Modern and Classic Sonic are back to take down Doctor Eggman in Sonic Forces, previously known as Project Sonic 2017. Confirmed for a 7 November launch, here’s what you need to know.
Sonic Forces was originally announced as Project Sonic 2017 at a SEGA event during San Diego Comic Con in July 2016. Fast forward to today and Project Sonic 2017 is now Sonic Forces, a brand new Sonic game being developed by Sonic Team due for release later on this year.
But when exactly will Sonic Forces be released? And what can we expect in terms of gameplay? While Nintendo had no new information on a release date at E3 2017, the company did showcase a new trailer which can be seen below.
We’ve also had some hands-on time at Gamescom 2017, so take a look at our Sonic Forces preview if you want to find out more about what to expect.
Here, we discuss the possible Sonic Forces release date, UK pricing, platforms, the latest trailers and what to expect from the game.
Interested in other games coming out this year? Take a look at our list of the best upcoming games of 2017 .
Sonic Forces is confirmed to be released on 7 November 2017.
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While a handful of games in the Sonic series in the past have been platform exclusives (2013’s Sonic Lost World was a Nintendo exclusive for two years before coming to PC), SEGA has confirmed that Sonic Forces will not only be coming to the Nintendo Switch, but also the likes of the Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
It’s clear that the upcoming Sonic Forces is a AAA title, so it’s safe to assume that the pricing will reflect that. With that being said, GAME is currently offering pre-orders of Sonic Forces for £35.99, while Amazon offers the game for slightly cheaper at £37.99.
The winner of the cheapest pre-orders, however, goes to SimplyGames. Head over to SimplyGames and you can pre-order Sonic Forces for an incredibly cheap £24.85 on PS4 and Xbox One, although Switch fans will have to fork out a little more at £31.85.
Whether this price reflects the quality of the game is yet to be seen, but we can all agree that this kind of discount before release doesn’t bode well for the future of Sonic Forces.
Sonic Forces is being developed by Sonic Team and utilises “Hedgehog Engine 2” which the company says is a more refined version of the engine used in Sonic Unleashed. In terms of the storyline, the game is said to be set in a world where Sonic’s nemesis, Doctor Eggman, has taken over the world with his robot army destroying cities across the globe.
Of course, it’s up to the two Sonics to defeat Doctor Eggman and end his reign of terror. Yes, that’s right. As is shown in the trailer at the top of the page, ‘old’ Sonic teams up with ‘young’ Sonic (as they did in Sonic Generations) to take down the series antagonist. While there is said to be appearances from the likes of Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Chaotix, they will be non-playable and will offer support and advice via radio communication.
Instead, players will be able to create their own animal hero to run alongside the infamous blue hedgehog. First announced via a trailer that can be seen below, Sonic Forces will include a character creation tool that allows you to create your own character.
There will be seven different types of animal to choose from, each with specific abilities to help you along your way:
Some had initially assumed that the game was a sequel to Sonic Generations but series producer Takashi Iizuka later confirmed that it was a separate title. Although like Sonic Generations, Sonic Forces is also comprised of two variants of Sonic: the modern three-dimensional form first introduced in Sonic Adventure and the classic platformer form from early Sonic games.
In terms of gameplay, there’s not much available at the moment – but that’s not to say there’s nothing. Below, you can see a 42 second clip of ‘Modern’ Sonic gameplay. While it’s brief, it gives us a glimpse at the exciting fast paced gameplay available in Sonic Forces.
Along with the clip of Modern Sonic Forces gameplay, below is a (slightly longer) clip of Classic Sonic taking a leisurely stroll through the iconic Green Hill Zone.
More recently, Nintendo gave us a glimpse at Sonic Forces during its E3 2017 media showcase in the form of a new trailer. The trailer gives a good look at characters both new and old, from Sonic, Shadow and Dr. Eggman to a new Matrix-y foe named Infinite, and can be found below:
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