The Sonic the Hedgehog series has essentially been on a downward spiral the last decade. After the last Yuji Naka Sonic game, SONIC HEROES, the series went into free fall with three horrible games. Shadow the Hedgehog featuring Shadow wielding guns and failing miserably to act edgy and cool by inserting the word “Dam” into every dialogue box. Sonic Unleashed with its ridiculous Werehog concept and horribly broken Sonic speed sections where you die in several seconds even if you don’t touch your controller. Finally, the infamously horrendous Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 with its insane loading screens, hideously ugly graphics, and fundamentally broken rip your teeth out gameplay that strained even the most patient gamer to an absolute boiling point. Then for a moment of tantalizing sanity, it appeared that Sonic Team had ceased huffing gallons of paint and smoking crack while developing video games, and Sonic Colors and Generations released to significant fanfare. Gone were the stupid sub plots, and instead tight, speedy 2D and 3D gameplay replaced the awful and stilted Sonic 2006 gameplay. It looked like Sonic was on the up and up, but then came the abomination to end all atrocities, Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric.
The gameplay was broken, the framerate disgustingly unplayable, the characters irritating, loud, the story asinine, stupid and so overtly obnoxious you wanted to jam knives into your ears to silence the bleeding of the horrible voice acting! The game was unplayable, annoying, and just a hideous blot on the entire modern gaming industry, a new low for the Sonic franchise, already nearing the life support stage. It looked like the Sonic Franchise was once again on the ropes and that Sega had learned absolutely nothing. However, with the next two Sonic games Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, it appears Sega is pulling out all the shots to redeem the once proud name of Sonic The Hedgehog. Sonic Mania features strictly classic Sonic 2D gameplay, complete with sprite animations! Sonic Forces on the other hand once more brings Sonic multiplatform. Not only this, but Sonic Forces features for the first time, a custom character creator allowing you to design your own Sonic character and use them in-game. From what I have observed, this release combines ideas from Sonic Colors and Generations and expands upon them. Classic Sonic is returning again, and he is most welcome, along with 3D Sonic stages focused on fast paced gameplay. Sega has one last chance to not screw up this battered and abused franchise because gamers are getting sick and tired of the lack of quality control with Sonic, it needs to end now.
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