With SEGA being so insistently light on details concerning Sonic’s next adventure, it’s understandable that fans of the hedgehog are getting a little impatient and antsy. Considering we’re currently in the throes of the guy’s 30th anniversary, the silence is somewhat off-putting. After all, it’s pushing four years now since Forces, the last mainline game, and thus far all we’ve seen of Totally-Not-Called-Sonic-Rangers-Please-Ignore-The-Leaks is a brief CGI trailer. Which, worryingly, is how it started for Forces. And 06. And Secret Rings. And… well, you get the picture. Let’s just hope the course of fate corrects itself this time. (For the record, Unleashed is my favourite 3D Sonic, and that lifted its lid with a CG trailer too, so clearly it’s not impossible).
But fear not, O frustrated ones. While the big mega-corporation refuses to satisfy our needs, the humble independent developer steps up to the plate once again to fill this particular void. There’s a political allegory in there somewhere, I’m sure.
It’s with great pleasure that we can report a brand new, likely excellent, Sonic game will be releasing next spring. Only you’re not blue, not a spiked nocturnal mammal, and not called Sonic. I am of course referring to the sequel to Freedom Planet; one of the most fantastic 2D indie platformers in donkey’s (hedgehog’s? Echidna’s?) years. Publisher GalaxyTrail broke the news on Twitter, so have a look:
“We are happy to announce that Freedom Planet 2 will be launching in Spring 2022! We hope you look forward to it!” exclaims the Tweet cheerily, with a remixed trailer for the game (which originally debuted in 2019) attached therein.
For the uninitiated, Freedom Planet puts you in the comically oversized shoes of Lilac the Dragon, and a whole host of side characters fresh off the DeviantArt drawing board, as you dash, hop and loop-de-loop your way through a variety of gorgeous pixelized environments. The gameplay is tight, the music rocks, and the whole package just exudes that special brand of comfy charm you only come across once in a blue moon with an indie (your Hat in Times, your Yooka-Laylees) so I cannot recommend it enough.
Now, it’s just a race between Sonic and Lilac to see who really is the fastest thing alive – fastest to store shelves, that is.
Are you excited by this announcement? Will you be picking up Lilac’s new adventure? Let us know!
Via, Twitter.
