After over 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog exploring acts, zones, and action stages, Sonic Frontiers puts the blue blur into five open-zone islands that fans can explore at their leisure. Once Sega made it known the next Sonic game would attempt open-world gameplay almost a year ago, fans were excited about the new direction. Now that the game is out, and they've been able to take it all in, many are hopeful for a sequel to follow up the game's best ideas.
Sonic Frontiers brings back many facets of the Sonic franchise that fans have wanted to see for years, and while fans are in agreement that it isn't perfect, what Frontiers brings to the table is fun and worth improving. Frontiers can been considered a return to form for 3D Sonic, and there are three things that help with that. Not only is the open-zone formula expansive and freeing, but the bosses with Super Sonic are also electric and exciting. These two core pillars of gameplay are wrapped up nicely with an in-depth story that hasn't been attempted in some time.
The Open-Zone Nature of Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers is stubborn on calling itself an "open-zone" game, and the phrase confused fans for some time. Without a free demo from Sega, it was hard to understand just what this new gameplay style would be about. Now, fans have experienced it for themselves, and know open-zones are wide open spaces filled with different platforms, rails, and collectibles to gather in roughly any order. These open-zones offer plenty of freedom, and a lot of players want more.
Part of what makes these open-zone areas fun to explore is the control scheme and customization options that fans are offered. Frontiers sees the return of the run trigger, a concept introduced in Sonic Lost World where Sonic could be made to run faster by holding down one of the shoulder buttons.
In Frontiers, it blends well with Sonic Unleashed's boost mechanic. Fans can also adjust how Sonic's speed works for less frustrating controls on a personal basis. There are some adjustments to be made, as Sonic fans have to get used to the jump button and homing attack being separated, but more of this control scheme would be great for the series going forward.
Sonic Frontiers' Super Sonic Boss Fights
Something that's completely new to Sonic Frontiers is the way the game handles its boss battles. Instead of giving Sonic a robot to fight like the Egg Viper, or perhaps some ancient beast like the Dark Gaia Phoenix, the hedgehog goes up against huge robotic titans that make him look like an ant on players' screens. It's established early on that Sonic cannot handle these behemoths without a boost, and the Chaos Emeralds provide. Super Sonic is a reoccurring event in Sonic Frontiers, and it makes fans remember just why the transformation is known as "Super" Sonic.
Fans are allowed to let loose and feel all the power Super Sonic has through battles accompanied by powerful vocal songs, and no sense of scale was spared as these battles allow fans to fly around the boss and their surroundings dealing immense damage. The titan fights set a new precedent for what can be expected from the series in terms of bosses. A sequel expanding upon this and maybe allowing fans to do similar boss battles against Eggman mechs would be welcomed by many series loyalists.
The Story of Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers presents fans with a simple, almost staple premise: Sonic and friends are on the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds, and then something goes wrong. However, things are deeper than they seem, and eventually Sonic ends up between saving his friends or threatening the world. Each of the Starfall Islands focuses on a particular character, allowing Sonic to interact with his cast for a long time compared to previous releases. As a result, fans get to spend time with their favorite characters and watch as their own stories unfold. Every character in Sonic Frontiers gets development, and the status quo of the entire Sonic franchise is changed.
Due to the level of detail, care, and intensity put into the story of Sonic Frontiers, as well as how it ties in seamlessly with its gameplay, some fans consider it one of the series' best stories since Sonic Adventure 2. SA2 is one of the most beloved titles in the franchise as a whole, so this compliment serves as a great point to go off of. Sonic Frontiers' story was written by Ian Flynn, series veteran mostly known for his work on the Archie and IDW comics. Flynn has since revealed he's been brought onto the internal Sonic lore team at Sega, so a sequel will at least be overseen by him, if not outright written.
Luckily, the chances of a sequel to Sonic Frontiers are already high, as before the game launched, the head of Sonic Team said Frontiers would serve as the foundation for future Sonic releases for at least the next decade. On top of that, the game has a true ending for those that beat it on hard, and it feels like a sequel hook. The director of Sonic Frontiers said they were accepting fan criticism, and using it to make the next game ever better. For now, it seems that the idea of a sequel isn't a matter of 'if,' but a matter of 'when.'
Sonic Frontiers is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
