"X-treme" was a platform game in which players controlled Sonic the Hedgehog, with the ability to move in any direction. Gameplay was similar to the Saturn platform game "Bug!", though producer Mike Wallis said that "X-treme" would differ in that Sonic would be free to roam levels, unconstrained by linear paths. The game featured a fisheye camera system, the "Reflex Lens", that gave players a wide-angle view, making levels appear to move around Sonic. Levels would rotate around a fixed center of gravity, meaning Sonic could run up walls, arriving at what was previously the ceiling. Sonic was also able to enter and exit the screen as he moved. For boss battles, levels were "free-roaming" and "arena-style'", and rendered bosses as polygonal characters as opposed to sprites. These levels used shading, transparency, and lighting effects to showcase the Saturn's technical potential.