Sonic Forces

Sonic Forces (ソニックフォース) is a platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was released on 7 November 2017 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Sonic Forces follows Sonic the Hedgehog as he joins a resistance force to take back the planet after Dr. Eggman's Eggman Empire took over 99% of it with the help of Eggman's henchmen, the Phantom Ruby and a mysterious new villain known as Infinite. The storyline of the game also ties with Sonic Mania.

The game marks the return of the collaboration between both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic, along with their associated gameplay styles, since the twentieth anniversary game Sonic Generations (although it is not a sequel to any previous games ). In addition, Sonic Forces also introduces a third gameplay mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's own custom-created character. The game serves, along with Sonic Mania, as a “continuation” of Sonic’s 25th anniversary.

History
Sonic Forces has been in development since 2013, around the release of Sonic Lost World. The title was first mentioned at the Tokyo Joypolis Sonic 25th party on 25 June 2016 under the name "Project Sonic 2017". The game was developed by Sonic Team, the same team that had previously developed Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, and was headed by Sonic series veteran Takashi Iizuka.

The idea for Sonic Forces was to bring back a modern 3D Sonic made by Sonic Team themselves, who had not engaged in such a project for a while. The goal was to give players the experience of a classic 3D Sonic game while also offering as much content as possible by including old fan-favorite characters and 2D gameplay experiences. Also, because Sonic Team had gotten a lot of feedback from people who wanted to create their own characters in the Sonic universe, they decided to implement the Avatar system so fans could both create their own original character and go on adventures with Sonic through them.

The first half of the game was produced by Iizuka, with Shun Nakamura stepping in when the game became more defined. Although the direction of the game was intended to be “Vs. Eggman”, the addition of colliding armies was added to the mix to make the game stand out. To make the game's​ story more serious, it was written so that 99% of the world had been conquered by Eggman. According to Nakamura, the team tried to make a detour from Sonic's normal streak of victories by adding an element of despair, namely by having Sonic rescue a world stuck in despair from Eggman's tyranny. Furthermore, the team sought to express character development through the Avatar, something which is difficult for Sonic, to add more fitting depth to the story. Also, according to Iizuka, the All-star cast in the game itself came as a result of the game's premise rather than the other way around.

In his Sonic Channel interview, art director Yoshitaka Miura explained how the team came up with a more serious take on Sonic's world. Lead graphics programmer Takao Oyama upgraded the Hedgehog Engine with Global Illumination and Physically Based Rendering to create realistic and detailed worlds which was first tested with the City location. The City concept artworks then were used as an example for other stages. The developers wanted the stages to be different and contrasting, so they came up with many ideas. For example, the Resistance base was originally intended to be in Mystic Jungle and Eggman's prison was to be in a much darker version of Green Hill instead of the Death Egg. While the stages were supposed to be more detailed, the team kept in mind that Sonic mostly runs so fast the player won't see all the decorations closely, so they simplified billboards signs using basic shapes to imitate the letters.

The subtitle "Forces" was chosen because the word incorporates the themes of “power” and “army”. These words embody the main theme of the game, with two strong forces (Sonic and co. versus Eggman) facing off against one another in the game.

In terms of story, Sonic Team wanted to put Infinite in focus with a strong secondary main villain cast constantly interacting with him, which is something that has not been seen in the series before and would give the fan-favorite characters enough screentime. Also, the darker story approach for the game came as a product of the cast: when Sonic Team wanted the villains of the game to stand out as more threatening, dramatic and powerful, they needed a setting to emphasize the villainous activities going on and how Eggman is taking over the world, which led to the development of the darker world Sonic Forces takes place in. Sonic Team had also previously decided to exclude the classic mechanic that let the player recover dropped Rings as result of Sonic Mania; after having a game with the classic mechanics, Sonic Team wanted to make something new that fit the modern style of Sonic Forces and provided a balanced aspect to the game difficulty that fans of both Modern and Classic gameplay would enjoy. In the final version of the game, players are still able to recover dropped rings.

As the Nintendo Switch had not yet been revealed, the development team could not properly complete that version of Sonic Forces. After it had been revealed, they had still managed to create an algorithm so that the game could manage to run at 720p on the Switch version.

Promotion
The game was announced at Sega's 25th anniversary of the series at San Diego Comic-Con on 22 July 2016, where it was announced alongside Sonic Mania. The presence of Classic and Modern Sonic led some journalists to believe it was a sequel to Sonic Generations, but Iizuka confirmed that it was not a sequel, but a new, stand-alone title. The game will be released for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in late 2017.

During the Sonic live stream that was held in Japan due to the release of Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, it was revealed that there will be a new character introduced in Sonic Forces, along with a new component of gameplay besides the regular 2D and 3D gameplay.

SXSW 2017 announced they would be hosting a second Sonic panel for this year’s event, set to reveal news about the upcoming Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. The latest Nintendo Dream Magazine from Japan also revealed new information about Sonic Forces. The blurb stated that Dr. Eggman will be the main villain, that there will be no multiplayer features, and that the genre for the game is "adventure". Soon after, it was unveiled that the game will be an evolution of Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations and features a new game engine developed for this title called "Hedgehog Engine 2". An interview with Takashi Iizuka by Famitsu later revealed that "Boom Sonic" would not appear in the game and that the game's third character (who will be revealed at E3 2017) would be an "unexpected character" that plays a vital role in the story and "embodies the overall features of the game". On 16 May 2017 (a month earlier than planned), this third character turned out to be a character that the player can customize to their liking. At E3 2017, on 13 June 2017, Shadow the Hedgehog, Metal Sonic, Zavok, and Chaos were confirmed to return to Sonic Forces as Dr. Eggman's henchmen under the leadership of a new and mysterious villain called Infinite. Soon after, Chao were stated not to be featured in the game, though they do make cameos as decorative gear for the Avatar.

