Sonic Frontiers was a standout in The Game Awards late last year, giving an enticing look at a large-scale Sonic adventure that's due to arrive this year. The game is still mostly a mystery, but Games Radar has nonetheless shared some interesting thoughts from a key leader on the project.
Sonic Team's Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka has been careful to avoid describing the game as 'open world' however, with the term 'open-zone' suggesting multiple separate biomes and stages.
With Sonic Forces, the team set out to create a compilation of high-speed Sonic action games that flipped the usual Sonic storyline on its head, taking place in a world where the evil Dr. Eggman had prevailed. Within this new storyline and world, we created new Sonic environments and characters like the villain Infinite. With Sonic Frontiers, we are challenging ourselves to deliver an all-new style of Sonic action adventure. We're once again expanding the Sonic Universe, bringing in new environments and additional features, to create a totally new type of open-zone experience.
...We focused on bringing Sonic to the next level and ensuring that he's fully represented as the character that fans know and love while still making his new form exciting.
Increased exploration will combine with updated combat and speedy manoeuvres, of course. It's also mentioned in the interview that SEGA believes newer hardware like PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will bring a "high-fidelity, high-speed" experience. Hopefully older systems like the Switch will get solid optimisation, though we should expect the usual concessions to the visuals and framerate.
It'll be interesting to see more details on Sonic Frontiers as the year progresses; SEGA looks to be planning a big promotional push for the IP in 2022.
[source gamesradar.com]
Comments 53
Let’s see some gameplay, Sega
... these are all words I've heard before, usually just before the release of the newest Worst Sonic Game Ever..
please don't mess it up
I hope so but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Typically you only go to the next level if you beat the last one...
You can always aspire to do a good job, but I'll wait to see what they deliver.
For all we know this could be another Boom or 06 level disaster, owing to mismanagement at the top level or just technical incompetence.
Or it might be really good, I'm not passing judgement prematurely but I am optimistically cautious.
Open zone... So I guess it's more like OoT than BotW then. "Could" be a step up, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Ugh how many times will sonic get all messed up running around uneven terrain? Still not convinced that open world sonic is a good idea. Oops sorry i meant “open zone” 🙄
Still don't think Sonic has even properly transitioned from 2D to 3D, but bless Sega's heart they continue to try and move forward, stumbling spectacularly along the way.
And the cycle continues.
I know people are apprehensive about this one after being let down too many times by Sonic Team, but I have a strange feeling that this might actually be the game that brings the series back to the Colours/Generations/Mania level of quality it needs to be
Every time I see the Sega logo it makes me want to go back and play through Valkyria Chronicles 4 again. What a game.
Not getting my hopes up till a some gameplay.
An open world Sonic could work, since he’s so darn fast it would mitigate the one thing that ruins most open world experiences: tedious movement. I’m wondering what the gameplay would entail though, since most open world games are filled with activities and quests. If it’s just open world enemy bopping and ring collecting, that would be terrible. I’m interested, but given Sega’s recent track record I’ll keep my curiosity in check.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus turns out alright so yeah this one may likely be so too if Sonic Team is actually polishing it to the best they could like they say they would.
Show us the game, SEGA. Then you can have that discussion.
Next level of bad? Not a sonic fan, but if it's actually good, I might give it a go
Sega please, stop talking until you have something to show us. TY
If anyone from Nintendo is reading this.
An open world Donkey Kong game please ?
With Jungles, Caves and Icy Mountains to explore.
Cheers.
Extremely tired of everything needing to have an open world for some stupid reason, but given it's Sonic there'll probably be some fun with it being hilariously, absurdly glitchy and broken.
Blah, blah, blah, best adventure yet…
Totally new! Ground breaking design, blah, blah, blah…
New features and amazing gameplay blah, blah, blah…
We’ve heard it all Sonic Team, we’ve heard it all. Of course this game will be amazing… we believe you 🙄
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me 4,364 times and I deserve it.
@BloodNinja That’s what I was thinking. Sonic can go as fast as he friggin wants, but running across empty fields with nothing to do is hardly going to be a lot of fun, is it? But this also doesnt mean the game needs to be bloated with a million fetch side quests…
@LXP8
Unless they’ve had a huge staff turnover that will be highly improbable. Their last game played like jank even in 2D sections let alone the empty highly automated corridors of the 3D sections and they’re somehow gonna make a open 3D game where they’d absolutely need smooth controls and a genuine sense of freedom?
@BoostPower
Has there been a Sonic game that didn’t debut with gameplay or was shown shortly after that ended up being good? So far they are pulling a Sonic 4 where they tell people bedtime stories for months that may or may not have anything to do with the final game.
lol i feel like every single new 3d sonic game is like "OKAY GUYS THIS TIME ITS NEXT GEN, WE'VE FIGURED IT OUT" then reviews are like 4/10.
