It’s often heart-breaking when you see a childhood hero fall on hard times and, personally, this is a pain I know all too well with Sonic the Hedgehog. The now well-aged blue one is having another bite at the cherry with Sega and Sonic Team working on Sonic Frontiers – a very different Sonic title from the rest of the pack.
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To boot, Sonic Frontiers has been a long time in the works – it’s almost five years since the much-derided Sonic Forces. So, to say fans are hyped for this new take on the legend is an understatement. Hopes are high that this may be the start of a new golden age for Sonic at long last.
Surprising Story
The game starts with Sonic and mates heading off to investigate an incident involving Chaos Emeralds in a new region of the world. Things go sideways when they arrive, causing our hero and co. to be thrown into a digital realm called Cyber Space. No, really.
It’s up to you to save your crew, the day and get to the bottom of what’s happening. As Sonic Frontier unfolds over time, the plot ultimately becoming much more than you will expect. And to be fair, the tale is so much better than it has any right to be.
Plus, it’s truly refreshing to see that Sonic and the cast have been written with some weight and respect, as they actually sound more mature and are not just one line joke machines anymore.
And most shocking of all is that the overall game actually tries to make some sort of understandable canon out of the past games through lore, fan service and some really interesting unlocks scattered throughout the world.
The Meat
Obviously, the story is not why you’re playing a Sonic game. Gameplay is King when it comes to the blue blur. Sonic Frontiers takes the rule book and rips it up…sort of, as this is an open zone affair. Gone are the linear levels of the past, meaning you are free to roam wherever you want.
Given the level of freedom you have in a 3D space, Sonic controls extremely well. You boost, jump and dash around the place, along with a few new moves like the drop dash.
As you progress, you’ll find Kocos. These are a cute sort of collectable creature, which can be used to upgrade Sonic’s move set. You have a bit more speed or have the ability to carry a few more rings. It’s not a deep or expansive upgrade path but it all adds an interesting element to the gameplay.
The movement and sense of speed is all handled really well. Notably, gameplay is not nearly as automated as past games or even what the early trailers suggested Sonic Frontiers was going to be like.
Your main goal is to find memory tokens to free each of your friends trapped in the area and collecting them will see you completing a number of “missions” which include a few extremely light puzzle sections.
You’ll also have to find vault keys, which let you get your hands on the Chaos Emeralds and to get those you have to battle bosses and complete the games spin on the classic Sonic Special Stages, which may bring in some more traditional Sonic elements.
Easy Mode
Combat in the game is easy overall. Sonic pulls off evermore flashy attacks, as you upgrade his moves. Frontiers never delivers a true challenge, but it remains fun throughout its run.
Bosses will be where you find the most engagement on the combat front. Boss fights often provide visual spectacles and some of the behemoths represent the game’s most memorable moments.
New Tone, New Look, Old Charm
Sonic Frontiers doesn’t look quite as light and bright as you may expect from the series. does look very nice. You get a number of vast open areas to tear around and explore, though we did spot a bit of pop in and issues with overall draw distance.
The audio hits exactly as you would hope, with a real undertone of foreboding at times. Shout out to the voice acting, as some of the talent picked may not be your first choice, but they all put in a solid job adding to the weight of the tale no end.
Sonic Frontiers is a brave and bold move for the legend, from the open world spin to the weight and maturity of the tale. Combat is a bit easy and there are a few visual issues, but these don’t really ever take away from the overall game.
Ultimately, Sonic Frontiers is the greatest 3D Sonic title we have yet seen and an outstanding foundation for Sega and the Sonic Team to build upon for the future.