Analysis of Sonic Frontiers – Sonic Ver. 1.22474487139…

Sonic Frontiers goes at light speed with an adventure very different from what we are used to

When you have a character as legendary as Sonic, it’s not enough to look back and repeat the formula over and over again. A bit of nostalgia is good, but also you have to innovate and try to offer new mechanics that modernize the saga. That’s what you tried SEGA with this new episode, sound borders, which does not hesitate to take the essence of three-dimensional games of the blue hedgehog and expand it to a level never seen before. We will have to see if this twist works, and we will tell you about it in the analysis that follows.

Tail, start the plane

The search for Chaos Emeralds took Sonic and his friends Starfall Islands, a complex of islands hiding secrets just waiting to be discovered. For a change, our adventure companions are in trouble, being trapped in each of the areas that make up this territory, and we will have no choice but to free them, although to do so we must face all kinds of beings robotics and supernatural forces.

Speaking of robotic beings, couldn’t miss Eggman throughout this plot, though his presence will be more out of place than in other installments. Or rather, indirectly, since it is he who pulls all the strings from the shadows. In Sonic Frontiers our particular enemy will be some kind of artificial entity that will hamper our research work on the islands. Beyond the change of rival, the design of enemies that this implies is striking, rely on titans and colossal beasts capable of invading the entire stage.

Will we be an android?

The name of the analysis is not randomly placed. In its own way, this Sonic Frontiers reminds me of NieR Automata. To begin with, the child who is going to complicate our task could perfectly well be a YoRHa android, both in terms of his physique and his behavior. Not only that, all the underlying narrative, with travels to the past, exploration of an ancient civilization and artificial intelligences who dominate the world is a clear reflection of what we have seen in the work of Platinum Games.

Starfall Islands is another of the protagonists of Sonic Frontiers. This is the first time in the franchise that we cross a vast terrain full of secrets and points of interest. At first, I was shocked to see Sonic in such realistic landscapes. It reminded me of Super Mario Odyssey when it travels to New Donk, to give you an idea. But little by little we will get used to seeing the porcupine moving at full speed between forests, meadows and deserts.

Here is the stumbling between so many race

And although it’s a world we’ve never seen before, with vast areas to run and move around in, It has some issues that need to be mentioned. First, there are too many collectibles. And beware, the problem is not in the quantity, nor in the way to get them. The problem is that every two stages we will stop the game to see our next objective, and that reduces the pace a lot. Even more when we talk about a character who stands out for his speed. Although some of these objects are necessary to continue the adventure, I recommend that you only collect those that we find, in order to make the adventure more dynamic.

The second problem is the technical section that Sonic Frontiers has, specifically the to burst that he possesses in his open circles. This not only affects the visual part, but conditions the playable section. Going back to the collectibles, there are some that are in the air between the platforms and the rails. If the drawing distance is very limited, we won’t be able to get an idea of ​​how to get up there. Basically because we won’t see where the journey begins or how it continues. And it frustrates a lot when looking for the completion of each island.

memory loops

Despite these aforementioned drawbacks, there are aspects that Blue Hedgehog fans will view favorably. To get the Emerald Chaos from Starfall Island, you will first need to get cell keys. We will find these keys in levels outside the open world, in an area that the game calls cyberspace. There will be both classic horizontal scrolling phases and more modern phases with a three-dimensional format. Whatever the type of phase, there will always be achieve four goals: beat the level, get five red coins, finish with minimum number of rings and reach the finish line before the time runs out. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be all at once, so we’ll have some replayability in all of these more specific, closed scenarios.

It is at these levels that nostalgia flourishes. We’ll constantly have trips down memory lane, through Green Hill-based settings, and others that remind us of the designs we enjoyed in Sonic Adventure. It’s true that in 2D levels Sonic’s jumps aren’t as smooth as you might expect, but at least it has been sufficiently corrected if we compare it with what has been experienced in Sonic Generations.

Unleash the power of the Chaos Emeralds

Fighting is another of the new facets that our porcupine can perform. Although there are apparently four moves (in fact, the branch of skills that we can unlock is very small), this does not you can chain together several of these attacks and do real damage to the enemy.

Except dash remote control that we all know, there will be very particular movements like the cybergyre, with which we will lift the enemy into the air, leaving him defenseless. There is also the Sonic Boom, where we will attack from a distance with powerful bursts. We can do other types of special moves like a launch energy balls with Sonic duplicates that attack Naruto. Yes, I said Naruto and I completely mean it. Beware of Sonic’s transformation into Super Sonic. At the end of each island we will have a quick fight against a huge beast. In order to stand up to him, the acclaimed hedgehog will be able to use the Emerald Chaos and thus draw all his strength to defeat them.

Conclusion of sound boundaries

If you have read the analysis, you will have noticed that the latest proposal from SEGA has many innovative aspects. Its scenarios, immense and with a thousand corners to explore; Sonic’s wide array of attacks and a dark story that even puts Robotnik himself in the background. Or was it Eggman? The thing is, you never or very rarely find all of this in the saga, and the change in search of new aspects for SEGA’s favorite mascot is appreciated.

Unfortunately, these new factors are not enough to make us wait and fade over the hours. The secondary phases are good, with a nice trip in nostalgia with scenarios of yesterday and today. But the main world, meaning the areas that make up Starfall Island, don’t quite come together. First, there’s a pacing that goes against the principles of Sonic, with constant stops to look at the mini-map, guide you, and locate your next objective. And second, popping can condition the search for collectibles and objects on stage. However, the effort of the study to offer something different out of the ordinary is appreciated, and in the end, by risking and testing, they will surely find the perfect key.