Sonic Frontiers Leaks & Spoilers Thread - PLEASE READ OP

[Sega DogTagz]

If you put Forces pure white metropolis at sunset, then it took would have a "red hue". 

 

Trying to narrow it down to anything is a wasted effort. Without more details this could go in any number of directions 

[The Deleter]

Reading the Game Informer cover story in full and I definitely think there are two AI in the game. The voice at the start of the game is surprised you managed to "do the impossible" with escaping from cyber space, and tells Sonic to destroy the titans and collect the chaos emeralds. Considering Eggman's AI is already confirmed to be SAGE, and only wants Sonic to leave the island and not attack the Titan, it seems like their interests are at odds with each other.

Also the fact that Big's shop includes voice diaries is very strange. Not surprising if they are taking inspiration from botw and other AAA games, but usually all the lore of a Sonic game is included in the campaign itself. Going to be odd having the full lore being attached to 100% completing the game rather than a simple playthrough this time around.

[Sapphirine Wind]

38 minutes ago, The Deleter said:

Also the fact that Big's shop includes voice diaries is very strange. Not surprising if they are taking inspiration from botw and other AAA games, but usually all the lore of a Sonic game is included in the campaign itself. Going to be odd having the full lore being attached to 100% completing the game rather than a simple playthrough this time around.

I don't mind that here because an objective of a game like this should be exploration, and stuff like this makes it worth it.

[Iko]

So where does this Metropolis rumors comes from?

Maybe I'm missing something, but one of the several leaks mentioned a couple of stages and called them by name... the Green Hill stage was called differently, like spring valley or something, can't remember, and the other one had a different name too. If that's true, then a stage being called "Metropolis" means absolutely nothing since the word metropolis just means big city and can be used in the name of a zone without being a reference (the same way as Marble and Marble Garden are unrelated). If the stage "looked like" Metropolis, and the person who claims this can't decide if its Metropolis from Sonic 2 or from Forces (two completely different settings), then it automatically doesn't look like Metropolis at all, because it's clear that the person has no idea of what zone Metropolis is, in either cases.

In my opinion "Metropolis" is not in the game, or it's the name of the highway stage, or even the Chemical Plant rip-off (maybe it uses red instead of blue as the main color).

[DaBigJ]

Except it was blatantly mentioned in a game informer(?).

You know, an actually reliable source instead of 4chan leaks made by literal whos.

[The Deleter]

These back to back seem conclusive to me imo

Comparing Forces metropolis and there's clearly a red tint to the roads.

Having read the Game Informer article myself, he describes the Green Hill tutorial level as 1-1, Unleashed-stage (later confirmed to be Rooftop Run) as 1-2, the "metropolis" level as 1-3, Chemical Plant as the fourth level played, a Green Hill Zone rehash as the fifth, and Big the Cat's cyberspace area/shop as a sixth portal. Only room for two more cyberspace levels on the first island if there are only 7 per island. Considering the metropolis level is numbered at 1-3 and is close to both Amy and the first battle with Asura, it's likely most of the press played the stage as well. We'd probably get a mention of it explicitly being a classic Metropolis at that point, with how notorious the classic zone would be for fans, or how unique the Heroes location is.

[Iko]

I didn't read the full Gameinformer article, only some parts posted on the web, so I didn't know about it.

Anyway, it seems like the information is not reliable at all because it's generic and confused. Additionally to the list in @The Deleter's post, we also know from leaked videos that Sky Sanctuary is in the game as well.

So there's room for just one more cyberspace level, because the other one is Sky Sanctuary; and they could as well be just 6, since one of the emeralds is apparently obtained by completing a mission from Amy.

[The Deleter]

2 minutes ago, Iko said:

I didn't read the full Gameinformer article, only some parts posted on the web, so I didn't know about it.

Anyway, it seems like the information is not reliable at all because it's generic and confused. Additionally to the list in @The Deleter's post, we also know from leaked videos that Sky Sanctuary is in the game as well.

So there's room for just one more cyberspace level, because the other one is Sky Sanctuary; and they could as well be just 6, since one of the emerald is apparently obtained by completing a mission from Amy.

I didn't even remember the Sky Sanctuary level, shoot lol.

