So, the reason why Infinite became evil...

[nilesdobbs]

Let me preface by saying, I am the BIGGEST apologist when it comes to this game; but this situation was too much for me. So, if you don't want to hear me rant, here you go.

In Episode Shadow, we find out that Infinite was originally a mercenary for Eggman called "Squad of the Jackals" (aka: he is a Jackal) to take help in the resistance. However, after Shadow infiltrated, Shadow took both the squad and Infinite down and called him "worthless" and "pathetic" before departed. Infinite has a mental breakdown and questions his strength. Afterwards, Infinite works with Eggman to fuse with the Phantom Ruby in order to gain more power, beginning his rampage of evil and destruction. 

So in the end, Infinite became evil simply because Shadow called him a bad name and it hurt Infinite's feelings. That's WEAK! God, I wished Ian Flynn wrote this game, because he would've done a much better job at fleshing ideas out.

 

[Badnik Mechanic]

...Can someone verify this?

[nilesdobbs]

4 minutes ago, Mayor D said:

...Can someone verify this?

Check Youtube. The playthrough's online.

[DiamondX]

1 minute ago, Mayor D said:

...Can someone verify this?

Woun streamed it on youtube:

 

[SonicLegends]

Alright I'll take back what I said about Izuka lying about Infinite becoming who he becomes, but pretty underwhelming reason for becoming Infinite. It is clear that before he became Infinite he was apparently always evil or at least on the villain side given his association as apparently "The Ultimate Mercenary" that Eggman hired. Also wow they still don't give us his face.

But yeah the mercenary... are we sure this isn't Fang? That mercenary bit just came out of no where.

[nilesdobbs]

5 minutes ago, SonicLegends said:

Also wow they still don't give us his face.

 

Just wait until people debug the game. We'll see it.

[SonicLegends]

I guess, but what we do apparently know is that he given the name of his squad he's a jackal then?

[nilesdobbs]

5 minutes ago, SonicLegends said:

I guess, but what we do apparently know is that he given the name of his squad he's a jackal then?

I believe so. Given the brief look we got at his muzzle, as well the general rule involving creatures in Sonic, that may be what they were going for. It makes sense.

[Multikaris]

At least he got a backstory at all. 

 

More than can be said for the Deadly Six or Hard-Boiled Heavies.

[Diogenes]

8 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

At least he got a backstory at all. 

 

More than can be said for the Deadly Six or Hard-Boiled Heavies.

The HBH's backstory is shown at the start of the game; they were some Eggrobos that found the Phantom Ruby and it magicked them into having personalities.

[TheConsul]

...wait.  Shadow wanted to commit omnicide because he was programmed to and because the only people he cared about were brutally murdered and for 50 years he was literally either unable to think of anything else or he had literally just witnessed their deaths, depending on whether or not he was conscious in the statis pod thingy.  And Infinite...becomes even more evil because Shadow insulted him?  That's it?  Jesus Christ, anything would be better than that!

[Multikaris]

16 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

The HBH's backstory is shown at the start of the game; they were some Eggrobos that found the Phantom Ruby and it magicked them into having personalities.

But we aren’t given a reason why. That’s why I listed them. 

EDIT: And for Infinite, we still have the last comic.

[Salamander]

This isn't really the reason he became evil, though.  He was already evil.

Being easily beaten up by Shadow really just made Infinite... um... willing to apply for a transfer to Eggman's get-experimented-on division?  Actually it's not clear exactly why or how Question Marks the Jackal became Infinite at all, so in that sense Episode Shadow doesn't really explain his backstory at all.  Shadow beat up a jackal one day, and that jackal ended up becoming Infinite somehow, the end.

But there's still a chance the last digital comic will retroactively cause Forces to become a good game, right?

[Rusty Spy]

22 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

At least he got a backstory at all.

That's not a backstory. It doesn't give us any new information about who he is or what his story was before he put on the mask, nor does it give any context behind his motivation or how he changed at all. We don't even get to see his face.

Like, imagine if Batman's backstory was that he got beat up by the by some street thugs once and then decided to use his wealth to become Batman. And he was already a street vigilante before then... and was already orphaned for unrelated reasons.

[Shadowlax]

" I'm not weak i'm gonna get experimented on to become a totally cool guy!" 

" Are you actually gonna...fight shadow after you do that?"

" Nah , man you seen that dude he's scary as shit! Irma beat up sonic and drag shadow's name into the ground , that will show my superiority " 

" But he still beat your ass tho... " 

[Count Mario]

I think my favorite part of the scene were those couple seconds when Infinite's feet crawl back behind debris after falling. He could have just laid down in one place while staying still, but we actually had to see him try to barely edge himself away from the camera like a timid cornered animal (literally lol). That detail of his unsightly defeat is hilarious to me for some reason.

[Multikaris]

1 hour ago, Diogenes said:

The HBH's backstory is shown at the start of the game; they were some Eggrobos that found the Phantom Ruby and it magicked them into having personalities.

There’s no why, there’s no how, only what. That’s it. 