@Browny yeah atleast we get to watch the ship sink spectacularly slow. Maybe someday they'll figure out how to make it float.
......The next level of bad 3D games?
The next level is reaching indie platformers. Yes, Sonic is that low at the moment. And I doubt it will achieve this.
I get the feeling Sonic Team is biting off more than they can chew with Frontiers. And they’ve proven numerous times that it doesn’t take much to make them choke on their food.
This will only happen if the game is outstanding! Sega…..something your not too good at nowadays!
Not everything needs to be open world, or even semi-open world. This is one of those.
We now have Open-Air Zelda, Open-Strand Death Stranding, and Open-Zone Sonic
SEGA should take Sonic out back, instead.
@PessitheMystic Indeed. I'm interested in seeing if they pull it off or not.
Don’t do this to me again, Sega. I can’t take another round of disappointment.
Even something average is fine, just give me a video game that doesn’t make me want to launch into a rant.
This style makes sense since Sonic's world is related to animals and nature with an evil doctor lurking around. That's what I like the most about Sonic, he saves the animals and nature. Sonic's speed could be beneficial but it has to be made so that Sonic doesn't bump into every rock with semi-automatic controls. I don't know how they're going to introduce "levels" or gameplay segments but there are possibilities. Imagine Sonic reaching a clearing in the forest and finding a picture or a spring that takes him to another part of the world. This could work, if it's not made by the people that made Sonic Forces (new staffers) or they have learnt a thing or two since they released the blandest Sonic game ever made.
They have been saying this for twenty years…
So every game that has no business doing so needs to have open bland empty areas to call it open world now? Jeez thanks a lot BotW...
3D Sonic has such a bad track record, until I see gameplay I can't see Frontiers being a success
In the source page they talk about a combat system...Jeez an Open "zone" Sonic with a combat system. What could possibly go wrong?
"To the next level", blah blah. And of course, it's all about Sonic. ALWAYS. Meanwhile those of us who remember the prolific Sega from the 1990s and early 2000s would settle simply for a return of Sega themselves to a fraction of what they used to be as a publisher. Every genre under the sun, some of the greatest RPGs and SRPGs ever made, and an Arcade catalog that was second to none. Where are those in-house projects for your OTHER IPs that you said were coming, guys? We'll be lucky to even have them handed off to some no-name third-party developer so that this has-been company can focus solely on their has-been mascot.
@Madder128 That'll be nice they could called it Donkey Kong World, a big step up from Donkey Kong Country. First they explore the country and now they can finally travel the world.
I don't like this. I had an open mind when Secret Rings came out, and SEGA's response? Every game since has been boost/ignore surroundings. just. go... and it sucks.
@Madder128 YES. I want 3D DKC. Not Donkey Kong flavored Banjo, but Donkey Kong Country in 3D.
Look at this DK64 trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6mqRCsMKmE
Nothing to indicate it's a collectathon, just DK and the crew riding in mine carts and jumping around. That's what I want.
@UglyCasanova See Sonic is one game that could use seamless load times and open worlds. Sonics whole thing is being fast yet he's never actually felt fast in gameplay. If they can figure that out, which more space could help, then it could be good. Honestly, a Forza horizon with sonic would make a lot of sense. Open world is one genre where Sonic makes the most sense.
@Madder128 Domo! We will make a new game series from your wonderful suggestion, valued customer. Please understand!
So them making a good sonic game is considered taking the series to the next level?
@ThomastheDankEngine
Sonic 06 is awful on PS3. The game ran like ass. And it was a glitch fest. And the loading times were appalling.
Can’t speak on the 360 version. Never played it.
All my hopes have now been demolished reading those words I know way to well when it comes to Sonic
It still doesn't answer the question of how they plan to handle the multiplatform aspect of development. I really hope that they do not get lazy and try to water down a game after developing it on more powerful hardware.
I hate it when sonic isn't an open-zone platformer.
What the hell does a sonic 'open-zone' Looks like.
Sonic adventure did it first? But ya looking forward to it's evolution for sure.
@MiyamotoHimself Looking forward to it 🙂
Have high hopes for this one, not into open world games. But it may work in Sonics favour, having all that space with speed might really work. As long as the levels are creative and designed well, and doesn't end up being some broken bore fest aimlessly wondering around.
And I want a billion dollars sent to my bank account, a Mansion, and a Rolls Royce.
"Wanting" things is fine, but I'll believe them when I see results.
good news. also if you like sonic check out my channel at jay-lo-beans
lets go frontiers.
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