The first entry in theSonic the Hedgehogmainline series since 2017 is officially on its way. The new title,Sonic Frontiers, will release in 2022, and promises a whole new direction for the blue blur. However, fans and critics have been quick to draw comparisons between the first trailer forSonic FrontiersandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
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Breath of the Wildreleased in 2017, and expanded the horizons of theZeldaseries by including an open world.Sonic Frontiersseems to take a similar approach in terms of tone and gameplay. However, there are definitely some important lessons thatSonic Frontiersshould take if they further plan to emulate the style ofBreath of the Wild.
10You Control The Story
In the past,The Legend of Zeldafeatured fairly linear narrativesthat players navigated through solving puzzles and facing dungeons.Breath of the Wildcompletely turned that on its head, though, allowing players to freely roam the land of Hyrule at their own pace. Even the main story was straight-forward and simplistic, allowing players to face it whenever they wanted.
Hopefully,Sonic Frontierstakes a similar approach with its narrative. From the looks of the trailer, it seems that an emphasis is being placed on getting to explore a large, open area at supersonic speeds. It’s not confirmed at the moment how complex of a story this game has yet, but likeBreath of the Wild, it shouldn’t intervene with players' ability to have fun.
9Changing Up The Way You Explore
The trailer forSonic Frontiersfeatures some pretty interesting ways of navigating the world and its structures. Grind rails and bounce pads return from olderSonicgames, but most of the trailer emphasizes Sonic’s speed. This certainly gives him an edge over Link, butBreath of the Wildhas a different advantage when it comes to exploring the world.
Very early on inBreath of the Wild, players unlock a myriad of gameplay mechanics that offer new ways to explore and travel. Link can jump from high points with the Paraglider, and can manipulate objects using his Sheikah Slate. While grinding on rails and racing at top speeds will be fun,there should be some new, exciting ways for Sonic to interact with this open world.
8Traveling With The Press Of A Button
Obviously, Sonic’s speed is a huge benefit to placing him in a vast, open world game. However, whether he’s superfast or not, traversing large distances in a game world like this will always be tedious to impatient players. It would be wise forSonic Frontiersto include some sort of fast-travel mechanic so that players can automatically teleport to where they need to go.
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Breath of the Wildincludes a fast-travel mechanic, but there’s a good catch to it. Players must first discover new locations to be able to access them as fast-travel waypoints. This makes finding Sheikah Towers an important side quest during Link’s travels. It also becomes a benefit of completing Shrines or discovering stables scattered throughout the land.
7A Map With More Than Meets The Eye
Open world games thrive on the thrill of exploration, andBreath of the Wildis no different. Part of the game’s fun is traversing every inch of Hyrule and discovering things you didn’t encounter the first time. This makes every player’s adventure unique, whether it’s by discovering some armor in a Treasure Chest hidden in a cave or narrowly defeating a powerful monster.
Other open world games, likeSkyrimorFallout, take advantage of the players' need to find secrets.Sonic Frontiersshould be no different if Sega plans on it being an open world game that stands the test of time. Perhaps taking things slow for a change will allow players to appreciate the world for what it is, and discover all the secrets it has to offer.
6The Weather Conditions Matter
Parts of theSonic Frontierstrailer show a change in scenery from mostSonicgames. In one clip, Sonic battles robot enemies in the rain, which confirms that changing weather will be a function in this game. Perhaps Sega willmake it work similarly toBreath of the Wild, which challenges players with some unique weather-related mechanics.
When it rains in Hyrule, Link has difficulty climbing mountains without slipping. Additionally, thunderstorms will target metal, making it possible for Link to be struck by lightning when wearing certain armors or wielding certain weapons. Hopefully, the weather conditions inSonic Frontiersaren’t just aesthetic changes and affect how players must navigate the world.
5A Variety Of NPCs To Encounter
Breath of the Wildfeatures a very expansive Hyrule, populated with towns, wandering travelers, and enemy encampments. While traveling, it’s likely players will run into one of these NPCs. By talking to them, players can learn more about this version of Hyrule, as well as accept side-quests or just feel a closer connection to the characters.
Related:Breath Of The Wild: NPCs With The Saddest Lives
Perhaps it’s a fault of theSonic Frontierstrailer being an early build of the game, but some fans have noticed that it seems fairly empty. There are robot enemies that appear, but no NPC characters like in previousSonicgames. Hopefully by the time the game releases, it feels like a more lived-in world than just a large stretch of greenery for Sonic to run through.
4Side Quests
Interacting with NPCs inBreath of the Wildmay allow Link to take on side quests. These missions often send him exploring Hyrule delivering an item, locating another NPC, or taking a photo of a location. It allows players the opportunity to explore reaches of Hyrule they wouldn’t normally go, which would be a big benefit forSonic Frontiers.
Placing Sonic in an open world raises the question of if moving fast will allow players to enjoy every crevice of the map. With side-quests, players could be exposed to places they might’ve only passed by while running fast. It could also be a great way to includeSoniccharacters like Knuckles, Tails, Silver, and Amy.
3Customize Your Player Character
The Legend of Zeldahas always featured a change in wardrobe for Link, though usually these alternate outfits only served as power-ups or utilized to breathe underwater.Breath of the Wild, however,introduced new armors into the gamefor players to collect along the way. With these armors, players could not only gain certain benefits, but also customize their appearance.
Customization is not new to theSonicfranchise, either. While power-ups have always been a staple of 3D games likeSonic Adventure, the series saw its first use of customizable characters withSonic Forces. That game allowed players to create their own Avatar, so perhaps they could bring aspects of it back to dress Sonic up however a player would like.
2Combat Is Not Too Complex
The Legend of Zeldahas never been nearMonster HunterorBayonettalevels of combat difficulty. However,Breath of the Wildfeatured the franchise’s most simple combat yet. Link could attack with only a few set moves, with a few advanced maneuvers including Z-targeting and slow-motion dodging.Sonic Frontierscould go even simpler.
Related:Mistakes Everyone Makes While Playing The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The combat isSonicgames has always been a mixed bag. Oftentimes, Sonic’s arsenal of moves includes ramming into enemies at high speeds and the classic honing attack. Those abilities seem to return inSonic Frontiers, though it’s unconfirmed if there’s any new mechanics that veteranSonicplayers should be on the lookout to learn.
1Sonic Frontiers Is Still A Sonic Game
Despite all of its changes, innovations, and non-linear structure,Breath of the Wildis still, at its heart, aZeldagame. It’s perhaps even closest in comparison to the original title,The Legend of Zeldafor NES, with its freedom in exploring the world. It’s important forSonic Frontiers, with all of its new gameplay mechanics and spectacle, tostill feel like aSonicgame.
Of course, theSonicfranchise has been victim to betraying their series staples in the past. Games likeSonic AdventureandSonic Generationsappealed to longtime fans, whileSonic and the Secret RingsandSonic Unleashed, less so. Hopefully these changes to theSonicformula only enhance the experience, not make it something unrecognizable.
Sonic Frontierswill be released in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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