After years since the previous official entry, the next chapter in the Sonic the Hedgehog series is finally on its way. As Sonic Frontiers development goes on, Sonic Team's creative officer reflects on the lessons taken from previous games in the series.
Taking on a very different structure from previous games, Sonic Frontiers' "open-zone" design takes on an open-world formula with smaller, more linear zones accessible from the open area. Fan reaction to the gameplay shown so far has been mainly negative, but not very much of the game has been shown off just yet.
In an IGN First interview, Sonic Team creative officer Takashi Iizuka discussed the inspirations for the design of Sonic Frontiers. While the interview itself provides insight into the thought process behind some of the decisions that were made with the new game, a specific line near the end is noteworthy on its own; Iizuka mentions wanting to continue the Sonic Adventure series, comparing it to Frontiers in how the non-linear sections are implemented.
Since the Sonic Adventure sub-series has not had a new entry since the Dreamcast, Iizuka wanting to continue it could mean big things for the long-dormant gameplay style. However, SEGA itself has not confirmed any new entries, so for now it remains only an idea. Considering how long Sonic Adventure fans have been asking for more and the cues Frontiers takes from Adventure's design, though, the time could be right to finally bring the series back.
While very little of Sonic Frontiers is available for public viewing right now, the few gameplay videos that exist are being met with some harsh criticism. Some longtime Sonic fans are criticizing the empty-looking world of Frontiers, simplistic combat, and unfitting puzzles. Considering Frontiers is set to release in late 2022, there is not much time to respond to player feedback without a delay, but perhaps more gameplay footage will showcase promising areas beyond the grassy field that makes up all that has been shown thus far.
Some Sonic fans are calling for Sonic Frontiers to be delayed so it can be further polished to meet expectations. An open-world game seems like it should be a logical evolution for the series, but it needs to be handled well to avoid fan backlash. Unfortunately, with the shaky history of recent Sonic games, whether SEGA will make the right call for Frontiers is difficult to predict until it happens. As more gameplay is revealed for Frontiers, hopefully initial assumptions are proven wrong.
Sonic Frontiers will release in Holiday 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.