Since the announcement of Sonic 2022, the lack of additional information has left fans buzzing about what exactly is happening with the game. Sonic Team's head, Takashi Iizuka, has made it clear that there's still a lot they cannot say with the game still being in development, but in an interview with Sonic fan-site The Sonic Stadium, Iizuka explained that he wants Sonic 2022 to pave the way for the Sonic games after it.
During the first Sonic Central broadcast, Sonic 2022, rumored to be titled Sonic Rangers, was revealed for the first time with a teaser trailer. Beyond what's been left behind from press releases and potential leaks, not much is known about the title. The Sonic Stadium got a chance to sit down with Takashi Iizuka to discuss the title, and shared a piece of what they spoke about ahead of Sonic's anniversary on June 23rd.
Takashi Iizuka revealed in the interview that the aim for Sonic Rangers' development was to build "something new and challenging." When The Sonic Stadium asked if Sonic 2022 could be considered an anniversary title, Iizuka mentioned its release date keeps it from being one, but also said Sonic Adventure was in the realm of what to expect far as what he hopes Sonic Rangers will accomplish for the series' future.
Fans of Sonic the Hedgehog who remember Sonic Adventure may recall that the game was the start of Sonic's legacy in 3D, bringing in gameplay changes that became series mainstays such as the Homing Attack. Iizuka credits Sonic Adventure for "laying the foundation" for the next games that came even 20 years after it. As Iizuka compares Adventure and Rangers, the "challenge" for the development team lies in making a fun new gameplay style that will be the basis of Sonic's next adventures for years to come.
While the idea of Sonic 2022 seeming more like Sonic Adventure seems promising, fans may want to take it with caution, as the comparison lies in impact rather than direct gameplay experiences. Whatever Rangers has in store has not yet been confirmed, and only further announcements when Sonic Team is ready to reveal them will show what's truly next for Sonic.
However, if the rumor of Sonic Rangers being open-world turns out to be true, then 20 more years of fast-paced open-world exploring may lead to an exciting new future for Sonic the Hedgehog. If anything is certain with this title, whatever Sonic Team has decided to move forward with will be a turning point for what's expected of the blue hedgehog for years to come depending on how well their decisions are received.
Sonic Rangers is scheduled to be released in 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: The Sonic Stadium