Sonic Frontiers

 Switch
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 446 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 364 out of 446
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 446
  3. Negative: 56 out of 446
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  1. Elite_Institute
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    "Sonic Frontiers is a mostly successful experiment that aims to create a Good Future for Sonic. It certainly has more than its fair share of issues, but it gets the foundation right. Whilst its issues may rub up non-fans the wrong way, it’s still enjoyable enough to please both enthusiasts and newcomers alike."

    https://theeliteinstitute.net/2022/11/21/sonic-frontiers/
  2. Die-g03
    Dec 4, 2022
    7
    The story and character interactions are great. The titan boss fights are energetic and epic. The other bosses are fun and creative as well. Combat is mediocre and the enemies are not very interesting. The cyber space levels do not adapt to Sonic’s movement in this game. Easily the worst part of the game. The overworld is fun to go fast but all of the scripted segments to get theThe story and character interactions are great. The titan boss fights are energetic and epic. The other bosses are fun and creative as well. Combat is mediocre and the enemies are not very interesting. The cyber space levels do not adapt to Sonic’s movement in this game. Easily the worst part of the game. The overworld is fun to go fast but all of the scripted segments to get the character’s memories get in the way of it. Big’s fishing mini game is fun.… Expand
  3. BagelCheese
    Nov 13, 2022
    7
    Really enjoyed Sonic Frontiers! The open-zones were fun to run around, with platform obstacle courses and mini puzzles scattered about. The cyberspace levels each had a good mix of challenges, and the background music was a delight to listen to – perfect for the speedy pace.

    But, the game felt like it wasn't completely polished. The open-zones left me wanting more – more things to    Really enjoyed Sonic Frontiers! The open-zones were fun to run around, with platform obstacle courses and mini puzzles scattered about. The cyberspace levels each had a good mix of challenges, and the background music was a delight to listen to – perfect for the speedy pace.

    But, the game felt like it wasn't completely polished. The open-zones left me wanting more – more things to discover, hidden places to explore, and just generally a more interesting environment to look at.

    There's also noticeable pop-in while running around the open-zone, especially on the Switch – which is an issue because you can't see what is in the nearby distance (such as platforms and enemies) until you move closer. It was frustrating and I'm not going to lie and say it didn't bug me.

    The game on Switch visually doesn't look as great as it could, and that is a console capability issue (only 720p). If you have a PC I'd recommend to get Sonic Frontiers on Steam instead. Seriously, it looks like a completely different game in terms of visuals, and the pop-in is also less intrusive.