At Gamescom 2017, Sonic Forces appeared with new demos that featured a new type of level for the game called "Tag Team Stages" where Modern Sonic and the player's Avatar work together in collaborative gameplay. On 31 August 2017, it was announced on the official twitter feed of Sonic that the game will arrive on 7 November 2017 on all platforms. A physical bonus edition of the game with extra features was also announced to be available for pre-order for consoles.

It was later announced that Sonic Forces would be showcased on Tokyo Game Show 2017, where limited game-related merchandise would be handed out to the attendees. At said event, Takashi Iizuka revealed that the storyline of Sonic Forces ties into Sonic Mania. It was also announced at TGS that Sonic Forces would have a cross-promotion with Hooters Japan and Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone DX. Also, on 19 September 2017, a DLC named "Episode Shadow" featuring Shadow as a playable character was announced.

A demo for Sonic Forces was released on 25 October 2017 in Japan for PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. Three stages were made available: Green Hill Zone with Modern Sonic, Space Port with the Avatar and the Egg Dragoon boss fight as Classic Sonic. Players were only given sixty seconds play-time on each stage.

Plot
Making yet another gab for global domination after creating an "invincible instrument of destruction" to defeat Sonic the Hedgehog with and expand the Eggman Empire across the globe, Dr. Eggman launches a large scale offensive on an urban center with his Death Egg Robot sentinels and Egg Pawns. As things gets desperate for the survivors and all hope seems lost, Sonic appears, having answered Tails' emergency call, and makes short work of the invading Egg Pawns before challenging Dr. Eggman. Eggman however, having anticipated this, has a surprise up his sleeve. Sonic promptly finds his way blocked by none other than Shadow, Metal Sonic, Zavok, and Chaos, who are now serving under Eggman. Among Eggman's henchmen is also a newcomer: an enigmatic and powerful being named Infinite, who acts as Dr. Eggman's right-hand man and the leader of the Eggman Army. Sonic tries to fight Infinite, but is easy swept aside by the newcomer's mysterious power. Tails, unable to help or figure out Infinite's power, can only watch as Sonic gets defeated and captured by Infinite and his allies.

With Sonic defeated and the world believing him to be dead, Eggman and his forces quickly take over. Using Infinite's power, the Eggman Empire's army manages to conquer 99% of the planet over the course of six months, with only but a few isolated areas still free from the Eggman Empire control. Despite the odds however, those among Sonic's friends who managed to escape Eggman's invasion decide to continue the fight for freedom. Together, they form a rag-tag team called the Resistance to combat Eggman's forces, with Knuckles as their commander. Others members include Amy, the Chaotix, Rouge and Silver. Excluded from the Resistance is Tails, who vanished after Sonic's disappearance.

Despite assembling a small army, the Resistance is unable to stop Eggman's forces, and the people are starting to give up hope. As the Resistance's core members discuss their situation, they bring up a new recruit that is joining them. After accessing the recruit's file, Knuckles arrives with updates from the battlefield before introducing the new recruit: a cowardly soldier (whom the Resistance nickname "Rookie") who surived an encounter with Infinite months prior. Not long after, Knuckles learns from his spy, Rouge, that Sonic is still alive and that he is being held prisoner onboard the newly-rebuilt Death Egg. Plotting to rescue Sonic, the Resistance heads to the Spaceport, where they and the Rookie manage to steal a shuttle. Meanwhile, Tails has found E-123 Omega. While trying to fix him, he is nearly attacked by Chaos, but is saved by Classic Sonic, who is brought forth by the wormhole he was sucked into back in his dimension. Tails theorizes that Infinite's strange powers are affecting other dimensions, which may have pulled Classic Sonic into their world. Taking Classic Sonic's appearance as a sign, Tails regains hope and sets out with Classic Sonic to save the world.

Back with the Resistance, Rouge reveals that Eggman has kept Sonic alive for the last six months so the hedgehog could see his empire upon its completion before being banished into space. With Eggman moving the banishment ahead of schedule however, as a response to the Resistance's rescue attempt, the Resistance heads to the Death Egg. Once onboard, the Rookie's choice of route leaves them as the only one able to reach Sonic. Meanwhile, Sonic is about to be escorted by Zavok. However, the Rookie's commotion onboard the Death Egg undoes Sonic's restraints, thus allowing him to take on Zavok, who mysteriously fades away upon defeat. As Sonic makes his escape, he finds the scared Rookie under attack from robots and saves them. The two of them then steal a shuttle and head back to their planet. After getting reacquainted with his friends, Sonic is sent to destroy a weapon factory supplying Eggman, with the Rookie accompanying him. Despite the Rookie's cowardice, Sonic quickly accepts them as his partner.

