They say that a work of art tends to be a reflection of the thoughts and feelings of the artist who made it. If that’s the case, then Sonic Team has been a studio seemingly crushed with anxiety for the last five years, because Sonic Frontiers is a game uncharacteristically drenched in melancholy, introspection and sadness.
From the wistful empty fields and abandoned temples of Kronos Island, to the hauntingly isolationist undertones of the soundtrack and even the narratives driving Sonic and his friends (no spoilers here, don’t worry), there’s something strangely unsettling about the vibe of Sonic Frontiers.
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With Sonic Frontiers’ release inching ever closer, SEGA has yet another sampling of the OST, this time highlighting Ares Island, and an interview with the man behind this and many other modern Sonic soundtracks.
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After much anticipation, today marks the release of Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence, a Knuckles-focused animated short announced during the most recent Sonic Central presentation.
The short focuses on Knuckles in an introspective moment as he contemplates his own isolation. With surprising directness, the story ties itself to the events of Sonic Adventure, as well as the precursor civilizations that exist on the fringes of Sonic lore. For Sonic continuity buffs, the short certainly suggest that the tendrils of the Starfall Islands have a very wide, very old reach.
As with Sonic Frontiers proper, the short was written by Ian Flynn with consulting from Evan Stanley, with the animation itself handled once again by Tyson Hesse and Powerhouse Animation Studio. Dave Mitchell returns as Knuckles, though with significantly more nuanced dialog than in his prior performance in Team Sonic Racing. And to round out the veritable who’s who of official Sonic projects, Tee Lopes composed the short’s original music.
Divergence gives a much heartier taste of Sonic Frontiers’ story than Prologue: Convergence and plays into the tone that Frontiers on the whole has established. This isn’t pure goofball Knucklehead, but the short strikes a balance of not being overly serious either. It builds itself upon the existing Sonic world, both classic and modern, while seeding Frontiers’ own mysteries.
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The second part of the official Sonic Frontiers prologue has dropped, leaving fans with the perfect cliffhanger to excite them ahead of the release of the latest Sonic video game on November 8.
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Closing out their pre-release coverage of Frontiers, IGN returns this morning with one additional preview of the game’s PC version, including details on general game progression, the “Memory Tokens” to collect, Cyber Space level motifs, and some fresh footage of the game’s third island.
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The director of the upcoming Sonic Frontiers has announced on Twitter that the game has officially gone gold, with development now completed across all platforms.
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The age-old tradition of Sonic the Hedgehog game promotional cars has come back with a vengeance this year, as SEGA Japan revealed this customised Audi R8 Coupe V10 – and it’s going to go on sale later this year for some $300k USD.
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Sonic Frontiers will be getting a special vinyl soundtrack release in December, with pre-orders going live this weekend. Titled Sonic Frontiers: The Music of Starfall Islands, the soundtrack will come in both 2LP and 4LP limited edition box sets.
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Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka has revealed that he would be open to third-party collaborations with other developers to create spinoff titles to bridge the gap between mainline Sonic game releases.
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It only got announced last week, but already the first part of the official Sonic Frontiers prologue comic, Convergence, has been published. You can read it right here to get a sense of the journey that Sonic, Tails, Amy and Eggman take that leads to their situation at the start of the Sonic Frontiers video game.
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SEGA has just announced a brand new digital comic that will be released to promote the upcoming release of Sonic Frontiers. Titled ‘Sonic Frontiers: Convergence’, the two-part comic series will begin this coming Tuesday, with the official Sonic channel revealing the ‘book’s cover art today.
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Sonic Channel has revealed that Wavemaster will be releasing a Sonic Frontiers original soundtrack, titled “Stillness & Motion.” The massive 6-disc set will include 150 songs from the game and a 40-page insert book with commentary. The physical CD was only announced for Japan; however, the digital album will be available internationally on major music services. Both will release December 8 (or December 7 according to the official Japanese Sonic Twitter account).
The blog post notes that the game’s main theme “I’m Here,” composed by series mainstay Tomoya Ohtani and written/performed by Merry Kirk-Holmes (To Octavia), will be included on the album, though the game’s other theme “Vandalize” by ONE OK ROCK was not explicitly mentioned (if it does not make it to the album, it’s otherwise available on the band’s new album “Luxury Disease”). The post estimates the price to launch at 8,000 yen (a little over $55 USD at time of writing).
