E3 Preview: Sonic Wild Fire

Though the control is very solid and the game shows a lot of promise, we did have some questions and concerns after playing the demo. We were also lucky enough to score some time with one of the Sega Reps. at E3, who clarified a few things for us.

One interesting aspect we noticed in a number of the Wii demos was that most of them required the player to shake the controller to get the game started. This was in lieu of using the typical start button. Since the Sega Rep. was within grasp, we decided to get to the bottom of this interesting trend. Were they trying to get gamers warmed up for using the controller to play? Was it a way of calibrating the controller? The answer we received was highly enlightening: "Well, we just felt like doing that."

During our conversation, we inquired about the linearity of the game's design and were told that levels will feature a couple of paths to follow. However, the example he showed us in the demo version didn't seem very promising. Essentially, at one point during the demo Sonic can choose to go up on top of a massive pillar, or go around it. The actual branching paths were about three seconds long in game time. Hopefully these will be longer in the final version.


One particularly perplexing, and potentially bad, aspect of the demo was that many of the perceived dangers (falling pillars, hurtling spears, etc) were just that: perceived. Most objects are actually of no real threat to Sonic. The only threat they pose is to slow you down because you didn't dodge them in advance. One section of the demo, in particular, stood out because of this. It was actually the only slower portion of the level. Sonic is sidling (Link from Wind Waker style) along a ledge and two or three spears are hurtling into the wall around him. Now, while the spears look dangerous, and come close to hitting Sonic, none of them are an actual threat. No matter how fast you go or what you try and do, they will never hit you. They were there solely for dramatic effect, which was rather disappointing. We hope that those types of "dangers" aren't as prevalent in the final game. The difficulty was likely stripped down somewhat for the E3 demo, to give attendees a positive first impression of the title (very common).


The Sonic series has had a rough time over the last ten years. Like so many franchises, the necessary move to three dimensions just hasn't meshed with the core gameplay that made the hedgehog so popular in the early 90s. Things started off halfway promising with Sonic Adventure for the Sega Dreamcast, but since then the series has experienced a rigorous fall from grace and hasn't adapted with the times. With each successive installment, the latest being Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Heroes, developer Sonic Team has made improvement efforts in all the wrong areas. None of the games did a very good job capturing the essence of a Sonic game, which is less about exploration and more about speed and precision. Many have had an absolutely horrid camera system too.

Needless to say, none of us were clamoring for the opportunity to try out Sonic: Wild Fire at E3 this year. We figured it was yet another Sonic Adventure title along the lines of the PS3 and 360 offerings. We were, all of us, mistaken. Even the camera in Wild Fire is effective and always right where it needs to be.

In the end, the game was pleasantly surprising. Not only was it a solid demo, it rekindled our love for Sonic. Sega has gone back to the hedgehog's roots and is creating a game that may very well reinvigorate the franchise. Sonic was in desperate need of a redesign and perhaps even a controller like the Wii Remote. And now that he finally has it, the time may be right for Sonic to shine once again.