Sonic Superstars fans have been crying out for some news regarding online multiplayer since the game was revealed at Summer Games Fest back in June.
For the most part, SEGA has been keeping its cards close to its chest regarding whether the game will have any form of online multiplayer. No one has been able to get a straight answer either, and while the new trailer shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live seems to confirm the main brunt of the game has local co-op, it all but confirms that there’s no online component either.
To get to the bottom of this decision, Takashi Iizuka, producer of Sonic Superstars, sat down with Dot Esports and a translator at Gamescom on August 24 to discuss precisely why the team decided not to include online multiplayer in the primary story mode.
“We didn’t really think about putting in an online mode because then it’s like you’re just playing online with these random people. It doesn’t have that familiar kind of playing together kind of feel for that four-player cooperative mode,” Iizuka told Dot, explaining that the team wanted to keep the feel of having couch co-op unique to local play, over having an online experience.
That’s not to say that there isn’t some form of online play in-game, however, as Iizuka referred to the recently revealed Battle Mode which will allow eight players to fight against each other. It’s far from the story experience most fans were looking forward to playing with their friends, though.
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When talking to Iizuka there seemed to be some disconnect between the question I was asking and the answer. While I totally get the idea of not wanting to play online story mode with randoms, why is it that playing with friends or people you know who couldn’t share the luxury of being in the same room as you to enjoy the game? It puzzled me.
Granted, if the online world has taught me anything these past years, it’s that gameplay updates are a thing down the line, and I do hope that SEGA and Iizuka reverse the decision and potentially bring a free update to the game in the future to add online multiplayer down the line. Even if it feels like that won’t be an option as it currently stands.
