Sonic Frontiers is an open zone 3d platformer developed by Sega and was released on November 8th. The question is… Is this game worth your time? The simple answer is yes. But let me show you why it is worth your time. This review will work differently than other game journalists’ review score techniques. I will score this game in 5 categories, each worth 2 points. Those categories are gameplay, story, graphics, audio, and replayability. If it scores 2 all across the board, it will be a perfect 10. I feel that this will help my review to be more fair and honest. With that being said though let’s get into the first category.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, I feel Sonic team has really nailed it this time. Sonic feels so smooth to control and it is a blast just to run around the open zones as fast as possible. At first, you cannot run at max speed since they have an upgrade system where you collect these creatures called Koko and exchange them for speed or a bigger wallet for rings. Even as it stands though, Sonic at his base form is still pretty fast, especially if you fill up his ring count. That will give you a max speed boost as well as add a nice-looking blue blur to your run. The game progresses by beating bosses in the main open zone to collect their gears, you then use those gears to open up levels in which you complete challenges to get keys for the chaos emeralds. Once you get all of the chaos emeralds you then go to fight the zone boss. I think this is a very cleverly designed system because it gives purpose to the chaos emeralds for once. Before in the other games, you would get the emeralds at the very end of the game at which point then they are kinda useless since you’ve beaten the game. The way they are used as well is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. They essentially took all of the zone bosses and made them feel like final bosses. It is a little hard to go into detail without spoiling the game but just trust me on this one. It really makes you feel like super sonic. The combat is also a very nice touch, and actually, this is the first sonic game to have a combat system in it. I thought it was very satisfying to fight enemies and unlock more and more skills as you progress through the game which in turn gives you more options for combos. My only complaint about the combat is that at times there was a little bit of Jank to it. I would just be fighting an enemy and suddenly sonic couldn’t target him or wasn’t dealing any damage. It was a little jarring at times, but it is a minor issue in my opinion. The cyberspace levels though… Those feel perfect, they are exactly what I wanted them to be. Just short bursts of pure classic 3d/2d sonic levels. I feel like everything in this game just works together so well. The progression feels so natural and satisfying that I really don’t think Sega needs to change anything in the next Sonic game in terms of the game’s progression. Assuming they keep going with this engine. One last thing I thought I would mention before I give the score. Sonic does kinda stop on a dime which is a little jarring as well. I have had multiple instances where I let go of the thumbstick in a loop and sonic just fell right out of it. So, because of some of the slight Jankiness, I cannot give it a perfect 2. But it comes very close.
Gameplay 1.9
Story
The story is nothing revolutionary. It won’t have you crying your eyes out but it is still very solid, especially for Sonic. In recent decades Sonic has felt like it had no general direction. They all just felt like a random out-of-place storyline. This game fix’s this issue though. They made the story have some weight to it again by tying in all of the mainline games into one cohesive storyline by using flashbacks and referencing past events from Adventure and even Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Everything makes sense again. The characters also feel like they have matured in a way. They don’t just feel like these cringy kids just waiting for a chance to make another bad pun. They feel serious. Like they have personalities. Hopes and dreams. Struggles they all face as individuals. You even see Sonic trying to help them face these fears and become stronger as a result. Even Eggman feels so much deeper than he ever has in the past. Without spoiling anything I will just say that at one point. I actually felt bad for him. Although it won’t make you cry. You can’t help but feel some measure of sadness inside when you see this happen. At points, you even see Sonic actually struggling to go on. Suffering to save his friends and even at points nearly failing. I feel like this Is Important to building a character. They need to be beaten down and brought back up stronger, and better, and have learned lessons along the way. It isn’t revolutionary but it is still really good.
Story 1.8
Graphics
Credits to Nintendo Life for the Switch version picture.
Now, this depends on the version of the game. If you are on Ps5, then this game is an easy 1.9. But this is the switch version, so it does suffer from a fair measure of downgrades. Objects and terrain generally look a lot blurrier and more smeared, and the game is also locked to 30 frames per second so it will be a little bit choppier. There is of course some pop-in, but if I’m being honest. Once you start playing, you hardly notice it. It may seem kinda bad when watching a video. Especially if the person is drawing attention to it. But when you are going at the speed of light you will not care anymore. Most of the issues I have mentioned though are specific to the Switch version, this is to be expected though because most modern Switch ports end up this way. If you can I recommend playing this on something else first. The Switch version should be a second playthrough. Or if you have a Steam deck then just forget the switch version exists.
Graphics 1.3
Audio
Oh, man… The audio in this game is phenomenal. From Sonic’s footsteps to the music, it is all just so good. You can really see the love and care they put into this game based on how well the game performed in this section. When Sonic is running you can hear every step that he takes, the sound changes depending on the terrain and how fast he is running, and it all sounds so natural. Even the ambiance sounds great. When you're running through the landscape, hearing the wind blowing past you, and hearing the water flowing underneath your feet… It sounds perfect. The music is fire as well. They have some nice subtle tracks playing as you roam through the open zones. Then you get the upbeat hype songs in the cyberspace levels, and then the boss songs… Remember Live and Learn from SA2? That is like every single boss song in the game. It is incredible.
Audio 2.0
Replayability
This game will have you running around for hours collecting the various hearts, Koko, and keys as you play through the game, and even after you finish you will likely want to 100% the game. A straight playthrough is about 10 - 13 hours, and a 100% run will take around 25 - 30 hours depending on your skill level. Replayability can vary from person to person, but if you love 3d platformers or just Sonic in general you will absolutely want to come back for a second run. Even after finishing the game, I am still feeling the need to go back and give it another go. So, to put it simply, if you like games like this, then this will be one of those games you come back to even decades after the game has been released.
Replayability 2.0
Final Verdict
Sonic Frontiers for Nintendo Switch Scores a Solid 9.
Pros
Great soundtrack
Great audio design
Great Gameplay
Great level design
Decent Story
Over-the-top boss fights
Hours of content
Cons
Slight Jank in certain areas of the game
Messy visuals on the switch version
The game Is near perfect in terms of Sonic. If Sega can iron out some of the flaws of this game for the sequel, then I think we could be looking at a 10/10 Sonic game. From the natural progression and satisfying gameplay to the amazing soundtrack. Sonic frontiers will keep you absolutely captivated for hours on end. If you were on the fence about this game, then I can assure you it is well worth your time and money. Have a good evening everyone, and Stay Fresh!