It terms of overall core gameplay, and in terms of creative direction, we can absolutely split "modern Sonic" broadly into at least two distinct sections. Unleashed provided the gameplay template for Colors, Generations, Forces, and to a certain extent it appears Frontiers. Heroes, Shadow, and 06 may not have been called "Sonic Adventure 3, 4, and 5" respectively, but at their core their gameplay is still basically more of the Sonic/Shadow gameplay from the Adventure duology. The "Adventure and Adventure-derivative games" more often than not had Iizuka as either Lead Game Designer or Director (06 being an exception) and they tend to focus on 3D platforming gameplay, while the "Unleashed and Unleashed derivative games" more often than not had Sumitomo in that position (Unleashed and Generations being exceptions) and tend to focus on behind-the-back-running-forward (what I'd personally just call "racing") gameplay. This latter type even aptly characterizes Secret Rings, which did the faux-racing gameplay before Unleashed (so we could almost say "Secret Rings and Secret Rings-derivative" instead of Unleashed). 06 is certainly a transitional game in this regard, as its mach speed sections come across (to me at least) like they formed the foundation of Secret Rings' gameplay (which began as a Wii port of 06). Pinball Platforming, 3D Platforming, and Racing-Platforming mechanically characterize the three distinct "eras", and Yasuhara, Iizuka, and Sumitomo creatively characterize them. Which, since we're talking about games here, using the genre or the game-designer as the descriptor, rather than the writing, seems more apt to me. This only works very broadly, but broadly it does indeed work, I think.
More footage: https://www.ign.com/videos/sonic-frontiers-world-premiere-gameplay-ign-first Edit: Apparently that link doesn't work. Use this one instead and scroll down to the new video. https://www.ign.com/games/sonic-frontiers Edit: best link now.
Looks like an open world boost game with BotW influences. I’m sold. I don’t see why people act like it taking from BotW is a bad thing.
Thoughts: Pop-ins are a bit rough looking, ouch lmao. Looks fine enough thing. Very nice to see that there is lots to do, though - but the pop in didn't help much from yesterday, I guess. This looks SO fucking fun though. Holy shit, this looks so cool to run around in. There doesn't really seem to be a "boost" like something Colours or Gens had, but moreso just a literal speed boost. I imagine that's all it is, since we don't see it held for very long, and there's no visual effects around Sonic (there almost certainly would be, even if this footage is somehow early). It looks like it's just a means to let you move quickly, which honestly? I'm totally down for. Let me just go fast around this world, that shit rules. Lot more platforming than I was expecting, which I don't mind, because I want to just run around and do shit in this world. It looks FUN. The fact that there's puzzle stuff to do KINDA worries me about gameplay flow? But it really doesn't look so bad. I'm sure it'll feel a bit better when the game drops. Just feels a bit weird to see it so heavily in the game. I'm excited for this. This looks good, it looks fun, and I'm excited to get more of it. Am I probably overhyped? Maybe, but I really liked what I saw. Shame we didn't get to see combat though, but they're probably going to be sprinkling more info throughout the month. EDIT: I think it's just because a good chunk of games have taken inspiration from it already, and Sonic kind of game in at a time where people got really sick of it. I don't think that's a bad thing though, because BoTW is a very good game (though I can understand from the perspective of someone who isn't a big fan) and if something is THAT good then yeah, it should have a big impact. Sonic's take on it is very good so far. It looks very fun.
Yeah, looks like no slope physics; disappointing, but not surprising. Though it did kinda look like you can run on any walls, not just purple ones, so that's nice.
Damn there are plenty of places to go. Alright Sega you have me intrigued. But yea pop in what the? Is this the Switch version? Also anyone else notice a kinda trick system there? Haven't seen that since Generations, although the animations are jerkier but that almost seems intentional.
Sonic seems to have inherited most of his moveset from the boost gameplay style. I'm a little disappointed at how slow sonic is, maybe I'm just spoiled by going 300 mph in boost stages but he just seems sluggish.
Well. That looks like Forces 2 to me, maybe no 8-directional movement bullshit, but Sonic looks so utterly stiff, so sluggish, so.. slow. Unless you spam your infinite free sub-boost with the same sound and effect over and over because that's the only amount of speed he gets for going anywhere, and he loses it in a couple seconds. No momentum, no feeling of self-earned speed, no real dynamic look to the movement despite the wall running technically returning or anything. This looks like someone recreated/fused Forces and Lost World Sonics together and put it on some Unity map.
Not gonna lie, for something that's probably been in the making ever since work finished on Forces and for a game thats supposed to come out later this year it looked rough as hell.
I kinda feel some of it was the player not knowing what they were doing or them being intentionally slow to show things off. I'd hope a nice groove can be achieved if you know what you're doing. It was funny seeing Sonic climb like Knuckles btw lol
I think it looks like a tech demo somebody whipped up in unreal engine. It doesn't seem to have anything that I want in a Sonic game. The only way an open world would've worked for me is if it had actual good slope physics that were fun to roll around in, but as we know, Sonic Team isn't gifted in the physics department.
Yeah it does look pretty light. I think it's just an initial reaction - in no ways am I against it (Mario Odyssey is literally my favourite game ever and that game has lots of puzzle stuff in it) but I just wasn't expecting it, I guess.
So it seems like Sonic can roll but the guy only chose to do it once: Given this I don’t know what to make of the footage. Either the game is too slow with the only moments of speed being automation on rails and dashpads or the player was supposed to be building up speed by rolling down slopes and/or spindashing.
It definitely seemed like they were trying to take things very slowly with the gameplay, so maybe Sonic's moveset/speed is a little better than they want to show? For a first gameplay reveal, I guess it makes sense, even though it's weird that you'd avoid going fast with Sonic, a character that is literally known for being fast, outside of that one travel sequence lmao