After the attack, Sonic is sent to Mystic Jungle to help Silver, who is being attacked by Infinite. Although Silver is defeated by Infinite, he manages to make him drop a mysterious gemstone. Sonic then arrives and takes on Infinite. Although Sonic puts up a better a fight than before, he is still defeated. However, Infinite believes that Sonic is no threat to him, and leaves. Meanwhile, Tails and Classic Sonic are on the hunt for Eggman, hoping to end the war by defeating him and discover the way to get Classic Sonic back home. Upon finding Eggman talking with Infinite about their schemes, the duo spies on them and learns that the source of Infinite's power comes from a gem called the Phantom Ruby, whose defective prototypes have all been destroyed by Infinite to keep them from interring with Eggman's plans. After the villains' meeting is dismissed upon the notion that the Resistance and the world will soon fall to the Eggman Empire, Classic Sonic emerges from hiding and attacks Eggman. Although Classic Sonic defeats Eggman and the machines the doctor used against him, the doctor still gloats to the victorious Tails and Classic Sonic that the Resistance will be wiped out by his plan in just three days. Before Tails can ask more about it however, Eggman makes his escape.

Having helped rescue some civilians in the meantime, the Rookie is sent to check out some readings in Mystic Jungle. There, they find Infinite's dropped Phatnom Ruby prototype. They also find Classic Sonic and Tails, who had come to the jungle to find Sonic. After that, Classic Sonic and Tails link up with the Resistance and relay what they learned. Sonic is soon after sent after Shadow who is leading attack on the City. Upon finding him however, the real Shadow appears and dispatches his imposter. Shadow then reveals that the Shadow following Eggman is a virtual reality copy created by Infinite, as are the other villains serving him, meaning Eggman has a never-ending army on his hands. The Resistance soon after launch a massive attack meant to seize Eggman's undermanned headquarters, Metropolis, only for Infinite to foil the attack with the Phantom Ruby. While retreating, the Rookie comes across Infinite. Remembering Sonic's words of encouragement, the Rookie find the courage to fight Infinite. Eventually, Infinite laves the Rookie alive to be crushed by Eggman's plan in two days.

Realizing that they need to stop the Phantom Ruby to win the war, Tails and Classic Sonic infiltrates Eggman's computer network and finds the Phantom Ruby's weakness: it is directly powered by the Death Egg's core, and without a power source it is useless. In the meantime, Sonic and the Rookie grow closer after going after and defeating a Metal Sonic replica together. Putting their next plan into motion, the Resistance has the Rookie stage a diversion while Sonic shuts down the Death Egg's weapon defenses, thus allowing Classic Sonic to destroy the Death Egg. In response, Eggman and his posse make a retreat to Metropolis. Believing they have the upper hand now, the Resistance targets Eggman in Metropolis. However, when Sonic and Tails find Eggman, Eggman has Infinite banish Sonic into Null Space, with the Rookie getting pulled along with Sonic when trying to save him. Eggman then reveals to the confused Tails that he has a hidden backup power supply for the Phantom Ruby underneath Metropolis. Meanwhile, Sonic and the Rookie manage to escape Null Space and rejoin the battle in Metroplis. Surprised to see Sonic again, Eggman retreats with his lackeys to prepare his endgame, which is only a few hours away.

The entire Resistance eventually confronts Infinite and his army of replicas at the Eggman Empire Fortress in an effort to reach the Phantom Ruby's backup power supply. As Infinite prepares to finish off the Resistance however, Omega, now ready to join the Resistance, arrives and distracts him. Had enough, Infinite forms a massive virtual sun over the planet so that it will crash down and destroy the entire Resistance in one fell swoop, which has been Eggman's endgame all along. During the chaos, Tails notices the Phantom Ruby prototype the Rookie found in Mystic Jungle, and deduces that they can use it to neutralize the sun. Since the prototype's design only let the Rookie use it, they make their way to the sun and wipe it out (although the prototype is destroyed in the process), giving the Resistance a fighting chance. At the same time, Sonic himself confronts Infinite while he is weak from forming the sun. When Infinite regains his full power however, the Rookie comes to Sonic's aid, and together, the two heroes defeat Infinite for good. Warned by Eggman that he is not done yet though, Sonic and the Rookie destroy the Phantom Ruby's power supply, seemingly winning the war. After Sonic and the Rookie meet up with Tails and Classic Sonic however, Eggman reveals that the power source was a decoy and that the original Phantom Ruby has been incorporated into his triumph card: the Death Egg Robot. With the Eggman Army on the rise thanks to the Ruby, Sonic, Classic Sonic, and the Rookie confront Eggman and destroy his Death Egg Robot. With the Phantom Ruby getting destroyed in the process, Eggman's army vanishes, leaving the Resistance as the victor.

With the war finally over, Classic Sonic returns to his own dimension as a result of the Phantom Ruby's destruction. With the Resistance having said their goodbyes to Classic Sonic, the group sets out to clean up the mess Eggman has left the world in. In the aftermath, Knuckles disbands the Resistance, although not without Silver noting that they still have a lot to do. Deciding to head out on their own to help people in need, the Rookie parts ways with their friends, who compliment them for their growth. Tails then concludes that they all saved the world through cooperation, which will make their friendships last forever. Some time after, Sonic and the Rookie meet up to say goodbye to each other. After that, the both of them head off in search of new adventures.

Gameplay
Sonic Forces includes three playable characters and a fourth optional character via DLC. Akin to Sonic Adventure 2, the story is told from the perspective of each of the characters throughout the game, and when it all is put together it tells the overarching story. The first two of these characters include Classic Sonic (Sonic's original design from the Sega Mega Drive Sonic games) and Modern Sonic (Sonic's revised form in Sonic Adventure and after). Other characters make non-playable appearances, offering support and advice to the player via radio communication.

