Sonic Frontiers Merch Leaked, DLC and Release Date Potentially Confirmed

How can you tell DLC is confirmed? I'm not well versed in this type of stuff

NEVERMIND IM FUCKIN' BLIND LOL

Nice, gives Sonic Chronicles vibes. In a good way.

2D artwork used as promotional material for a new Sonic Team game? Have I died and gone to heaven?

I hope the DLC is substantive, but I'm keeping my expectations in check on that front.

I hope this means we will see more of Amy, Tails and Knuckles than we originally thought.

Upscaled version of the group shot:

I like that the Koco each appear to be individualized in some ways, hopefully this leaves them open to be more charming NPCs in the open world than just collectables. Wouldn't mind taking occasional side quests from a tinker koco or angry hot-head koco

Also: Seems the emerald vault keys have the emerald on the handle in the first plush, and the silhouette for the rightmost character seems like it would fit the pink haired lady relatively well?

I’ll take it with a grain of salt.

Thank you retailers, you are both our best friend and our worst enemy with spoilers.

I love the art, really reminds me of the cutscene style from Black Knight. Really hoping we get more art with this style to promote the game.

The DLC is interesting. Forces also had launch dlc. Do you think they'll release "prequel" dlc for frontiers like shadow's was for forces?

I keep forgetting about that pink-haired lady.

Also, the group artwork looks good from what we can see. Looks like each character might get their ‘own’ Koko? Or even if it’s just random individual Koko designs, I like them.

Woah, I like that poster. I wanna see that closer.

The art style reminds me a lot of the storybook games, same artist maybe? That other Sonic render we saw a couple months ago was literally the Wild Fire render with one or two tweaks too.

Will Sonic Team troll us all and this is actually a storybook game?

Posted By: Ashton

This is a kuji listing page, it’s a popular raffle type game in Japan, the 3 listing with red text over them are plushies. B is ‘sonic the hedgehog plush’ C is ‘kokomi plush’ and the last prize is ‘plush set’.

Somebody should translate that asap so we know for sure if the DLC is to be excited for or if it's for something like "Menu camera controls" or "remixed music options"

40 minutes ago, John43 said:

Somebody should translate that asap so we know for sure if the DLC is to be excited for or if it's for something like "Menu camera controls" or "remixed music options"

It just talks about a DLC reward for getting three of these items. Pretty sure it's one of those "get ingame rewards!" kind of things.

One of the preorder "DLC" bonuses for Lost World was just a bunch of extra lives. I don't think whatever this is is going to be too paradigm-shifting.

5 hours ago, Jango said:

The art style reminds me a lot of the storybook games, same artist maybe? That other Sonic render we saw a couple months ago was literally the Wild Fire render with one or two tweaks too.

Will Sonic Team troll us all and this is actually a storybook game?

It's the third storybook game in everything but name and they're 100% aware of it. There are too many coincidences adding up.

- Exhibit #1:

That's as blatant as you get but then you add:

- The storybook games are essentially isekai stories that get Sonic transported to an unfamiliar new world. It might not be a storybook this time but the StarFall Islands fit the isekai bit.

- Frontiers has an RPG system that improves speed and combat along with skill tree and the only other 3d Sonic game to have done that is Secret Rings if my memory is correct.

- The Flyer boss is very reminiscent of Secret Ring's Levitated Ruins running after a light path in the air.

- Kishimoto was lead game designer on both storybook games and he's directing this one

- Big is back as cameo and Secret Rings was the last time a major Sonic game had Big cameos. He's even said to have diaries you can buy in his shop (from the Game Informer guy) which is not unlike the Secret Rings's bonus book Big travel diaries.

- The newly leaked art is very similar to the storybook cutscenes art style

- Sonic is accompanied by an AI girl which is very reminiscent of Sonic having a female companion in the storybook games (Shahra and Merlina)

- There seems to be mythological influence to elements of the StarFall Island. The name Kronos Island refers to the Greek Titan of time. The Asura name (for the titan boss) also has mythological origins. This is not unlike the storybook games being based on arabian and arthurian legends.

