Sonic Mania, the 2D Sonic remix that actually holds a lot of promise, was recently delayed to Summer, and like pretty much all game delays at this over-saturated point in time, more than anything that news came as a relief. I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to Sonic Forces, however—Sega's next 3D Sonic that doesn't so much come with a bit of baggage but rather a couple of decades' worth of bad, crap, naff and cringey Sonic games trailing behind it.
Set in a world in which Dr. Robotnik was, for once, successful in one of his maniacal schemes, Sonic Forces will see the blistering blue hedgehog tearing through a collapsing city, collecting rings and defeating robo-animals, as is his prerogative. The 3D Sonic games have gone through a number of changes over the years, but Sega seems to have settled on the rollercoaster approach to level design for at least one of Sonic Forces' stages, meaning you'll be sent hurtling towards the screen as Sonic is flung this way or that way on what appears to be a linear, minimally interactive track. Here's a very short trailer showing what that looks like:
Looks alright. While the 2D Sonic Mania is due for release sometime this Summer, Sonic Forces will be out 'Holiday 2017', so sometime before Christmas.
