Sonic Frontiers has been the focus of IGN’s regular “IGN First” feature this month, bringing us the world’s first hands-on and gameplay footage of the game. But while the reception to what was shown was… not great, things are looking slightly more positive now that more gaming outlets have been able to get their hands on the game and start publishing more first impressions.
We haven’t had the chance to play it for ourselves just yet, but we’ve rounded up a few of the preview pieces we’ve seen so far for you below to help you get an idea of how Sonic Frontiers is actually shaping up:
GameInformer said the game shows flashes of promise: Despite wondering just how old the build played actually is and whether SEGA can polish it all up in time for a Holiday release this year, GameInformer praised the feeling of movement and the fun and strategy of the larger world bosses.
“Given the game’s fall 2022 launch window, I can’t help but feel slightly concerned about whether or not Sega can polish the experience up in time. If it can, and the rest of Sonic Frontiers smartly capitalizes on the elements I resonated with, Sonic’s biggest adventure yet could be one for the books. For now, color me cautiously optimistic. ”
Eurogamer say that Sonic Frontiers plays better than it looks: The outlet similarly lamented the lack of polish and said the game looks ‘frankly horrendous’ in its current state, but enjoyed the point-of-difference in its open zone gameplay compared to previous, more linear Sonic titles.
“It feels like a much more fully-fledged 3D moveset than the likes of Sonic Adventure’s small open fields, and most importantly it’s fun to fiddle with, chaining moves and trying to traverse the world with as much style as possible. The camera can be a hindrance at times and it’s not quite the dream of 3D Sonic as an extreme sports game but it does invite experimentation, and it’s enough to make me anticipate Sonic Frontiers’ more fleshed out world with some excitement.”
“Mechanically, visually, and narratively, Sonic Frontiers makes a staggeringly awful first impression. The fact that I’ve even mentioned narrative in this preview should clue you in as to what caliber of Sonic game we’re dealing with here. If this first hands-on demo is anything to go by, Sonic Frontiers looks doomed to join the ranks of the franchise’s worst installments.”
TheGamer said the demo was the best 3D Sonic game they’ve played in a decade: The outlet also mentioned that there’s at least one important gameplay element that they weren’t allowed to talk about yet that could sway opinions. Luckily, Twitter has already delivered on that front:
I wanna emphasize this point from the preview, because unfortunately we didn't have footage for it, and thus I didn't focus on it too much in the video, but I think it's the key to understanding why Sonic Frontiers excites me. pic.twitter.com/ECf7jIAEcd
— Mitchell Saltzman (@JurassicRabbit) June 7, 2022
TheSixthAxis wasn’t convinced of Sonic Frontiers gameplay shift: Likewise finding at least one small glimmer of hope in the above gameplay sequences that previews couldn’t include impressions of, TheSixthAxis was less enthused about the rest of their preview hands-on.
“Sonic Frontiers is a massive shift in scope and style for the franchise, and from what we’ve seen and played, it’s not likely to stick the landing. It’s one thing to shift gears into a wildly untraditional open-world experience, but it’s another thing to have it feel so unfinished and half-baked. Very few Sonic fans seem to have been asking for an game like this, and if this demo was any indicator, they won’t be swayed by it anytime soon.”
Sonic Frontiers is set to release later this year for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
