The Sonic franchise has been an instrumental part of the video game industry for decades now. Sega's flagship mascot may have started out as direct competition to Nintendo's Super Mario series, but in the 30 years since the first Sonic game released, the blue blur has evolved into a character all his own. Unfortunately, in some cases the Sonic series has struggled to get into a rhythm of quality releases like its contemporaries, and the last decade has been particularly rough. Between games like the widely panned Sonic Boom and the shortcomings of Sonic Forces, the franchise has been looking for a chance to really shine once again.
Luckily for Sonic fans around the world, the franchise's return to the limelight could be coming rather soon. While this year's 30th anniversary celebration of Sonic may have had its biggest moments earlier in the year, it also set up the hedgehog for an exciting 2022. Back in spring of this year, fans were treated to a tease of a brand new Sonic game that is now confirmed for The Game Awards. And to add on to the excitement, a sequel to the rather well-received Sonic the Hedgehog film will also be getting its first trailer at the event. With how much the franchise has struggled, 2022 could be Sonic's big comeback year.
Digging Sonic Out Of A Very Deep Hole
To understand just how much is riding on the Sonic projects in 2022, it's important to understand just how much that series has struggled over the last few years. The early to mid 2000s were not overly kind to the character, as they were marked by one middling release after the other with only periodic games that really impressed to give fans a reason to keep playing. Just as it seemed like things could be looking up for the series with Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, the frankly broken state of Sonic Boom caused the franchise to spiral once again, and it's had a hard time recovering ever since.
The Potential Of The Next Sonic Game
Ever since the newest Sonic game was announced earlier this year, leaks and rumors have been circulating around what could be one of the most ambitious entries in the franchise yet. Many have speculated that it will take a Super Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild approach to its gameplay structure, and if the game lives up to that hype, it could be a huge boost to Sonic's reputation.
Recent trademarks made by Sega have suggested that the game may be titled Sonic Frontiers, which could suggest that some speculation on a more open world has been correct to some degree. If the game does end up taking a wider scope with satisfying gameplay and a sense of polish, it could be one of the most impressive Sonic games in years.
Riding The Success Of The Sonic Film
One of the biggest surprises for the Sonic property as a whole has been the success of the first Sonic the Hedgehog film. After the movie's initial VFX controversy and the trend of video game movies not turning out very well, Sonic the Hedgehog ended up being a decent success. If the upcoming sequel wasn't already indication enough, the fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be adding characters like Knuckles and featuring Tails' actual video game voice actress for the film shows that Sonic's life on the silver screen could end up carrying the franchise towards a successful future all-around.
The Sonic series has had its fair share of rough patches, but if the video game industry has shown gamers anything, it's that a once struggling franchise can come back and shine brighter than ever before. While the newest Sonic game hasn't gotten extensive coverage just yet, its showing at The Game Awards has the potential to really grab in fans that have been waiting for a Sonic comeback. And with the success of the first film combined with the promise of the sequel, Sonic could be making a massive turn around in 2022. For one of gaming's most important icons, it will certainly be a long time coming.