There is a lot to like about 3D graphic realism, and cinematic experience that a lot of modern video game licenses have become known for. On the other hand, many prefer the retro graphics and 2D gameplay of fifth generation or earlier consoles. It might sound obvious, but there was a transitory phase in the industry when 2D franchises started receiving 3D titles. After all, Nintendo didn’t go fromSuper Mario Bros. 3straight toMario 3D World + Bowser Fury.Mariois a franchise that successfully made its leap to 3D withSuper Mario 64.Unfortunately, much like thenotoriousBubsy 3D,Sonichas had a fraught history with 3D adaptations.
It’s not the case thatSonichasn’t had excellent 3D adaptations.Sonic Adventurehad fluid gameplay and a decent story, so it is appreciated even to this day. Sega had a working formula, and all it had to do was to stick to it. The downward spiral ofSonicgames afterAdventurestems entirely from Sega doing the opposite of that. Instead of simply refining something that works like howSuper Mario Galaxyevolved fromSuper Mario 64, Sega kept reinventing the wheel at every turn. Not only were the constant changes a headache for developers, but numerous catastrophic releases would reduceSonicto a minor license. If Sega is to restore the franchise’s image, it needs to learn from past failures withSonic Frontiers.
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The Genesis of 3D Sonic Games
There were 3DSonicgames beforeAdventure; theywere just subpar.Sonic Labyrinth,an action-puzzle platformer released in 1995, was Sega’s first attempt at rudimentary 3D gameplay with platforms and jump pads. The most notable aspect ofSonic Labyrinthis thatSonic runs slowly. For its part,Sonic 3D Blastreleased the following year, calling on players to use shrewdness and patience to locate enemies around the map. Players of previous 2DSonicgames starting withSonic The Hedgehogand onwards might not expect shrewd, patient, and slow in theirSonicgame vocabulary.
Yet another year later, in 1997,Sonic Rwould be released as a competitor toMario Kart. Instead of having characters drive vehicles,Sonic Rhas most of them run on foot or glide like Tails and Robotnik. As a racing game, thespeed theme should be perfect forSonic, but the gameplay faced another massive problem. The handing inSonic Ris absolutely atrocious. It’s nearly impossible to race a few meters without sliding all over the track, and ending up in the water. This is important because maneuverability and controls would remain a recurring problem in futureSonicgames as well. In a way, earlySonic3D attempts were prophetic in predicting the identity crisis thatSonicstill suffers from today in the modern era.
The firstSonic3D game that would have a working formula isSonic Adventure. At the time of release,Sonic Adeventure’s visuals and gameplay were praiseworthy, but it’s also considered one of thebest Sega gamesto this day. Of course, the game wasn’t perfect; the FMV cutscenes and the audio in general were mediocre, the glitches were frustrating, and the camera was buggy.
Some speculated thatSonic Adventurecould foist the Dreamcast among the top sixth generation consoles after the Saturn’s failed run. They were wrong about that, butSonic Adventurehad laid a good foundationthat futureSonicgames could build upon and refine. Sega foolishly proceeded to not do that.
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Just Don’t Be Sonic 06
Sonic 06is certainly the most infamousSonicgame and still gives nightmares toSonicfans to this day. The saddest part of this game’s journey is thatSonic 06was supposed to be the great revival of the franchisefor the 15th anniversary after years of mediocre titles. That’s why it wasn’t to be calledSonic Adventure 4orSonic Fantasy,butSonic The Hedgehoglike the original 1991 game. Unfortunately, the developers were under pressure to finish the game for the anniversary date. Further, there were three teams to make the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii versions, with the latter never even releasing. Sensing the impending catastrophe, Yuji Naka, the mastermind behindSonic, would resign before launch.
The high expectations during preview only make theSonic 06experience more painful. The character design was incoherent between theFinal Fantasy-esque aesthetic and modern day urban fashion, the gameplay hovered between awful and nonexistent, and the plot was a mess, with characters constantlytime traveling without any respect forSonic’s preexisting canon. IfSonic Adventurehad a drunk camera, the camera inSonic 06was worse, with the added bonus of not target locking on bosses. This made boss fights unbearable, especially against Silver. For obvious reasons, the romantic tension between Sonic, a cartoony blue hedgehog, and Elise, a human, made more than one player uncomfortable.
Sonic’s Perpetual Identity Crisis
It’s critical for a franchise to have a working formula since that formula will determine its identity. For example, players know more or less what to expect from a 3DMariogame because Nintendo used the successful formula fromSuper Mario 64and built upon it every subsequent game. Sega could’ve done the same, but insteadchanged theSonicformula every single game.
From the convoluted plots to the underutilized cast ofSoniccharacters towerewolf transformations, as well as lazy writing and overly ambitious projects,Sonicis suffering from an identity crisis. The blue hedgehog doesn’t know what kind of game he wants to be in, andSonic Frontiersis a chance to truly wipe the slate clean.
Sonic Frontiersreleases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.MORE:5 Isekai Games to Play While Waiting for Forspoken’s Release