    Overall, happy with my purchase – I clocked about 40 hours of gameplay. :)    … Expand
  4. Jakedematteo
    Nov 14, 2022
    5
    Can be fun sometimes. The cyberspace stages can be fun but the controls aren’t good. Unfortunately, the world design is TERRIBLE. Empty, bare, open, nothing of note. The grind rails and springs littered about take me out of the experience. It isnt terrible, it’s worse. It’s boring.
  5. NoirNoir
    Nov 14, 2022
    5
    Found this to be a very mediocre game but still had fun. The boss battles were awesome and the soundtrack really added to the speed and mayhem, but that's all that I can say I really enjoyed. The combat was very simple and shallow, the world(s) felt empty with random obstacles and puzzles. The story was quite average but nothing horrible, but hey if you're a sonic fan I'm sure you'llFound this to be a very mediocre game but still had fun. The boss battles were awesome and the soundtrack really added to the speed and mayhem, but that's all that I can say I really enjoyed. The combat was very simple and shallow, the world(s) felt empty with random obstacles and puzzles. The story was quite average but nothing horrible, but hey if you're a sonic fan I'm sure you'll enjoy this better than I did.… Expand
  6. Awkylold
    Nov 9, 2022
    5
    It's definitely not GREAT, but the most problematic stuff is just "technical jank", the gameplay itself is incredibly solid, albeit a little unpolished.
  7. DianeTheGamer
    Nov 10, 2022
    7
    Not bad, a step in the right direction. Not Great but not bad. Better than Forces and Colors.
  8. Hinzoto
    Nov 9, 2022
    7
    A mediocre game with interesting purposes, but it fails during execution. A lot of flaws of collisions, terrible physics and soulless environment. Cyber levels are short, very linear and repeating the assets of Sonic Generations and Forces. The positive point goes to the Original Soundtrack (maybe the major point). If you like generic Open World game and avoiding this is a Sonic game, youA mediocre game with interesting purposes, but it fails during execution. A lot of flaws of collisions, terrible physics and soulless environment. Cyber levels are short, very linear and repeating the assets of Sonic Generations and Forces. The positive point goes to the Original Soundtrack (maybe the major point). If you like generic Open World game and avoiding this is a Sonic game, you can love this, but if you're a root fan and understand the essence, avoid this, it's another test of laboratory using the franchise. Try to avoid portable mode, it's poor with optimisation and looks like a Wii game. Docked is decent.… Expand
  9. Agusto101
    Nov 17, 2022
    7
    Siendo objetivos y sinceros este juego es un 7 digan lo que digan fue un buen intento pero se nota lo incompleto que esta se agradece el mundo abierto es un respiro de aire fresco pero hay un sin fin de fallos en los demás apartados poco más que decir.
  10. Starfree
    Jan 5, 2023
    6
    This is the most fun I’ve had with a bad game in a while. This is a bad game. The world is empty, areas 3 and 4 just suck. Area 5 is just the other half of area 1. The combat does itself. The bosses are really fun experiences but they are almost impossible to loose at and parrying sucks. The references to past games just remind me those games are better. There are still classic sonicThis is the most fun I’ve had with a bad game in a while. This is a bad game. The world is empty, areas 3 and 4 just suck. Area 5 is just the other half of area 1. The combat does itself. The bosses are really fun experiences but they are almost impossible to loose at and parrying sucks. The references to past games just remind me those games are better. There are still classic sonic moments where a grind rail or boost panel pushes you into spikes or a pit before a reasonable person can react. The economy is absolutely broken, both rings, exp points, and fish tokens. And the story is just ok. But damn is running around fun. I recommend buying this when it’s on sale just to mess around with.… Expand
  11. Creepierleaf
    Nov 18, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sonic Frontiers disappointed me unfortunately. I ignored the initial reviews and bought the game because it looked fun. And it sort of is but falls into the trap of feeling repetitive and not engaging.

    I am on the second island (out of five, I think) and the gameplay loop has consisted of collecting 'memory fragments', keys from cyberspace levels (classic 3D sonic levels), and chaos emeralds (crystals?). My biggest problem is the collection of memory fragments, which advance the story. To do this, you complete the micro-stages that are scattered throughout the open world. However, they are often incredibly short and could consist of just traversing one grind rail. So I felt no sense of accomplishment (especially when you have to do this 40+ times on the first and second world) (edit: I'm up to 210 on the second world). Quite a lot of quick time events too (press Y to hit jump pads before falling, move the left stick quickly so you don't fall off a boss).

    Sonic's new combat ability actually lets you (almost) skip the memory shard grind. His cyloop (runnning around in a circle) ability generates coins and memory tokens. This meant that I could run around in circles next to the character I needed to talk to and not have to traverse the world. I know that I'm not supposed to do this but why give me the option? It appears that you can skip a large portion of the game by just spinning around for a couple of minutes. I realised that the game wasn't for me when I started doing that rather than traversing the open world.

    The world itself is rather uninspired too. Whilst the desolate landscape of Breath of the Wild made sense, why is it so desolate in Frontiers? And why are there grind rails everywhere? I'm honestly not sure. Something to do with cyberspace bleeding into the 'real' world? (I have skipped most cutscenes so it may be explained there.) The tone too is really weird, running around as a blue hedgehog whilst melancholic music plays.

    Cyberspace levels are where I had the most fun. But, on Switch, the post processing effects added to make them 'cyberspacey' made it hard for me to see what was happening when paired with the Switch version's lower resolution. In handheld mode, everything looks very blurry. Performance has been ok by my standards so far, though (no obvious slowdown but some people may be more sensitive than me).

