Sega’s Next Hero Shooter: Why They Must Revive the Superstars Franchise!

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Summary

  • Hyenas‘ eclectic character design and lack of unity detracted from the game’s potential success.
  • Sega’s unwillingness to fully commit to Hyenas led to its cancellation despite a $100M budget.
  • Reviving a Sega Superstars hero shooter could leverage existing IPs and avoid past mistakes.

Sega ventured into the realm of hero shooter games with their most costly production, Hyenas, but the concept didn’t resonate with fans. Consequently, the project was unexpectedly terminated in 2023. Despite this, Sega might find a chance to revisit the genre and make another attempt.

In a fresh take on Sega’s history, Hyenas might inspire the development process. However, we could delve deeper by incorporating the iconic Sega Superstars branding. With whispers of an imminent Sega crossover game surfacing, if the company decides to combine their intellectual properties, it could be beneficial to leverage Creative Assembly’s work on Hyenas for a potential new Sega hero shooter game.

Hyenas Was Unfortunately Set Up To Fail

As a gamer, I found “Hyenas” an intriguing game with a diverse ensemble of characters, each sporting their own distinctive looks that set them apart from the rest. The creators intentionally made these characters non-uniform, symbolizing their defiance against the norms of their world. While some characters were brilliantly designed, others missed the mark. This mirrors the reactions of fans towards “Concord”‘s underwhelming character designs, emphasizing the crucial role a hero shooter’s cast plays in appealing to players.

Sega hesitated to fully invest in the game “Hyenas”. Regardless of its budget surpassing $100M, making it Sega’s costliest project at the time, Sega ultimately decided to shelve the game before it hit the market. This decision was not a reflection of the inherent quality of “Hyenas”, but rather a hesitation towards projects that were less proven compared to well-known intellectual properties.

In the past, Sega hesitated to pursue the Hyenas project, but now it might be a worthwhile endeavor for them to reconsider this concept. Despite facing financial struggles in recent times, Sega anticipates an improvement in earnings next year. With a stronger financial foundation, Sega can afford to make bolder moves with their game development projects. This could involve revisiting the hero shooter genre, leveraging established Sega characters to attract an audience more confidently.

A Sega Superstars Hero Shooter Makes Sense

Sega Is Still Dedicated to Crossovers

In various ways, the game appears to be heavily influenced by the Sega brand. For instance, it features statues resembling characters from the Sonic series that can be pilfered, and an arcade filled with games like OutRun and Thunder Blade. The main character’s design in the game, Hero-Ki, is modeled after Sonic the Hedgehog in cosplay fashion, but he also has alternate skins for other heroes and villains from the Sonic series. Given these similarities and the fact that Galaxia’s futuristic style somewhat echoes Space Channel 5’s Ulala, it seems Sega could wholeheartedly develop a hero shooter using their existing intellectual properties.

Introducing a fresh game under the Sega Superstars banner might be Sega’s ideal moment. This collection of games, featuring the Sonic & All-Stars Racing series and Sega Heroes, has brought back to life characters who hadn’t had a new game in their own franchise for years. As Sega brings back its older series, this presents a chance for newcomers to familiarize themselves with the Sega cast before the reboots, through a crossover hero shooter.

It’s not just the whispers about an upcoming Sega crossover game that have us excited, but also the fact that the company is continuing to blend its classic characters into modern titles. Although they’ve moved away from the “All-Stars” label of their earlier games, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds includes appearances by characters from other Sega franchises. A potential Sega Superstars hero shooter might dodge the pitfalls of games like Hyenas and Concord by boasting a playable cast of popular character designs that fans already love.

What the Game Could Look Like

In any Sega crossover game, it’s a given that the Sonic series would take center stage. Even with Sega’s new collaboration with DC, Sonic characters have become part of the Justice League. If a hero shooter crossover were to occur, fans could anticipate Sonic and his pals to be at the forefront. Several of these characters are well-suited for the standard hero shooter roles, making it relatively easy for their abilities to fit within this genre.

It’s plausible that Sega Superstars hypothetical hero shooter might feature characters from their upcoming series reboots. Characters like those from Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi would definitely be there, but it could also include characters from Sega properties that Lizardcube has recently revived, such as Wonder Boy, Streets of Rage, and the soon-to-be-released Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.

If a fresh Sega Superstars game were to borrow concepts from the game Hyenas, it’s plausible that the game would be set in outer space. Adhering to this theme would open up numerous possibilities for Sega to showcase more of its game franchises. For instance, Galaxia’s attire, reminiscent of Ulala, suggests a good fit for Space Channel 5 visually, but other lesser-known Sega characters could also suit the space aesthetic. Additionally, series like Space Harrier, Burning Rangers, and Phantasy Star could harmonize well in this setting.

While the abstract design of Hyenas suited the game’s theme, a hero shooter like Sega Superstars could gain more impact from its own distinctive visual approach. Sega’s games endure due to their emphasis on unique artistic flair over photorealism. By adopting this design philosophy for

As a passionate gamer, I believe that introducing a new hero shooter game featuring iconic Sega characters could prove to be a winning strategy for the company. With the market currently oversaturated by hyena-themed titles, it seems that a fresh take on the genre like this might have a better chance at success. Given the decline in player count for Marvel Rivals, now appears to be the perfect time for Sega to step in and capitalize on the reduction of competition within the genre. By leveraging the popularity of characters fans already know and love from previous Sega games, this proposed Sega Superstars hero shooter could be just what Sega needs to reclaim its position as a leading player in the gaming industry.

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2025-05-25 17:34