May the Sonic Forces Be with You
To say the quality between Sonic the Hedgehog installments in the last decade has been inconsistent would be a massive understatement. Though Sonic Generations was highly regarded, it was accompanied by middle-of-the-road titles like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight. But the most-remembered titles are poor efforts like Sonic the Hedgehog’s 2006 reboot (admittedly a little over a decade old now), the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 episodes, and especially Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. The series has overly-enthusiastic fans (to be kind) and others who love to hate the series, but between them is a group that enjoyed the older games and wants the franchise to regain its former glory.
Of course, there’s also a fourth group comprised of children who enjoy them, who Sega can still rely on for now.
A little over a year ago, Sega Networks Chief Operating Officer Chris Olson acknowledged the lack of quality in some previous installments, and promised fans that better titles were coming in the future. While that wasn’t represented with the Sanzaru Games-developed Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for 3DS, it’s clear Sonic Mania and Project Sonic 2017 are the titles where Sega intends to show they mean business. Both were announced in late-July last year, and while one title was simply shown in more detail, the curtain was pulled back on the other for the first time.
One good way to get back in touch with fans of the classic Genesis games is to invest in one that resembles and takes serious homage from them, which will come in the form of Sonic Mania. That’s “make” in the sense that Sega is only publishing the title, as it’s more of a fan project elevated to official status, being handled by small development studios run by dedicated fans. Basically, it’s closer to what Sonic 4 should have been, as it looks and feels like one of the early-to-mid-90s games. It features an assortment of remixed and new areas that take design cues from the four Genesis platforming games.
The showing at SXSW provided a small glimpse at the Flying Battery Zone, and its associated music track. It’s a series of remixed levels from the Zone of the same name in Sonic & Knuckles, with new level design that will hopefully be on par with the original’s. But alongside this came concern that too many levels could be remixes of Zones from older Sonic titles, as only two original Zones have been shown thus far. But given the number of fans who’ve been begging for a quality 2D Sonic title for years, they’ll forgive them if it feels overly familiar.
Mania was originally planned for release sometime this spring, but was delayed until the summer. It will arrive on PS4, XB1, Switch, and PC, and each will have a Collector’s Edition that will include everything Sonic and Sega fans could ask for…except for a physical copy of the game. I’m sure they’ve heard the requests for one, so hopefully they’ll consider the option.
The biggest attraction was the unveil of the brand-new 3D game. It will be called Sonic Forces, and last year’s reveal trailer hinted at it being a successor to Generations by showing the older and modern Sonic renditions. This is a smart decision since it’s still the most well-received Sonic title in recent memory. The short gameplay video shows how its 3D levels will be similar to that game’s, where Sonic runs (fast!) down a straightforward path and is capable of defeating enemies through homing attacks. The aesthetics imply its tone will be darker compared to previous entries, though they likely know better than to go into Shadow the Hedgehog’s “edgy” territory.
While there’s plenty of excitement, I’ve seen comments from lapsed fans who think it looks braindead thanks to its linearity. They may not be necessary for its success, but it would be in Sega’s best interests to attract as large an audience as possible. You can’t draw any solid conclusions from a 35-second gameplay clip, but they’ll convince some from that audience to give it a shot if they demonstrate full level with solid design in the near future. If that doesn’t work, classic-style 2D levels starring the old Sonic should work, a small preview of which should be provided in the very near future.
Forces is due for a release this holiday season on the same systems as Mania: PS4, XB1, Switch, and PC. Sega also uploaded the main theme, to get a better impression of the vibe the game will go for.
Both Sonic games need to be good at least if Sega is serious about eliminating the vibe of negativity that’s surrounded the franchise for so long. Though the anniversary year was last year, these games will be a fitting tribute to the franchise’s legacy and its longtime fanbase if they turn out well.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
