At the moment, Sega has a very simple system they want to use and abuse, and especially with the Sonic franchise, as it seems to be apparent.
This is to say, Sega and Sonic Team feels the need to depict a storyline with all sonic games, as of late; and tie in some form of gimmick to appeal to the younger audiences as to allow for new players to the sonic franchise. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, and you can sympathize for a few factors in this theory, they are going about it entirely the wrong way, and have forgotten what the name "Sonic the Hedgehog" truly stands for.
Now, in the case of new franchise characters, such as Shadow, or Rouge, these were only created as a character in the sonic universe, purely for the one, and only one story about Sonic's adventures. However, due to over hype and several posts on Sega/SonicTeam forums, I can only assume that it is because of the fans that Shadow and others have become developed as their own characters, resulting in them becoming reoccurant in large-title games, and star in games of their own. I think that largely, sonic team is just making-it-up-as-they-go-along, and this is rarely a good idea.
As of late, SonicTeam feels the need to pin some form of hindrance on Sonic purposely to slow him down, entirely so he can overcome it and return to his usual lifestyle. But the way SonicTeam is doing it...
If they are truly pinning Sonic with kid-friendly themes to attain a larger audience, why is it they feel the need to make these gimmicks so bad? Do we really want children of this generation to know sonic for being a werehog, swordsman, or "just some plot device"? Because it's clear to me this is all Sonic Team is teaching us.
Sonic is, and always has been, a "Free Spirit". His attitude is meant to depict that he "could care less either way", but "Will lend a helping hand if necessary". His fear of water is solely because it's in the way of freedom, and can only slow him down.
Lately, SonicTeam no longer even knows who sonic is. Lately, all they depict him as is "The spotlight hero", when clearly Sonic never wanted to be. If a problem needs his help, he will help. Lately, games don't even need him around to save the day; so why is he even around any more?
In the "good 'ol days", Sonic defeated Robutnik for kidnapping animals. He defeated Robutnik for Building an air ship and satellite. He Chased after Knuckles to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds because he didn't know who knuckles was, and the chaos emeralds were dangerous in the wrong hands. And finally, he defeated Robutnik for stealing the Master Emerald, and he destroyed the Death Egg to maintain world peace.
And as far as I'm concerned, this is all Sonic has ever done, and ever will do.
