![]() ![]() Each island has a story to tell, with each of Sonic’s friends being a key player in how that story unfolds. There’s a compelling mystery that serves as the heart of Sonic Frontiers’ story, and I found myself very interested in seeing how it all unfolds – and even more interested in the dynamics between Sonic and each of his friends, which really takes center stage during these cutscenes. ![]() Every time I made a delivery, I was rewarded with a cutscene between Sonic and his trapped friend that would shed a little bit of light on the mysterious Starfall Islands and the cute little native rock people known as kocos that inhabit it. Typically, these are rewards for exploration in the open world, and they’re the main reason you’ll be looking out for springs, ramps, grind rails, speed boosters, and all other manners of gadgets that send you zooming through the world.Ĭollecting and delivering these memory tokens back to your friend is one of the ways you’ll progress Sonic Frontiers’ story forward. Each of the three islands was home to one of Sonic's friends who were trapped in Cyber Space, and in order to try and free them, I needed to collect a ton of memory tokens. I’ve talked previously about how you need to collect portal keys to open up Cyber Space levels, beat Cyber Space levels to get vault keys, and use vault keys to unlock chaos emeralds, but there’s another important element to the game flow as well: memory tokens. But as a Sonic game, this is some truly top-shelf stuff.The big thing I got to experience this time around versus my first play session was the full sense of progression through each island. As a game, Sonic Frontiers has some definite flaws to be wary of. A rollercoaster ride full of dizzying highs and crushing lows. Exhausting story missions, impossible puzzles, and brutal acrobatics await. Unfortunately, this also means you’re getting deeply frustrated at times. No matter the scale, you’re still getting that essential Sonic the Hedgehog experience. ![]() Every island is broken down into a nested series of combat and platforming challenges. At first, you’d assume that Sonic is a terrible fit for this system. It seems like every major franchise is getting the open-world treatment. The raw visuals don’t break new ground, but the overworld design is at least a half-step forward for the Sonic franchise. 60 FPS is totally worth losing that hideous blur effect. I appreciate that you can switch between performance and graphics-heavy modes in the menu. Meanwhile, the graphics are extremely Sonic. These songs perfectly capture that lonely, ancient vibe. I’m especially impressed with the overworld music on each island. The music is excellent, hopping between somber scores and frantic beats with dexterity and ease. Frontiers is a natural extension of this idea. ![]() Sonic games have developed a finely tuned aesthetic over the years. But still! I was caught off guard by a few scenes. To be fair, all of this is being filtered through a Sonic lens. There were serious conversations between characters, moments of self-doubt, and reflections on the horrors of war. I found myself touched by some of the plot beats. While the supporting cast is mostly immaterial, they still bring emotional weight to the story. Some of those platforming challenges require finesse, you see. You can even get too fast, which the game thankfully lets you modify after the fact. Sonic moves pretty fast, but you can improve that. Actually, the speed stat represents a tricky balancing act that takes place in Frontiers. Speed is one of the most important stats you can improve. You can get faster, stronger, and tougher, but that’s more or less it. You don’t want to be bogged down with stats, gear, and grinding. In fact, most of the light RPG elements feel appropriately breezy. A couple of skills are locked behind story progression, but most of them only require skill points. You have a host of sweet moves to unleash on your foes, and they’re all simple to execute. Combat escalates quickly, but Sonic’s power also gets pretty ridiculous. ![]()
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