From what we’ve heard so far, Frontiers’ melancholy tone is backed by subdued and atmospheric overworld music, while cyberspace stages such as Green Hill, Chemical Plant, and Sky Sanctuary invoke a style similar to that of Sonic Forces, complete with vocal elements. Sonic Frontiers is scheduled to release November 8, when we can finally stop relying on off-screen demo audio and enjoy the game’s music properly.
Thanks to Dodger24848 and MyEcho for the news tip!
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As encouragement to get people to sign up for the Sonic Frontiers newsletter, SEGA is offering an unusual treat: Sonic’s grinding shoes from Sonic Adventure 2.
By subscribing to the game’s newsletter by January 31, 2023, you’ll receive an e-mail after the game’s release to redeem for the in-game shoes. Like Forces and Colors: Ultimate, Sonic Frontiers is expected to offer cosmetics for your character, including some as part of the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition, and Japan exclusive promo cosmetics in collaboration with vTuber Inugami Korone.
While fans online have been ecstatic over this announcement, I feel like it was a real missed opportunity to include the OVA outfit, the Mii kigurumi outfits from the Olympic games, or, perhaps the best Sonic cosmetic SEGA has ever released…
Thanks to Dodger24848 for the news tip!
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While long-prior tradition once dictated that thou shalt fight the biggest boss at the end of the game as Super Sonic, Sonic Frontiers is once again shaking things up. As we reported last week, the latest TGS trailer teased Titan battles, pitting Sonic against towering bosses. In an interview with IGN Japan, director Morio Kishimoto confirms that these fights do require transforming into Super Sonic.
“Up until now, in Sonic games, Super Sonic would only appear against the last boss. Imagine if the first boss in Sonic Frontiers is as strong as those bosses,”
The TGS trailer shows Sonic scaling the massive enemy in order to take the Chaos Emerald housed on its head, using all seven to transform, and then flying towards the enemy. While no combat is shown, IGN notes that the Super Sonic fights have their own moveset separate from the standard traversal and combat mechanics.
The franchise has taken different approaches to Super Sonic from Sonic Colors onward, some games requiring the seven emeralds to fight a final boss as Super Saiyan Sonic, others using that form as a reward for completing extra challenges, and even Sonic Forces offering him as free DLC. It’s interesting to see Frontiers’ take as adding further variety to the game’s combat encounters, bucking yet further modern Sonic trends.
Thanks to SSF1991 for the tip!
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Sonic Frontiers represents the biggest shake-up of the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise for over twenty years. So naturally, there has been a lot of apprehension from fans about the project since its announcement – especially as Sonic Team has built up a reputation of switching focus with each of its mainline titles since 2001.
Everybody is desperate to finally get a series of Sonic titles that establish (and maintain) a consistent visual, gameplay and narrative design. Will Sonic Frontiers be the start of a brand new branch/generation of Sonic games? Sonic Team has gone on record to say that is their intention. After playing a brief demo of the game at Gamescom last month, I’m cautiously optimistic enough to agree. With some reservations.
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Sonic Frontiers’ director, Morio Kishimoto, has revealed in a Tokyo Game Show interview a secret goal of Sonic Team’s when developing the game – to restore the studio’s reputation and place it at the top of the gaming development world.
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This strange alter-ego of Sonic the Hedgehog is still pretty much an enigma since his appearance in Sonic and the Secret Rings, but this week Darkspine Sonic will be available as an unlockable playable character for a limited time in SEGA HARDlight’s Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.
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We knew he was going to appear at some point in the game, but SEGA has gone ahead and revealed Super Sonic in this latest Sonic Frontiers trailer. The video was released this morning to coincide with the Tokyo Game Show event in Japan, and features some cool new footage. Check it out below.
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With SAGE in full swing, it’s nice to be able to play an original work from a developer of several Sonic fan games who has gone on to succeed with their own creation. Felipe Daneluz is well known in the Sonic community for his fan game “Sonic Before The Sequel” among others. But his gaming career really took off with 2017’s “Spark the Electric Jester”.
