It has its flaws, and there's definite room for improvement, but the spiky mascot is finally moving in the right direction. Sonic Adventure set the template for the last 24 years of 3D Sonic games, and I'm hopeful Frontiers will do the same for the next generation. I'm fully on board with this new direction, though. There are frustrations that arise and break the flow, whether it's a middling mini-boss or a struggle with Sonic's floaty movement, and it's a big departure from what Sonic fans are used to. It's easy to fall into a zen-like flow as you traverse each island, rattling off objectives as you happen upon them. The music is calming and also solemn at times-even if it knows when to burst into life with a punk rock energy-and there's even a fishing minigame that lets you earn rewards while slowing down the pace a step further. Believe it: Sonic Frontiers is the return to form the franchise sorely needed.Running around at the speed of sound might be a mantra of the fleet-footed hedgehog, but Sonic Frontiers is at its best when you're given time to simply explore. All wrapped up in a compelling story with an unforgettable soundtrack. The game successfully blends fast, yet casual open-ended exploration with tight platforming gameplay. My only wish is that Sonic Team adds a boss rush mode somewhere down the line, as it’s criminal that I can’t replay these bosses just to hear their soundtracks a second time.ĭespite issues like redundant collectibles and some noticeable object pop-in, Sonic Frontiers is a triumph. And like those games, Sonic Frontiers succeeds in making its boss encounters goosebump-raising, adrenaline-loaded affairs that effortlessly marries music with gameplay. The fusion of metal and vocals brought to mind games like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Devil May Cry 5. The stars of the show, though, are the thunderous boss tracks. Cyber Space levels feature head-bopping EDM tracks, and playing them in quick succession made me feel like I was shuffling through an old Liquicity mixtape. But Ohtani and team aren’t afraid to kick it up a gear. The soft, melancholic melodies of the islands form a perfectly chill backdrop for casual exploration. Sonic and banger music typically go hand in hand, and returning composer Tomoya Ohtani doesn’t disappoint. Throughout it all, pumping alongside your adventure, is Sonic Frontiers’ phenomenal soundtrack. Ubisoft should take note for its next Assassin's Creed, to be completely honest. And I appreciate that the game is interested in keeping a brisk pace despite its open-world nature. Darting across the islands and completing the various platforming challenges is its own satisfying reward. It lacks a lot of polish, but even that does not manage to diminish the skyrocketing fun factor that will surely keep you hooked for hours. But as the game unravels further, it turns out to be an unforgettable and highly entertaining experience. Still, issues with collectibles don’t stop Sonic Frontiers’ from being utterly exhilarating to play. Sonic Frontiers starts slow and puts you in a state of confusion. Most other collectibles suffer this fate, too, becoming surplus once you’ve completed an island. That renders your accumulating skill points, well, pointless. You’ll likely fill out Sonic’s skill tree of abilities before you’ve even finished the second of five islands. At a certain point, Sonic Frontiers’ collectibles become largely redundant. Though, if you are aiming for 100% completion, don’t hope for a big payoff for doing so. Plus, you can fast-travel between islands if you want to shoot for full completion. You’ll need to fulfill a collectible quota, but once you have, you’re free to progress whenever you like. Think of each island as a large playground. At roughly 20 hours (pushing 30 if you’re going for 100% completion) it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Throw in miniature puzzle challenges – pushing you to press buttons in a certain order or maintaining an extra long boost – and you’ll find that each island will keep you busy.ĭespite all this activity, Sonic Frontiers never feels overwhelming or overstuffed. You’ll need to take down a good number of these to access Cyber Space portals in the first place. Each requires a different strategy to overcome, and they’re surprisingly different from one another. Then there are the colossal mini-bosses scattered throughout the map. Areas are littered with platforming challenges that you’ll spring, slide, boost and grind through to obtain Memory Tokens that’ll unlock story scenes with the game’s various characters. Cyber Space portals are just the tip of the iceberg. The same can’t be said for Sonic Frontiers’ islands.
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