In a recent interview, the head of Sonic Team has described what he considers the essence of Sonic the Heddgehog games, and has said at what lengths that the developers have gone through to keep it intact in Sonic Frontiers. It seems as though even as the blue blur has gone numerous reiterations over the last 30 years, there has always been a core image as to what the Sonic the Hedgehog series has been about in the eyes of its creators.
According to Takashi Iizuka, the leader of Sonic Team, the "essence" of Sonic isn't just the blue hedgehog's trademark speed. Instead, it's about using the fast-paced gameplay to accomplish feats that could only be pulled off with that incredible pacing combined with the players' skills. The developer has said "running in a straight line won't cut it" when it comes to making sure fans experience the feelings that have made the Sonic series so iconic.
Iizuka, during an interview with Eurogamer, has said that it's "very clear" to him that "just going fast doesn't make Sonic fun." This is a rather interesting phrase to hear from the head of Sonic Team after Sonic Forces was criticized openly by fans for the amount of automation found within it. Many players simply put their controllers down to emphasize how the game could easily play itself at times. This phrase may very well mark Sonic Team learning from previous mistakes.
One other interesting part of Eurogamer's interview with the developer is that Iizuka calls Sonic Frontiers the "third" new iteration of Sonic gameplay. This almost excludes the "boost" gameplay of Sonic Unleashed that marks the halfway point between Sonic Adventure and Frontiers. However, Unleashed has been criticized in recent years for the very gameplay style it introduced. It's known for starting the "boost to win" trend in the franchise, a prime example of how just running isn't enough for some fans.
As curious as these statements from the leader of Sonic Team are, this may lead to some fans who have desired for the series to drift away from automation and lean more into skill to look forward to the game more. In the end, Iizuka's words suggest that Frontiers aims to do a number of things differently compared to the series' last few entries.
However, the first few gameplay trailers Sonic Frontiers released didn't get a great reception from fans at first. Despite Takashi Iizuka's comments, players noticed automation on rails that felt rather out of place in the scenic Starfall Islands. However, after more information about the gameplay loop with a public demo at Gamescom, players seem to feel a bit more confident in the next Sonic title. For those who are curious as to how this new "open-zone" take on the series holds up, the game will be in players' hands in two months.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Eurogamer