The game's third playable character is a new character, referred to as the Avatar, whom players can modify to their liking, which is a first for the series. The Avatar is created from the base of seven animal species, and possess several attributes that can be customized. However attributes like species, gender, head shape, eye shape and voice can only be set once. While playing through the game, one can unlock hundreds of Costume options for the Avatar. Depending on what animal species the Avatar is, they will gain a unique ability to aid in gameplay:


 * Bear: Blows away enemies when performing a Wire Attack
 * Bird: Enables you to perform a Double Jump
 * Cat: Hold on to some Rings after taking damage
 * Dog: Restart with some Rings after a knock out
 * Hedgehog: [original] Collected Rings when getting damaged
 * [day-one patch] Dropped rings will remain longer after taking damage
 * Rabbit: Extends invincibility duration when hit
 * Wolf: Draws in Rings and extends collection radius of collectibles excluding Red Star Rings

The overall gameplay is relatively unchanged from previous Sonic entries; players run at high speeds through levels (referred to as "stages") filled with gimmicks, enemy robots, and other hazards on the way to the goal. The game also incorporates a point system in the form of "Stage Scores" for each stage, which can be increased by collecting Rings and items, attacking enemies, destroying obstacles, and completing the stage without dying. Once at the goal, the player is given a stage rank based on their Total Score's points. Experience increases with the Total Score. Collecting enough experience will reward the player with different honors. Obtaining five Bronze honors grants a Silver honor, and two Silver honors awards a Gold honor. With a Gold honor, the player can unlock Costume and equipment for the Avatar as a part of their Mission rewards. Each created Avatar can achieve a maximum of three Gold honors.

All playable levels in Sonic Forces can be viewed from the game's stage select screen, also referred to as the "World Map". The World Map provides a view of Sonic's world, and is divided into seven regions, each holding a set portion of the game's stages that determine their respective layouts. The color of the regions determine the player's progress; grey regions belong to Team Eggman and blue regions belong to Team Sonic. At the beginning of the game, all regions will be under Team Eggman's control, but by clearing all storyline-related stages in a region, its control will switch to Team Sonic; the game will be complete once Team Sonic is in control of all the regions. In addition, the player can unlock bonus stages as they progress with the game. Finishing these bonus stages will reward the player with extra Costume Parts and bonus experience for the Avatar.

Game progress is automatically saved at specific times, such as when a stage is cleared. If the player takes more than 60 minutes to complete a stage, they will receive a Time Over and be returned to the World Map. Scattered around the stages are Rings: Rings protect players when they take damage, though they will lose their Rings upon being hit. Sonic Forces has two difficulties that affect the Ring cap. "Normal" mode (which is intended for newcomers) only allows players to collect up to 100 Rings. Getting hit by enemies will decrease the Ring count by twenty each time. "Hard" mode (which is intended for those already familiar with Sonic gameplay) on the other hand allows players to collect up to 999 Rings, but getting hit will make them lose all their Rings. Best ranks and times in "Normal" mode are also not recorded. Taking damage without any Rings will cost the player a life. A character will also lose a life if they stay underwater for too long or fall into a bottomless pit. Losing a life makes the player start from the last Star Post they passed in an stage or from the beginning of the stage if they have not passed any Star Posts. However, there are no Game Overs in the game due to the lack of an extra life system.

Wisps, which can be obtained from Wisp Capsule to give players temporary special powers, from earlier titles return in this game. White Wisps are used exclusively by Modern Sonic, while the rest are utilized by the Avatar. Also returning are the Red Star Ring collectibles that are hidden in each stage. Collecting all five of these in a stage will make five Number Rings appear in the stage. Collecting these rings in numerical order will make the Silver Moon Rings appear, which must be collected within a time limit. Collecting these rings earns the player a higher score bonus, which will grant more experience. At different points throughout the stages, the player will also engage in Real-Time Interactions.

The game features four different gameplay styles, with each stage in the game being reserved for one of them. Two of these include those of Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic respectively as seen in Sonic Generations, with both of them having different sets of abilities. Some stages involve simply reaching the goal, while others will require a stage to be beaten under a time limit. Modern Sonic's stages are based around three-dimensional movement like that of Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, with Modern Sonic having his standard Spin Jump, Double Jump, Homing Attack, Quick Step and Stomp maneuvers, along with a reworked Air Boost and Boost that rely on energy from the Boost Gauge (which can be filled by collecting White Wisp capsules and destroying enemies) to work. Classic Sonic's stages meanwhile, focus on 2.5D side-scrolling stages reminiscent of the Sega Mega Drive-era of games, except this time they feature a “twist”. Classic Sonic also has maneuvers like the signature Spin Dash and the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania.

The third gameplay style features the Avatar. Its style is similar to Modern Sonic's, but utilizes a grappling hook as a means of platforming. The Avatar also makes use of new unique equipment called Wispons, each one having an offensive ability (Basic Attack) and an ability for traversing the stage (Special Action). Depending on the Wispon equipped, Avatars can harness Color Powers in new ways by collecting a corresponding Wisp within each stage; for example, if the Avatar is equipped with the Burst Wispon, they can activate Red Burst abilities. Before a stage, the player can choose different Wispons to customize how the Avatar controls, thereby allowing access to different parts of the levels. Like Costumes, players can unlock new Wispons as they progress. New Wispons also come equipped with additional skills that grant the Avatar extra abilities during gameplay.

The fourth gameplay features a tag team mechanic (akin to that in Sonic Heroes) that involves Modern Sonic and the Avatar. The player will wield both characters to navigate through a stage, with the leader automatically switching to Sonic when boosting and the Avatar when using the Wispon. Also included is a new move called the "Double Boost", which is a faster version of the Boost that is triggered when the player engages in an automatic Real-Time Interaction.

