People familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog may have heard about the Sonic Cycle. A new game is announced, it looks like it's learning from the old ones, the fans get excited, new info tempers that excitement, and the game is released to disappointment. It's an old meme, but sadly it's not one that Sonic has managed to shake off. With the most recent efforts being the divisive Sonic Lost World and Sonic Forces, prospects are not high for the blue hedgehog. The troubled release of the Sonic Origins collection, which also looked like a slam dunk upon its announcement, hasn't garnered any hope.
At this point, all eyes are on Sonic Frontiers. With no hint as to when the Sonic Prime Netflix show will begin airing, Sega and Sonic Team's next big Sonic push will likely be this mainline game. Sonic Frontiers adds elements of the open world genre, employing multiple large island environments broken up by linear levels. The idea of an open world Sonic game, especially one that uses the Boost gameplay style, sounds appealing, but previews have resulted in mixed feelings. The Sonic series has survived plenty of worse-looking releases, but there is still a lot of pressure on Sonic Frontiers to impress.
Concerns for Sonic Frontiers are Growing
A lot of the heat Sonic Frontiers is feeling right now comes from the passionate Sonic fanbase. There is, as ever, a lot of hope for Sonic to succeed, with a new wave of young fans coming in thanks to its Hollywood movie adaptations. It has been five years since the last mainline Sonic title, and even those who enjoyed what Sonic Forces had to offer are more than ready to move past it. The ideas in Sonic Frontiers are sound as well, as massive 3D environments seem to fit the Boost Sonic gameplay better than constrained 2D/3D hybrids.
Unfortunately, Sonic Frontiers struggled to make a good first impression. The frequent trailers dropped throughout June only showed limited aspects of the starting area, leaving viewers confused about how progress is made across the open zones. It took weeks before it was reported that traditional Sonic levels were still present in the game, and the player needed to beat them and various field bosses to collect key items across several islands. A proper demonstration of this gameplay loop is still unfolding, and worries about level design after Sonic Forces still persist. Sonic Frontiers will need to prove itself upon release.
Sonic Frontiers Needs to Pull Through
The 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games have been in an awkward state for almost a decade. After a strong showing with Unleashed, Colors, and Generations, Sonic Lost World and Sonic Forces took the wind out of Sonic's sails. Sonic Mania showing up Sonic Forces really didn't help matters, as it brought the necessity of Sonic Team itself into question. Developer statements for Sonic Frontiers have expressed frustration over early fan sentiments, and a commitment to ensuring that Frontiers does not turn out like Forces. That is reasonable, and even worthy of support, but proof still needs to be provided.
Sonic Frontiers is nearing its release date. Just about every aspect of the game needs to show its worth, from the core ideas and mechanics to the development team’s potential. The question on everyone's mind is if Sonic Frontiers can use its semi-open world to prove that 3D Sonic is good again, not just divisive or mediocre. It's a position that Sonic has found himself in time and time again, but as always there is a chance for him to find his footing. All eyes will be on Sonic Frontiers when it comes out, and hopefully it can succeed in spite of the heavy expectations placed upon it.
Sonic Frontiers is scheduled to release holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.