Well, alternatively, the leak of 7 per island could be incorrect. The Game Informer article mentioned a cyberspace portal in the area you wake up in during the gated tutorial area, so that's one additional portal confirmed. In addition to the glimpses of portals through the world, that makes a total of six confirmed portals so far. And again, this is only the first half of the map; there's an entire other half of the island behind the mountains. Personally I'd be surprised if only two cyberspace portals is the total on the other side, so theoretically there could be more than just 7.

Plus, considering Green Hill is confirmed to be used twice, and a "fully 2D level" is also hinted at, they could be one-in-the-same, and extend to the rest of the themes as well, having one fully 3D stage and one full 2D stage as the "filler mission". Reused assets upon reused assets lol.

[The Deleter]

A couple other details I thought were interesting from the Game Informer stuff:

- The Zig Zag attack is called "Wild Rush", and it's purpose is supposedly to avoid oncoming attacks while closing the distance on an enemy. This would basically mean it's a longer range and more situational homing attack, so every single instance of it's use in combat when you're already close to the enemy is superfluous, as it barely knocks off any more damage to the orb-enemy that a regular homing attack/punch would achieve. (as in exactly one orb lol) It also means we may be in for bullet hell designs later on, given the constant zig zagging to "avoid" a supposed attack.

- When you clear areas of the map on the tutorial island, the fog over the island rolls back as the map fills in. It's not much, and I don't think it will apply to the entire main island, but it is an exploration mechanic that adds more to the progression of individual areas, so it is cool to hear about. Plus, the original leaks mentioned cutting through a thick fog of the central forest to fight the main titan, so if nothing else the mechanic is still being used in the game.

 

Oh also minor realization but I just realized what the number is next to the speedometer. The Game Informer story described the XP as "Skill Point(s)", and with that word it all clicked

It's just a visual indicator when you collect enough XP to use a skill point for upgrades.

Edit: and now on top of this I am realizing that the blue section of the speedometer is indicative of the speeds only the 400 rings boost will reach, mentioned in the IGN Q&A

[MGA_Gamer]

On 7/2/2022 at 6:23 AM, KingMario05 said:

...wait, are they all fucking callbacks? 

And the only new level in the entire damn game is the shameless Zelda ripoff NO ONE ASKED FOR?!?!?!

Christ on a... God damn it, why do I DO this to myself? Ah well. Hope the Tails DLC is fun to play, at least.

Tails DLC? Where did that come from?!

[Celestia]

On 7/2/2022 at 1:08 AM, Kazhnuz said:

Now remember that tester might confuse some levels if there is no real "level names" for the cyberspace (which seems to be the case ? I mean, I don't remember anybody talking about names for the cyberspace levels).

That's a really good point. You'd think we'd get some recollections of the names on the title cards from at least one person or something. I'd be surprised if they left it out since I don't think they ever have? I suppose there's always a first time for everything...

...Wow I just had the thought 'man someone should ask if there are level title cards'. The stuff we do and don't know about this game is really funny when I think about it for too long. Seriously though I've been wondering the past few days when we'll see like, a video of a full level or something.

But yeah, even in the event the levels do have names but nobody remembered any of them, that could still explain the wording for some of the descriptions comparing them to other levels, like I remember some of them using language like "Green Hill-inspired" or "Chemical Plant-inspired" etc. "I mean it didn't say it was Green Hill on-screen, so who am I to say?" Understandable but pretty funny.

[KingMario05]

16 hours ago, MGA_Gamer said:

Tails DLC? Where did that come from?!

Nowhere. Just an idea I had.

[jungle_penguins]

16 hours ago, Celestia said:

That's a really good point. You'd think we'd get some recollections of the names on the title cards from at least one person or something. I'd be surprised if they left it out since I don't think they ever have? I suppose there's always a first time for everything...

...Wow I just had the thought 'man someone should ask if there are level title cards'. The stuff we do and don't know about this game is really funny when I think about it for too long. Seriously though I've been wondering the past few days when we'll see like, a video of a full level or something.

But yeah, even in the event the levels do have names but nobody remembered any of them, that could still explain the wording for some of the descriptions comparing them to other levels, like I remember some of them using language like "Green Hill-inspired" or "Chemical Plant-inspired" etc. "I mean it didn't say it was Green Hill on-screen, so who am I to say?" Understandable but pretty funny.