There's probably more I've missed but there's too much smoke here for it to be a coincidence. I think the render alone shows that they're very aware of the similarities and they're probably intentional to an extent. It's very interesting. Since we'll be revisiting levels, I'm hoping that all those storybook references gets them to remake Night Palace as a CyberSpace level. That'd be nice..  

There's reaching, and then there's reaching.

Sorry if I'm pessimistic, but beyond the boxart(?), it all sounds like coincidences

4 minutes ago, Jake_LeOFFICIAL said:

There's reaching, and then there's reaching.

Sorry if I'm pessimistic, but beyond the boxart(?), it all sounds like coincidences

A single occurence alone is a mere coincidence. But coincidences are starting to add up.

Not really. If you generalize enough, everything is a reference to everything else. Sonic can punch and kick, there are ancient robots, Chaos emeralds are important, therefore this is a Sonic Battle followup. See? It's easy.

1 hour ago, StellarBlur said:

- The storybook games are essentially isekai stories that get Sonic transported to an unfamiliar new world. It might not be a storybook this time but the StarFall Islands fit the isekai bit.

By all indication Rush Adventure is more of an "isekai" than this, since it involves actually going to another world, while the Starfall Islands seem to just be just another set of islands. Most Sonic games take place in new places anyway.

1 hour ago, StellarBlur said:

- Frontiers has an RPG system that improves speed and combat along with skill tree and the only other 3d Sonic game to have done that is Secret Rings if my memory is correct.

Unleashed had a leveling system. Generations had equippable skills, if that's close enough to count.

1 hour ago, StellarBlur said:

- Sonic is accompanied by an AI girl which is very reminiscent of Sonic having a female companion in the storybook games (Shahra and Merlina)

There's no reason to think that Sage is any more like Shahra and Merlina than Chip was. And you can draw a line through all of them back to Tikal, and from Tikal back to OoT's Navi. They're all just tutorial faries, it's not an idea particular to the storybook games.

1 hour ago, StellarBlur said:

- There seems to be mythological influence to elements of the StarFall Island. The name Kronos Island refers to the Greek Titan of time. The Asura name (for the titan boss) also has mythological origins. This is not unlike the storybook games being based on arabian and arthurian legends.

'06 had Iblis and Mephi(stophe)les, Unleashed had the Gaias, Rivals 2 had Ifrit...cribbing names and terminology from mythology is pretentious video games 101.

None of this rises above the level of reasonable coincidence, and the game lacks any of the most recognizable elements of the storybook games, like, being based on a storybook, having alternate versions of existing characters, being on rails, or a heavy focus on motion controls.

Posted By: Sk72o

DLC huh? Im going to guess and say Tails etc will be DLC and u get to see their story in their POV.

Not gonna lie, I'd love to know who the artists were for Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic and the Black Knight, and Sonic Frontiers and get my hands on some of that art to study. There's just something about it.

But do help me out here because I feel like I have been stuck in a medical book library for too long... DLC to get even before the game is released? Isn't that just a pre-order bonus? and for those that didn't pre-order, it just shifts it to a DLC pack? Sure I understand pre-order bonuses and I distinctly remember DMC5 coming with this upfront 5 million blood rubies purchase option as a DLC so you started your first game fresh with a cash injection, but that felt like dumbing down the game.

Don't get me wrong I love stuff promotional, especially art and if there are fun goodies one could buy for the truly dedicated fans I'm all for it. But for some reason already getting teased/ spoiled with DLC announcements before game release feels like a cop out to try and net more cash instead of letting it be part of the game you bought up front.

11 minutes ago, Duelistic Nature said:

 

 DLC to get even before the game is released? Isn't that just a pre-order bonus? and for those that didn't pre-order, it just shifts it to a DLC pack? 

It could be either or. We won't know for sure until some more information drops. 

