14 DAY TRIAL // Sonic the Hedgehog 4, the new platformer experience created together by Team Sonic and Dimps, has come under the attention of the ESRB and received an E for Everyone rating, which means that any player can get it and live the fresh adventures of Sonic. But aside from the rating, the board is also offering some information on the experience fans will be getting.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board is saying in a description that “Players earn points for collecting ‘power-ups’ and freeing tiny animals that are trapped in the robots. During boss battles at the end of levels, players may encounter an Arch nemesis in a mechanical device that gets charred and emits some flames when damaged.” Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is described as only using violence in order to deliver “comic mischief.”
The ESRB description also states that at different points in the level, players will be able to enjoy the age old mechanics of running and gold collecting. It seems that the developers at SEGA are really interested in recapturing the old feeling of the Sonic titles, which relied on speed and unexpected turns to deliver a shot of adrenaline to gamers.
The fresh Sonic experience will be set after the destruction of the Death Egg in Sonic & Knuckles. The fast hedgehog will set out on his own to experience new worlds and will again fight against a revitalized Dr. Eggman, complete with robotic henchmen. It seems that the game will support motion tracking on both the Wii and the PlayStation 3.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be launched by SEGA on the Xbox Live Marketplace from Microsoft, on the PlayStation Store from Sony and via the WiiWare channel from Nintendo. The first episode is set for a summer release and the company says that another one might be arriving in time for Christmas.