    Overall, I wish the game were more tailored and focused more on stages rather than bite sized chunks in the open world. It feels like I have to do a lot of busy work in order to 'get to the fun bit'. I wish it were more whimsical and fantastical like Super Mario Odyssey. It's a weird mish mash of things that look fun, are kinda fun to play, but don't combine well to create something great.    … Expand
  12. Nyespro
    May 5, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Tras jugar pacientemente al Sonic Frontiers por casi un mes, puedo decir que este juego es el mejor enfoque que Sonic Team le ha dado a la compañía en muchos años, y también una gran salida para futuros lanzamientos del erizo azul.

    Sonic Frontiers deja un poco de lado los escenarios de plataformas, en donde sólo tenías que avanzar, para permitirle al jugador moverse libremente por 5 zonas abiertas donde deberá de luchar, recolectar, y cumplir misiones, para poder derrotar a los jefes de cada zona y avanzar progresivamente en la historia del juego. A parte también implementa una mecánica de mejora en donde, según vas obteniendo materiales y puntos de experiencia, te permiten hacerte más fuerte y desbloquear nuevas habilidades para el combate. Y por fin le dan una razón al jugador para conseguir todos los coleccionables y recorrer los escenarios en el menor tiempo posible.

    Aun así, el juego sigue sufriendo de algunas imperfecciones que necesitaban pulirse. La historia, por ejemplo, aunque tiene un tópico muy interesante, le sigue faltando mucha narrativa y profundidad, hasta el punto en que te deja insatisfecho cuando terminas el juego. Y las mecánicas de combate necesitan perfeccionarse más, ya que, por muy interesantes y divertidas que son las algunas batallas contra los guardianes, llegan a un punto en donde te cansan y te das cuenta de que no necesitas enfrentarte a ellos para conseguir engranajes de portal o puntos de experiencia.

    Hubiera estado interesante el implementar un mundo más interactivo más haya de los circuitos de obstáculos y la interacción con los demás personajes, como implementar NPCs con historias y misiones secundarias, y algún tipo de comercio que te permitiera comprar objetos con los que poder interactuar mejor con el mundo. A parte de que no hubiera estado mal el crear una temática y universo propios que no fueran casi una copia del mundo del Zelda Breath of the Wild.

    Por todo lo demás, me ha encantado. Espero ver en el futuro más juegos como este que le permiten al jugador controlar libremente a Sonic sin verse delimitados por una pista de una sola dirección.    … Expand
  13. trucidate
    Nov 22, 2022
    6
    Sonic frontiers is a shot in the right direction.

    The open world plus Sonic alone should be a win, but some ideas could have been better flushed out in this game. The plataforms logic, sonic moves and combat gameplay need more time and investiment - but the idea is already there, waiting to be refined. The game also could go beyond a level design based on Breath of the Wild and go    Sonic frontiers is a shot in the right direction.

    The open world plus Sonic alone should be a win, but some ideas could have been better flushed out in this game. The plataforms logic, sonic moves and combat gameplay need more time and investiment - but the idea is already there, waiting to be refined.

    The game also could go beyond a level design based on Breath of the Wild and go even more glitch style, or even take references via the famous internets' backrooms and how to apply to a gameplay. There are various other approachs to this that could fit the narrative of the game.