[Salamander]

I do just want to backpedal a tiny bit on my initial disappointment in Infinite's backstory as shown to say that, once again, Sonic Forces has presented ideas which I like on paper, but not in execution.  To wit: The Squad of Jackals.  The idea of there existing this gang of anthro mercenaries, Eggman working with villainous animal people, the fact that they're not strictly loyal to him but are just hired henchmen: I like this.  It enriches Sonic's world by complexifying the otherwise binary between Eggman as a human and Sonic and friends as animals, and it is reminiscent, as others have noted, not just of Fang the Sniper back in the old days but also the relationship Eggman has with various furry henchmen in the comics, too.  (Genuinely, as I reflect on Forces, I think to myself that I really hope the new Sonic comic makes use of some of the material Forces is providing here.)  We could have stood to see more of this group, not just because it would give more weight to Infinite's backstory but because I think it's interesting as a piece of world-building.

I think it's important, if we do actually like something which featured in Sonic Forces, to say so loud and clear.  I don't know if we can have a meaningful conversation with the developers if we don't give as well as take.

[KittyNakajima]

3 hours ago, Mayor D said:

...Can someone verify this?

Can verify. Just watched a playthrough complete with the cutscene in question. Infinite essentially went EMO over Shadow calling him worthless.

Seems SonicTeam is still on about using Shadow as a catalyst for crazy shit again.

[Shadowlax]

36 minutes ago, FFWF said:

I do just want to backpedal a tiny bit on my initial disappointment in Infinite's backstory as shown to say that, once again, Sonic Forces has presented ideas which I like on paper, but not in execution.  To wit: The Squad of Jackals.  The idea of there existing this gang of anthro mercenaries, Eggman working with villainous animal people, the fact that they're not strictly loyal to him but are just hired henchmen: I like this.  It enriches Sonic's world by complexifying the otherwise binary between Eggman as a human and Sonic and friends as animals, and it is reminiscent, as others have noted, not just of Fang the Sniper back in the old days but also the relationship Eggman has with various furry henchmen in the comics, too.  (Genuinely, as I reflect on Forces, I think to myself that I really hope the new Sonic comic makes use of some of the material Forces is providing here.)  We could have stood to see more of this group, not just because it would give more weight to Infinite's backstory but because I think it's interesting as a piece of world-building.

I think it's important, if we do actually like something which featured in Sonic Forces, to say so loud and clear.  I don't know if we can have a meaningful conversation with the developers if we don't give as well as take.

My I like that idea, and I like the idea of shadow beating so bad, he gets pissed and becomes a super villain. 

However, they never address that in the story. There is nothing, NOTHING in the narrative that hints at or even alludes to any fear or resentment towards shadow as a character. Yes omega got bodies, but infinite would have fought anyone who tried to get in his way it seems. Also infinite never seems to fight shadow, he just goes " ain't fight that guy he got dio powers " and is never motivated to fight him again. He's just really motivated to be evil, like the people at sonic team or whoever, are so obsessed with sonic and your hero being the main guy that this more interesting story about eggman hiring mercenaries that, that thing that actually expands the world of sonic, an shadow creating his own rival, isn't realized. Infnite ends up being nothing, and his story ends up being nothing

[Razule]

4 hours ago, Mayor D said:

...Can someone verify this?

You really think someone would do that? Go ahead and lie.. on the internet?!

/jk

[Gabz Girl]

So Infinite’s backstory ended up being shit too. GG Sonic Team. 

Also, instead of helping Sonic before Dr Eggman kidnaps him Shadow fucks off for six months with no explanation. 

3 hours ago, Count Mario said:

I think my favorite part of the scene were those couple seconds when Infinite's feet crawl back behind debris after falling. He could have just laid down in one place while staying still, but we actually had to see him try to barely edge himself away from the camera like a timid cornered animal (literally lol). That detail of his unsightly defeat is hilarious to me for some reason.

Nah, my favourite part is his meltdown. It’s hilariously over dramatic and like the most cliche animu. XD I NEED to see a stand-alone clip of this epic moment. 

[Multikaris]

3 hours ago, Gabz Girl said:

So Infinite’s backstory ended up being shit too. GG Sonic Team. 

Also, instead of helping Sonic before Dr Eggman kidnaps him Shadow fucks off for six months with no explanation. 

Nah, my favourite part is his meltdown. It’s hilariously over dramatic and like the most cliche animu. XD I NEED to see a stand-alone clip of this epic moment. 

There’s still that last comic!!!! God!

[SonicLegends]

Whatever happened to this here?

[Gabz Girl]

25 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

There’s still that last comic!!!! God!

I know, I’ve mentioned many a times in the spoiler topic and I can’t wait to see more of Infinite’s compelling backstory. =P Tomorrow can’t come soon enough! 

16 minutes ago, SonicLegends said:

Whatever happened to this here?

I think that’s just concept art, but it does look awesome and I wish it was in the final game somewhere. Reminds me of the Undertale final boss actually (the dimensional space colours!).