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Sonic Frontiers is a Disappointing Mess

yakkocmn・2 minutes read

The reviewer attempts to complete all 13 mainline Sonic games in a week but finds Sonic Frontiers lacking in gameplay and execution, falling short of expectations despite Sega's marketing hype. The game's open world design, combat mechanics, controls, reliance on RPG elements, and storytelling are criticized, along with the disjointed world, unengaging challenges, and tonally inconsistent dialogue, resulting in a disappointing experience for fans and players alike.

Insights

  • Sonic Frontiers, despite Sega's marketing efforts, falls into mediocrity, failing to deliver a groundbreaking experience and receiving mixed reviews from fans, with criticisms focused on bland level design and restrictive gameplay mechanics.
  • The game's narrative shift towards a somber tone, along with disjointed world-building and forced character arcs, highlights a departure from Sonic's traditional lighthearted themes, impacting the overall cohesion and emotional engagement of the player experience.

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Recent questions

  • Is Sonic Frontiers a groundbreaking game?

    No

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Summary

00:00

"Sonic Frontiers Review: Divisive and Mediocre"

  • The reviewer aims to beat all 13 mainline home console 3D Sonic games in seven days.
  • Despite being a Sonic fan, the reviewer didn't enjoy Sonic Frontiers after completing it.
  • Sega managed to create hype for Sonic Frontiers through marketing despite the game's actual quality.
  • Sonic Frontiers falls short of being a groundbreaking or broken game, landing in a mediocre zone.
  • The game is divisive, with some appreciating it as a promising step forward while others find it lacking.
  • The open zone design of Sonic Frontiers is criticized for feeling bland and generic.
  • The game restricts player freedom and heavily guides the player, limiting exploration and creativity.
  • Combat in Sonic Frontiers is formulaic, with enemies having specific weaknesses and patterns.
  • The game's controls are criticized for lacking momentum and fluidity, impacting the overall gameplay experience.
  • Sonic Frontiers is faulted for relying heavily on RPG mechanics to artificially extend playtime, lacking engaging exploration and challenges.

15:07

Sonic Frontiers: Disjointed World, Unengaging Challenges, Sad Storylines

  • Sonic Frontiers presents a disjointed world cluttered with obstacles and lacking cohesion, making Sonic feel out of place.
  • The game's open zone objectives offer unengaging challenges like Tetris blocks and bullet hacking, devoid of meaningful platforming.
  • The storytelling in Frontiers takes a somber and melancholic turn, deviating from Sonic's usual lighthearted tone, leaving characters feeling sad and disconnected.
  • The involvement of Ian Flynn, the writer, was limited as Sega provided him with plot points and characters, resulting in forced and tonally inconsistent dialogue.
  • Frontiers heavily references past Sonic games, creating a convoluted new canon universe and a confusing character arc for Tails, questioning his worth.
  • The game's music, while beautiful, feels disconnected from the gameplay, with a mix of somber orchestral tracks and traditional Sonic jams, lacking dynamic experimentation.
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