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In the September 13th, 2022 Nintendo Direct, Sonic Frontiers (seemingly the Switch version) made an 8-second appearance… but only in the Japanese version for some reason. I’ve taken the liberty of cropping and uploading the clip by itself onto YouTube for your easy viewing pleasure above.
Also, it was never shared here, but Nintendo actually uploaded some screenshots of the Switch version on their various eShop pages earlier (such as on the NA page). I’ve placed them below:
We also have a comparison between the Switch version (on the left) and the higher-end version (on the right):
How are you finding the Switch version to be turning out so far? Let us know if the comments below.
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SEGA has launched an album on Spotify (and no doubt, other music streaming services) for Sonic Frontiers. At present, only two tracks are available to listen to – a short version of theme track ‘I’m Here’, and a five-minute long track featuring the theme of Starfall Islands. Give it a listen below.
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Since Sonic Frontiers’ first public demo at Gamescom, fans on the show floor have been able to share and capture a lot more than anyone could have expected. Despite SEGA’s time-limited preview, one cunning player managed to reveal a gameplay feature tied to Big the Cat’s appearance in the game.
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Even though he’s way more popular in the West, Sonic the Hedgehog games continue to see exclusive special editions in SEGA’s home country, Japan. Sonic Frontiers will be no different, with a limited release of the upcoming game coming complete with an art book and a Koco charm toy.
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If you’re reading this, chances are you know that Sonic has a long, storied history in fan games. So much so, that the Sonic community has managed to keep an online event devoted to them – the Sonic Amateur Game Expo, or “SAGE” – going for more than two decades. That event, which is currently ongoing as of this review’s publication, has played host to some absolute bangers over the decades.
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Just a day after SEGA revealed the ending theme to Sonic Frontiers (performed by the popular J-Rock band One Ok Rock), we now have news of the upcoming game’s main theme too.
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Music has famously always been a high point for Sonic, with even the worst games often having solid soundtracks. As more of Sonic Frontiers has been revealed, SEGA has been stingy with the music, often even removing it from game play videos, leaving fans with only the odd taste from a trailer or clip. That is, until today.
SEGA has finally revealed a full track from the game, ”Vandalize” by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock. While SEGA only posted a one-minute tease on the Sonic twitter, One Ok Rock has posted both the Japanese and English versions of the song on Youtube.
Some have already noted that the Japanese version of the song drops an f-bomb. This appears to have been replaced with ”freaking” in the English version. So no, this doesn’t mean Sonic Frontiers is going to get a T or M rating or anything.
Check out both versions of the song below:
The band also did an interview, which as translated into English by SEGA Asia. Nothing newsworthy is said, but you can still check it out below:
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Sonic Frontiers is unlike any journey Sonic's been on before. Check out what you can expect when you embark to the Starfall Islands! pic.twitter.com/HuyTqOL5y9
Included in this video are a multitude of facts such as:
Sonic is separated from his friends Amy and Tails in Cyberspace, and must find them by solving the mystery of Starfall Islands
The first Starfall Island is called Kronos
Game can be played “in order that matches your gameplay style”
Portal gears, which allow access to Cyber Space levels, are collected by defeating bosses
Vault keys achieved through completion of Cyber Space level challenges allow the player to collect the Chaos emeralds
The attack which creates a trail around enemies is named the “Cyloop”
With a little over two months until the release of Sonic Frontiers, we are likely to see more tidbits about the game emerge. Stay tuned for more information as it comes!
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Sonic Frontiers looks to be the most ambitious entry in the game series yet – and not just in the gameplay department. While Sonic’s latest adventure does aim to reinvent the tried-and-tested format with its free-roaming ‘open zone’ concept, SEGA is also keen to use the game as a stepping stone to connect the multiple entertainment universes of Sonic the Hedgehog together in a unified way. And it all starts with Sonic Frontiers’ story, itself a collaboration between Sonic Team and IDW Sonic comic writer Ian Flynn.
