Sonic Presents... Chao in Space

Sonic Presents... Chao in Space (or simply Chao in Space) is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. A spin-off to the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it is inspired on the posters originally found in the Sonic Adventure series, which announced the fictional movie of the same name.
==Premise==
Set in the fictional titular motion picture Chao in Space (co-produced and directed by Sonic the Hedgehog), the game follows Cookie, a brave-hearted Chao who travels in space alongside his brothers Digger and Crayola, and the Galactic Chao Alliance to stop the Dark Emerald Empire from conquering their galaxy. Sonic himself and his friends also appear, albeit outside the fictional movie's universe, and watching its events in the movie's theatrical release.
==Gameplay==
Like Sonic Adventure, Sonic Presents... Chao in Space is a 3D platform game with action and role-playing elements, and also flight simulator themes. Players control the Chao Cookie as they venture to defeat the Dark Emerald Empire and save the galaxy. At the start of the game, the player is placed in one of several Adventure Fields, open-ended hub worlds inhabited by advice-giving non-player characters. The player character is guided and instructed by Omochao. Through exploration, the player discovers entrances to levels called Action Stages, some of which must be opened using keys hidden in the Adventure Field. Once the player accesses an Action Stage, they are tasked with a specific objective. There are two types of Action Stages to be cleared:
* The Standard Stages, on which Cookie must defend himself with combat moves, and specific equipment and skills which can be upgraded. 
* The Airbone Combat Stages, on which Cookie pilots his starship, the Winged Wisp. These stages use elements of arcade-style flight action games like the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series. Like Cookie's skills and gear set, the Winged Wisp's attributes (including weapons and defense systems) can also be modified and upgraded.
===Power-ups and Items===
* Golden Rings: Based on their use on Sonic the Hedgehog games, Rings are useful to restore the character's health. They are also collectibles which can be used to purchase gear and equipment for missions.
* Sapphire Rings: Useful to refill the power matter.
* Chaos Drives: Chaos Drives are useful to upgrade and evolve the character.
====Exclusively for the Winged Wisp Missions====
* Rocket Boxes: Item Boxes containing Orange Wisps to refill the Rocket Missile ammo.
* Boost Boxes: Item Boxes containing White Wisps to refill the boost gauge.
* TBD
==Bonus Items==
As in recent Sonic the Hedgehog video games since Sonic Unleashed, there are several bonus items which can be found on missions to be watched in Cookie's office:
* Film Reels: These unlock extra cutscenes focusing on Sonic and his friends on the production of their fictional movie.
* Music Discs: These unlock the game's soundtrack.
* Boom Mikes: These unlock extra commentaries from the Sonic the Hedgehog characters from outside the fictional movie (similar to the Shrek the Third video game). They can be played by selecting "On" in the Extras Menu, and heard in the Action Missions they are heard in.
* Painting Board: These unlock images for the game's Concept Art.
==Characters==
===Main/Playable===
* Cookie - The primary protagonist of the game, and its fictional movie. A brave-hearted Chao, and a rookie member of the Galactic Chao Alliance.
** The Winged Wisp: Cookie's sentient starship, and a robotic hybrid clone of three different Wisps: the Cyan Laser Wisp (whose powers allow the ship to fire cyan concussive energy beams), the Crimson Eagle Wisp (whose powers enable the ship's capability to fly), and the Yellow Drill Wisp (which enables the ship to destroy close objects with a spinning drill).
===Supporting===
* Peaches - Cookie's love interest, and a female pink Chao who was raised by the Wisps since her village was conquered by the Dark Emerald Empire. She becomes a member of the Alliance who provides information about Emperor Void's plans.
* Digger - One of Cookie's brothers, and a rookie member of the Alliance with a passion and expertise in digging (hence the name). In the game, Digger provides player with supplies which can be purchased at his store (similar to Tails/Blacksmith in Sonic and the Black Knight).
* Crayola - One of Cookie's brothers, and a rookie member of the Alliance with a passion for painting, and whose painting abilities surprisingly prove helpful for his brothers.
* Galactic Chao Alliance - A partisan resistance movement and private paramilitary force dedicated in protecting the galaxy from several threats. The organization is heavily influenced in the Rebellion/Resistance in the Star Wars franchise. Members include:
** General Solon (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) - The leader and founder of the Alliance, and an echidna whose consciousness became a part of a Power Grid at the time of his death long ago. Behind the fictional movie's scenes, the character is portrayed by Knuckles the Echidna. Solon is heavily influenced in the Power Rangers character Zordon.
