clear there’s passion behind this, and knowing what’s coming next, I’m glad I stuck around.

3.5

Reviews, Sonic the Hedgehog

, , , , ,

No Comments