How to make Sonic Great Again

Sonic hasn’t had the best track record recently. The release of Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric has had fans worried that Sega’s mascot is finally on his last breaths. Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice seeks to redeem the franchise, which since it was revealed, has had a poor reception from fans of the blue hedgehog. What is surprising is that Crush 40 may have prematurely revealed a new 25^th anniversary Sonic game in development. We have some suggestions of what the next Sonic anniversary game should focus on. With this proposal perhaps we'll make Sonic great again!

Keep it Simple

One of the biggest continious issues with the Sonic franchise is the story. Poor voice acting and terrible writing have constantly spoiled the games in the past. Trying to add complex relationships, detailed lore and unnecessary emotional scenes complicate what should be a simple story about saving the world. There's is nothing wrong about taking chances on a stale formula but perhaps a Sonic game isn't the best place to attempt deep story.

Focus on Gameplay and Music

What made past Sonic games great was the stages coupled with music that drives the player forward. Stages such as Ice Cap, Green Forest, Lava Reef and Speed Highway remains highlights of the Sonic franchise because the developers carefully crafted these two stages to take advantage of these elements.

It goes without saying that Sonic stages need to focus on his speed, giving players multiple avenues throughout the stage that range from amateur gamers to very skilled. Giving players more reasons to return to stages to better their completion time and perhaps find hidden collectables that unlock new content. Perhaps new skins for Sonic or characters that would fit Sonic's style; perhaps Shadow or Metal Sonic.

They Got it Right

Sonic Generations was a step in the right direction. It gave fans exactly what they wanted from a Sonic game. Nostalgic stages with a modern flare, fantastic boss fights and the ability to play both modern and classic versions of Sonic. Best of all it was simple, Sonic and Sonic saving the world from Dr. Robotnik. The only thing missing was the Ice Cap zone, how could you develop a tribute to Sonic’s 20^th birthday and forget to put in a snow level! How things went so wrong after this amazing game bewilders many to this day.

No More Gimmicks

Sonic has been paired with some unnecessary gimmicks throughout the years: swords, planetary levels, placed on a cooperative team and even a human-hedgehog relationship. Some have worked, such as the Wisps from Sonic Colors, but most of these additions crash and burn very quickly. It’s time to focus on Sonic’s strengths.

Have any other recommends about what could make the next Sonic game great? Tell us in the comments below.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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