Summary
Segaattempted to dabble with the hero shooter genre withHyenas, the company’s most expensive endeavor yet. However, the concept didn’t land well with fans, resulting in the abrupt cancellation of the project in 2023. Since then,Segahas yet to revisit the genre, but it may be sitting on a great opportunity to give it one more try.
Hyenasleaned into Sega’s past with its themes, but this could be pushed further by utilizing theSega Superstarsbranding. Rumors have recently been circulating that anew Sega crossover gamecould be releasing soon, so if the company does plan to bring its IPs together, it may be worthwhile using Creative Assembly’s work onHyenasfor a new Sega hero shooter.
Hyenas Was Unfortunately Set Up To Fail
Hyenasfeatured an eclectic cast of characters, each with their unique aesthetic that differentiated them from one another. The lack of unity among its characters was an intentional design choice, representing how they don’t conform to the world around them. Though some of the characters were well-designed, others didn’t hit the mark. This is reminiscent of how fans responded toConcord’s disappointing character designs, showing just how important it is for a hero shooter’s cast to land with players.
Sega was also unwilling to commit fully toHyenas. Despite the game’s budget exceeding $100M – Sega’s most expensive game at the time –Sega canceled the gamebefore it released, believing that the project would not generate the profits the company was expecting. This doesn’t mean that the idea ofHyenaswas inherently bad, but that it wasn’t as safe as relying on trusted IPs.
WhileHyenaswas a gamble that Sega wasn’t quite willing to follow through with, it may be a better opportunity now for it to revisit the concept. Though the company has faced financial issues in recent years,Sega expects its earnings to grownext year. Being in a more stable financial situation means Sega can take more calculated risks with its game projects. This could include another try at the hero shooter genre, using existing Sega characters to safely secure an audience.
A Sega Superstars Hero Shooter Makes Sense
Sega Is Still Dedicated to Crossovers
Hyenasseemed to draw upon the Sega brand often, from theSonicseries statues that could be stolen to the Sega arcade containing cabinets forOutRunandThunder Blade. The default design of one of the game’s characters, Hero-Ki, is a cosplay inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog, but he also has skins for other heroes and villains from theSonicseries. Considering this, as well as Galaxia’sretrofuturistic aestheticbeing vaguely reminiscent ofSpace Channel 5’s Ulala, Sega could fully commit to a hero shooter based on their existing IPs.
Releasing a new game under theSega Superstarsnow may be Sega’s best opportunity. This series of games, including theSonic & All-Stars Racingseries andSega Heroes, breathed life back into characters that had not seen a new installment in their own series in years. Now thatSega is reviving its older series, new players would have the opportunity to get to know the Sega cast prior to the reboots with a crossover hero shooter.
Along with the rumors that a new Sega crossover title is in the works, it’s clear that the company is still eager to inject its older properties into newer titles. Even after dropping the “All-Stars” branding of its predecessors,Sonic Racing: CrossWorldsfeatures cameos from other Sega characters. By including recognizable characters from classic game series, aSega Superstarshero shooter could avoid the fate ofHyenasandConcordby having a playable roster full of already beloved character designs.
What the Game Could Look Like
As is the case with any Sega crossover game, there would be no doubt that theSonicseries would be at the center. Even with Sega’s recent partnership with DC,Soniccharacters have joined the Justice League. If a hero shooter crossover were to happen, fans should likely expect the blue blur and his friends to be the priority. Many of these characters already fit in with the typical hero shooter archetypes, so their movesets could easily translate to the genre.
To tie in with Sega’s upcoming series reboots, it’s a possibility that these games would also be represented in the hypotheticalSega Superstarshero shooter. This would include fan-favorite characters fromJet Set RadioandCrazy Taxi, but would likely add representation from the Sega properties recently revived by Lizardcube as well, such asWonder Boy,Streets of Rage, and theyet-to-be-releasedShinobi: Art of Vengeance.
If a newSega Superstarstitle reused ideas fromHyenas, it’s possible that the game could be set in the far reaches of space. Sticking with this would give Sega plenty more opportunities to represent more of its game series. Galaxia’s outfit, calling back to Ulala, established thatSpace Channel 5would fit well aesthetically, but so too could some otherunderrated Sega heroes. Other space-based series likeSpace Harrier,Burning Rangers, andPhantasy Starcould fit well in this setting.
Though the disconnected aesthetics ofHyenaswere thematically fitting for the game, aSega Superstarshero shooter could benefit from its own distinctive graphical style.Sega’s older games continue to hold upbecause of the focus on unique visual identity over realism. By giving this game the same treatment, it would stand out from others in the same genre, as well as keeping the art style appealing for decades to come.
WhileHyenaswas set to release in an overcrowded market, aSega Superstarshero shooter might fare better. WithMarvel Rivals’ dwindling player count, Sega could fill the gap now that the genre has less competition. By backing its initial extraction hero shooter concept with characters that fans are already familiar with, this proposedSega Superstarsgame may be just what Sega needs.