Generations had ??? plastered on every card the first time you played through, leaving things a mystery until you replayed or something. This might be what's going on here?

[Razule]

Yeah.. maybe they don't have titles because Sonic doesn't remember what they're called.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

1 hour ago, KingMario05 said:

Nowhere. Just an idea I had.

I think you may have been going a bit overboard in the misunderstanding with that rant from earlier.

[KingMario05]

2 hours ago, Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon said:

I think you may have been going a bit overboard in the misunderstanding with that rant from earlier.

And I apologize. It just frustrates me that, time after time and again and again, Sega STILL won't move on from the past. Would Mario be as beloved if every game was just the same eight worlds, over and over? Why can't we get Sonic's Tokyo, or Mars, or Vegas or Heaven or Hell or Chicago or what have you? It's always callbacks and references... even now, at the opportunity for a clean slate, we're getting just one totally new zone at best.

A zone which, mind you, looks and feels nothing like Sonic's universe, leading Sega to overcompensate with Not-Green Hill, Not-Chemical Plant... and a highway level that, admittedly, looks cool as hell. But it still feels similar to Speed Highway, Empire City, etc. etc.

It all feels safe. Like they're scared that, if they give us something new, we'll reject it wholesale. And while I appreciate that we are getting something new with the Starfall Islands, it goes so far in the other direction to what's safe and popular that everyone's now calling it Breath of the Hedgehog instead of seeing it as its own, new creation.

Just imagine if we got an open-zone of Sonic's world, with all the various UF locales connected into one massive, living sandbox for Sonic (and friends!) to muck about in. Yes, Empire and Central and (what's left of) Station Square, but also all-new ones. Sonic New Orleans, trapped under a spell cast by bayou cyber-witches paid off by Eggman. Sonic Nevada, the siren call of Casino City clashing with the pollution from Breezie's oil mills lulling the populace into a trance. A Sonic ski resort like in IDW, maybe with the region's boss running out a robotics smuggling ring for the Empire. And Eggmanland, a floating conintent looming closer and closer as it begins to merge with the world itself - one powered by the soul of Dark and Light Gaia Themselves, united in terror with the Doc's Emerald collection.

Wouldn't that be fun as HELL? We could even work in boost stages ala Unleashed via interiors - sprawling, labyrinthine mazes powered by clones of the Phantom Ruby. Yeah it'd be nuts and different, but that's what Sonic's supposed to be. And Ian and the writers could truly go nuts, working in whatever they please in a kid-friendly context. Political corruption because Egg Industries has bought off the Central legislature? Sure! Environmentalist themes? With the machines advancing on all fronts, I'd expecting nothing less. Jokes and humor? It'd be a pastiche of modern America, for God's sake! Even just a quick glance at the news provides the tools needed to build a truly, truly bizarre world to save.

And yeah, I'm not saying that it'd be an instant classic. Knowing how Sega rushes out everything from new games to their own damn collections, it'd probably get a "meh" at best and a "sweet Jesus why the fuck is he randomly clipping through the sky" at worst.

But it'd be new. It'd be wild. It'd be its own, new take while still remembering what Sonic is supposed to be.

Fast. Fun to play. And absolutely friggin' mental.

(Sorry about the rant. Just... just hope that explained where I stand on things. And yeah, in all honesty, I'll probably buy Frontiers! I just really, really wish it was something that it clearly isn't going to be.)

Spoiler

Although I do hope I'm wrong. Sure would be nice if this still managed to be that, wouldn't it?

 

[Shaddy Zaphod]

52 minutes ago, KingMario05 said:

Would Mario be as beloved if every game was just the same eight worlds, over and over?

Judging by every Mario game between Galaxy and Odyssey, yes.

[The Deleter]

What do you mean the pyramid structure is missing

???

?????

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxaNTvmL2-o2jsR0wpWeRCczQvfSRupm67

????????

In fact none of the topography for the ridge along the mountain even matches the topography of the pyramid location, now that I look at it more closely, what the hell

[StaticMania]

46 minutes ago, Shaddy Zaphod said:

Judging by every Mario game between Galaxy and Odyssey, yes.

The best thing about that is...

3D Land & 3D World have the "themes" but only one level in each world actually uses the theme and every other level has entirely unique visuals.

[Shaddy Zaphod]

3 hours ago, StaticMania said:

The best thing about that is...

