The recent Sonic Frontiers has contributed a lot of new things to the Sonic franchise. After a prolonged period of titles that couldn't raise the bar, it feels like Sonic is finally up and running again. Switching from prior entries’ Boost-centric linear levels to exploration in massive open environments was just the ticket for Sonic Frontiers to get back on track. With two Hollywood Sonic movies behind it, the Netflix Sonic Prime show inbound, and a year of post-launch support confirmed for Frontiers, it feels like the most positive state Sonic's been in since 2017's Sonic Mania.
Just attributing Sonic Frontiers' feelings of freshness to its gameplay would be selling the whole package short. The game's presentation is also pulling its weight when unpolished moments aren't showing through, and the narrative is also driving a lot of interest. Sonic Frontiers revisited story elements from many past Sonic titles, while simultaneously developing a strong core cast. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Dr. Eggman, and Sage are all a joy to listen to, but players may find themselves growing more curious about the strange little creatures interacting with them along the way.
Kocos Are More Relevant to Sonic Frontiers’ Story Than They Appear
It's easy to dismiss the newly-introduced Kocos as rip-offs of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Koroks. It's true that their design bears a passing resemblance to the collectible forest spirits, and they even serve similar functions, being found and given to an Elder Koco to boost Sonic's attributes. However, Kocos have a considerably different role in the Sonic universe than just taking care of the isolated Starfall Islands.
As players learn by progressing through Sonic Frontiers’ main story, Kocos are the containers used to house the spirits of the Ancient race. This alien species was fleeing the destruction of their homeworld by The End, when their Chaos Emeralds began responding to the Master Emerald on Earth. All the machines and infrastructure found on Starfall Islands were an effort to rebuild and defend the Ancients' civilization from the pursuing End. The four Titans were the most successful of these efforts and managed to seal The End within the Titan Supreme and Cyber Space, but not before the Ancient race was wiped out completely.
The Koco Are Also Relevant In Other Sonic Games’ Lore
Appearing in flashbacks as either the core of the Ancients or some sort of common accessory, the Kocos are all that's left of them. Only a handful have fully maintained their sense of self, though the rest do behave similarly to the people they once were. With no motive to leave their island homes, the Koco seem like their relevance to Sonic has run its course. However, astute fans have noted that they not only resemble Breath of the Wild's Koroks, but Sonic Adventure’s Chao as well. As hinted at in a scene from Knuckles’ animated Divergence prologue, there’s a subtle link tying these two adorable mascot species together.
Chao’s and Kocos are essentially two sides of the same coin. A small contingent of the Ancients fled to the resting place of the Master Emerald with the Chaos Emeralds in tow, both in an attempt to save themselves and potentially harness the Emerald's power. However, for unknown reasons, the Master Emerald instead devolved them into the Chao that Sonic fans now know. One particular Chao was later mutated into Sonic Adventure's antagonist Chaos, regaining something close to its appearance as an Ancient and becoming the Chao's protector. It's unknown if these two races of Ancient remnants will ever meet on screen, but at least Sonic Frontiers players will remember the Koco any time the Chao come up.
Sonic Frontiers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
