Sonic X Shadow Generations: What’s Next for Sonic?

SEGA of America Inc. Will this celebratory title set a precedent for future Sonic games?

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS garnered critical acclaim with one million units sold on its first day, receiving a 9/10 on IGN among other awards. The adventure combines a previous Sonic game, Sonic Generations, with a new storyline from the perspective of Shadow The Hedgehog, Sonic’s anti-heroic lookalike, hellbent on leaving his past behind. After this game’s release, fans are asking, “What is next for the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise?”

With the game utilizing the “Boost Formula,” a control scheme that focuses on quick bursts of energy fueled by rings, it’s safe to assume that future Sonic games will continue to use it, as it has been the standard since the release of Sonic Unleashed in 2008. Another staple of Sonic games in recent memory is the mix of 3D & 2D stages. This is seen in both Sonic's and Shadow’s levels in the game. While having the 2D sections of the games is a nice reminder of Sonic’s Genesis days in the 90s, it ultimately hinders the flow of the much preferred 3D sections seen in the game.

The last decades have been filled with disappointment after disappointment from the Sonic games: Sonic The Hedgehog (2006), Sonic Lost World, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Sonic Forces, among others. All of these games suffer from the same problems: poor player controls, lackluster level designs or philosophies, and distracting gimmicks. SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS might bring forth a new era of Sonic Games, like  remakes of past titles with revamped control schemes. Sega’s President and COO, Yukio Sugino, has confirmed that future Sonic releases might include remakes of past games like Sonic Heroes or Sonic The Hedgehog (2006).  They have already done this with Sonic Colors: Ultimate which brought the game to multiple consoles and out of the Wii. It appears that SEGA is capitalizing on their now older fan’s memories and their desire to replay their favourite Sonic games from their youth. Sonic Origins is another example of this trend as it repackages old Sonic titles for the Sega Genesis into a more polished experience with commodities such as Save States or new collectibles and abilities.

SEGA of America Inc. Sonic Heroes (2003) for the Xbox, Playstation 2, Gamecube and PC.

Future Sonic titles could cut out the “bad parts” of games from the past, leaving only improved and refined Sonic experiences for future generations to enjoy. Sonic Heroes could receive an improved control scheme while retaining the character switching and abilities. This could be one of the most important times in recent Sonic history as the franchise is more popular than it ever was with the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 in movie theatres and endless collaborations with brands to make clothes, toys and other accessories. With this being a peak in Sonic’s popularity, it could be time for Sega to look back on past titles, see what went wrong and release multiple Sonic experiences fans can enjoy for years to come.

SEGA of America Inc. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PC

A breath of fresh air will be arriving soon as Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is set to release this September. While not a conventional or mainline Sonic game, it’s still bound to bring up some excitement from the fans by racing through past Sonic stages such as Apotos, Water Palace, and Seaside Hill. Multiple characters from different franchises will be appearing alongside the Sonic cast, such as Hatsune Miku, Joker from Persona, Steve & Alex from Minecraft, and even Pac-Man. The new Crossworlds mechanic is also refreshing, as it introduces different paths during races, making every course unique from the previous one. With all these new rumours and games coming out, there is a chance that the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise will come out of the slump it encountered during the 2010s.