3D Land & 3D World have the "themes" but only one level in each world actually uses the theme and every other level has entirely unique visuals.

You're right, that's why this is exactly how every other part of Green Hill looks.

4 hours ago, The Deleter said:

What do you mean the pyramid structure is missing

???

?????

????????

In fact none of the topography for the ridge along the mountain even matches the topography of the pyramid location, now that I look at it more closely, what the hell

Not sure what you're getting at here. You're saying the Pyramid structure doesn't appear in any of the places we've seen so far, right? I would have thought that was a given, since we seem to be hearing that most of what's been shown off is among the first hour or so of Island exploration. If they're pushing for this to be a thirty hour game or so, then it'd make sense to assume the islands are pretty big, enough for us to not be able to see where that thing is within the first things they show off.

 

 

[Roger_van_der_weide]

Eh, not a big fan of using Mario as a comparison.

Hey, if we get the gameplay quality of a Mario game, I might accept the Mario Quality of the world designs.

But if not, one of the reasons I prefer Sonic over Mario is BECAUSE Sonic has more elaborate worlds, cities, fantasy landscapes, lore, history, creative themes.
Casino's and San Fransisco and space ships and Japanese Aquarium parks and future cities and all kinds of crazy stuff, while Mario's dorking around in generic Desert level #49858.


...Now if we get Sonic levels with Mario Kart's style of world design, then we're talking.
 

[Diogenes]

3 hours ago, Shaddy Zaphod said:

Not sure what you're getting at here. You're saying the Pyramid structure doesn't appear in any of the places we've seen so far, right?

I think the point is that we should be able to see it in the first shot, judging from its position in the second. Seems like they've either changed its location or it's something you have to reveal.

[light-gaia]

3 hours ago, Roger_van_der_weide said:

Eh, not a big fan of using Mario as a comparison.

Hey, if we get the gameplay quality of a Mario game, I might accept the Mario Quality of the world designs.

But if not, one of the reasons I prefer Sonic over Mario is BECAUSE Sonic has more elaborate worlds, cities, fantasy landscapes, lore, history, creative themes.
Casino's and San Fransisco and space ships and Japanese Aquarium parks and future cities and all kinds of crazy stuff, while Mario's dorking around in generic Desert level #49858.


...Now if we get Sonic levels with Mario Kart's style of world design, then we're talking.
 

100% agree with you

I don't think it makes sense to compare to Mario because level theming was never a strength of the Mario franchise, except for levels like Space Junk Galaxy (Mario Galaxy), that world that looks like a Van Gogh painting in the New Super Mario Bros U, the one inspired by Mario Kart in Super Mario 3D World, etc.

However, Mario is improving a lot in this regard. Mario Odyssey is an example of that.

[The Deleter]

5 hours ago, Shaddy Zaphod said:

Not sure what you're getting at here. You're saying the Pyramid structure doesn't appear in any of the places we've seen so far, right? I would have thought that was a given, since we seem to be hearing that most of what's been shown off is among the first hour or so of Island exploration. If they're pushing for this to be a thirty hour game or so, then it'd make sense to assume the islands are pretty big, enough for us to not be able to see where that thing is within the first things they show off.

What Dio said.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxmvvMf_sqIZ7deH7irydrYwED1Gw9NCev

We've been able to see a triangular spire behind the mountain in all the promotional shots and videos that came after the first teaser. Even if it wasn't this specific pyramid structure, it being visible in every single shot above should mean we can, or at least should be able to see where the spire came from with the new footage. Instead it just... doesn't exist anymore in the gameplay build? 

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxr8QQ1QJjrUGUVlBFCEcRWg_jVOw2iRNw

What's more is that the world structures have all been fairly consistent on not being culled or removed at all in either showcase. Even from the furthest distance we can see the waterlogged ruins to the right of the tower, so not being able to view the pyramid while on top of that tower is baffling.

It should still be there, but if it's been removed, why was this the exception, and removed from the gameplay demo that lets us see so much more of the world objects to begin with?

[Sonicka]

Didn’t they say that structures, rails and general objects would populate and add further density to the open zone island locations the more you complete certain elements of the game? EG. bosses / puzzles / cyberspace.

Bowsers Fury does this constantly as you progress through the game. There could just be a similar thing going here.