The recent change in the guard doesn't inspire confidence.

[Madalass]

So, i'm sure you all know that practically every major Sonic character's previous voice actor is basically being thrown out.

 

...again.

Now, i'm not totally against this. At least, not for the reason others might be. I'm not against this for the blue-arms, green-eyes, 'i hate change' kind of reason because so far some of those changes have just made Sonic a better character for their era, and i genuinely really appreciate them and i'm completely open to necessary change.

 

However, so far, this doesn't feel like it bodes well at all. For a few reasons. 
One; we all know the last... what, 6-7 years have been a mess? 8, if you count Lost World but Boom was where things started becoming a real problem, only to be followed up by a game that was equally rushed and incomplete.

Sega/Sonic Team has a bad habit of, whenever something goes bad, they throw everything out. And that's not what i want at all. Do you think i give a damn about Roger being better or worse than Griffith or Drummond? Or whether it's Pontac and Graff handling writing? No. I don't care about the faces and people behind these things, i care about their quality and their direction, something Sonic Team and Iizuka has a direct hand in, and yet consistently fails to provide, judging by the examples. I fail to see simply replacing everyone being an automatic, perfect solution. 

And two, the change in writers, actors and direction is incredibly likely to only muddle up the continuity of the franchise more. Character voices, personality, direction, writing, lore, have all shifted and waivered across the series lifetime and that's the ONE THING people have begun to realise, only for Sega to yet again be forcing a fresh start that will only screw it up more, and yet they'll almost guaranteed shove in some references here and there that create connections that shouldn't exist.

 And knowing Iizuka, he WILL try to connect it somehow like he FOR SOME FUCKING REASON tried to do with games like Forces, and with Generations, though that was more reasonable.

They are way too attached to their fanservice for me to trust that they won't leave their past continuity behind, both brand-wise and lore-wise, in favour of the clean slate they've desperately needed. And that lack of trust is only further proven for the fact Ben Schwarz is going to be Sonic, which, while he's an INCREDIBLE actor and was good for the role, i GUARANTEE he wasn't simply chosen on that merit. The Sonic movie hit it big and people will love seeing him in it when future games come out. That's the sole fucking reason.

I genuinely think that this new reset is only further proving that Sega & Sonic Team still have no idea, still don't listen, and are just digging their grave deeper with the same god damned mistakes they've made every generation... like always.

 

But on the bright side, we can trust this means one thing- the next game will probably be good. The series almost certainly won't STAY that way, if history is to be repeated, and it sure fucking looks like it- but maybe, just maybe, 2021 won't suck for Sonic. But if IT doesn't, 2024 or 2025 will. 

I try to be reasonably optimistic when it comes to the future of the series, but the timeline really looks like it's going to stick to Sonic's schedule of ups and downs in the past. They'll release a good game, think they've hit it big with their current brand and names and faces and concepts, get cocky, Sega will push for a little bit more money-making, and a little faster, and the big release a few years ahead of the road will suck, and it'll all begin over again. Maybe not a game in Boom's position as that was an incredibly exceptional circumstance, but i'm talking maybe 5, 6 years ahead of 2021's big release, like Forces.

 

I already was lacking in hope from 2020, as it felt like they at least could have made an announcement then, even if the game was delayed- i just wanted to see something, and they already had something by at least march/april for SXSW. But they just ignored it, rode the timer out, probably to avoid HAVING to say anything. Maybe they genuinely valued the extra development time, and after Forces they sure could have used it. But it feels like even if it was delayed, it should have still been announced- at least, that's how the situation was pointing. That already gave me little confidence, and now they're repeating the timeline... again.

So, i hope you'll excuse my [at best] skepticism or [at worst] fear for the future of the series.

[Redemption]

 

We should try to be optimistic but i somewhat feel your pain on this constant cycle. With all do respect you don't know the future "life is a series of random events" and we are just in for the ride. So in my honest opinion do you wanna down the franchise and pout on a ride that's supposed to be fun or enjoy the ride don't worry about it . So Sega isn't the best you could easily say "been there done that got the T-shirt". That's all i had to say.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Redemption
I don't wanna say anything i just wanna leave this topic alone