When selecting a stage, players can view its information on the stage information screen, such as Best Time, Clear Rank, and Red Star Rings collected. Sonic Forces also has network synchronization, allowing players from around the world to "rent" other players' Avatars. These "Rental Avatars" can be chosen on the stage information screen and can then be freely switched out with the player's own Avatar during gameplay. When switching Avatars, special abilities and equipped Wispon will also be swapped over. One can also access the Rankings on the stage information screen to see the clear time of players from around the world.

Besides the main story, Sonic Forces offers additional side missions, the standard of which are the Challenge Missions. Successfully clearing a Mission will award the player with Costume Parts and Wispons. There are also Daily Missions that change daily. By completing a Daily Mission, the player's regular stage score will receive a bonus multiplier for thirty minutes. Also, SOS Missions can become available randomly after completing a stage or exiting a menu. If the player loses a life, quits the game or clears the stage without clearing an SOS Mission, the player will fail the mission without the option to retry. Leaving to the Main Menu will remove all SOS Missions that were currently on the map.

Playable characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Super Sonic
 * Classic Sonic
 * Super Sonic
 * Avatar
 * Shadow the Hedgehog

Non-playable characters

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * The Chaotix
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Team Dark
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Rouge the Bat
 * E-123 Omega
 * Silver the Hedgehog
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Metal Sonic
 * Zavok
 * Chaos
 * Infinite
 * Chao
 * Animals
 * Cucky
 * Flicky
 * Pecky
 * Picky
 * Pocky
 * Ricky
 * Rocky

Enemies

 * Aero-Chaser
 * Buzz Bomber
 * Chopper
 * Egg Pawn
 * Motobug
 * Nebula
 * Sandworm
 * Sprinkler
 * Unnamed ostrich Badnik
 * Unnamed beetle Badnik

Bosses

 * Death Egg Robot
 * Eggman
 * Egg Dragoon
 * Infinite
 * Metal Sonic
 * Zavok

Misc.

 * Death Crab
 * Death Egg Robot sentinels
 * Death Queen
 * Sandworm

Stages
The main playthrough of Sonic Forces consists of thirty stages (seven of which count as boss battles) that can be accessed on the game's World Map. Each stage is reserved for one of the playable characters (Sonic, Classic Sonic and the Avatar) or the Tag gameplay including Sonic and the Avatar. The stages in their order are:


 * 1) Green Hill: Lost Valley (Sonic)
 * 2) Chemical Plant: Spaceport (Avatar)
 * 3) City: Ghost Town (Classic Sonic)
 * 4) Death Egg: Prison Hall (Avatar)
 * 5) Death Egg: VS. Zavok (Sonic)
 * 6) Death Egg: Egg Gate (Sonic)
 * 7) Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid (Tag)
 * 8) Mystic Jungle: Luminous Forest (Sonic)
 * 9) Mystic Jungle: VS. Infinite (Sonic)
 * 10) Green Hill: Green Hill (Classic Sonic)
 * 11) Green Hill: VS. Eggman (Classic Sonic)
 * 12) City: Park Avenue (Avatar)
 * 13) Mystic Jungle: Casino Forest (Classic Sonic)
 * 14) Mystic Jungle: Aqua Road (Avatar)
 * 15) City: Sunset Heights (Sonic)
 * 16) Metropolis: Capital City (Avatar)
 * 17) Metropolis: VS. Infinite (Avatar)
 * 18) Chemical Plant: Chemical Plant (Classic Sonic)
 * 19) City: Red Gate Bridge (Tag)
 * 20) Green Hill: Guardian Rock (Avatar)
 * 21) Chemical Plant: Network Terminal (Sonic)
 * 22) Death Egg: Death Egg (Classic Sonic)
 * 23) Metropolis: Metropolitan Highway (Sonic)
 * 24) Metropolis: Null Space (Tag)
 * 25) Eggman Empire Fortress: Imperial Tower (Avatar)
 * 26) Eggman Empire Fortress: Mortar Canyon (Sonic)
 * 27) Eggman Empire Fortress: VS. Infinite (Sonic)
 * 28) Eggman Empire Fortress: Iron Fortress (Classic Sonic)
 * 29) Eggman Empire Fortress: Final Judgement (Tag)
 * 30) Eggman Empire Fortress: VS. Death Egg Robot (Classic Sonic)

Episode Shadow exclusive

 * 1) City: Enemy Territory
 * 2) Mystic Jungle: Eggman's Facility
 * 3) Green Hill: Virtual Reality

Secret Stages
Secret stages are additional stages that are unlocked on the World Map after the player clears a certain stage. Much like regular stages, each secret stage is reserved for either Sonic or the Avatar. The stages in their order are:


 * 1) Mystic Jungle: Fire Cannon 1 (Avatar) - unlocked after clearing Aqua Road
 * 2) City: Vanish Panel 1 (Sonic) - unlocked after clearing Red Gate Bridge
 * 3) Green Hill: Bomb Block 1 (Sonic) - unlocked after clearing Guardian Rock
 * 4) Chemical Plant: Plasma Cannon 1 (Avatar) - unlocked after clearing Network Terminal
 * 5) Death Egg: Laser Cannon 1 (Sonic) - unlocked after clearing Death Egg
 * 6) Metropolis: Reverse Block 1 (Avatar) - unlocked after clearing Null Space

EX Stages
EX stages, or extra stages, are additional stages that are unlocked on the World Map after the player collects a certain amount of Red Star Rings that coincide with the amount in the Challenge Missions. Much like regular stages, each EX stage is reserved for either Sonic or the Avatar. The stages in their order are:


