With the upcoming release of Sonic Frontiers and the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 breaking series records at the box office, 2022 looks to be a good year for Sonic. With the film already out and Frontiers not releasing until the holiday season, Sonic Origins is coming out on June 23 to keep the party going. However, Origins has a rather confusing DLC plan behind it.
On the Sonic Origins website, fans can see numerous DLC bundles listed along with the Digital Deluxe and Standard editions of the game. These DLC packages are said to contain bonus in-game currency, called coins; an entirely new Mirror Mode; and more. This information was displayed in a table that many fans found confusing, so with a lack of explanation on the official site about just what Sonic Origins is offering, many potential buyers are lost as to what they're truly getting with each purchase.
The Sonic Origins Start Dash DLC
Sonic Origins is split into five different bundles between each version of the game, the game's pre-order bonus, and DLC. Using a chart with Sonic's iconic rings as checkmarks, the site tries to explain just what buyers are getting in each bundle. The $39.99 Standard Edition contains just the base game; the Deluxe Digital Edition comes with Hard Missions, additional music, and special visual features for $44.99 dollars; and a special Start Dash pre-order bonus set comes with "Mirror Mode unlocked," 100 extra coins, and a special letterbox background.
Between the Standard Edition, Deluxe Digital Edition, and Start Dash DLC are other packs called the Premium Fun Pack and the Classic Music Pack, which have the same features as the Digital Deluxe Edition. While this led some to believe Mirror Mode was exclusive to pre-orders, Sega said it will be unlockable through gameplay, just like how players can gather coins while playing. The only thing fans may miss out on is a Mega Drive-themed letterbox background if they don't order ahead of release.
Sonic Origins' DLC Packs and the Deluxe Digital Edition
The most confusing factor of Sonic Origins' DLC plans may be the Premium Fun Pack and the Classic Music Pack. While these are simply extra content, the wording on the website implies players would lose more value than what's being offered. The Classic Music Pack adds additional music for the in-game museum from Sonic Spinball, Knuckles Chaotix, and Sonic 3D Blast. The Premium Fun Pack is also mostly cosmetic, including special animations and camera control for the game's main menu. The only thing that isn't cosmetic is 11 "Hard" missions that fans can complete for more coins.
These features are also available in the Digital Deluxe Edition for only $5 dollars more. While some fans may have worried before Sega clarified the prices, the Digital Deluxe Edition is only about $4 dollars more than buying each bundle separately. Sonic Mania Plus offered a similar upgrade in the form of a physical version for more money, but a DLC upgrade to the original title with all the same features for less.
This seems to be a case of Sega failing to communicate what these bundles are truly offering. While the announcement trailer showcasing gameplay and the title's exclusive new 2D animations was well-received, players quickly took to social media to talk about how Mirror Mode shouldn't be locked behind paywalls, only for Sega to elaborate that this was not the case. Exactly which version players should get depends on their budget, as well as what they wish to get out of Sonic Origins.
However, there is something to be said about how the pre-order bonus leaves much to be desired. It only offers the chance for fans to unlock a mode quicker than normal, as well as currency available via playing the game. Many feel perks like these are not good incentives, and that's most likely fanned the flames of angry comments. Still, as long as the other DLC packs remain inexpensive, all fans need to worry about missing out on is a retro letterbox background rather than an entire mode or two.
Sonic Origins will release June 23 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.