The Sonic Frontiers *SPOILER* Thread (With Unmarked Spoilers)

A polarising Sonic game? Say it ain't so

Ultimately I'll just do what I always did; play it and enjoy it. I absolutely loved Lost World, I enjoyed Forces, and this looks to be the most enjoyable time I'm gonna have with the series in well over a decade. Tuesday can't come soon enough.

Still, most of the complains I've seen in the thread are all valid really. It's just...not a dealbreaker for me.
Game still looks great.

 

Yeah, I think that's most of casual players and maybe younger / newcomers fans are going to feel as well. I was not expecting it was going to perfect, but fun enough to people like. So maybe it will be a "7/10" for both community and critics. I think even with games' flaws I still can say they tried this time, unlike with Sonic Forces. Of course that still doesn't mean you have to like the game, because people have different tastes after all. I just hope this game does well enough to have a good budget for the next mainline and Izuka be aware of everyone's critics to use it to improve the next games. That's why I think Sonic Frontiers is a important game.

 

There's a decent amount about the game's controls and gameplay loop I'm into, and I do appreciate the higher emphasis for story or characters in this game. I'm not unpleasable, and I'm not gonna sit there and pretend I have nothing positive to say.

I just like when Sonic games are not ugly, uninteresting or lacking in variety. Aesthetics are such a huge component to this series, and so is how creative the level layouts and world design gets. Even amongst the worst of Sonic games tend to get this right (see: Sonic 06, as mentioned). And it's all that combined with how the maps seem to do nothing with how it's Sonic beyond pasting rails and springs everywhere. It feels like such a.. non-Sonic thing they've made. Nothing about this is what I think makes Sonic something I like so much. I can appreciate it slightly for what it is on it's own (there's a bullshot angle or two that looks pretty in that "realistic dramatic hillside" way), but that only goes so far.

I can't give it a pass just because it does another thing okay. This part of Sonic is a massive priority to me. lol

 

Are we really back to the 'its not sonic enough!!' talking points again? Oh ffs.

 

A Twitter user I've been following has been documenting their playthrough. They like the game but they were really disappointed by the ending.

...but apparently, they played the boss again in hard mode and it's an entirely different boss. One of the hardest final bosses in Sonic.

It doesn't change the ending but I would bet it certainly makes the endgame more engaging.

https://twitter.com/notrodolis?t=XA6UsxlA5fF3HC9efwx_Jw&s=09

 

I jumped out of my seat reading this, but then I looked at the tweet and... he's insinuating that the ending theme changes with the ending, and vandalize plays during the final boss. We already know from Seven Storm on resetera that the ending themes only play in a row during the credits, with stingers inbetween them.

Still holding out hope for a true final boss but I do not have faith in that account, unfortunately :\

 

The rest of their playthrough doesn't seem suspicious, and they have clips of their gameplay in Cyber Space, including levels I've never seen.

I think they're legit.

 

To be honest I think @Azookara's point is very fair. I pretty much agree with him 100%. It looks very uninteresting aesthetically. It doesn't look like Sonic. And okay fair enough. Mario Odyssey isn't going for a traditional Mario aesthetic in Metro City. But Metro City does have a distinct visual style. I don't think that Frontiers does. Looks like it could belong to any game. That's what I think the primary issue is and what is being pointed out.

 

These controls are a big win for Sonic. There will be no turning back after Frontiers. The open zone could probably benefit from a different art style, but as far as controls go, this is still miles better than anything we got since the Adventure games. Keep the controls, but screw the open zone. And add more variety to everything.

 

Oh snap you may be right, one of the replies said they just beat it as well lol

https://twitter.com/theyeetman76/status/1588688387154014208

 

I also think another pertinent point to Frontiers not being traditional Sonic is yes, that's fine, but it does actually need to replace that traditional formula with something unique or at least fresh.

Take Breath of the Wild. In many ways I don't think it is traditional Zelda. But it does add sophisticated climbing, gadgets, combat, and the like. The climbing and open world synergy are really what sell it of course. Now I don't think that game is perfect by any means (ironically enough I like it but I am highly critical of it) but it does do new and fresh things. To use Sonic as an example, I think it's fair to say that Sonic Adventure went in a very different direction from Classic Sonic. And as flawed as Sonic Adventure is, it did introduce winding and elaborate geometry to 3D platformers. It did introduce a distinct visual style and memorable levels with exciting set pieces. All of these ideas were fairly novel for 3D platformers.

