So which part of the sonic cycle is this??
it's the Sonic 2006 cycle, have a bad upfront presentation, the creators go nuts, the PR changes, fans get tricked, all criticism is considering being a hater, the game is expected to be among the best ever and ends up underperforming.
Yes, the result isn't as bad as Sonic 2006 this time, but we are still looking at a game with some bugs, and like Sonic Boom, a lot of empty nothing to wander around in.