The Sonic The Hedgehog franchise has experimented with a number of different viewpoints and gameplay styles over the years. The series has evolved from its 2D side-scrolling roots through fisheye prototypes and isometric outings before ultimately settling on a third-person perspective that has been the standard for its console releases for decades now. One perspective that has yet to be attempted officially by Sega, however, is a first-person mode. It’s an understandable omission when you stop to think about such a feature’s viability – Sonic moves faster than the speed of sound while performing acrobatic flips and spins that would make a trained astronaut barf up their chili-dogs.
Sonic wouldn’t stop to ask the question of “should we” before attempting anything though, and it seems neither would the blue blur’s fans within the series’ modding community: A modder by the name of Skyth on Twitter has skipped straight to the “could we” portion of the decision-making process and taken it upon themselves to implement such a feature into 2011’s Sonic Generations for PC with surprisingly great results. You can watch a modded-in version of Unleashed’s Empire City through Sonic’s eyes below:
— Skyth (@bsthlc) June 28, 2021
The mod is still in development according to later replies by Skyth, however what’s showcased is surprisingly smooth and far less nauseating than such a viewpoint could be. One aspect of Sonic’s design that this mod shines a light on are the detailed animations in his arms and legs, which sway and pose with a fluidity and playful confidence that’s often missed when playing with a more pulled back camera angle. Also, Sonic is tiny – I’m talking smol with an ‘o’ tiny. Toward the end of the above clip, Sonic collides with an Eggman’s Robot, and this new first-person perspective reveals that the center of this blue boi’s vision is only chest-high on the bot! It’s kind of adorable, honestly.
Skyth has released a number of other mods for Sonic games in the past that are definitely worth checking out, including a recreation of Sonic Forces’ Sunset Hill stage within Sonic Generations’ engine back in May.
Written by Marcus Ramirez
A writer and dreamer who loves all things tropical, bright, colorful, and shiny. Marcus is obsessed with Kingdom Hearts and patiently awaits its triumphant return to Nintendo hardware. He has a (totally real) court order that requires him to always have a 3DS or Switch on his person when leaving the house for more than a few hours.