A big reason I've been critical of Frontiers is I don't really think the game does that. It has combat which I've always thought looks subpar compared to open world games like Witcher 3, Nier Automata, Horizon, and Grand Theft Auto (sorry that's the competition). The platforming as @Azookara says is very inorganic - block platforms and springs completely separated from the map geometry. Ironically a cardinal sin of Sonic Colors! But while that game gets savaged for it this game gets a free pass...for now. Go figure. It has exploration, which could be fun in a sense of exploration for exploration sake. But nothing new or groundbreaking. The Cyloop seems to be the genuine new mechanic. And it does look fun but it's not that deep it doesn't seem. The puzzles really do look like average affairs which could be in any game. I get that running around an open map as Sonic with good controls sounds fun. I like the idea. But it's nothing amazing.

I am very critical of Frontiers but I do have an open mind. I am intrigued by the idea it has a variety of design ideas in its missions. That could be novel. If it gets good reviews I'll pick it up. But it's not the case that I don't like it because it isn't 'real Sonic'. I love Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, despite both games' many flaws, because they had a unique and memorable aesthetic and gameplay loop. I don't really care that Sonic Adventure 2 is very different to Sonic 2. Frontiers just doesn't really give me that impression.

 

If you asked me, the enemy encounters are by far the most unique thing about this game. Sonic bosses have never been particularly good, but Frontiers has honest to good boss fights.

They're actually engaging for a player as opposed to just face smashing the jump/homing attack.

You are encouraged to finish fights as fast possible as the boss patterns get more and more intense, and you can do that if you understand the combo system.

So yea, combat may not be what some people want from Sonic and its been done worse before but they kind of finally got it here.

 

All the discussion spawned from leaks and switch dumps has made the wait for the actual release all the more killer for me. Its had me incredibly tempted to nab it and try out yuzu or that other switch emulator just fir a taste before the official pc release but it just seems like more hassle than its worth with only 4 days left.

Its a very weird feeling, because while i honestly completely agree with @Azookara about level themes and visuals, i am still just thrilled about the idea of a sonic game that actually controls well, something ive been missing since adventure.

The game isnt my ideal game, but everything I have seen excites me and just makes me even more excited for where the next sonic game will go from here is frontiers succeeds

 

I'm glad the combat is good and the fights are compelling. I just don't know why they put all the focus on that in development instead of how you traverse the open world. All the gameplay I've seen, most of it has been enemy encounters. I kinda know why that was their priority (working with PSO2 staff I'm sure) but like.. why this on Sonic? Or at least why this front and center.

Especially since Sonic controls so well. Seriously, I think it's the best since the Adventures. Really easy to steer and aim jumps, a nice steady boost/air boost, the drop dash feels good, stomping/bouncing feels good, wall-running feels good; all of that is great (at least in 3D).

A game where you're using that constantly to run, roll and swing around big slopes and crazy loops & spirals built into the world would've been godlike. It makes me yearn to see what a sequel would do, but it frustrates me a lot because that's gonna be another half-decade away, and probably still not doing what I want it to do lol..

 

I like Frontiers, it's really cool. My only problem is that Sonic seems slightly floaty and it's throwing me off.

So far my best experience is fighting a gigantic boss while smaller enemies spawn around it while another gigantic boss is visible and flying around elsewhere in the world.

Just don't bring up the tutorial because that will reset the boss but not reset the rings you had.

Also that Sonic Boom rapid rush thing is fucking broken.

It's fun. The S ranks in cyber stages are kinda bullshit to get though, but maybe that's on me because I don't really understand how the boost works fully.

Switch version by the way. I can't wait for my Xbox version.

 

Gosh all this talk about Sonic controlling well is getting me so giddy to play the game lol.
This is the thing I'm the most hyped about at this point, can't wait for Sonic to feel good to play as for the first time since Adventure 2

 

How does everyone have their control settings set? I’m worried I’m going to spend ages messing with them and never feeling satisfied.

 

I only turned down the accel a smidge and increased the camera speed. That's about it. High speed mode, btw.

 

I have whatever the default is.