Sonic Frontiers' Tone Could Work for a New Shadow the Hedgehog Game

gamerant.com:

While its core identity has stayed pretty consistent, the Sonic franchise often tries new things in its games. Sonic Frontiers looks like it continues that idea, taking the series in one of the most novel directions in a while. Besides the open world, a first for the franchise, the game is said to tell a more serious story than past installments. Not only does it sound like an interesting decision in itself, but the new formula of Sonic Frontiers could perfectly set up a dedicated game for one of the franchise's most iconic characters.

The story of Sonic Frontiers is being created in part by Ian Flynn, who also worked on the IDW Sonic comics. Flynn has said he is working based on the groundwork of the story set by Sonic Team, adding things like the dialogue and character interactions. That character focus is something he's likely familiar with from his work on the comics, and is part of why this new game may end up more tonally mature than past titles. The IDW Sonic comics also feature higher-stake stories than many of the games. It's that character-driven and weightier approach that might mean this new era of Sonic could be the right time for a new solo game for Shadow.

After Sonic Frontiers, Sega Could Consider Revisiting Old Sonic Characters and Settings

Long-time fans are likely aware that Shadow has had his own game before, 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog. While it was a commercial success, the game remains one of the worst received of any Sonic title and a standalone game for the character hasn't been revisited since.Shadow the Hedgehog was criticized for its unclear tone in both its story and gameplay. But trying to give Shadow a more serious interpretation wasn't inherently a bad move, rather it wasn't done in any way