People familiar withSonic the Hedgehogmay have heard about theSonicCycle. A new game is announced, it looks like it’s learning from the old ones, the fans get excited, new info tempers that excitement, and the game is released to disappointment. It’s an old meme, but sadly it’s not one thatSonichas managed to shake off. With the most recent efforts being the divisiveSonic Lost WorldandSonic Forces, prospects are not high for the blue hedgehog. Thetroubled release of theSonic Originscollection, which also looked like a slam dunk upon its announcement, hasn’t garnered any hope.
At this point, all eyes are onSonic Frontiers. With no hint as to when theSonic PrimeNetflix show will begin airing, Sega and Sonic Team’s next bigSonicpush will likely be this mainline game.Sonic Frontiersadds elements of the open world genre, employing multiple large island environments broken up by linear levels. The idea of an open worldSonicgame, especially one that uses the Boost gameplay style, sounds appealing, but previews have resulted in mixed feelings. TheSonicseries has survived plenty of worse-looking releases, but there is still a lot of pressure onSonic Frontiersto impress.
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Concerns for Sonic Frontiers are Growing
A lot of the heatSonic Frontiersis feeling right now comes from the passionateSonicfanbase. There is, as ever, a lot of hope forSonicto succeed, with a new wave of young fans coming in thanks to its Hollywood movie adaptations. It has been five years since the last mainlineSonictitle, and even those whoenjoyed whatSonicForceshad to offerare more than ready to move past it. The ideas inSonic Frontiersare sound as well, as massive 3D environments seem to fit the BoostSonicgameplay better than constrained 2D/3D hybrids.
Unfortunately,Sonic Frontiersstruggled to make a good first impression. The frequent trailers dropped throughout June only showed limited aspects of the starting area, leaving viewers confused about how progress is made across the open zones. It took weeks before it was reported thattraditionalSoniclevels were still presentin the game, and the player needed to beat them and various field bosses to collect key items across several islands. A proper demonstration of this gameplay loop is still unfolding, and worries about level design afterSonic Forcesstill persist.Sonic Frontierswill need to prove itself upon release.
Sonic Frontiers Needs to Pull Through
The 3DSonic the Hedgehoggames have been in an awkward state for almost a decade. After a strong showing withUnleashed,Colors, andGenerations,Sonic Lost WorldandSonic Forcestook the wind out ofSonic’s sails.Sonic Maniashowing upSonic Forcesreally didn’t help matters, as it brought the necessity of Sonic Team itself into question. Developer statements forSonic Frontiershave expressed frustration over early fan sentiments, and a commitment to ensuring thatFrontiersdoes not turn out likeForces. That is reasonable, and even worthy of support, but proof still needs to be provided.
Sonic Frontiersis nearing its release date. Just about every aspect of the game needs to show its worth, from the core ideas and mechanics to the development team’s potential. The question on everyone’s mind is ifSonic Frontierscan use its semi-open world toprove that 3DSonicis good again, not just divisive or mediocre. It’s a position that Sonic has found himself in time and time again, but as always there is a chance for him to find his footing. All eyes will be onSonic Frontierswhen it comes out, and hopefully it can succeed in spite of the heavy expectations placed upon it.
Sonic Frontiersis scheduled to release holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
