WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Sonic FrontiersSonic Frontiershas finally been released to the public, and impressions are generally positive. This is theSonicgame fans have been waiting years for, as it brings something new to the franchise. With a completely different structure built around large Open Zone areas,Sonic Frontierspresents many micro challenges that players can engage with at their leisure in a larger than normal play space. Combined with an impressive script as well as more emotional voice deliveries,Frontiershas impressed on many fronts.
There are a lot of points of interest thanks to this title’s unique approach, but one of the more understated ones is the direction it takes its story. Thanks to head writer Ian Flynn’s heavy investment in theSonicseries,Frontiersfeatures so many callbacks that it even canonizes a couple characters from the IDW comics andSonic Boom. This trait was evident fromtheConvergenceandDivergenceprologuesreleased beforeFrontierswas, but it’s all over the game. In particular, there seems to be an especially strong connection betweenSonic Frontiersand the twoSonic Adventuregames.
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Sonic Frontiers Recalls Sonic Adventure in Many Ways
In interviews, one of the producers forSonic Frontiers, Takashi Iizuka, has stated that his favoriteSonicgame isSonic Adventure 2. Some of this was bound to shine through in the final product, andFrontiersdoes feel more like a sequel toAdventuremore than any other modernSonicentry. The open fields littered with activities have something to do with that, and certain segments of Cyber Space levelsremake portions of famousSonic Adventure 1and2stages. The sense of open exploration that was present in certain parts ofAdventurehas finally returned for the first time sinceUnleashed. Big the Cat leading a new fishing minigame feels like the cherry on top in terms of gameplay comparisons.
The link toSonic Adventureis felt not only inSonic Frontiers' gameplay, but in its story as well. In summary,Sonic Frontiersreturns toAdventure’s more serious and contemplative tone with a tight ensemble cast.Sonic UnleashedandSonic Forcestried to present more mature storytelling, but they couldn’t strike emotional chords in the same way certain characters did in theAdventuregames. In addition,Sonic Frontiersactually develops meaningful arcs for its characters, weaving years of disconnectedSonicstorytelling together to create something new. With an approach similar toAdventureright down to the way that flashbacks are implemented, the ties between these games are hard to deny.
Sonic Adventure’s Narrative Sets the Stage for Sonic Frontiers
However,Sonic Frontiersgoes significantly deeper than just alluding to theAdventuregames, and could even be considered an untitledSonic Adventure 3. TheSonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergenceanimated short featuring Knuckles sets up further ruminations on characters and concepts thatSonic Adventureintroduced. The origin of the Chaos Emeralds is brought up inAdventure 1, and explored further bySonic Frontiers. Additionally, the ancestors of the Chao andAdventure 1’s antagonist Chaos are alsorevealed to beFrontiers’ extraterrestrial Ancients, who brought their Chaos Emeralds to Earth before most sacrificed themselves to seal The End.
Picking up plot threads not seen sinceSonic’s Dreamcast days is a surprise, but a welcome one. Not only is the backstory deeply tied toAdventure, but it feels like the characters' own arcs are related as well. Amy and Tails gain the confidence to pursue their goals without Sonic, and Knuckles realizes that he should broaden his horizons. EvenEggman contemplates his extended family fromAdventure 2, and attempts to take on a fatherly role for his AI creation Sage. After years of asking for aSonic Adventure 3,Sonic Frontiersfinally carries on the legacy of the fan-favorite subseries.
Sonic Frontiersis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
