Highlights
- Sonic Dream Team is an upcoming game in the Sonic franchise set to release on December 5, 2023, and is part of Sega's continued momentum with other recent releases.
- The game, developed by Sega HARDlight, is an Apple Arcade exclusive title that features six playable characters and takes place in a dream-based world.
- While Dream Team references past games like Sonic Adventure, the director emphasizes that they didn't directly copy any of them, aiming to make the game its own unique experience.
A developer from Sega HARDlight comments on the comparisons between the upcoming Sonic Dream Team and classic 3D platformer, Sonic Adventure. This game is continuing the Sonic franchise's momentum in 2023, between the releases of Sonic Origins Plus, the updates for Sonic Frontiers, and the release of Sonic Superstars this past October. Sega isn't slowing down yet, as Sonic Dream Team is set to release on December 5.
Sonic Dream Team is an Apple Arcade exclusive title that has Sonic and his friends exploring a dream-based world in order to stop Dr. Eggman from accomplishing his twisted dreams. Sega HARDlight, the game's developer, was previously responsible for a number of mobile games like Sonic Forces: Speed Battle and Sonic Dash. Sonic Dream Team is one of the studio's most ambitious titles, featuring six playable characters in a 3D platformer, including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, and Cream, the latter two being a huge surprise to fans. The emphasis on multiple playable characters in a 3D space has resulted in fans making early comparisons between Dream Team and the Sonic Adventure duology, which Dream Team's director, Dan Rossati, commented on.
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In an interview with TouchArcade, Rossati was asked about whether Sonic Dream Team was a successor to Sonic Adventure, along with any inspirations that influenced the upcoming game. Rossati states he understood where fans were coming from with this comparison, acknowledging that the game does reference the Adventure games in ways, even having Sonic executive Takashi Iizuka on board to help out. "We did reference many of the past games, Adventure 1 and 2 included, but didn’t copy any of them directly, as we wanted Dream Team to become its own thing," Rossati said.
Rossati went over how these games influenced the gameplay flow of Sonic Dream Team, with players being able to tackle missions in a variety of ways, thanks to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Super Mario Sunshine-inspired free-flowing structure. The director notes these will allow for a great sense of replay value, hoping fans and gamers from the speedrunning community try to find the most efficient routes.
We did reference many of the past games, Adventure 1 and 2 included, but didn’t copy any of them directly, as we wanted Dream Team to become its own thing.
Rossati also commented on Sonic Dream Team's playable roster, which includes the regulars like Sonic and Amy, but also brings back both Rouge the Bat and Cream the Rabbit. He notes that Rouge will play a lot like Knuckles did, being able to climb and glide like they could in Sonic Adventure 2, while Cream will mirror Tails' flight abilities. Rossati states that the team at Sega HARDlight are huge fans of Cream, being glad they were able to include her as a narratively important character in Dream Team. Fans will get to see how this game stacks against Sonic Adventure when Sonic Dream Team releases on December 5, 2023.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a prolific game franchise that started life on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Covering both 2D and 3D iterations through the generations, Sonic is known for speedy movements and interesting platforming mechanics.