We were given an opportunity to sit down with Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team, for a brief five minutes, to discuss the implications of Flynn’s involvement with the game and what it could mean for other Sonic universes. We also asked about those darn cute Koco as well, don’t worry.
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An image taken from this year’s Gamescom event in Germany appears to confirm that Big the Cat will feature in Sonic Frontiers.
A tweet from @Bibouboul today shows two show-goers watching an in-game scene with the massive mouser alongside Sonic, who appears to have a fishing rod in hand.
While there is no official confirmation as to Big’s role in the game, it does tease elements of the fishing game that is purported to be returning to the series.
Stay tuned for more on Frontiers as it comes!
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A whole bunch of info came out about Sonic Frontiers today, and it’s not just what we got in the trailer. A pre-order bonus, an ”Adventurer’s Treasure Box,” will be available for anyone who pre-orders. Check out the image below:
In addition to this, the game’s Steam page has also confirmed that it will be using the infamous Denuvo anti-piracy software.
Finally, it appears anyone who signs up for the Sonic Frontiers newsletter will receive codes for free in-game content. You can sign up here.
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While not quite headlining the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, Sonic was promised and delivered. The game is set to release on November 8 to all major platforms, and while we’ll put together a full breakdown of details, features, and speculation later, you can catch the trailer now:
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Well, we’ve got another Sonic Frontiers leak, this time via what appears to be a flier for merch. It’s hard to tell, since everything is either in Chinese or Japanese and translation tools aren’t much help.
Bare minimum, the image below gives us a new, low res look at some character art from the game. Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and the kocos are all featured, and there appear to be two silhouettes with question marks, which may be pointing towards to other yet-to-be-revealed characters for the game. These appear to be prizes for something.
The merch has a release date of November 15, which could point towards a release date of the game itself. Sonic games usually hit around this time of year, so it wouldn’t be especially surprising. The flier also makes mention of DLC, which could confirm that Sonic Frontiers will have some.
Check out the flier below:
The flier came from a Taiwanese website. You can find it here.
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After announcing a world premiere new look of the game at Opening Night Live next week, you would expect Sonic Frontiers to make some kind of formal appearance on the show floor at Gamescom 2022. Well, luckily for anyone who’s attending, those expectations were right. SEGA has sent a press release confirming a playable demo as well as a meet and greet with Takashi Iizuka.
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SEGA has formally ruled out delaying the launch of Sonic Frontiers, and reiterated its “high expectations” for the upcoming adventure game to perform well when it launches this Winter.
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Mediatonic’s ever popular (and now free-to-play) bumbling bean platforming-royale now has new Sonic cosmetics and level challenges. Previously, the game offered limited time events for the Knuckles and Sonic costumes. Both suits have returned to the game’s store, alongside costumes for Tails, Dr. Robotnik, and Super Sonic, and a “You’re Too Slow” toe tapping emote.
The surprisingly brief event will run until August 15th, so if you’re after these cosmetics and levels, you’ll need to sprint! It is not clear at this point if the costumes, emote, or levels will remain available and in rotation after the August 15 event deadline.
(Thanks to ZeBladeGunner for the video link)
The official trailer shows off the the new costumes as well as the emote and Green Hill styled level challenges, where players are collecting rings while passing through gates and bouncing on springs.
Promotional (free) missions will let the player collect gems to unlock smaller Sonic rewards, such as a name plate, a checkerboard and ring player skin, and Sonic’s iconic shoes.
In paid content, each new character costume is 800 Show-Bucks for each individually or 1,200 for two-character packs, including a Sonic/Knuckles pack and a Tails/Eggman pack. The “You’re Too Slow” emote is 400 Show-Bucks.
(Note: The prices for the “Dynamic Duo” pack appears lower than the expected price in the screenshot due to us having the Knuckles costume unlocked during a previous event.)
As a reminder, Show-Bucks can be purchased (the most cost-efficient all-Sonic-content purchase being $19.99 + 7.99 USD for 3800 Show-Bucks total at time of writing) or earned through the paid Season Pass (which costs 950 Show-Bucks, but offers up to 1,500 Show-Bucks across the entire season).
If you don’t already follow our YouTube or Twitch channels, be on the lookout for upcoming streams of the new content before it dashes off into the sunset!
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