Sonic Forces

Sonic Forces is a 2017 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was produced in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. The plot focuses on Sonic the Hedgehog joining a resistance movement formed by his friends, alongside its new rookie and another version of himself. Together, they must stop Doctor Eggman, who has conquered most of the world alongside Infinite, his newest lackey who has been empowered by the Phantom Ruby. It features three gameplay modes: "Classic", side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, "Modern", 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010), and a mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's custom character. Development of Sonic Forces began after the release of Sonic Lost World in 2013. With the game's title chosen to signify its themes of power and teamwork, it was intended to have a darker tone compared to previous entries in the franchise and the character creation system was inspired by Sonic fan art the developers had come across over the years. The game was primarily developed by staff who had worked on Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations (2011), using an updated version of the Hedgehog Engine, used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. It was announced, alongside Sonic Mania, under the working title of Project Sonic 2017 during the Sonic 25th anniversary event at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. The development of Sonic Forces, including the plot, was influenced by Sonic Mania. Sonic Forces was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One on November 2017 to mixed reviews from critics. They praised its presentation, music, voice acting, character creation system and the Modern Sonic gameplay, but criticized the plot, overly automated level design and gameplay, technical problems, short length and the inclusion of Classic Sonic, with many critics calling it a disappointment in the wake of the positively received Mania, released earlier that year. This critical feedback would later influence the development of the Sonic franchise's next entry, Sonic Frontiers (2022).