The Current State of the Sonic Franchise

[@jaysolaris9272]

I'd definitely say that Sonic is in a better place now compared to when Forces came out. I'm really looking forward to playing Shadow Generations, especially with all the improvements to the animations, open-zone (more cohesive looking world), and level design. Sonic Team being experimental again is nice too, the quality just needs to remain high. I'm so glad we're at a point that our critiques are being heard and we can see those improvements being made. It genuinely feels like we're getting somewhere. There are still issues with the series, but hopefully with more people trying to push genuine and nuanced discussion Sonic can reach even greater heights.

[@Shadicstick]

This here 🙏🏿

[@DeterminedTorres]

When One Way Dream was in Frontiers’ Credits in Hard Mode, it goes to show they’re not letting that spark die out yet.

[@EliRetroVHS642]

Sad part is there are people that just WON'T let go of Sonic 06 and are convinced that every game with Sonic is bad

[@JakeThehedgehog-m1x]

​​@@EliRetroVHS642 That's the sad truth. Can move on from the past they just stick in it..

[@EliRetroVHS642]

@@JakeThehedgehog-m1x But Sonic 06 is 18 years old just let it go, Focus on the current titles like Frontiers

[@RatchetClankFan112]

Thanks to the Frontiers and the Movies, Sonic’s future and the franchise is growing brighter and in a better place and I’m happy

[@PolarityOfNeoSoulCity]

I feel like for Sonic as a whole franchise... Where the game crowd thought "This is the start of Sonic's new age", for me, HERE is where the real start is. Sonic X Shadow Generations is the true litmus test, not just for seeing what Sega can do with another form of Open Zone Gameplay, but also testing if people do want spin-off games focusing on the characters again. If Shadow, the second most popular character in the canon, can stand tall compared to his initial falter in 2005, Sega may trust making games with a focus on other characters, maybe testing some of the genres they could be in. If Shadow can succeed, maybe a Knuckles solo game can succeed. If Shadow can succeed, maybe Amy can have a solo outing (It would be cool considering Zelda and Peach are starring in their own games nowadays) If Shadow can succeed... Maybe we can see Blaze again, and Sega can trust in her spearheading her own solo game We're at a crossroads now, and while this is hopeful thinking, I like to imagine that if Shadow does it and showcases the world would wholeheartedly accept solo outings from the extended cast, then we can really see the series fly higher at the beginning of the series' One Way Dream.

[@DeterminedTorres]

And I for one, would love to finally see Silver get one more shot after his own falter in ‘06.

[@PolarityOfNeoSoulCity]

@@DeterminedTorres Oh absolutely, I'd love a Silver game in this day and age, it's been too long. Heck, he could play like he does in SRB2, which is already like a speedier version of his gameplay in 06

[@bottomtext593]

My only problem with how Sonic is right now lies with Sega and Sony themselves. Sonic Team clearly wants to bring back that 2000s edge we all loved and they're doing a good job at it. But it seems like Sega and Sony lately have been drifting into gold mining with all these packages, deluxe editions, missing pieces of content, questionable decisions and such. I feel like most of that influence comes from Sony seeing the state of Wukong and how they vouched for DB Sparking Zero to NOT have couch co-op. So as happy as I am with Sonic right now, I REALLY REALLY hope they don't fall into the EA pit.

[@EliRetroVHS642]

For chill fans: Sonic's in a great spot For Adventure fans: Sonic's in a great spot For Forces haters: Sonic's in a debatable spot For 06 haters: Just can't let go of 06 and thinks every title with Sonic in the name is a lost cause For 2D fans: Won't even give 3D Sonic a chance

[@jentsu9469]

That's it in a Nutshell

[@bluudevil4483]

For smart gamers and intellectual fans: just don't buy or even play bad games.

