Sonic Forces

Sonic Forces is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's 25th anniversary, it was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. The story sees Sonic the Hedgehog joining a resistance force to stop Doctor Eggman. It features three gameplay modes: "Classic", side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games; "Modern", 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors; and a mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's custom character.

The game was primarily developed by staff who had worked on Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, using an updated version of the Hedgehog Engine, used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. Development began after the release of Sonic Lost World in 2013. They intended it to be in the vein of superhero films such as Batman Begins and science fiction films such as The Iron Giant. The game was also intended to have a darker tone compared to previous entries in the franchise, and the character creation system was inspired by Sonic fan art the developers had come across over the years. It was announced, alongside Sonic Mania, under the working title of Project Sonic 2017 during the Sonic 25th anniversary event at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con.

Sonic Forces received mixed reviews from critics. They praised its presentation, music, voice acting, character creation system, and the Modern Sonic gameplay, but criticized the plot, level design, technical problems, and Classic Sonic's presence. Many critics called it a disappointment in the wake of the positively received Sonic Mania, released earlier that year.