Sonic Frontiers aims to be the series' first foray into an open world, and due to that, many fans are trying to figure out what they can expect from it using gameplay footage seen in trailers. They're analyzing what they're given rather closely, which is helping them decide if they wish to buy it or not. Now, Gamescom has given players the clearest picture of the future of Sonic yet with some intriguing gameplay.
The most recent look at Sonic Frontiers that was shared online offers a great perspective of how the speedier segments feel. The footage shows Sonic running through Kronos Island, the first area of the game, while also showing off the Cyloop ability. It also showcases the city-themed Cyber Space level first seen in a Nintendo Direct back in June.
After many fans have been criticizing what they've seen of the Cyber Space levels in Sonic Frontiers so far under the idea that they're rather linear and simplistic, this new look at the sprawling city-based stage reveals that there's more to these levels than meets the eye. It looks to offer plenty of diverging paths for fans to explore, including a risky route throwing Sonic through the air to eventually reach a tilted road he needs to wall-run on.
This is great to see, as fans had also criticized these same levels for re-using old level designs from previous Sonic games. While it could be argued that the city level takes inspiration from similar stages, the way it's put together offers an entirely new experience. It definitely serves as a sign that as fans progress, they'll encounter new challenges that may catch them completely off-guard after the first few linear and familiar levels.
It's also clear to see that compared to the old Sonic Frontiers gameplay showcases, there's been a considerable amount of improvement in regard to the game's lighting and animation. Fans are also finally given a proper look at the Kucos after previous gameplay trailers tried their best to avoid them entirely.
There's still more to be seen with Sonic Frontiers, considering so far the game has only shown off two of the five islands players will get to explore. There may be more linear Cyber Space stages mixed in with the big and explorative ones like the city level shown here, but fans won't know how things even out until the game arrives. Considering how these stages tie into how fans collect the Chaos Emeralds, there's definitely more to Cyber Space in general for players to look forward to.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.