Watch Sonic Forces' New Chemical Plant Zone Level In Action

The upcoming Sonic Forces is shaping up to be an entertaining follow-up to 2011's Sonic Generations. While it still calls back to the past with its visuals and level design, it builds upon its predecessor's concepts and mechanics with new ideas of its own.

The game switches between 2D and 3D modes, and you'll play as Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, and a custom character, depending on the level. Both Classic and Modern Sonic play similarly to how they did in Generations, but the custom character playstyle is where some of the Sonic Forces' newest innovations are showcased.

Custom characters are equipped with special weapons called Wispons, which grant them unique offensive and navigational abilities. For example, the Drill Wispon allows you to quickly charge through foes or ride up and down walls. During a given stage, you can bring up to two custom characters, allowing you to freely switch between them at will to utilize their respective Wispons.

Sonic Forces' third playstyle is surprisingly involved, requiring you to make quick and precise use of Wispons in order to overcome obstacles. And as you use them to navigate the environment, new paths open up to offer even more platforming challenges to clear. In many ways, custom characters are more advanced than the typical Classic and Modern Sonic playstyles that fans have likely grown accustomed to over the years.

Watch the video above for a glimpse at custom characters in action in the game's new iteration of Sonic 2's iconic Chemical Plant Zone. Further on in the video you can also see Classic Sonic in wracking up rings in the Casino Forest Zone.

Sonic Forces is set to release on November 7 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. It comes from the same developers that made both the critically acclaimed franchise games, Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. Sega recently announced a Bonus Edition of the game, which comes with nice physical and digital bonuses.