 Freedom Planet began development as a Sonic the Hedgehog fangame , but DiDuro lost interest in creating a derivative work and reconceived the project as his own intellectual property . He visited the website DeviantArt to recruit artist Ziyo Ling , who replaced the existing cast of characters with her own . Lilac , originally a hedgehog , became a dragon ; antagonist Doctor Eggman was replaced by Brevon ; and the Sonic series ' ring @-@ based health system was abandoned . Further changes were suggested by fans and incorporated throughout development . Freedom Planet was developed in Denmark and the United States and its art direction has East Asian influences : its background visuals were inspired by medieval Chinese art , and the game 's title is written in katakana . 
