After years of anticipation, SEGA and Sonic Team listened to all the fans asking aloud, “What would an open-world Sonic game feel like?” That title is now in our hands with Sonic Frontiers. But, taking a series from linear to open-world is always risky. You could upset long-time fans of the franchise. Plus, if you don’t nail that exploration of a free world or have enough for players to do, you lose engagement very fast. 

So does Frontiers pull this off? Is it an open-world adventure while still feeling like a Sonic game? While I know some disagree, I think Frontiers is a bold step in the right direction for the series. It has some issues to work out, like more diverse levels design. But the foundation for a phenomenal Sonic adventure has been cracked by Sonic Team.

Full exploration with free speed

Sonic Frontiers starts you off with little to no direction. Sonic wakes up on an island after getting sucked into a mysterious dimension with Tails and Amy. He escapes, but his friends haven’t. So it’s up to him to figure out how to free them, in addition to finding out where they are. Why a new mysterious girl with mammoth titans at her disposal is trying to stop him?

The game works in three tandems. Island exploration that gives a pseudo-open world vibe, linear 3D levels like older Sonic titles, and combat to defeat enemies and mini-bosses. Each element gives you items to progress in the story. Such as gears to open the gates to the linear levels, keys to find the chaos emeralds, and memory tokens to continue freeing your friends. 

Somehow, all this works together to be so addicting and fun! I spent hours trying to run around the island and find every enemy and collectible I could. I used all my previous skills from Sonic games to S-rank every linear level. And I managed to take down every enemy and mini-boss I could find. Part of this is because the game runs smoothly at 60 FPS on PS5 with a fantastic control scheme. I should note that Frontiers only works at 60 FPS on PS5 and PC. It was marketed to do so on the Series X, but this was not included at launch. My guess is that it is coming in a future patch.

A much different combat system than Sonic Unleashed

Many Sonic fans know the series hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to combat. The only title in the series that had a heavy focus on it was Sonic Unleashed. And it wasn’t very fun or deep for how much it was used. Thankfully, Sonic Frontiers avoids this by showcasing a shockingly simple but extensive combat to utilize.

You attack enemies with punches and kicks with a simple button press. You can also use the signature homing attack at any point to auto-lock onto a foe to initiate the battle. Plus, you get a parry to use when enemies attack you! 

Where the fun comes in is when you start to unlock new attacks and abilities. These include the Homing Circle and upgraded spin dash. Mixing these into your standard strikes is the key to getting through Frontiers without having enemies defeat you regularly.

The combat takes a bit to get used to. But, with enough tinkering, it’s stupendous to experiment with combos, cancels, parries, and specific moves you can use to take down enemies with ease. This isn’t Sonic Unleashed’s bland combat system, but instead, one that feels phenomenal and shocking to find in a Sonic game.

Does Sonic Frontiers have the best boss fights in the series?

Sonic Frontiers has one major factor the developers hinted at before the game’s release. To the shock of fans, Sonic Team admitted that some bosses could only be fought as Super Sonic. Usually, Super Sonic showed up for the final fight, not at multiple points in the game. It becomes CLEAR why this is the case early in the game.

Bosses are broken up into two factions. Mini-bosses on each island, and the “titans” as they are called, you must face Super Sonic. The mini-bosses are gimmicky enemies you must take down for items to progress on each island. I found them to be 50/50. Some, like the Ghost and Fortress, are a blast! Some (looking at you, Squid,) are awkward and annoying to take down.

The titan fights as Super Sonic are the true highlight of Sonic Frontiers. Each one feels insanely epic in scale and scope. Using the same combat and special moves you’ve done before as Super Sonic hits an itch that these games haven’t scratched for me since I was a pre-teen. Heck, a freaking metalcore theme accompanies each one, making it feel even more insane! It is a shame the final boss is a bit of a letdown compared to the rest. Although I never thought I’d type, “Wow! There’s an Ikaruga mini-game in a Sonic game.”

Wait, Sonic can have a good story?

One of the most shocking elements to me of Sonic Frontiers is how the story ties up so much lore together for the franchise. I won’t delve heavily into spoilers, but writer Ian Flynn manages to answer some questions about the series. Like where the chaos emeralds came from and how our heroes and villains still don’t know about their true capabilities. It also circles back to previous Sonic adventures, adding a new layer of context to older games and characters I now hope to see again in the future.

Flynn’s other strength throughout the game is his development of the characters themselves, their relationships, and the thematic elements he works into each relationship. What do I mean by this? Well, I did not expect the subplot of Sonic and Amy to be about love for others till your final moments. Yeah, we get that deep in a Sonic game. And it comes off as genuine and heartfelt. 

These themes and character moments also land because of the returning voice cast. I’ve always thought Roger Craig Smith was solid as Sonic. But in Frontiers, he gets to shine by adding a little more dimension and emotion compared to his previous outings as the character. The same goes for Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Tails), Dave B. Mitchell (Knuckles), and Cindy Robinson (Amy). Heck, even Mike Pollock gets to add more layers to Eggman emotionally, and it made me sympathize with the Doctor for once! That’s A+ writing and voice acting!

A foundation with some work to do, and that’s ok.

One game kept creeping into my head as I played through Sonic Frontiers. And it might seem like a weird comparison, but hear me out: Halo Infinite. Specifically, the single-player campaign. Both games feel like the developers submerging their toes into how to do an open-world adventure. And, like Halo Infinite, Frontiers has some work to do for the next installment. More diverse level design is a substantial critique. While I found all the islands fun, it did start to wear once you had seen everything and defeated all enemies and mini-bosses. A snow area would have been a blast or mechanical landscapes like Gene Gadget from Sonic 3D Blast. This series is known for creative artistic direction on levels. Lean into that next time.

But I’m all for getting a game that is still a great time and lets the developers get comfortable with setting a template. Practice makes perfect, right? Now that they have the plan to work on with some constructive criticism, who knows what heights the next installment could achieve?

Final Thoughts

Sonic Frontiers is a foundation to build upon for the franchise moving forward. The pseudo-open-world exploration and combat feel fantastic to experiment and utilize to your advantage. The story and character beats are some of the best the franchise has offered in years. And the boss fights, my god, they are the most epic ones we’ve seen in a Sonic game in years.

It’s not without fault, though. More expressive and varied level design could have made this one of the best installments in the franchise. But the limited designs on each island feel like the one stone that trips this title up. That said, this is the happiest I’ve been about a Sonic game in years. And that can’t bring a broader smile across my face.

Sonic Frontiers is available now for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.