'Sonic Forces' Free DLC Release Date: 'Episode Shadow' Announced, Story and Character Creation Detailed
A couple of weeks before the official release of "Sonic Forces," the first piece of downloadable content (DLC) for the game has been revealed.
Titled "Episode Shadow," this free add-on DLC will add three new levels centered on the titular fan-favorite black and red hedgehog.
The DLC also serves as the prequel to the main storyline of "Sonic Forces" and SEGA teases it "explores Shadow's allegiance, the fate of Team Dark, and the origin of the mysterious villain, Infinite."
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The gameplay trailer for the "Sonic Forces" DLC shows Sonic's edgy rival speeding through the course, collecting coins and taking out robots while at it.
Thanks to this add-on, players will also get the chance to play as Shadow the Hedgehog in 10 Modern Sonic levels from the main game.
This is the first time in a long time that the beloved character will be made playable in a "Sonic" game once again. The last time, as per Polygon, was in the free-to-play mobile "Sonic Runners," the side-scrolling game released in 2015 although not as elaborate as in the 2008 tennis video game "Sega Superstar Tennis."
The DLC character was the star of the 2005 platform video game "Shadow the Hedgehog" in which he had a gun in tow. However, this does not seem to be the case in "Episode Shadow."
Apart from the add-on reveal, SEGA also treated players with a story trailer for "Sonic Forces," in which Sonic and company come together to take down Eggman, who has the planet under his rule. The official description for the game reads:
Eggman has taken over the world. It's up to Sonic and the resistance to liberate it from his iron fists. But things won't be so simple with Eggman's new right-hand man, the mysterious Infinite. Get ready to take back the planet.
Meanwhile, at the 2017 Tokyo Game Show (TGS), "Sonic Forces" producer Shun Nakamura talked about the character creation system in the game, emphasizing that it is not as complex as some might expect. He explained to IGN:
What the team wanted to have people do is create a regular character that exists in the world and have that character go on this great adventure with classic and modern Sonic and become a hero.
"Sonic Forces" will be out Nov. 7 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
