Sonic the Werehog Announced

It looks like the more controversial elements of 2008’s Sonic Unleashed will be returning in a big way. Today, Sega announced that the Sonic franchise’s major retail title for 2013 will be the aptly-named Sonic the Werehog. The company’s full press release reads as follows:

SEGA America, Inc. today announced details of Sonic the Werehog, an exciting new action platforming adventure starring Sonic the Hedgehog himself. Developed by Sonic Team in conjunction with Dimps and Backbone Entertainment, Sonic the Werehog incorporates innovative new gameplay elements into the Sonic franchise while simultaneously including a strong story and multiple beloved secondary characters. Sonic the Werehog will claw its way onto both the Xbox 360 video game and computer entertainment system from Microsoft and Sony’s PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system this coming October.

Sonic the Werehog upgrades the powerful Hedgehog Engine to take further advantage of current-generation gaming hardware in ways that have never been seen before. Thanks to these upgrades, Sonic will be able to explore beautiful, richly detailed environments that surpass anything the franchise has offered to date. Players will also have more precise control over the Werehog with the addition of a deeper, more robust combat system that makes brawling with enemies even more frantic and fun. A brand new, upgradable feature called the Magic Meter also allows Sonic to exploit all-new platforming moves such as the Hover Jump and the exciting Gravity Bender.

“We passionately believe in Sonic the Werehog as a character,” said David Corless, Global Brand Manager for Sonic. “This game gave us an amazing opportunity to include some fantastic character development for Sonic and his friends, and we’re trying our best to deliver a fun and intricate story for players to enjoy. We’re pushing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to their limits, and the stunning high-definition locations our teams have created are sure to thrill gamers looking for a unique visual experience. We wanted to say goodbye to this generation of consoles in a big way, and Sonic the Werehog is the perfect way to do just that.”

While exploring the depths of some mystical ruins, Sonic finds himself cornered by an evil witch and permanently transformed into the Werehog. Desperate to reverse this curse, he soon finds himself on another incredible worldwide adventure where he will interact with old friends, make some new acquaintances, and discover something shocking about himself in the process.

For more information about the game, please visit http://www.sega.com.

With the franchise gaining significant commercial and critical traction thanks to recent efforts like Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, one can’t help but wonder why Sega would devote a major retail release to such a polarizing character and gameplay style. While new features and gameplay mechanics are teased in the press release, it remains to be seen whether they will improve or damage the Werehog’s combat-based gameplay. This title is certainly important to both Sega and Sonic’s futures, so we’ll be sure to pass along additional developments in the coming months.