Little by little, Sonic Team has started to reveal howSonic Frontiersplans to innovate on theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise. When the game got its first proper reveal, Sonic Team’s main point of discussion was its open-zone design, which will seemingly allow players partial freedom to run around an open environment without granting complete access to a single, seamless overworld. Now, Sonic Team has started dropping hints about other crucial departments of the game’s design. In a recent interview, creative officer Takashi Iizuka provided some minor hints on the combat and exploration mechanics thatSonicfans can expect out ofSonic Frontiers.
According to Iizuka,Sonic Frontierswill feature dexterous new fighting stylesfor Sonic, and exploration will naturally make good use of Sonic’s speed. While Iizuka declined to go into detail aboutSonic Frontiers' combat, hinting at Sonic’s dexterity as a core feature might actually shed some valuable light. It sounds likeSonic Frontierswill lean into Sonic’s super speed in new ways, focusing on new forms of mobility for Sonic that will allow players to run circles around enemies and strike with precision in new ways. Combat details may be unclear, but the principle of focusing on Sonic’s agility is solid.
RELATED:Sonic Frontiers' Focus on Next-Gen Consoles Spells Bad News for Switch Users
Innovating on Sonic Combat
A lot ofSonic the Hedgehoggames share fairly similar combat, focusing on Sonic Spin Dashing into enemies and ricocheting between targets. That core concept has worked for decades, but its frequent repetition also shows that it’s hard to innovate onSoniccombat. Unlikely many other famous platformers, Sonic doesn’t have many iconic weapons or power-ups that he interacts with on a regular basisaside from the Chaos Emeralds. Games likeSonic UnleashedandSonic and the Black Knighthave tried adding new elements to Sonic’s fighting style, but so far, nothing his stuck. The only truly consistent element is Sonic’s speed.
Sonic Team naturally wantsSonic Frontiers' combat to feel fresh, so it’s unsurprising to hear that it’s trying new things in that department. However, from the sounds of things, Sonic Team is trying to find new ways to use Sonic’s signature ability, rather than focusing on wholly new forms of attack exclusive toSonic Frontiers.Focusing on speed in this way could be great for the future of the franchise. So manySonicgames have tried to improve combat by changing Sonic’s skillset, butSonic Frontiersmay do the opposite, leaning into super speed in search of uncharted territory. Creative new attacks based on dexterity and speed could actuallycarry over into futureSonicgameswhile makingSonic Frontiersstand out fromSonic the Hedgehog’s past.
RELATED:Sonic Frontiers' Rumored Title Could Reveal More Potential Content
Reinforcing Sonic’s Core Concept
Dexterous combat will also be invaluable in differentiatingSonic Frontiersfrom its competitors. Because it’s also shifting towards open world design,Sonic Frontiersis naturallydrawing comparisons toBreath of the Wild,butSonic Frontiers' combat may be drastically different from its competitor inThe Legend of Zelda.Link may wield a broader arsenal of weapons now, but he can’t keep up with Sonic’s uncanny nimbleness and speed. Combat that forgoes new weapons in favor of new dodging techniques, precision strikes, movement skills, and abilities that impact Sonic’s environment, all while moving at the speed of sound, will makeSonic Frontiersmuch harder to compare to other games.
By focusing on a protagonist who races toward the end of every level,Sonic the Hedgehogplatformershave always offered a unique experience. Even as the franchise has moved toward action-adventure and 3D design, that speed has allowed Sonic Team to create games with fun, satisfying movement. From the sound of things, in spite of how Sonic’s nimbleness has been used in previous games,Sonic Frontierswill push to find new ways to integrate that speed into combat. That push would really helpSonic Frontiersbecome a step forward for the franchise.
Sonic Frontiersreleases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: SSonic Frontiers' Open Zones Shouldn’t Be its Only New Feature
