Just the other day at the SXSW Sonic panel Takashi Iizuka confirmed that the next major Sonic Team entry into the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has begun production. Its quite obvious that fans were less than thrilled with Sonic Forces, but I will say that the engine the team created for that title is one of the best thus far, running at a high frame rate with little to no frame drops. I really want to see how they update it for the next title, at the very least.
Now my question here is what direction do you want to see the next major Sonic the Hedgehog title take? What do you want to see them focus on? In the last few years Sonic Team has been playing it safe having 2D classic Sonic and 3D boost modern Sonic, is this something that the new game should continue? Is it time to add playable friends like the past? Sound off in the comments.
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I really want them to go back down the Lost World route. I want normal, non-tubular levels, more Adventure-like controls, original levels, and wisps to be used more like actual power-ups rather than briefly changing how you play entirely. I want the graphics to be similar to the art style they had in Forces, just with original motifs and more explorative/platform heavy 3D levels. Basically more like Mario 3D world kind of levels, but with slopes and loops and such.
Basically, I just want more of what they’ve been doing with the series since Lost World, but with tight, Adventure-like controls, more interesting use of wisps, and mostly 3D platforming levels with secrets and goodies. It would also be cool if the game had a similar structure to Mania, but in 3D. Having secret areas with special stage rings and other goodies hidden through out the levels with fun special stages.
OH also, if they’re going to do multiple playable characters, please do it to where it’s more like Mario 3D World/the Classic Sonic games.
Hiring a full team of level designers with real experience would be a start.
Seriously, compare the size and experience of the Generations team and the Colors team with the team they had doing level design on Forces.
I don’t trust that it will be good after Sonic forces, if they at least let another developer (with more experience and higher praise) work on it I’d have more confidence
People who think Sonic Forces is a bad game probably never even played it for more than 5 minutes. If at all. If anything, then Mania was the objectively worse game, since it was not only creatively bankrupt, but also mechanically. There was hardly an original element in Mania. At least with Forces they tried to make something new, fresh and avatar stages are quite fun.
At worst Forces is slightly above average, so stop exaggerating. It makes me sad to see Sonic “fans” with their overblown expectations get disappointed with a good game, all while loving a glorified romhack project.
Honestly, at this point I just want something different. When Sonic Colours came out, the new style of writing was refreshing, but now it’s just dumb and doesn’t really evolve or deepen the world of Sonic. Gameplay-wise, I’ll just take anything functional, but preferably more “free” than on-rails experience that was Sonic Forces (it shouldn’t necessarily be Adventure-like gameplay). I really, really want this era of safe and boring Sonic games to come to an end.
Sonic Adventure 3. Multiple play styles, free-roaming adventure fields, epic intertwined storyline.
* Sonic should revert back to his Sonic Adventure 2 play style.
* Tails could utilize his gadgets and flying ability to play similarly to Ratchet & Clank. He starts with just one or two attacks, but over time Tails develops new functions for his gadgets.
* Knuckles could be a hybrid of his treasure hunting game mechanics from Sonic Adventure 2 and the Werehog’s combat-oriented gameplay. Levels could be a combination of exploring massive environments, searching for keys and switches, and defeating enemies from mundane Badniks that Sonic can breeze through, to powerful foes exclusive to Knuckles stages.
* The boost style should be brought back, but this time Metal Sonic could be put in this position. His boost could be the fiery dash attack he used during the race against him in Sonic CD.
* The shooting game style of E-102 and the Eggwalker/Cyclone should make a return, with new weapons to compliment the classic lock-on cannon. More maneuvering options and a superior camera system could make this a particularly fun game style. Maybe they could finally bring back Chaos Gamma to fulfill this role and flesh it out more.
* The story should be intertwined not only between the various characters’ campaigns, but also with the Sonic canon as a whole. Properly establish the world and the places our characters occupy within it. The threat should feel real, but Sonic and his friends’ personalities shine through the perilous circumstances and allow for some levity. The SatAM cartoon series is a perfect example of the tone I’d like the next game to capture.
I honestly don’t have faith that Iizuka will make something I’d be interested in. Outside of some very minor elements, I’ve only enjoyed the parts of Iizuka-headed games that go back and implement elements from the Naka-Ohshima-Yasuhara days (Sonic Generations, et al), always feeling like the kind of Sonic that he identifies with and wants to promote is at best along for the ride, but typically getting in the way of the more enjoyable parts.
If I were to try to make a great 3D Sonic game, I’d pull a Sonic Mania and give the Sonic Utopia team the budget, resources, and assistance to make a full, complete product and get Arzest (former Sonic and Panzer Dragoon staff) to handle the scenario writing. Early Sonic games did environmental story-telling incredibly well — Ohshima and . Shut the characters up outside of the most essential moments, like in Mario games — if they need to talk at all.
Honestly, pay attention to the things people mock about your series and get rid of them. Sonic hanging out with realistically-propotioned humans, being a try-hard, weird vocal butt-rock soundtracks, excessive and outdated characters, complete linearity, shounen anime-esque storylines and over-narratization, lack of aesthetic theming…
And this might seem weird, but don’t worry about making it a AAA game. It doesn’t need to be one. When budgets get too high you start second-guessing yourself and over-complicating things. Do the things that Sonic did well from the start: fast, momentum-based gameplay that rewards multiple playthroughs, understated environmental(ist) story-telling in stylish locations with cool enemies and set-pieces, with characters that are likable because of their strong designs. I think the aim for a 3D Sonic game should be to have actual gameplay that feels like the intro to Sonic CD.
*Ohshima and Panzer Dragoon staff have a proven track-record.
This would be perfection.
Which in the past was the norm in SEGA.
Now things are slowly improving,
But getting back to those times is really a Utopia.
too good to be
I want it to be released on Android. And it needs to be like Sonic Adventure 1&2 or Sonic Heroes. Either way Ill be happy. Just the announcement is making me wonder. Will this be Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie: The Game? The anticipation is to big for me!
“OriginalName” said everything.
Really, cut out the lame anime-style dialogues and make characters cool by letting them be serious and brave, not some kid-character.
Perhaps a sonic RPG that plays like final fantasy. Or a shining force 2 3d strategy type game if you want try something new