Back in 2017, a group of game developers were able to bring back classic Genesis-era Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay with the release of Sonic Mania. This game celebrated the 25th anniversary of the franchise, with 12 unique levels starring playable characters Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. The game was such a success that it became one of the highest-rated Sonic games in over a decade. This resulted in an enhanced physical re-release and DLC add-on known as Sonic Mania Plus, which added Mighty and Ray into the mix as playable characters. The team will be coming back for a brand-new debut title, under a new studio led by the lead developer of Sonic Mania, Christian Whitehead.
Whitehead is an Australian game designer who originally did updated ports and fan games based on Sonic the Hedgehog, with Sonic Nexus being one of them. This eventually led to him and indie game company Headcannon being the main developers of Sonic Mania, where his experience in the fan game and ROM hacking community led to the game's massive success. Whitehead and other members of the team then founded their own studio in late 2018, called Evening Star Studio, where he is the creative director and lead engine architect.
A new blog post on the studio's page notes its first debut title will be an original 3D action platformer. The game will be powered by the studio's proprietary Star Engine, a companion to the Retro Engine that was used for Sonic Mania. According to the website's technology page, the Star Engine is a HD 3D game engine that would help create non-realistic stylized 3D graphics, based on their experience with developing Mania.
The teaser image shown about the upcoming game is a silouetted short character, along with a long tail or weapon in hand. The game is very early in development, as the studio also has some job postings for some critical positions. This includes one for a 3D Artist, Engine Programmer, Gameplay Programmer, and Level Designer.
The game is also currently on the lookout for a publishing partner, with details going to be provided sometime in the future. Considering the studio's past success with Sonic Mania, there is a good possibility this game can impress a lot of gamers. While some might be disappointed that Mania won't be getting a follow-up game from the studio, platformer fans should keep an eye on this upcoming title in the coming years.
Sonic Mania is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.