With less than a month until the game finally releases, SEGA has unveiled an update to the up-and-coming Sonic Superstars with Battle Mode. The new gameplay modes add variety to the otherwise overly familiar play-style known to the Sonic franchise.
Battle mode allows the players to be competitive in combat against up to eight other players online or against four locally. Alternatively, they can also race their way to victory in racing mode. Otherwise, they have to survive detrimental situations in survival mode, and plenty more.
In Battle Mode, players do not get to control the Blue Bur, their friends, or enemies. Instead, players are thrust into the shoes of a Metal Fighter, which they can customize. Players engaging in this mode must compete and survive the three rounds of randomly picked battle stages.
Here are the different modes they can play with:
• Race: Win by reaching the goal before any other.
• Star Snatcher: Gather as many stars as possible, while losing some in the process of taking damage, set within a time limit.
• Zap Scrap: Shoot bullets on a finite range and earn a point for every opponent taken down. But be wary of taking damage or the player will lose a point. Additionally, the stage could randomly pop up a box containing a single powered-up bullet.
• Survival: Avoid cannonball attacks and be the last Metal Fighter standing. Do not stay in one particular place for too long or fall off the screen or you will certainly lose.
The player who aggregates the most points across the three rounds wins.
Playing with friends near you is certainly fun when engaged in a local co-op or competitive play. However, if you feel like playing by yourself, there is also the AI to compete with.
But the online mode is taking the excitement up a notch with Medals that you can earn and use to purchase custom parts. While these parts do not influence the Metal Fighter’s abilities, they nevertheless stick with them throughout the game or until the player decides to replace them.
Offline mode does not offer Medals and Rank.
Sonic Superstars will be released on the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on October 17, 2023.
