As we reported earlier today, news of a new Sonic mobile game from Gameloft, Sonic Runners Adventure, appears to have been leaked. Amongst the leaks was a support page on Gameloft’s website detailing much of the gameplay which, if true, suggests this new Runners game will bring some significant changes to the original game’s formula.

As we mentioned in our news article earlier today, this game will only need to be connected to the internet once, when it is launched for the first time on a device – surely welcome news for anyone who has poor internet signal or commutes on the subway. The original Sonic Runners was free-to-play, but included a premium currency in the form of red rings which were used to unlock special characters, continue after death, and to play a roulette mini game that could be used to win characters or items; Sonic Runners Adventure instead employs a system in which everything within the game is purchased with normal rings, which can be collected in levels or earned by completing achievements. The roulette mini game, the source of much contention in the first title, is not mentioned in the FAQ.

Sonic Runners included a feature in which friends could send gifts and be competed against via leaderboards; this currently appears to have been dropped for Runners Adventure. The story and timed modes look to have been retained, although the way progression works in story mode will be different, with new chapters unlocked through earning stars, which can beobtained by completing missions in each level.

The FAQ also details three different types of levels, each of which will have their own means of completion:

• Finite levels can only be beaten by crossing a finish line and any stars earned in them can only be kept if the level is beaten
• Looped levels can only be beaten by completing a certain number of laps around a short stage
• Infinite levels go on indefinitely until all mission goals in that level are completed, or until the player dies or runs out of time

In addition to these three level types, there are also bonus levels that can only be accessed by collecting a bonus item and beating the stage; in these stages the player flies around and collects rings. The controls are simple: hold or tap the screen to go up, release to go down. These levels have no enemies or obstacles.

Similar to the first game, characters are divided into three types: speed, flying, and power. However, the characters no longer have “personality” types, but instead are designated a team: Hero, Chaotix, and Dark. Each team has a unique skill that can be temporarily activated after 300 rings are collected:

• Team Heroes has invincibility and magnetic abilities
• Team Chaotix can turn 30 percent of their rings into 10x rings
• Team Dark can turn their enemies into golden enemies, which count for two enemies each.

A team screen can be used to purchase and equip “buddies”, purchase and equip boosters, purchase characters, and find out character attributes. The number of equippable boosters goes up as more characters in a given team are unlocked and much like the original game, that number tops out at three.

Characters level up over the course of the game, with the character level determining the duration of the booster item’s effect; the maximum level a character can reach is level 5.

Finally, the game makes mention of a “camera angle” that will shift when a character is performing certain stunts and cannot be controlled. This particular detail is rather unusual, given that the original Sonic Runners was a sidescrolling game and didn’t have camera angles. This would seem to suggest that Sonic Runners Adventure might have some sort of 3D polygonal component, though this is pure speculation.

It’s pretty rare for a new Sonic game to get an info dump the day it is announced, let alone before its announced. Stay tuned to Sonic Stadium for more information as it comes!