Preordering Forces got you the episode Shadow, which kinda pulls double duty. Alongside the Sega/atlus cosmetics pack. At the same time, pre ordering Lost World netted extra item goodies to be used in game. But there were also some new Nights inspired boss rush content thrown in as well. 

It could be as simple as a free stockpile of rings or some extra levels. It also doesn't stop them from releasing more DLC post launch. It at least greases the skids for that, so it's a good sign. Lost world picked up Zelda and Yoshi DLC and Forces got Super Sonic and some cosmetics post launch. 

It just depends on how much the want to support the game after it hits shelves. 

On 8/19/2022 at 12:08 AM, Diogenes said:

By all indication Rush Adventure is more of an "isekai" than this, since it involves actually going to another world, while the Starfall Islands seem to just be just another set of islands. Most Sonic games take place in new places anyway.

Unleashed had a leveling system. Generations had equippable skills, if that's close enough to count.

There's no reason to think that Sage is any more like Shahra and Merlina than Chip was. And you can draw a line through all of them back to Tikal, and from Tikal back to OoT's Navi. They're all just tutorial faries, it's not an idea particular to the storybook games.

'06 had Iblis and Mephi(stophe)les, Unleashed had the Gaias, Rivals 2 had Ifrit...cribbing names and terminology from mythology is pretentious video games 101.

None of this rises above the level of reasonable coincidence, and the game lacks any of the most recognizable elements of the storybook games, like, being based on a storybook, having alternate versions of existing characters, being on rails, or a heavy focus on motion controls.

Rush Adventure being developed around the same time as Secret Rings and having the isekai theme along with a more expanded Pirate theme (which is a staple of Arabian Nights) isn't a coincidence. Especially considering how much Sonic Team like using that kind of mythology as reference during that period like for Sonic Riders, 06, Rush Adventure and obviously Secret Rings.

Yes but those systems weren't as essential in those games.

I disagree about third point. The leaks made her appear to be Sonic's sole companion for most of the game which is something Chip or Tikal don't have since other characters are always involved.

It's true that previous games have also cribbed from mythology but say Gaia, Iblis and Mephles are the extent those games really pull from mythology. Frontiers seems to have far more references to mythology.

As I said in my post, coincidences alone don't mean much but several coincidences add up to smoke and when there's smoke, there's potentially fire. Anyhow, I don't want to argue this further so we can agree to disagree.

3 minutes ago, StellarBlur said:

Rush Adventure being developed around the same time as Secret Rings and having the isekai theme along with a more expanded Pirate theme (which is a staple of Arabian Nights) isn't a coincidence. Especially considering how much Sonic Team like using that kind of mythology as reference during that period like for Sonic Riders, 06, Rush Adventure and obviously Secret Rings.

Ok. Therefore: ???

3 minutes ago, StellarBlur said:

Yes but those systems weren't as essential in those games.

This is moving goalposts, but even then, leveling up the werehog was pretty damn essential unless you wanted to trudge through already overly-long levels with the strength of a paper fan and the survivability of tissue paper.

3 minutes ago, StellarBlur said:

I disagree about third point. The leaks made her appear to be Sonic's sole companion for most of the game which is something Chip or Tikal don't have since other characters are always involved.

We already know there's more characters in Frontiers than Sonic and Sage. We don't know exactly what they'll be doing in the game, but I doubt they'll be doing meaningfully less than in Unleashed, where Tails was little more than your chauffer and Amy appeared in like 3 cutscenes and never really did anything, compared to Chip being a constant companion and a focal point of the story both due to being Light Gaia and how he bonds with Sonic.

3 minutes ago, StellarBlur said:

It's true that previous games have also cribbed from mythology but say Gaia, Iblis and Mephles are the extent those games really pull from mythology. Frontiers seems to have far more references to mythology.

Based on what, dude? You gave two examples. And we know the boss names aren't consistently mythological considering there's ones like Ninja and Tower.