G A M E S
OUT 8 NOV
FIRST PLAY SONIC FRONTIERS PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, Switch
[ Words Alan Wen ]
Although Sonic first burst onto the scene more than 30 years ago as a fresh and fast counter to Mario, fans these days are often more content looking back at the hedgehog’s halcyon 2D days rather than the future. That’s forgivable when the Blue Blur’s 3D outings have been a bit of a mixed bag. But as we’ve had our nostalgia fix for this year with Sonic Origins, it’s time to look forward once more. In Sonic Frontiers, our heroic hog finds himself stranded on Starfall Islands, which form a new open-zone structure for 20
gameplay. While many are rushing to make Breath of the Wild comparisons, what this means in practice is the same high-speed Sonic action, but more truly three-dimensional than the linear rollercoasters of previous games. There are still lots of springs, boosters and grind rails to propel you along, but you’re basically free to speed around beautifully expansive environments taking on challenges as you see fit. Gather collectibles and you’ll find ways to unlock more of the map, or take on gargantuan
bosses – allowing you to make use of Sonic’s new combat abilities, including one where he can draw a loop trail on the ground to damage enemies. For those still resistant to this new setup, there are also Cyber Space stages that bring us back to the classic 2D and 3D linear gameplay in familiar-looking locations. So there’s a desire to push things forward while still keeping one foot in the past… in the same way that the game has been designed to perform just as well on ageing hardware like the Switch as on the latest consoles.
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