[Score: Light 7/10].
Movement & Physics
I love this game. The movement and platforming is so much fun. NOW, this game is SO MUCH MORE FUN when using Tracker’s Physics (even though it breaks some Cyberspace stages). The default movement is pretty fun (apart from Cyberspace, the movement works but is pretty bad compared to previous games, as it’s really stiff and feels unnatural) but the default movement restricting momentum as much as it does is such a missed opportunity to engage with more free-flowing crazy movement and shortcuts. I actually wouldn’t even recommend this game on console, as without mods I would say this game doesn’t reach its fullest potential. You’re able to install custom stages, different physics, different animations, different character models (ESPECIALLY HYPER SONIC OH MY GOODNESS) on PC, and these bring the game to an entirely different level. I love the gameplay system though. I definitely can’t wait for Sonic Frontiers 2, because SEGA now has a BUDGET and more than 300 people behind them as opposed to 50-60 people.
Negatives
Strong negatives include the poor art direction, as the game looks like a Unity asset flip a lot of the time. Additionally the pop-in in the game is pretty distracting and on some rare occasions actually affected my gameplay by stopping me in my tracks. The story I also could not give a horse’s ass about. It has some charismatic moments here and there, but overall it fell really flat.
Side Content & Other Characters
Oh, Big The Cat’s Minigame! In reality it’s just a quick-time event game that I literally never failed in this 45 hour playthrough (including Final Horizon and speedrunning some stages repeatedly), but the fun does come from how calming the music is, and the really cool stuff you can fish out. Amy, Knuckles and Tails are also pretty fun to play with, although Sonic is definitely the most fun due to the world feeling the most designed around his playset, and his moveset being the most responsive. In Frontiers 2, I would love to see these characters expanded upon, however my gut tells me I want SEGA to just focus on Sonic’s moveset.
Final Verdict
I still very much love this game. Despite the jank and the very clear low budget, the game has very strong and creative gameplay that made for a satisfying gameplay experience.
Playthrough Details: 45 Hours, 100% Completion
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