By Jonathon Dornbush

Sonic Forces will feature a third playable character, in addition to Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. And players will be able to create that third major character in the upcoming game.

Sega announced today that Sonic Forces, which will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC this holiday, will include a Hero Character creation feature. The create-a-character option will allow players to build off of one of seven archetypes to design a character integral to the upcoming Sonic game’s narrative.

The seven character types each come with their own special ability, which are:

• Bear — Blows away enemies with a homing attack
• Bird — Flies high with double jump abilities
• Cat — Keeps one ring after being hit
• Dog — Restarts with five rings after the player dies
• Hedgehog — Collects rings when getting damaged
• Rabbit — Has longer invincible time after receiving damage
• Wolf — Automatically draws in rings when near them

Take a look at some customized characters in the gallery below:

Beyond choosing one of these seven types, players can customize the look of their character, including outfitting them with hundreds of accessories and costuming options unlocked while playing through the game. Each customized Hero will have a grappling hook as a means of platforming, and the characters can be customized further via Wispons, which are a new take on the Color Powers from Sonic Colors. The Wispons are unique gadgets that can be used both as weapons and for traversing through levels.

The character creation feature is a first for the franchise, as the player-designed Hero will be featured in cutscenes and be “a crucial element in helping Sonic reclaim the world from Eggman’s domination.”

Sega first announced Sonic Forces in 2016, revealing the full name earlier this year. IGN had a chance to preview Sonic Forces gameplay during GDC 2017. This year will also see the release of Sonic Mania,

Jonathon Dornbush is an associate editor. Find him on Twitter @jmdornbush.