In 2017, Sonic Mania released to critical acclaim. A passion project created by many longtime Sonic fangame creators, Mania took a return to a simpler time when Sonic was platforming king, replicating the feel of Sonic's Sega Genesis ventures. To say the project was successful would be an understatement. The game's fantastic presentation, incredible level design, and unmatched music stole the hearts of Sonic fans, creating one of the franchise's best titles.

Following the success of Mania was the general mediocrity of Sonic Forces. Forces attempted to replicate the boost gameplay that originated in Sonic Unleashed, but it radically oversimplified the formula rather than reinventing the wheel. On top of this came classic Sonic gameplay with horrible level design and a strange customizable avatar, forming a soulless husk of what a modern Sonic game could be. Forces is particularly odd due to the momentum the series had accumulated over the 2010s. Sonic Colors was a fan-favorite while Sonic Generations is perhaps the best 3D Sonic game. The poor reception of a project like Sonic Forces squandered that goodwill, putting the franchise in a tumultuous spot.

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Sonic Adventure 2

The Sonic franchise has been dormant since Forces released, with no announcements or even teasers of a new title. This has created a bit of tension between fans. The Sonic fanbase is known to have varying opinions on what truly makes a Sonic game "good." This comes from a deep, passionate attachment to the character of Sonic, but has long painted the Sonic fan community as one of the more explosive ones on the Internet.

Regardless, Sonic Team has seemingly fallen into a bit of a rhythm. With every new title, Sonic Team seems to focus more on a conceptual idea than the gameplay itself. This has become apparent in games such as Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and The Black Knight and even Sonic Forces. All of these games have portions that are fun or ideas that seem cool, but their underlying problems are reflected in the gameplay.

Stating that Sonic Team should focus on gameplay above all else may sound like an obvious statement. However, pretty much every Sonic title focused on gameplay rather than a gimmick has been a hit. Both Sonic Adventure 1 and have simple premises and are fondly remembered by fans, despite the focus on multiple characters with varied gameplay styles. For a more recent example, the two most successful 3D Sonic titles, Colors and Generations, do have overlying premises, but they never steal the focus away from gameplay. Classic Sonic in Generations has some of the best levels in the entire series. When Sonic Team focuses less on a concept and more on the gameplay itself, they churn out constant winners.

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So what should a new Sonic game even look like? Many fans want the Adventure style of gameplay back, while others love the fast and satisfying boost-style gameplay. However, Sonic Team doesn't have to choose just one of these styles. The more tight controls of the Adventure games could benefit from exploration of these stages, while the boost mechanic could be used to keep the speed going. Both styles have their strengths and weaknesses, and creating a mixture of the two could give birth to an all-new beast.

Overall, it's tough to say exactly where the Sonic series will go next. A new 3D game is a safe bet, but the gameplay style it will adopt or create seems to be up in the air. With any luck, Sonic Team will be laser-focused on creating compelling gameplay before all else this go around. The Sonic series still has massive potential for more great games like Generations and Mania. 

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