After months of teasing from Sega, the company is finally giving fans a look at the next upcoming title in theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise,Sonic Frontiers. It has been billed as the series' take on an open-world setting and gameplay, similar to other franchises that have made the leap in genre, such asThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The team behindSonic Frontiersis dedicating an entire month to showing off chunks of the game, which feature a variety of gameplay elements, including its combat, exploration, puzzle-solving, and more.
The first look at the game was shown through a sneak peek trailer forSonic Frontiers, which showed off some of the aforementioned elements. More trailers and gameplay previews have been gradually shown throughout June via IGN First, with each video focusing on a different aspect. Sega’s ownSonic Central eventeven showed off a clip of a boss battle inSonic Frontiers, along with confirmation that an animated short will take place before the events of the game.
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A recent interview from IGN with Sonic Team’s Creative Officer, Takashi Iizuka, reveals even more details about howSonic Frontiers' open-zone gameplaycame to be. According to Iizuka, he and the team realized after the completion ofSonic Forces, that there was “little room for evolution” in regard to a traditional 3D Sonic game. This inspired them to change up the linear style of gameplay fans have gotten used to. As a result, he notes thatSonic Frontiersgives more freedom for fans to explore in a 3DSonicgame, with action as its main focus when approaching this open-world design.
Iizuka states that this game will allow the player to enjoy a mix of open-world and traditional 3D action stages, both of which are present inSonic Frontiers' gameplay. He notes that these linear stages will contain the high-speed gameplay that games likeSonic UnleashedandSonic Colorshave utilized before. He also states that the puzzles that players will find throughout the game’s world are part of the fun, where the player discovers the secrets of Starfall Islands and surrounding areas.
When asked about the tone thatSonic Frontiersis aiming for, Iizuka noted how the tones between entries have varied depending on the setting or plot. He states with Sonic Frontiers, the mysterious islands and their secrets are what the team and artists have been shooting for. This is even reflected inSonic Frontiers' music, where it focuses less on the upbeat soundtrack the series is known for and is used to help set a more mysterious vibe for the game.
Sonic Frontiersis scheduled to release holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