 * 1) Green Hill: Flying Pod 1 (Sonic) - unlocked after collecting 25 Red Star Rings
 * 2) Chemical Plant: Bomb Block 2 (Avatar) - unlocked after collecting 40 Red Star Rings
 * 3) Metropolis: Laser Cannon 2 (Avatar) - unlocked after collecting 55 Red Star Rings
 * 4) Green Hill: Reverse Block 2 (Sonic) - unlocked after collecting 70 Red Star Rings
 * 5) Mystic Jungle: Vanish Panel 2 (Avatar) - unlocked after collecting 85 Red Star Rings
 * 6) City: Fire Cannon 2 (Sonic) - unlocked after collecting 100 Red Star Rings
 * 7) Death Egg: Plasma Cannon 2 (Sonic) - unlocked after collecting 120 Red Star Rings

Options
Options is the settings menu for Sonic Forces which holds the following options:
 * Difficulty Level: Select "Normal" or "Hard" difficulty.
 * Hints: Turn the in-game Hint Rings on or off.
 * Radio: Turn the in-game radio communication during the stages on or off.
 * Voice/Text Language: Set the language of voices and text display.
 * Reset to Default: Revert to the default settings.
 * Confirm: Save settings and return to the title screen.

Theater
In Theater, the player can re-watch previously viewed movie scenes from the game.

Episode Shadow
Episode Shadow is a free add-on pack for anyone who owns Sonic Forces. It focuses on Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega, and serves as a prequel to the main storyline of Sonic Forces. It launched alongside the game with Sonic Forces Digital Bonus Edition and also in the normal packs of the game.

"Episode Shadow" explores Shadow's allegiance, the fate of Team Dark, and the origin of Infinite. The player assumes control over Shadow, who handles similarly to Modern Sonic. The pack allows players to play as Shadow in three redesgined levels and over ten Modern Sonic levels.

According to Shun Nakamura, Sonic Team created "Episode Shadow" to help the game appeal to fans of older games such as Sonic Adventure. Upon its announcement, several gaming journalists noted that "Episode Shadow" was the first time Shadow was a playable character in a mainline Sonic game for several years, and Game Informer wrote that it was much more difficult than the main game.

Sanic T-shirt
On November 25, 2017, the Sonic Twitter officially announced the launch of a DLC "Sanic T-shirt" (based on the infamous "Sanic" internet meme). Like Episode Shadow, it is also free. Prior to the reveal, "Sanic" files had been discovered in the game's code.

Super Sonic
Super Sonic was made available as DLC on 22 December 2017, as a transformation for both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. It was stated the DLC would remain free until 23 January 2018. Super Sonic cannot be used to participate in world rankings.

Music
The game's soundtrack is being composed by Sonic series sound director, Tomoya Ohtani, and composer, Naofumi Hataya. Kenichi Tokoi also contributed with a remix of the US version of Stardust Speedway's music for Metal Sonic's boss battle. The game's theme song, "Fist Bump", features lyrics written and performed by Douglas Robb, vocalist of the American rock band Hoobastank. Multiple vocalists, including Jon Underdown and Nana Hatori, contributed to the soundtrack for the Avatar stage themes. It was announced at the Tokyo Games Show that there will be a Sonic Forces Hi-Res Collection featuring pieces performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. According to Shun Nakamura, the orchestra was used to emphasize the weight in pieces such as the title theme and the world map.

Promotion
On 31 August 2017, Sonic the Hedgehog's official Twitter account announced the official release date of Sonic Forces, along with a physical bonus edition of the game available for pre-ordering for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch. The bonus edition consists of a Sonic and Infinite-themed controller skin for the game's respective console and the "Sega/Atlus Pack DLC" which contain outfits for the Avatar. The latter of these include the following:
 * Jet Set Radio: Beat's glasses and outfit.
 * Persona 5: The protagonist's mask and outfit.
 * PuyoPuyo: 's hat.
 * Super Monkey Ball: AiAi's ears and outfit.
 * NiGHTS: NiGHTS' hat and outfit.

The UK and Australian versions of the Bonus Editions come with four exclusive Art Cards. Those preordering the game would also receive a costume of Shadow the Hedgehog for the Avatar.

For the appearance of Sonic Forces on Tokyo Game Show 2017, limited merchandise related to the game was handed out to the attendees. These included Sonic Forces posters, Sonic Forces-themed t-shirts, Sonic Mania-themed chopsticks, and Sonic Forces and Mania-themed keychains. Also, on 12 September 2017, a racing mobile game tie-in to Sonic Forces entitled Sonic Forces: Speed Battle received a soft launch for iOS and Android.

On 19 September 2017, pre-orders for a digital bonus edition of the game titled Sonic Forces Digital Bonus Edition was made available. This bundle includes the full Sonic Forces game, the Shadow costume, the "Sega/Atlus" Pack, and the "Episode Shadow" DLC.

On 22 September 2017 during the Tokyo Game Show event for Sega, they announced there will be a Sonic Forces promotional collab at Hooter restaurants in Tokyo from 16 October 2017 to 10 December 2017. During this time, customers could order a Chili dog meal and collect one of four specially designed coasters. These coasters were of Modern and Classic Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, Shadow and Infinite, and the official promoted wolf and cat forms of the Avatar. At dinner time, special dances were held to the main theme of Sonic Forces, "Fist Bump". They also announced a cross promotion with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone to be held in six different locations in Japan from 7 October 2017 to 5 November 2017. Attendees of the events received Sonic Forces posters and Project DIVA Future Tone badges. Those preordering the game would also receive a costume of Shadow the Hedgehog for the Avatar.

