We really feel we're out there making something new and interesting."Īll that is despite the ability to level up Sonic's abilities, though this isn't required to beat the game. He continued: "Especially for Sonic, it's a high speed platform action linear game taken to this open environment and turned into something new. "We're trying to look out there at other titles in the market place and we couldn't find anything that had that linear platform action gameplay but in an open environment." "This open zone format has never been done before," he said. Takashi Iizuka Sonic Frontiers Interview: Open Zone Gameplay, No Shadow & Fun Boss DesignĮarlier in the interview, Iizuka noted that what fans want is more freedom in games, which is what inspired the open zone format. "But when we think about, 'is it an open world game? Is it similar to Breath of the Wild?', a lot of people on the team love the Zelda series, they love Breath of the Wild, they've played it, but to them, they don't really see a similarity between the games." "You know, yeah there is the same element of freedom that has been applied to Breath of the Wild as a role-playing game, and they're taking the linear high-speed action Sonic game and implementing freedom into there. So when they think about Breath of the Wild, they see Breath of the Wild definitely as a role-playing game, and it's not similar at all to the action game that they're making," said Iizuka. "From the development perspective, they're going out and making an action game. But as a Sonic game, this is some truly top-shelf stuff.Watch on YouTube Sonic Frontiers - Combat & Upgrades 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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