It has been a while since Sonic the Hedgehog games have been held in high regard. Sonic Mania in 2017 was the last time Sonic’s fans felt fully satisfied with a new title’s launch, and it's hard to say when universal praise like that will come again. There’s an understanding among Sonic veterans that it was fresh blood hired straight from the fandom itself that made Sonic Mania what it is, and the usual devs at Sonic Team would prefer to focus on 3D titles like the recent Sonic Frontiers. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but signs of improvement have begun to surface.
After over a decade of stagnating Boost gameplay in set piece-oriented stages peppered by discarded gameplay alternatives, Sonic Frontiers finally has something new. Many tired parts of the past Boost games are still present, but they are surrounded by a series of massive fields that Sonic is encouraged to wander through. This seemingly simple addition, combined with a well-received story, has pulled players back in. It’s performing so well critically and financially that a future of refined sequels is looking possible - but that doesn’t guarantee it’s toppled the list of Sonic’s best games.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
The topic of the best Sonic games is a contentious one, but there are a few highlights that the community can generally agree on. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, two halves of the most popular Genesis Sonic game, tend to be regulars in those discussions. Until Sonic Mania, these were the pinnacles of 2D Sonic game design with strong set pieces, multiplayer, and even an alternate campaign for Knuckles all rolled into an excellent package. Sonic Frontiers comparatively excels at a few things, and has plenty of rough patches holding it back - including a gameplay loop that gets old by the endgame. It's not where it could be, but it's striving to reach that point.
Sonic Adventure 1 and 2
The two Sonic Adventure games are still held in high regard by portions of the fanbase, and for good reason. Their particular 3D level design and mechanics stand out, and their narratives - while cheesy - are impressively earnest. Frontiers goes as far as tying its like-minded story directly to Sonic Adventure 1, and its open-zone gameplay is reminiscent of Adventure's wider stages and hub areas. It remains to be seen how Sonic Frontiers' DLC characters will play compared to Sonic Adventure's own roster, but these two games serve as a good point of comparison for Frontiers.
Sonic Mania Plus
Unfortunately, not every comparison is going to be flattering. Sonic Mania and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus are in the running for the best Sonic games, and Sonic Frontiers falls short. Sonic Mania does everything that classic 2D Sonic did, but better (even if this handicapped its abilities to introduce new ideas). A better descriptor for Frontiers would be a return to form, with its strengths lying in new ideas that could be refined further through a sequel. No one should be surprised that Frontiers pales in comparison to Mania, but the seeds of a game to rival it have been planted.
Sonic Unleashed, Colors, and Generations
Lastly, there's the Boost era of Sonic games. It's hard to pick one definitive title from this set, as Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, and Sonic Generations all share a lot of strengths. Sonic Frontiers benefits from cutting away much of the chaff these games introduced, and even its traditional levels have been rendered mostly optional to focus on the open zones. With boss fights matching and often exceeding the most spectacular sequences of these games, Sonic Frontiers pulls off Boost gameplay's spectacle better than ever. It's this specific victory that gives Sonic Frontiers an aura of hope, and fans are looking forward to it producing new challengers for the title of best Sonic game.
Sonic Frontiers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.