On 12 October 2017, Sega released the first issue in the Sonic Forces digital comic series, a four-issue digital comic publication featuring stories that serve as prequels to the game's events. The fourth and final issue was released on November 7, 2017, the day Sonic Forces launched.

Pre-release
The International Business Times praised Sega's approach of announcing and releasing the duo of Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania in the same year, stating that catering to the new fans with Forces while catering to the old-school fans with Mania could help repair the series's poor reputation with more recent releases, and in turn lead to a "Sonic Renaissance" era.

Reception following the game's showing at the E3 2017 had been mixed to favorable. Heather Alexandra from Kotaku praised the game's three gameplay styles and the Egg Dragoon boss battle, though she felt that the platforming side of it was in need of some tweaking. James Galizio from TechRaptor also praised the Egg Dragoon battle, calling it a "very interesting Boss Battle", but remarked that there were some slow-downs in the demo for the Nintendo Switch's handheld mode. Ed McGlone from Twinfinite found the Avatar's gameplay clunky; expressing the feeling that the gravity was not so prepared in the demo, and the Avatar would instantly be pulled onto the ground after a jump. However, he found Modern Sonic's gameplay a smoother version of Sonic Generations, with the Boosting mechanic being more refined while also praising the storyline's direction. Alex Olney of NintendoLife was more critical, thinking that the demo version of the game lacked focus and direction while also calling Modern Sonic's gameplay "dry and boring", and the Avatar stages an "afterthought". Sonic Forces also earned the nomination award for Peoples Choice at Gamescom 2017 by IGN. At the end, it came in at 2nd place.

The Nintendo Switch's version of the demo has a couple of issues reported compared to other consoles. This includes a lower FPS, lower-quality texture, effects and models, and lowered resolutions.

Post-release
Upon launch, the game received mixed reception. Polygon gave Sonic Forces 5/10, praising the game's visuals, but criticized its repetitive boss fights and felt the game did not advance the series' design. They also took issue in the ranking system, rewarding players for completing stages in a fast manner rather than exploring the stage for collectibles. The four reviewers of Famitsu were more positive, giving the game a 35/40, praising the character creation system and soundtrack. Heidi Kemps, reviewing Forces for IGN, faulted elements of the game's level design, indicating that "unfair-feeling traps" recurred intermittently and that the levels were relatively short and underdeveloped. In contrast to Parish, Kemps enjoyed the "quite strong" bosses, particularly one fought "among the winding coils of a giant snake," although she wished they were more plentiful. Kemps cited the game's "goofy charm" as preventing her from being "too disappointed" by it.

Kotaku's Heather Alexandra wrote that Modern Sonic's gameplay was "visually dynamic" and "the most fun", but heavily automated and shallow, whereas Classic Sonic delivered a solid but unremarkable platforming experience that compared unfavorably to the more inventive Sonic Mania. Alexandra panned the Avatar stages as "disjointed and confused" due to a lack of flow and an excessive reliance on trial and error. Overall, she described Forces as fun despite a lack of polish and complimented its "infectious energy and excitement". Game Informer's Brian Shea similarly regarded the game as a "fun adventure" and considered its controls and level design to be the best of any 3D Sonic entry, but concluded: "3D Sonic games still aren't to where they should be after such a long time of iteration and experimentation". Shea called Classic Sonic the worst of the three playable characters due to poor physics that failed to emulate those of the original 2D Sonic games.

John Linneman of Eurogamer found that Forces was well-optimized for PlayStation 4, with no noticeable improvement when played on a PlayStation 4 Pro, whereas the Xbox One version was "slightly more responsive" but marred by screen tearing and inferior resolution. He felt that playing on Xbox One X provided the best overall experience, albeit with some "unwelcome inconsistency" caused by occasional changes in resolution, but that the Switch version had worse technical performance than Sonic Lost World on Wii U, which featured graphics of similar quality running at twice the framerate. The Windows version received criticism for problems related to its uneven performance and frequent crashes; Sega released a patch on launch day that fixed some of the problems.

The game debuted in the UK all-formats chart in 5th place.

Update history

 * Version 1.0.1 (7 November 2017): A patch was announced on 1 November 2017 that various updates would be going live on the game's launch day. It added support for the following:
 * Addition of Episode Shadow
 * Transformation into Super Sonic
 * New Avatar outfits
 * Improved main menu controls
 * Adjusted game balance for certain fights and stages
 * Fixed player character reaction when taking damage.
 * Adjusted some skill abilities
 * Test fixes
 * Minor bug fixes