[@chrange9714]

He's definitely in a good place. I mean looking back at the time that Lost World, Boom, and Forces came out yes the state of the series itself and the backlash it got wasnt good at all. However I will always be in the camp that Lost World is a good game, so for me the only real bad Sonic games are Forces and 06 just because it's very unfinished. I like the Boom series, I liked the show and I hope they bring characters like Lyric over to the mainline series like they're doing with Sticks, but I won't deny the games had multiple issues with gameplay, writing, various things. In regards to Shadow Gen's gameplay, I don't think the VGC footage was bad or made the game look boring. They had said that the footage provided wasn't just for the gameplay but mostly to show the environments and how the game looked. Should they have only released that gameplay by itself? Probably not, honestly they should've released it and some other footage of morr engagaing gameplay. That and I've never really been a fan of gameplay without the hud, just doesn't look right and makes the game kinda look like it's in a beta or something. While I don't blame people for being skeptical after Forces, I very much do blame them for the whole seeing a straight line and immediately going "Forces level design" like many have unfortunately done lol. That is just flat out ridiculous, thankfully there have been many others who've proven and discussed otherwise. I'm extremely excited to play the game when it comes out. The way the Chaos Control mechanic is so interwoven in the level design, and Izuka stating that it is with every level with both that and Shadow's new Doom powers just has me itching to see more. They definitely put a lot of thought into the level design. The series and fanbase will always have their issues (especially the fanbase), but overall yeah Sonic is in a very very good spot that I'm so glad he's in.

[@Themasktrooper]

Sonic Frontiers started a new era we have to wait and see what happens next

[@MZMDev]

Honestly, as someone who grew up with generations and colors, I’m really looking forward to the open zone stuff, my biggest issue with it is just how Frontiers handled it. They really could’ve done better with incorporating more traditional sonic elements in an open world experience. Don’t get me wrong, frontiers is good and a breath of fresh air, it just feels like a tech demo or an early alpha for something way better. Also they need to fix the sense of speed in the cyberspace levels those felt so sluggish at times especially the sky sanctuary one where you’re running up the crumbling tower that felt so slow and anticlimactic

[@luisramirez-or5vg]

I genuinely hope someone at sega/sonic team saw those tweets of someone changing the cyberspace camera to match unleashed & gens' camera and seeing how it completely changes the feel of the game

[@Shadicstick]

I think it was cool on paper but the reason the camera is pulled out so far is for visibility. I think it should change based on level segment rather than be like that all the time (kinda like gens)

[@chrange9714]

I've never seen anyone complain about the camera in Cyberspace

[@bottomtext593]

@@Shadicstick It's more SA2 inspired which is okay for a game like Frontiers, but doesn't feel as "boosty" as it does in Sonic Unleashed/Colors/Generations

[@TheRPGDummy]

Sonic is definitely in a good place for me

[@Shadicstick]

On another note, you're alive bro?

[@DSmith3279]

Sonic's been in a good place for me since 2017. Forces and Mania were the start of Sonic getting out of his Boom funk and getting back to making good MAINLINE games again.

[@JakeThehedgehog-m1x]

He's for sure in a better place

[@1upGaming1up]

The Sonic Movies really started the whole Sonic "Revival" era and Sonic Frontiers was the step in the right direction, think about this, 2019 if Paramount stuck with the Ugly Sonic design, I feel that Sonic Frontiers would have released in 2021 and pretty much, Sonic Frontiers would pretty much be Sonic 06 2.0 (2.5 if you want to count Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric) and We'd be in another drought (and Sonic Fanboys/Fangirls would have been just as rabid as the Half-Life, Portal and Team Fortress 2 fans if that happened) Yes we'd get Sonic Superstars released as a 2022 game, the IDW Comics and Sonic Prime, but there would be no Sonic Colors Ultimate, no Sonic Origins and no Sonic X Shadow Generations and the 2020s will be the 2000s all over again and the IDW comics would have been cancelled with issue 50. But that timeline dose not exist Paramount fixed up Sonic's design to make him look more close to his video game counter part and we got Sonic Movie 2 and the Knuckles show and Sonic Movie 3 is on the way and it's because of the Movies why Sonic Frontiers is a good game (jank like Sonic Adventure 1 and Sonic Unleashed but it could have been worse I.E Sonic 06) Sonic Superstars (a mid title better than Yoshi's New Island and Hey Pikmin) and Sonic Dream Team (A mid mobile game IMO) and why Sonic Colors Ultimate, Sonic Origins/Sonic Origins Plus and Sonic X Shadow Generations are a thing (mostly for fans who discovered the series with the movies,) not everything has to be a winner like Sonic Colors Ultimate, Sonic Origins, Sonic Prime, Sonic Superstars and the Knuckles show but I'd say the series is in a better place then where it was from 2003 though 2008 and 2013 though 2019.

