Fans who have been eagerly awaiting Sonic the Hedgehog’s return to the gaming world after his trips to the big screen don’t have long to wait now after the announcement that Sonic Frontiers has gone gold ahead of its multiplatform launch. After a lukewarm reception to the game’s debut trailer, interest in the title has been steadily growing as a series of new trailers and gameplay from a Sonic Frontiers leak have caused fans to take a second look at the title.
Sonic Team’s latest entry in the long-running franchise sees Sonic making the transition to an open world with gameplay elements inspired by Breath of the Wild. Despite being one of the granddaddies of the gaming world, the Sonic franchise has struggled for over a decade to regain the magic and fan support of the series’ early titles. While early 3D Sonic games, such as 1998’s Sonic Adventure, have earned a special place in the hearts of many fans, later 3D entries, such as 2006’s critically panned Sonic the Hedgehog, have made many gamers wary of seeing Sonic leave his 2D roots. By introducing new features such as an improved combat system and skill trees in Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Team is hoping to lure back gamers who may have felt burned by previous releases.
In a post translated by the @SonicJPNews Twitter account, Sonic Frontiers director Morio Kishimoto announced that the game has gone gold ahead of its multiplatform launch in November. The translation of Kishimoto’s tweet states that hardware mastering is now complete and that five years of development has come to an end. The combination of recent gameplay reveals and the inclusion of the fan-favorite Super Sonic in Sonic Frontiers has renewed interest in the title in recent weeks, though many fans remain wary after several lackluster entries in the series.
By incorporating feedback from previous Sonic releases and introducing new gameplay mechanics, Sonic Team is hoping that Sonic Frontiers will be a fresh start for the franchise. Whether fans will give Sonic another shot remains to be seen, but early gameplay impressions have painted a positive picture of the title so far. The addition of post-launch content, such as the recently announced Monster Hunter DLC for Sonic Frontiers, could prove to be a draw for some players, as well.
The Sonic franchise has seen some dramatic highs and lows since first appearing 21 years ago, but Sonic’s die-hard fans have refused to give up on the character. By taking a new direction with the franchise, Sonic Frontiers looks set to shake things up yet again when it releases in November.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.