Why SEGA has been focusing on classic levels with recent Sonic Mania reveals, game length talk

Sonic Mania features a mix of remastered stages from previous entries in the franchise as well as new ones. In its recent reveals though, SEGA has been focusing on the older levels. There is a purpose behind this.

Speaking during an official live stream a couple of days ago, Sonic PR and social media manager Aaron Webber explained that SEGA is showing more of the classic stages so that the new ones will remain a surprise for players. Webber added that they don’t want to spoil the entire game for fans. When we get closer to launch, if there happen to be any unauthorized spoilers, it’ll then be up to each person to decide if they want to spoil things for themselves.

Webber also commented on the length of Sonic Mania during the live stream. Ultimately it’ll come down to how much players explore levels and how fast they go. Similar to early classic Sonic games, “if you’re really good” and “if you know all of the tricks, you can shave off a lot of time.” However, “it will still take awhile if you want to beat the game as Sonic, as Tails, and Knuckles.” Webber also teased “other elements” that can extend gameplay, which we assume will be discussed later.