| Sonic Frontiers | |
|---|---|
  The official logo for Sonic Frontiers. | |
| Developer(s) | Sonic Team |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Engine | Hedgehog Engine 2 |
| Release date | November 8, 2022 |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch |
| Media | Nintendo Switch Cartridge |
Sonic Frontiers (ソニック フロンティア Sonikku Furontia?) is an upcoming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series that is set to be released in 2022 in celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary. The game is being developed by Sonic Team, and will be published by Sega for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Sonic Frontiers follows Sonic the Hedgehog as he journeys across the Starfall Islands to stop an ancient technology unleashed by Dr. Eggman.
The game will mark the first open-zone-inspired gaming experience in the Sonic series, where players will be able to explore lush and expansive landscapes using Sonic's signature speed and abilities. The storyline itself has been written by long-time head writer for several of the Sonic series' spin-offs, Ian Flynn.
Plot[]
In Sonic Frontiers, Dr. Eggman arrives on an isolated island, where he discovers a mysterious artifact. Uploading his AI into the device, Eggman is certain that the Ancient secrets will be his. However, Eggman's intrusion awakens some high-tech program on the island, prompting it to activate its protection protocol and absorb Eggman into it.
In the meantime, Sonic, Tails and Amy have embarked on a journey in the Tornado to the Starfall Islands where an ancient civilization once existed and untold tragedies have transpired to investigate the disappearance of the Chaos Emeralds. However, things take a turn for the dramatic immediately; as they approach the islands, sudden trouble hits their plane, and they are all sucked into a wormhole. Sonic soon after finds himself separated from his friends, eventually awakening in a strange, digital world – Cyber Space. This realm has taken the form of Green Hill Zone. Miraculously, he manages to escape Cyber Space and the bewildered hedgehog soon wakes up all alone on Kronos Island, one of the Starfall Islands, which is full of ancient ruins where strange enemies roam. There, Sonic encounters an AI calling out to him through a flying drone, who calls him out for achieving the "impossible" by escaping Cyber Space. This AI proceeds to give Sonic some cryptic direction about how to save his friends collect the Chaos Emeralds, and destroy something called the "Titans". Deciding that this guidance is better than nothing, Sonic sets out on a journey to discover all the mysteries of the Starfall Islands, rescue his friends, and discover how it all ties together, which leads to Sonic becoming locked in a race against time to defeat Dr. Eggman.
Throughout his journey, Sonic's "never say die" attitude will be put to the test as his indomitable spirit carries him along on his journey and allows him to help his friends who are tackling their own personal challenges. Along the way, Sonic will also encounter someone whose very identity will be shaped by their interactions with him. He also meets a mysterious girl named Sage, who cautions Sonic to leave the Starfall Islands despite his mission to find and save his friends.
Gamplay[]
Sonic Frontiers is a video game that utilizes 3D platforming and action-adventure themes. The game features an open-world level design (or "open-zone" as Sega describes it), which is a first for the Sonic series. The player takes control of Sonic the Hedgehog and must use his signature speed and abilities to explore the lush and expansive biomes of the Starfall Islands.
Characters[]
Playable characters[]
- Sonic the Hedgehog
Non-Playable characters[]
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Amy Rose
- Big the Cat
- Sage
- Koco
- Dr. Eggman
Development[]
At the 2019 SXSW Sonic panel in March, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka confirmed that the studio has “begun production” on the next major Sonic the Hedgehog game, but that it would be a while before they were ready to reveal it. Later that month, Sega began a fan survey to determine the "next steps" for the Sonic series. For the development of Sonic Frontiers, Morio Kishimoto, who served as director for Sonic Colors, Sonic Lost World, and Sonic Forces, returned to the series to direct Sonic Frontiers. Serving as producer would be Sachiko Kawamura. Lastly, Ian Flynn, a contributing writer of various Sonic media, wrote the script.
In an interview with Game Informer in 2021, Takashi Iizuka said that after the release of Sonic Forces, Sonic Team in Japan was trying many different approaches with the goal of creating a next-gen Sonic experience. In addition to celebrating the series' thirtieth anniversary, the team had been thinking about what modern Sonic gameplay should be like. Since Sonic Team would not deny high-speed action elements of games like Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces, they opted to make a game for both current fans and new gamers to enjoy. Iizuka also stated that the game will probably solidify the direction for the Sonic series to be taken for the next decade. In an interview with The Sonic Stadium, Iizuka was asked if the game can be considered an anniversary title, but stated he would not call it one due to its release being planned for 2022. He made a comparison to the way Sonic Adventure influenced subsequent 3D games for the past twenty years, hoping that the game would have a similar effect.
The symbols associated with the announcement of the game were designed to not have a meaning that can be understood by common reasoning.
The title trademark of the game was filed by Sega on 22 October 2021, then published on 9 November 2021, a month before the official title reveal. Later, during December 2021, Sega registered the domain name frontiers.sonicthehedgehog.com.
Promotional[]
The game's teaser was briefly foreshadowed in the trailer "Unstoppable", celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary. The teaser was revealed the next day during the Sonic Central livestream video presentation on 27 May 2021 that showcased news regarding the series' 30th Anniversary celebration. Among these announcements were also the teaser trailer for this game. According to Takashi Iizuka, the announcement for the game was premature, but was released nonetheless out of worry for the fans, who had not been given a proper announcement of a new mainline Sonic title since Sonic Forces.
Sonic Frontiers would later be formally revealed at The Game Awards 2021 with a trailer, which showcased a portion of a cinimatic cutscene, and several small clips of gameplay footage. This was also where the game's title was officially confirmed as Sonic Frontiers'.
Gallery[]
Box Arts[]
Logos[]
Renders 3D[]
Screenshots[]
Level World[]
- Starfall Islands
- Green Hill Zone
- Cyber Space
Videos[]
Cutscenes[]
Longplay[]
Trailer[]
Voice Clips[]
Voice Lines[]
Voice Cast[]
- Roger Craig Smith as Sonic the Hedgehog
- Colleen Villard as Miles "Tails" Prower
- Dave Mitchell as Knuckles the Echidna
- Cindy Robinson as Amy Rose
- Kyle Hebert as Big the Cat
- Ryan Bartley as Sage
- Mike Pollock as Dr. Eggman
External links[]
- Official website (English)
- Official website (Japanese)