** Omochao (voiced by Erica Lindbeck) - A mass-produced, robotic Chao with virtually unlimited knowledge about the world. Appearing in the game's fictional movie, Omochao portrays himself in it as a high-ranking member of the Alliance. As in the previous Sonic the Hedgehog games since Sonic Adventure, Omochao serves as an informant to the characters and an universal Hint to the players.
* Yacker - A White Wisp and the ambassador of the Wisps. Appearing in the game's fictional movie, Yacker portrays himself in it as an ally to the Alliance, and the leader of the Wisp Resistance against the Dark Emerald Empire.
* Tikal the Echidna (voiced by Michelle Ruff) - An anthropomorphic echidna spirit and a former member of the Knuckles Clan who resided in the Mystic Ruins 3,000 years ago. First appearing in the game's prologue, Tikal also appears later as a spirit. Behind the fictional movie's scenes, Tikal is portrayed by young actress Lyla the Echidna.
===Antagonists and Bosses===
* Dark Emerald Empire - An oppressive, autocratic regime led by Emperor Void with the purpose of conquering the Galaxy. The organization is heavily influenced in the Galactic Empire/First Order in the Star Wars franchise. Members include:
** Emperor Void - The primary antagonist of the game, and its fictional movie. He is a Dark Chao who is the leader of the Dark Emerald Empire.
** The Commander - A member of the Empire, and a dark, miniature variant of Gamma.
** Metal Dark Chao - A member of the Empire, and a robotic Chao. He is heavily influenced in Metal Sonic and Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader.
** The Master Sorcerer - A member of the Empire, and a three-eyed demonic alien with sorcery and illusion abilities. He is visually inspired on Black Doom.
** Nega Wisp Dragon - A member of the Empire, and a dragon-like Nega Wisp. The creature resembles the World-Killer from Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom episode "Maximum Venom".
** Dark Chaos - A genetic clone of Chaos created with energy harvested from the seventh Star Drive to serve the Dark Emerald Empire forces as their beast machine super-soldier. It serves as the game's final boss.
===Other characters===
* Lyla the Echidna (voiced by Michelle Ruff) - An anthropomorphic female orange echidna, and a young aspiring actress who was noted by Sonic and his friends to look and sound a lot like Tikal, for which she was chosen to perform as Tikal in Chao in Space.
* Blaze the Cat (voiced by Erica Lindbeck) - An indigo anthropomorphic cat, and a princess hailing from an alternate dimension, where she is both the regent of her world and the appointed guardian of the Sol Emeralds. Appearing outside the story's universe, Blaze is the movie's narrator and is credited as one of the screenplay writers alongside Shadow the Hedgehog.
* Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - A blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds and curl into a ball, primarily to attack enemies. Appearing outside the story's universe, Sonic is the director and one of the producers of Chao in Space.
* Miles "Tails" Prower (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) - Sonic's best friend and sidekick, he is an eight-year-old anthropomorphic yellow fox with two tails (hence the nickname), and a mechanical, scientific genius who is able to use his twin tails to propel himself like a helicopter and fly. Appearing outside the story's universe, Tails is one of the producers of Chao in Space.
* Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) - Sonic's other best friend and adventure partner, he is a red anthropomorphic echidna from Angel Island with the ability to glide and climb up walls, and is a powerful fighter with superhuman strength due to his spiked fists. He serves as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a huge gemstone which controls the seven Chaos Emeralds. Appearing outside the story's universe, Knuckles is one of the producers of Chao in Space, and the actor who plays General Solon through voice and motion capture. Knuckles also portrays an Echidna shaman during the story's prologue.
==Plot==
Having finished the shooting of their movie Chao in Space after six monthsdetails about the fictional movie's production are revealed in Sonic Presents... Chao in Space: Behind the Scenes, Sonic the Hedgehog (the movie's director and producer) and his friends (including co-producers Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna) find themselves ready for the movie's theatrical release, which takes place in the Westopolis World Premiere theater. The game's story continues with the movie's story.
The prologue is a retelling of the one featured in Sonic Adventure (1998)A few millennia ago, the Chaos Emerald and Master Emerald were kept at an altar near the territory of a clan of echidnas (the Knuckles Clan). Tikal, daughter of Chief Pachacamac, befriended the Chao who lived at the altar and their protector, the water god Chaos. When Pachacamac sought to expand his clan's territory, he wanted to steal the Chaos Emeralds and use their power to defeat his rivals. Although Tikal and the Chao stood against him, he ordered his soldiers to charge anyway, resulting in many Chao being injured. This enraged Chaos, who transformed into a terrifying, giant monster and destroyed all of the echidnas, except for Tikal, who sealed herself away in the Master Emerald with Chaos, and the magic caused the area surrounding the shrine to become Angel Island. The Chao Emeralds were also sealed away while part of their energies were transferred into seven Chaos Drives (also known as "Star Drives") which were soon lost in other limits of space.