[@lightningboy7099]

Sonic definitely is. But i believe that Sonic can go much higher. Good vid bro

[@natoriousthehopeful2786]

I would have to say that compared to the dark ages that were the 2010s, Sonic is back on top: I could even go as far as to say this current age may even surpass the 2000s🤩

[@lordprime25]

He’s definitely in a better space but he’s on thin ice.

[@SeifTiam-kj2rx]

Pretty positive video and yeah, Sonic is in a way better state then before

[@1upGaming1up]

Better then where it was from 2003-2008 and 2013-2020

[@Sonic171K]

Out of all the current games I only liked Mania and Origins. Wanted to like Superstars but Sega messed that up.

[@Temzy]

Took us a while but Frontiers finally set that blue rat back on the right path ‼️

[@Shadicstick]

Man, it's actually insane. I watched a non-sonictuber talk about that shitnthe other day and it was all positive. We're so back.

[@mau2172]

I am excited for what's to come in terms of gameplay, but I have grown to really dislike the way the characters are currently written. I do not like how Ian handles the franchise. Sonic stories used to be memorable because they were inspired, had themes, character arcs. Their characters used to represent things about us that we could connect with. Now they're all presented as a "cast" of mascots that say things because "that's what they would say". There is no intention to tell meaningful stories anymore. It's all just aimless interactions that insist upon the idea that you "recognize" these "mascots" and their "personalities". That's why sonic talks like any witty superhero nowadays, why knuckles says he likes to punch things, why tails makes long observations with smart words, why amy is not allowed to obsess over sonic anymore and is instead a generic "voice of reason". I am 90% sure that shadow's arc of abandoning his past (and maria's promise with it) will be completely retconned in favor of the overly recognizable shadow in SA2, because they want all of their characters to reach this static overly marketable limbo so they can shove them into anything they want to. Jebzone makes a pretty decent breakdown of these issues in his "Sonic Frontiers is the corruption of storytelling" video.

[@SonicTheBlueBlur15]

Sonic is starting to peak now

[@returnedtomonkey8886]

It's a weird feeling seeing so much good will around sonic. I love it.

[@rat_isntreal]

Twitter talking about the trailer: OH MY GOD ANOTHER 20 FPS GAME Twitter when the game drops: …

[@jonasonic456]

I think he’s doing a decent job rn. Although the only things I’ve been liking so far are superstars and the knuckles tv show. Everything else just sort of disappointed me, same for shadow generations. My favorite game ever is getting a remaster and it is barely changed and overshadowed by the newer campaign. Ik sonic would do good moving on but I’m starting to not care for him as much anymore.

[@duck___e]

let me tell you, if they are probably gonna remake sonic heroes, i’m pretty hype for the future of this series.

[@superturkishdelight]

Personally, I have extensively enjoyed every recent Sonic release. However, I do not think any of the recent releases were good. Decent to alright maybe. I feel like many Sonic fans are desperate to see a Sonic game so good that everyone likes it. Unfortunately, we have yet to see that. Doesn't mean you can't like Sonic, just means recent games have not been up to standard compared to other *similar* AAA IPs, including Sega's.

[@Shadicstick]

I heavily disagree with this. I think Sonic games, as of recent, have been good. I think to dismiss Frontiers and Superstars as games that are not good is really disingenuous.

[@bluudevil4483]

​@@Shadicstickyou don't play different games them bro, ya got bad taste by default.

[@Shadicstick]

@@bluudevil4483 As someone who currently only plays Sonic games to produce videos, you should probably delete this.

[@duckman2480]

Wrong. Sonic superstars was mid. Sonic frontiers was an unfinished mess.

[@ubercomrade]

Another racist sonic channel

[@Shadicstick]

How in the hell is this channel racist?

[@Amit7.]

😂😂😂😂

[@luisramirez-or5vg]

​@@Shadicstick It's joever, you're racist now

[@TheSultan1470]

@@ubercomrade Not that good