Trivia

 * This is one of the first games to be announced for the Nintendo Switch, as well as the second third-party title announced for the system.
 * This is the first 3D Sonic title released for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch.
 * An analysis between the console versions of Sonic Forces has noted the following differences:
 * The PlayStation 4 version is rendered in 1080p/60FPS with no notable improvements on the PlayStation 4 Pro but if the player puts the system in rest mode and returns to it over a period of time, degraded performance can be seen.
 * The Xbox One version is rendered in 720p/60FPS on the original Xbox One and Xbox One S models and due to an adaptive v-sync system, temporary screen-tearing has been noted. When played on an Xbox One X, this game version is rendered in 1080p/60FPS and 1800p/60FPS on Xbox One X depending on the stage being played.
 * The Nintendo Switch version is rendered in 720p/30FPS and has reduced texture quality, simpler lighting and pared back geometry detail compared with its more powerful counterparts.
 * This is the first Sonic title to be released in China since a compilation of four games including Sonic R, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic & Knuckles Collection and Sonic 3D Blast, which was released in 2001 by now-defunct Matrix Interactive in China and following a long game console ban imposed in the country (which was lifted in 2015).
 * This is also be the first Sonic title in Chinese (in both Simplified and Traditional).
 * This is the first main Sonic title to be co-developed by Hardlight, which previously developed mobile games.
 * This is the second Sonic title to run at 4K resolution (Xbox One only), after Sonic Mania.
 * The titles of numerous trophies are references to past Sonic media.
 * "A Sonic Hero" may be referencing Sonic Heroes.
 * "Fashion Unleashed" is a reference to Sonic Unleashed.
 * "Infinite Possibilities" is a synonymous reference to the Sonic Unleashed theme song, "Endless Possibility".
 * "Mean Egg Machine" is a reference to Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.
 * "Sonic and the Secret Stages" is a reference to Sonic and the Secret Rings.
 * "Courage in Hand" may also be a reference to the Sonic and the Secret Rings song, "Seven Rings In Hand".
 * "Sonic EXtreme" is a reference to the canceled 3D Sonic game, Sonic X-treme.
 * "Reach for the Red Star Rings" is a reference to the Sonic Colors song, "Reach for the Stars".
 * Though not particularly a Sonic reference, "Sonic Teaches Numbers" seems to be a reference to the 1991 educational Mario game,.
 * This could also be an allusion to Sonic's Schoolhouse.
 * "Silver Moon Mania" may be a reference to Sonic Mania.
 * "Way Past Cool" is a reference to the unused Sonic the Hedgehog television series song, "Burning Way Past Cool".
 * "Sonic Blaster" is a reference to Sonic Blast.
 * "Sonic Jammer" is a reference to Sonic Jam.
 * "Sonic Battler" is a reference to Sonic Battle.
 * "Super Sonic Rescue" references Super Sonic.
 * "Freedom Fighter" is a reference to the Freedom Fighters, either of the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, the Sonic the Comic comic series, or the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.
 * The Episode Shadow trophies are named after Chaos powers primarily used by Shadow: Chaos Spear, Chaos Blast and Chaos Control.
 * This is the first Sonic title since Sonic Colors to have a main vocal theme song.
 * This is the first Sonic title since Sonic Generations to feature vocal themes on stages, and the first game since Sonic and the Black Knight to feature vocal themes for characters.
 * Like in Sonic Adventure 2, each playable character has a unique genre for their stages' music, provided by Tomoya Ohtani.
 * This, along with Sonic Rivals 2 are so far the only existing United States cover art of a Sonic the Hedgehog series video game to not depict Sonic with either a smiling or neutral expression on the box artwork (excluding international releases).
 * This is the first Sonic title to feature the Red Wisp, Ivory Wisp, and Violet Wisp on home consoles.
 * This is the first 3D Sonic title with the Boost mechanic to feature playable characters who are not a version of Sonic (Sonic the Werehog and Classic Sonic in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations respectively).
 * This the first main title to feature Shadow the Hedgehog as a playable character (albeit in a DLC) since Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
 * Additionally, this game marks the first time in the main series that a character other than Sonic uses a Wisp power-up, that being Shadow using the White Wisp for his boost.
 * This is the first main Sonic game where Colleen Villard voices Tails (who also currently voices the character in the Sonic Boom series).
 * In Japan, this is the first main Sonic game to have Kotaro Nakamura voice Eggman after the passing of Chikao Ōtsuka, his previous Japanese voice actor.
 * Upon the game's release, dataminers found a working Super Sonic and t-shirts for the Avatar that star the infamous "Sanic" meme image imprinted on it. This is thought to be upcoming downloadable content.
 * The official Sonic social media had actually teased this design several months before the game's release with a parody game trailer.
 * This is one of the few main Sonic games in which the Chaos Emeralds do not play an important role in the storyline. The Emeralds only appear when Sonic turns into Super Sonic, as discovered by data miners.
 * This is the seventh game in the franchise overall (and sixth in the main series) to receive an E10+ Rating by the ESRB.
 * This is the third main game in the franchise overall to have all four hedgehog main characters presented (Sonic, Amy, Shadow and Silver). The others being Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Generations.
 * Cream the Rabbit, Cheese, and Blaze the Cat are the only characters from Sonic Generations to not appear in this game, while they alongside Big the Cat are the only side characters from the DS version of Sonic Colors to not appear in this game.
 * Originally players were not going to be able to pick up dropped rings and the feature was to be the special ability for the Hedgehog Avatar. However, a Day 1 patch changed the feature and as such, players can pick up dropped rings. The Hedgehog Avatar's ability was changed to having dropped rings remain longer after taking damage.
 * This is the first mainstream Sonic game and first game since "Sonic and the black knight" to include unlimited lives.
 * The cutscenes in "Episode Shadow" do not become available in the Theater after completing the episode.
 * This is the first time that Super Sonic is added to a game as DLC.
 * This is the first game since Sonic Unleashed that the DLC costs money.

Videos
Debut Trailer = Updated Debut Trailer = Nintendo Direct Classic Sonic Gameplay (April) = Custom Hero Trailer = E3 Interview = E3 Trailer/Story Trailer = Sonic Forces - Enter Infinite = Emergency message from the Resistance Army = Sonic Forces - Story Trailer = Dr. Eggman's surrender recommendation = Sonic Forces Orchestra Theme: Behind the Scenes = Overview Trailer = Commercial = Launch Trailer =