It goes without saying that Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most recognizable faces in the gaming industry. It's also fair to say though, that due to the fluctuating quality of titles with his name attached to them over the years, new Sonic games don't quite generate the same level of buzz as they used to. But something about Sonic Frontiers feels different. Moving Sonic away from traditional platforming and into a partial open-world environment seems like a gamble, but a fascinating one, and many fans are eager to see how he makes the transition.
With the release of Sonic Frontiers now only a couple of months away, many details about the game have been made public. This includes an idea of the scope of the world, as well as some environments and bosses, and also a glimpse at some of the characters who'll feature, both old and new. One of the most fascinating new characters showcased so far is Sage, a mysterious girl with piercing red eyes, who resides on Starfall Islands and seems to wield several unknown powers. Her name is also an anagram of Sega, and while this may be a total coincidence, it could be a clever little Easter egg from Sonic Team.
What We Know About Sage So Far
The Starfall Islands are set to be full of mystery and adventure. Developer Sonic Team has already showcased several elements of the open-world gameplay including Sonic Frontiers' city and desert levels. Trailers have shown how Sonic winds up on Starfall Islands and searches for his friends, Tails and Amy, whom he got separated from. During one of these trailers, Sonic comes face to face with Sage, who appears to be levitating. She repeatedly warns Sonic that he must leave the Islands immediately, but doesn't elaborate as to why.
While the new Sonic character Sage resembles a normal human girl at first glance, looking closer reveals a couple of key differences. Her red eyes seem to glow with a mysterious energy, and that same red energy is also found flickering in her short white hair. Red also surrounds her black clothing, but this appears to be some kind of computer coding, illuminating her outfit somewhat. Her age cannot be determined, but her voice and presence emanate an older demeanor than what her appearance may suggest.
Sage doesn't appear to be concerned with others' feelings, and her actions and speech patterns come across as indifferent, almost robotic in nature. She appears rational and logical, and shows concern for a potential danger threatening the world, but she doesn't appear to show any emotion at all. Whether this is a front she is putting on, or as a result of something else more sinister, remains to be seen. She refers to Sonic as reckless and is determined to force him to leave Starfall Islands, seemingly willing to use violent means to get him to do so. She is shown holding dominion over several large machines which she summons to attack Sonic.
As well as levitation, and the ability to command huge machines, Sage seems to disappear and reappear at will, so she can count teleportation as another of her powers. Exactly why Sage is so desperate for Sonic to leave the Starfall Islands is unclear, but the game will probably reveal her motives and allegiances over time. It cannot be said for certain that Sage is a foe just because she has shown hostility towards Sonic. She may well be trying to usher Sonic away in order to keep him safe, and before the game ends she could prove to be an ally of sorts.
Sage is just one of the mysteries currently surrounding Sonic Frontiers. Perhaps the biggest mystery is whether Sonic will be able to make a successful transition to an open-world format. Sonic's overall video game track record is patchy, with titles like Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric being panned by critics for poor use of the IP as well as below-par gameplay. Frontiers represents a fresh chance for Sonic to redeem himself in a completely different setting from anything he's found himself in previously. Unraveling the Starfall Islands' mysteries is shaping up to be an exciting experience for fans of the speedster, and thankfully they won't have much longer to wait to do so.
Sonic Frontiers launches on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.