Sonic Dream Team Sleeps on the Biggest Aspect of Its Premise

Highlights

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Sonic Dream Team.Soon after Sonic Frontiers’ post-launch updates concluded, and Sonic Superstars had its own launch this year, Sonic Dream Team is yet another Sonic game that is sure to make fans of the series very happy. When Dr. Eggman tries to use an ancient dream-controlling relic for his own gains, Sonic and his friends are called into the Doctor’s dreams to stop him from making his fantasies a reality, and that’s where Sonic Dream Team begins.

The guardian of the relic in question, Ariem, traps Eggman in his own dreams to keep him at bay while Sonic and five of his other allies gather the Dream Orbs to help her regain her power. It’s established very early on that Dr. Eggman can control and manipulate his “Dreamscapes” to control everything that happens to a degree. It’s a bit of a disappointing detail, as going directly into Dr. Eggman’s mind could be used to dive into the character further.

Related Sonic Superstars: How to Get the True Ending Accessing the Final Story of Sonic Superstars means completing both previous story modes and grabbing all seven Chaos Emeralds. How Sonic Dream Team Could Have Taken a Magnifying Glass to Dr. Eggman How Dr. Eggman is a Very Complex Character

Much like how many gamers are amused and confused by how Bowser will battle Mario to the bitter end yet still show up to his parties and kart races, Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik has been more than just a thorn in Sonic’s side since Sonic Adventure 2 at the very least. Ever since then, his character has grown significantly underneath his villainous exterior, wanting to build fun theme parks and being kind enough to care for a certain AI daughter. Eggman has said it best when he calls himself a “complicated guy” in Sonic Lost World.

A Surprising Lesson Sonic Dream Team Could Have Taken From Mario

When it comes to the idea of traversing dreams, or even just titling a game “Dream Team,” there’s a chance that some characters might stumble into a person’s psyche, or even their subconscious. Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, interestingly enough, handled this concept far sooner than Sonic himself did. As Mario dove into his brothers’ deepest dreams, he was surrounded by affirmations cheering him on, as well as thoughts that showed just how self-conscious he can be of being unable to help or measure up to Mario himself.

Eggman’s Role in Sonic Dream Team is the Same As It Ever Was Sonic Dream Team Explores Eggman As a Villain More Than a Person

Sadly, Sonic Dream Team takes very little, if any, inspiration from the story of the similarly titled Mario game. Dr. Eggman remains a lingering presence throughout the stages in Sonic Dream Team, having his face in a few hidden locations in places like Scrambled Shores and Nightmare Maze. The closest the game gets to exploring Eggman’s character from a deeper perspective is in the final stage of the game, Ego City, which is his dream Eggman Empire made real. It celebrates Eggman just as a piece of his ego would be expected to, but it also hides a surprise piece of insecurity through one public announcement in particular where he asks if he “really looks like an egg.”

The Story of Sonic Dream Team Could Be So Much More

At the end of the day, Sonic Dream Team’s story is very simplistic. While the character interactions are refreshing to see, and some characters such as Tails show their progression between the last few games in subtle ways, it all boils down to the fact that Eggman has an evil plot that Sonic and friends work together to stop. Coming right after the dramatic and fulfilling story of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Dream Team may feel almost too short and sweet.

While fans certainly shouldn’t get their hopes up, there is a chance that Sonic Dream Team may not entirely be done just yet. Sega Hardlight has already confirmed that the game is slated to get post-launch content, which means there may be more that reveal just how deep Dr. Eggman’s dreams go. Dream Team’s story is complete as is, though, and there’s no telling what these updates may entail, so fans will need to keep their eyes out for more info.

Sonic Dream Team is available now on Apple Arcade.

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