In the present day, Cookie, a Chao who dreams to become an astronaut, is taken in by his brothers Digger and Crayola to join the Galactic Chao Alliance, a partisan resistance movement and private paramilitary force dedicated in protecting the galaxy from several threats. On this period, the Alliance is at war with the Dark Emerald Empire led by Void the Dark Chao, who seeks to conquer the Chao planet by releasing and taming Chaos. Initially put to work as a janitor, Cookie (encouraged by a vision of Tikal) soon proves himself when he manages to defeat a small invading pack of Dark Emerald robots, and their leader the Commander. Seeing Cookie's potential, the Alliance's leader General Solon (played by Knuckles) has him train to become one of the Alliance's new agents. Following his training, Cookie is sent to his first official mission: to stop Dark Emerald forces seeking to harness the powers of the Wisps on Planet Wisp. During which, he encounters Peaches, a pink Chao who was raised by the Wisps since her village was conquered by the Dark Emerald Empire, and the Winged Wisp, a sentient ship created with the combined energies of three different Wisps. After repowering the Winged Wisp, Cookie succeeds on his mission after destroying a Core Eater (one of the Empire's doomsday devices) and defeating the Nega Wisp Dragon, for which Peaches joins the Alliance, who earn the Wisp Resistance's support.
As his adventure continues, Cookie is soon joined in by Tikal's spirit, who mentors him in his battles, and reveals to him more about the Chao's god Chaos, and the existence of the Star Drives, which are now as powerful as the Chaos Emeralds. Fearing that Emperor Void could be searching for the Drives to hasten his plans, Cookie opts in searching for the Drives before the Dark Emerald forces do, with the Alliance monitoring him, and his brothers providing him the goods he needs in his adventure. While exploring several planets, defeating the Dark Emerald forces in his way, and collecting the Drives, Cookie also grows to form a romantic bond with Peaches, which Tikal strongly supports, although they both decide to keep their relationship in secret out of concern that they might be violating the Alliance's rules. After Cookie retrieves the sixth Star Drive after defeating Metal Dark Chao, Void has some of his forces directly attack the Alliance Base, injuring Digger and capturing Peaches. As Digger is given medical attention, Cookie is encouraged by General Solon to go save Peaches; given that Cookie's feelings for her also landed him strength before, and did not jeopardize his objective. Cookie and the Winged Wisp fly into the Dark Emerald Empire's space station, the Doomsday Base, where the imperials are creating Dark Chaos, a genetic clone of Chaos created with energies harvested from the seventh Star Drive. Upon freeing Peaches and disabling the Doomsday Base's defenses so that the incoming Alliance's fleets can launch a full stale assault, Cookie defeats Void and retrieves the Drive.
Driven berserk by the incomplete progress, Dark Chaos awakens, draining Void's energies and blasting him away into space (where he is left helplessly frozen), before attacking both the Alliance's and the Empire's forces. Cookie has the Winged Wisp take Peaches back to the Alliance Base for her safety, while working to draw Dark Chaos's attention. Just as he finds himself outmatched by Dark Chaos, the spirits of Tikal and Chaos appear to give him hope, enabling him to use the Star Drives to enter in a Super Chao state, and continue fighting Dark Chaos, destroying it along with the Doomsday Base, ending the Dark Emerald Empire once and for all. The Alliance members celebrate their victory, as Cookie is praised as the galaxy's hero, and congratulated by the spirits of Tikal and Chaos, who vow to always be with him. The narrator (Blaze the Cat) concludes that Cookie was happy not only for having lived his dream, but also for having experienced "the power of a mother's love.".
In an epilogue montage, Cookie and his brothers are mentioned to have gone separate ways to live individual lives: Digger is still living his life as a treasure hunter, and has formed a new team of treasure hunters (consisting of a few Wisps and Chao from the Alliance) to help him. Crayola is living his dream as a successful painter in the Chao Town, with his artistic paintings being sold for museums. As for Cookie, he is now married to Peaches, with whom he has three baby Chao named Kobe, Sammy, and Tikal.
In a post-credit scene set back in Sonic's world, Sonic and his friends (including Lyla the Echidna, the young actress who played Tikal) earn applause from the public for their successful movie.
==See also==
* Sonic Presents... Chao in Space: Behind the Scenes - A comic book series which is tie-in/prequel to the game, published by IDW Publishing. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends during the making of Chao in Space.
==External links==
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