Sonic Frontiersis just a few weeks away from release, and fans are still pretty divided on the upcoming game. While some fans are taking Sonic Team at its word, and believeSonic Frontiersis going to push the boundaries ofwhat it means to be aSonicgame, some fans remain a little more skeptical, taking each new screenshot and gameplay trailer with a hefty pinch of salt. But even the most skeptical fans can’t deny that ifSonic Frontiersmanages to pull off everything it’s setting out to do, it could change the future ofSonicgames forever and pave the way for a range of spin-offs in a similar vein, centering around memorable side characters like Silver the Hedgehog.
First introduced in 2006, Silver the Hedgehog is a time-traveling anthropomorphic hedgehog that’s been sent from the future to stop the apocalypse. The usualSonicside character affair. Though Silver’s appeared in a range ofSonicspin-offs and crossover titles over the last decade or so, he’s never really had his chance to take the spotlight, and aSonic Frontiersspin-off could change that.
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A Brief History of Silver the Hedgehog
Silver the Hedgehog first appeared in theinfamousSonic the Hedgehogreboot from 2006. Widely considered to be one of the worst video games of all time,Sonic ‘06is detested by fans for its vast collection of technical issues, its odd plot, strange character choices, and awful voice acting. Silver is introduced in his own episode duringSonic ‘06’s main campaign. In this episode, Silver is sent back in time to stop the apocalypse, triggered by a being known only as the “Iblis Trigger.” Alongside Blaze the Cat, Silver discovers that the trigger is actually Sonic.
Despite debuting in one of the worst games ever made, Silver the Hedgehog actually became a fan-favorite character, and he continued to appear over the next decade in a variety of spinoffs and crossover games. Silver appeared in bothSonic Rivalstitles on the PSP,Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity,Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, and the recentTeam Sonic Racing, all being playable appearances. In every playable iteration of Silver, his psychic powers are always on show, whether it’s confusing opponents inSonic Rivalsor flying through the air on a psychic wave inSonic Riders: Zero Gravity.
Silver the Hedgehog Would Make a Great Spinoff Protagonist
Based on the gameplay trailers released so far, it seems as thoughSonic Frontiersis really focusing on combatthis time around. While Sonic’s traversal abilities are still present in full force,Sonic Frontiersseems to be giving the blue hedgehog a range of new combat abilities, some of which incorporate classic move sets from his previous games, and some of which are brand new to this game.
IfSonic Frontiersends up being a hit, then that paves the way for potential spin-offs in the near future. Silver the Hedgehog would bethe perfect protagonist for aSonic Frontiersspin-off. As the two hedgehogs share a lot of the same traversal abilities, aSonic Frontiersspin-off starring Silver wouldn’t need to change how its movement systems worked. A Silver-ledSonic Frontiersspin-off could also retain a lot of the same general combat mechanics, but use Silver’s unique psychic abilities to make the combat stand out. Story-wise, it wouldn’t take much to bring Silver back to the canon, as Sonic Team would just need to say that he’s back once again to stop an impending apocalypse in the future.
Sonic Frontierswill launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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