After the release of Sonic Mania in 2017, it was quite surprising to see Sega release another game — Sonic Forces — featuring the same protagonist in the same year. Sonic Mania looks and feels like a retro game, with punishing difficulty, retro graphics, and a level design style reminiscent of the early 90s. Its goal was as much to pay homage to the best of Sonic games as much as it was to create a great game. Sonic Forces is primarily a 3D platformer, with some sections that look more like a 2D side-scroller.