The director for the upcoming Sonic Frontiers has stated that the game's new direction is considered an evolution of the franchise. There are only a few days before the game's launch, and Sega and Sonic Team have been doing a lot to show off the game. This includes a brand-new trailer for Sonic Frontiers that focused on the biggest shake-up - the open-zone gameplay, along with other elements such as the combat and bosses. With the game changing up the formula for the blue speedster, the director of the game states how this will affect Sonic games going forward.
Sonic Frontiers' open-zone gameplay was met with a bit of cautious optimism at best and pessimistic doubt when it was first revealed. The comparisons between Breath of the Wild and Sonic Frontiers were also abundant, which even Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka tried to downplay. As time went on, however, the reception of Sonic Frontiers from within the fanbase gradually started becoming more positive, with many now greatly anticipating its release. The director of the game, Morio Kishimoto, also shared his thoughts on the game's impending release.
The game developer posted on his Twitter account about the upcoming launch of Sonic Frontiers, and according to a rough translation, expressed that he had some anxieties about the upcoming game. He noted that he and his team had spent five years trying to evolve the format of the franchise, and it won't be long before gamers can experience what they've been working on. In a follow-up tweet, he thanked the many fans who were sending him kind messages about their excitement for the game and noted it has helped him to calm down as well.
The tweet then states that the goal with Sonic Frontiers was to take a risk and evolve the franchise, which he decided on five years ago when he started development on the game. He also notes that there were five years of "relentless aggression," likely meaning that everyone on the development team was trying to make the game the best it possibly could be, ending his tweet with a confident "it's time to win."
Early impressions of Sonic Frontiers from many websites, content creators, and other people who managed to experience the game have been positive. While many of these gamers are split on aspects like the Cyber Space stages, most of the positivity has come from the open-zone environment and the variety of activities within. With these already positive impressions, it seems like this game might be a gamble that will pay off for Kishimoto and Sonic Team and help provide a template for future titles.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
