Zero (video game)

Zero is an upcoming platform-sword fighting game in development by Storm Eagle, to be published by Sega. It is a sequel to the 2017 game Sonic Forces, and is slated for release in October 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
== Premise ==
Set directly after the events of Sonic Forces, the story follows the titular Zero the Jackal, then known only as Infinite, humiliated and left for dead after suffering defeat to Sonic, Shadow, and the Avatar. With Infinite neutralized and having the Phantom Ruby forcibly removed from his bust, he has abandoned that messed-up, uber-edgy phase of his life, vowing only to fight for good for once.
A chance re-encounter with the Avatar allows Zero to break into Eggman's fortress and steal back his sword, but not before the conniving doctor sends a ruthless offensive against the quick-thinking jackal, setting off his quest to find his own true strength.
== Gameplay ==
The game mixes traditional platforming with Zero's swordplay ability. Without his sword, Zero can run, punch, kick, headbutt, and even body-slam most enemies. When he equips his sword, he can run slightly faster than normal, slice through many enemies in any direction, and unleash special, more powerful sword attacks, all while on the run. About 99% of the main quest can be played with all abilities unlocked for a more dynamic difficulty curve than what's usually found in previous games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
== Stages ==
The main story features 49 unique stages laid out in 17 phases of increasing overall difficulty.
* After completing a level, the player can advance immediately to the next phase or, if applicable, play a different level within the current phase. Thus, not all stages must be completed in order to unlock the final boss.
* Interestingly, the final difficulty of the ultimate boss increases according to the total number of levels completed.
* However, if all levels are not completed upon defeating the final boss, Zero will die in the endgame sequence.
== Characters ==
Zero the Jackal is the only playable character. However, the game is rumored to include a "co-op mode" in which the second player can control supporting characters whom Zero encounters in the main story. Other characters who have been confirmed to have supporting roles are as follows:
* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Shadow the Hedgehog
* Miles "Tails" Prower
* Knuckles the Echidna
* Amy Rose
* Rouge the Bat
* E-123 Omega
* Silver the Hedgehog
* Vector the Crocodile
* Espio the Chameleon
* Charmy Bee
* Dr. Eggman
* Blaze the Cat
* Cream the Rabbit
* Mighty the Armadillo
* Ray the Flying Squirrel
* Maria Robotnik — because why not?
* Customizable Avatar
== Soundtrack ==
In a stark contrast to the nu metal approach from Sonic Forces, the soundtrack for Zero draws primarily from the punk rock scene. Its main theme, 'Zero', and credits theme, 'You Are', feature guest vocal parts written and performed by Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness.
All songs composed and written by Tomoya Ohtani unless otherwise noted.
# Mike Ness - 'Zero'
# 'Distorted World' (featuring Parker Cannon from The Story So Far)
# 'Out of the Blue' (featuring Bonnie Fraser from Stand Atlantic)
# 'Hidden Inside' (featuring Ben Barlow from Neck Deep)
# 'Believe' (featuring Mark Hoppus from Blink-182)
# 'The Truth Is' (featuring Parker Cannon from The Story So Far)
# Ryan Rousseau from Destruction Unit - 'Whatever'
# 'On the Edge' (featuring Joe Taylor from Knuckle Puck)
# 'Distortion of Reality' (featuring Sam Boxold from MAKEOUT)
# Mike Ness - 'You Are'
Purchase of the game entitles users to a free song pack for use in Sonic the Hedgehog Guitar Hero that includes the songs 'Zero', 'Whatever', and 'You Are'.
== Quotes ==
== Trivia ==
* The opening sequence for Zero uses 'The Light of Hope', a song originally from the Sonic Forces soundtrack. The song is interrupted mid-sequence with a vinyl record-scratch, freeze-frame shot of Zero in a feeble state.
* Zero uses the phrase "social distortion" a total of thirteen times. He also mentions "bad luck" seven times.
* If save data for Sonic Forces is present, the Avatar that is depicted in the main story will look like the first user-created character from the Forces save file. Otherwise, he will look like the generic red wolf seen in the promos.
* In the bridge to the final chorus of 'You Are', the lyrics once again mention 'The Light of Hope' in reference to Zero having finally established his heroic alignment by the end of the main story.
* In a nod to the in-character outtake reels seen in Pixar movies, Zero features its own hidden plethora of deleted scenes played only after the story mode is 100% completed. In one of the bloopers, Zero can be seen listening to Social Distortion's 'I Was Wrong' and proclaiming his admiration for Mike Ness. Another outtake, set after the final boss is defeated, parodies an iconic scene from the movie DodgeBall with Zero saying towards the camera, "Thank you, Mike Ness!" Revealed behind the camera is Ness himself, who simply replies, "Thank you, Zero."
Category:Fan Games
Category:Video Games
Category:Sonic Games