Over the years, the character of Sonic it has certainly experienced ups and downs. After all, SEGA has never abandoned his hero symbol, the blue hedgehog who has quickly become one of the most representative icons of the video game world, and to do so has often decided to take the franchise and take it in decidedly unusual directions. Sonic Frontiers is definitely one of those attempts, as the idea behind the game seems to have no precedent in the history of the blue hedgehog saga.
It is also true that, at least from the first announcement trailers, the game did not make a great impression on the public and the insiders: an uninteresting gameplay, a fairly meager open world (especially when compared to the great classics of the genre) and more in a not inconsiderable lack of generality seemed to be decidedly not very encouraging characteristics.
However, if Sonic Frontiers It did not seem at first glance to do justice to its brand, looking like an immature and unfinished product, it is equally true that over the weeks the fog has partially cleared, until you could finally get your hands on the full version of the game. First of all it is better to clarify one thing immediately, answering the question that more than any other is holding the bench among hedgehog enthusiasts: Is Frontiers the Zelda Breath of the Wild of the Sonic saga? The answer is no. In the sense that if on the one hand the game is the most ambitious turn in the series from the time of Sonic Adventure, on the other hand, he can’t get too close to the Nintendo masterpiece (nor does he want to).
New Adventures
The story of Sonic Frontiers it is obviously quite usual, although you owe quite a bit from the classic canons to which the hedgehog has accustomed us: Sonic is found together with Tails And Amy, when an inexplicable event separates the three friends from each other. Upon awakening, Sonic finds himself on an unknown island, with no trace of his companions: where is he, and why is he there? The answers to this and other questions outline a rather interesting narrative, able to emphasize the planet inhabited by some small creatures called Kococlosely linked to an ancient civilization known as the Ancients.
Historical figures such as Knuckles And Eggman will obviously make their appearance, as well as Big the Cat and other special guests that we will not reveal to you so as not to spoil the surprise. Nevertheless, the more “adult” story and the atmosphere at times suffused and decidedly less light-hearted than usual will make our races breakthrough on the Starfall Islands very interesting.
First, the Sonic Team has often insisted on using the definition of an open zone rather than an open world game. Translated, what we will find in front of us is an open space full of collectibles – such as seeds that enhance the attack or defense, passing through tokens or gears – with the aim of beating the boss at the end of the level and thus unlocking new areas. Yes, in the meantime there will be platform sections that have made Sonic famous over the years, but in Frontiers everything seems to move in a different and certainly atypical direction.
The map therefore offers in fact some freely explorable segments and not a real open world (thus giving weight to the words of the developers), with various more or less complex challenges inside to complete before KO the supervillain on duty. Once this point has been clarified, it must be said that in an almost completely unexpected way, Sonic Frontiers it works and pretty good too. The emphasis is not on exploratory freedom or on the epic breath of the settings, as happens in a Breath of the Wild, but in the Sonic movesetwhich makes everything extremely functional to the context.
The Next Challenge
The platform phases are those to which Sonic has always accustomed us in the various 3D chapters released so far; we have the search attack will allow us to surprise enemies or reach hooks and ramps, plus the possibility of chaining combos through the use of specific skills that we will earn during the adventure. Note separately for boss fightwhich blatantly wink at Shadow of the Colossus, although they are less epic than expected.
As for the technical sector, the PlayStation 5 version defends itself quite well: the settings are quite vast and evocative, as well as the models of the main and non-main characters. Of course, we are far from peaks of excellence capable of rewriting the genre, but the result is still of an excellent leveldespite some flaws here and there (especially as regards the pop-up of objects and other elements of the scenario, a defect that we imagine will be corrected with the usual patches foreseen in the coming weeks).
Also, there are some things that prevent you from Sonic Frontiers to reach the highest marks: the control system and the control scheme do not sometimes seem to collaborate as they should, a defect that seems to be inherited from all the chapters of Sonic made in three dimensions. Even the virtual camera occasionally stumbles, as it sometimes happens to run into environmental puzzles whose difficulty is really reduced to a minimum, as well as a variety that is not always at the top. In any case, the latest 3D title of the saga manages to surpass games such as Sonic Forces, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Secret Rings by several notches, which is little.
Review
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Sonic Frontiers (Tested on PS5)
8Final vote
Sonic Frontiers, in an almost completely unexpected way, turns out to be one of the best three-dimensional chapters of the saga, especially after some missteps released over the years that had almost completely disheartened the fanbase, orphan of a 3D episode that could keep up with the famous and beloved Sonic Adventure. Frontiers, therefore, could be an excellent starting point for future chapters, as well as a game not to be missed if you are passionate about the most famous blue hedgehog ever.
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