Highlights
- 2023 has been a strong year for Sonic the Hedgehog, with new releases like Sonic Superstars and the upcoming Sonic Dream Team.
- Sonic Dream Team, an Apple Arcade exclusive, features Sonic and his friends trying to stop Dr. Eggman from realizing his tyrannical dreams.
- Sonic Dream Team offers diverse gameplay styles for different characters, preserving the classic 3D Sonic experience with wider levels and multiple paths.
2023 has been Sonic the Hedgehog’s strongest year in a while. Between Sonic Frontiers’ post-launch support and the Sonic Prime show continuing to roll out, there's something for every corner of the fanbase. Most recently, Sonic Superstars was released with a modern twist on Sonic’s classic 2D platforming, and soon a new 3D platformer by the name of Sonic Dream Team will also come out. In a bold move for the franchise, Sonic Dream Team is an Apple Arcade exclusive, which is only the first part of what makes it so unique.
As a canon entry with Ian Flynn on the writing team, Sonic Dream Team is an exciting prospect for many, with most complaints currently leveled at its exclusivity to Apple Arcade’s service. Sonic Dream Team sees Sonic and some of his old friends, as well as a newcomer named Ariem, trying to stop Dr. Eggman from using a device called The Reverie to manifest his tyrannical dreams into reality. With its December 5, 2023, release date only five weeks after its announcement, the time between them has been full of previews detailing what features players can expect after they get their hands on the fast-approaching Sonic Dream Team.
Brand-New Sonic the Hedgehog Game Coming This December With 6 Playable Characters
A brand-new Sonic the Hedgehog 3D platformer game from Sega HARDlight will be launching later this December, featuring multiple playable characters.
Sonic Dream Team Is Bigger Than It Looks
Up front, Sega and Sega HARDlight have explained much of Sonic Dream Team's structure. The title includes twelve levels across four worlds, with each world concluding with a boss. Levels are further divided into missions similar to those from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, and completing them awards orbs that unlock new levels similar to Stars in Super Mario 64. A Sonic Dream Team developer actually named Super Mario Sunshine as an inspiration, in addition to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. To keep the many level playthroughs feeling fresh, Sonic Dream Team deploys its titular team of heroes.
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Miles ‘Tails’ Prower
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Amy Rose
- Cream the Rabbit
- Rouge the Bat
Each of these characters fits into one of three play styles designed around Sonic's traditional boosting, Tails’ flight, and Knuckles’ gliding and wall-climbing. While Cream and Rouge already paralleled Tails and Knuckles in other Sonic games, it's a pleasant surprise to see Amy Rose finally keep pace with Sonic in a mainline Boost entry.
Other gameplay differences between each style’s users are unknown, though Sonic and Tails may need something extra in their kits if Amy and Cream still have the Piko Piko Hammer and Cheese the Chao.
The Classic 3D Sonic Experience Is Preserved By Sonic Dream Team
The level design in Sonic Dream Team compliments the return of some of Sonic's rarer playable friends nicely. Previews paint the game’s levels as wider than modern Sonic titles, with open rooms being commonplace. It also sounds like the transitions between 3D and 2D that have been around since Sonic Unleashed may have finally gone away, replaced with multiple paths that each gameplay style can take advantage of.
With how Sonic Superstars also broke series traditions recently, it's nice to see Sonic experiment with its design trends even during throwbacks. Combined with level objectives and the especially bright and cartoonish visuals, it's not hard to see why comparisons to Super Mario Sunshine were drawn.
With either touch controls or a controller on the various devices that support Apple Arcade, players can make their way through the rail grinding, bounce pads, wall running, and various other attractions offered by Sonic Dream Team. On the way, they can explore side paths to find hidden collectibles like red stars and, furthering Sonic Dream Team's Super Mario Sunshine parallels, blue coins.
These may have something to do with collectible Sonic character toys that were teased as well. Although Sonic Dream Team sounds like a compact experience, that fits its launch platform well and hopefully it can migrate to consoles and PC at a later date with some extra enhancements.
