I like it more sonic fans, I expected you sonic frontiers with a mixture of excitement and fear. The trailers for the latest Sonic Team didn’t exactly wow me with their bland environments and seemingly subdued speed. You have to go fast in a sonic game right? And where were the slippery melodies?

sonic frontiers it’s an instance where you shouldn’t judge a game by its trailer. Not the open world type sonic title that fans have theorized about over the years, but it’s a much more valuable game than it seems.

There is no such thing as perfect 3D sonic game, not now and probably never, but borders does an amazing job of stirring up the Pot of “What Ifs”. What if it had more fantastic environments and a livelier open world? What if instead of looking for Kocos to increase stats, you were looking for Chaos or Chaos power-ups? What if the enemies were brighter and more like the rest of the series?

It’s hard to stop stirring the Pot of “What If” as you traverse the obstacles and challenge stages found in sonic frontiers. Despite its considerable length compared to many games in the series, you’ll find yourself at the end of what has been a stunning blue blur and simply wish for more.

You can progress through the game’s five islands at your own pace; That pace is fast, of course, but also wide-open enough that you can speed up to get each collectible in an order you’re comfortable with. And chances are you’ll find yourself exploring every nook and cranny for more Kocos, or red and blue seeds. It’s hard to resist the temptation of rails and loop trails.

In a rarity to the series, Sonic can increase his stats and learn new abilities to aid in exploration and combat. He’ll augment them through collectibles, a system that ultimately provides a sense of fluid progression; you instinctively look for them over the next obstacle.

That said, the stat system took some getting used to, and the same can be said for the erratic placement of environmental obstacles. None seem to belong to the concept, but they work wonderfully to make you feel more effective and powerful.

Speaking of power, sonic frontiers it is the heaviest main line in combat sonic play. However, that doesn’t mean combat slows him down. It’s just as fast as the rest, just with more buttons. Phantom Rush and the other abilities you learn along the way are fun, quick, easy to pull off, and don’t detract from the overall speed of the game.

It also helps that the bosses are intense and memorable, despite not being the most colorful bunch in the series. I’d say more, but I really think boss fights are something every sonic fan must experience for themselves. You’ll No To be disappointed.

The cyberspace settings will be the most familiar territory for fans of the series, with many resembling fan-favorite locations from previous titles. Green Hill Zone, Radical Highway, Dragon Road, and many more make appearances, and each one should tickle most fans and provide some much-needed changes of scenery from the islands.

My biggest complaint is how bland the open world is in general. Although there are some parts that stand out, not even the day and night or weather cycles can make the islands feel more alive. They just don’t feel good about the franchise, and neither do the pop-ins that come with it.

If the open world in were more vibrant, sonic frontiers it would be hailed as the second coming of the series more than it already is. To be very fair, it’s the best game in the series since sonic generations very easily. Is better than generations? No. But it could be, and the next one very well could be too. There’s so much more to love sonic frontiers than it initially suggests.

Sonic Frontiers review: The bottom line

advantage

• Fast enough once you upgrade to Sonic.
• Memorable boss battles.
• Good pace despite the open world, thanks to the large number of collectibles, settings, enemies and obstacles.
• Considerable length for a sonic game (15~ hours).

cons

• The open world needs more dynamism.
• Obstacle pop-ins can be problematic when you are accelerating.

I guess I’ve been waiting for a sonic usurp game generations for a long time. Though sonic adventure 2 It’s my personal favourite. sonic generations it stands as my gold standard for the 3D portion of the series. sonic frontiers does not exceed generations, but you don’t have to. Sonic Team has tried something new with this entry in Sega’s long-running series, and it’s one hell of a ride.

Always fast and sometimes furious, sonic frontiers It gives me a sense of wonder that I haven’t had with the 3D part of the franchise in a decade, and it does it with the kind of flair I want from Sonic Team. It’s not perfect, but it’s a big turn in the right direction for Blue Blur. The next game should build on what Sonic Team has created here because this is a leggy formula.

[Note: Sega provided the copy of Sonic Frontiers used for this review.]