    The Switch version also is, sadly, the inferior due to the downgrade in textures and sometimes, but it does not affect gameplay so much.    … Expand
  14. Jwillas1992
    Jan 18, 2023
    7
    Sonic Frontiers: 7.2/10
    Spoiler-free review:
    Good: - Music is great, varied - Graphics are solid, animation well done - Control is tight, has solid learning curve Middle: - "Cyberspace" levels are fun, but not diverse enough - Story is good enough for a platformer - "Open-Zone" idea is good, but more specific challenges, objects desirable - Boss fights are fun, but too easy Bad:    Sonic Frontiers: 7.2/10
    Spoiler-free review:
    Good:
    - Music is great, varied
    - Graphics are solid, animation well done
    - Control is tight, has solid learning curve
    Middle:
    - "Cyberspace" levels are fun, but not diverse enough
    - Story is good enough for a platformer
    - "Open-Zone" idea is good, but more specific challenges, objects desirable
    - Boss fights are fun, but too easy
    Bad:
    - Too much repetition
    - Not challenging enough
    - Too short for admission price
    Sonic Frontiers, a game many have been awaiting. Upon exploring the "Open-Zone", one is greeted with Breath of the Wild vibes. The piano keys fluttering about a lush display show the intention of the team. Rushing in the fields is exhilarating; one of the best things the game has to offer. At each point you'll find objects, items, and challenges. It feels "open," despite walls, and edges that inhibit you. The best way to describe these areas is the given "Open-Zone". Each serves as a hub for many acts (or "Cyberspace" levels) necessary for advancement.
    Yet, although there are many puzzles and areas to explore, none of the challenges last long enough to be memorable. Any Sonic fan of recent entries will be disappointed in lack of provocation. Challenges are easy, and going along one will find not much difficulty curve. It can be entirely completed in 20-25 hours or so, which is unacceptable for the game's price. For how much effort poured into this title, it would be nice if it had more backbone.
    In other areas Frontiers excels, providing nice tunes and pretty graphics. Music has great variation; one may be tranquilized by the orchestrations of the field, or hit it hard with the rockers that exemplify the Boss fights. It's not ugly to look at. Models are on point, and whether playing a pre-rendered movie, or in-game graphics, everything is well-animated. Voice acting is adequate, providing a comic style not dissimilar from a Saturday morning cartoon.
    However, unlike a good cartoon, many scenes are boring. What makes them so is abundance. Mercifully, all can be skipped if desired. To be frank, one won't have more or less an experience doing so. The story is typically convoluted as Sonic is expected to be. Sonic is greeted by this mysterious android girl that shows herself to prophesize his doom, and in the same breath talk about how fascinatingly impressive he is. Meanwhile, friends (Amy, Tails, Knuckles) are trapped in a strange digital dimension, and he is dutifully bound to saving them and figuring out why they are there in the first place. Ensuing events involve quips, boring conversations, and references to other games that will be senseless unless one has played all of them.
    Those that have played Sonic titles recently will be happy to discover, in terms of control, it feels much like a Sonic title. The ring dash, allowing you to instantly fly through a line of rings, returns. Typical moves one would expect are here. Sonic can homing attack, stomp, dash, or fly about in a flurry of blue light. There are a number of special moves unlocked as you progress. Most feel integral to combat and offer more from the regular bounce, homing attack, stomp. Button choices can feel awkward at first, but come together in action. Sonic controls wonderfully. A caveat is being forced into a side-scrolling screen lock when undesirable, and occasional camera issues that plague most 3D platformers. It sometimes gets stuck behind objects and proves annoying. The issue is minor though.
    It's unfortunate the challenge doesn't match the capability of the controls. In many instances levels don't feel difficult, and completing them leaves an empty feeling. Each worth about 20 minutes or less of play if completing every challenge. All uninspired recreations of few stages from past games. Would be nice to see recreations of different levels or original levels and if they were longer.
    These are the most disappointing aspects of the game: the longevity and lack of challenge. Vast as the world is and as much as there is to do, rewards are the same, and each idea repeated. You can wander the map easily obtaining needed items and objects, or you can just play a fishing game for them. There are many things that have too many ways to be obtained. Specificity is desirable, and perhaps more challenging. Objects are completely placed at random, diminishing reward.
    Speaking of lack of reward, finding each Zones' Chaos Emeralds will unlock the area's Boss. They can be easily defeated with some slight maneuvers and button mashing. It's a good thing the music is there to back up these big Boss encounters; it may be easy to forget them otherwise. At least they all look impressive. Some of the game's "Guardians" (miniboss fights) are honestly more memorable but grow boring also.
    Sonic Frontiers is exemplary of what the series is capable of, and what it has become. The effort of the production shines through but just not bright enough to make up for some of the game's faults.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Mar 30, 2023
    70
    Sonic Frontiers is a brave experiment that struggles to express its intentions while still committing many of its series' 3D sins. But if you're able to commit to learning its idiosyncrasies, you'll discover a fun, addictive journey unlike any in Sonic's past. [Issue #64 – March/April 2023, p. 71]
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Jan 20, 2023
    85
    Sonic Frontiers tried so hard to bring new elements to the game that it ended up forgetting to put more of the personality of its own franchise. However, they managed to create a dynamic, captivating and fast game - as good as any other in the Sonic franchise. It's the kind of game where time passes like lightning, blue lightning.
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  3. Nintendojo
    Jan 19, 2023
    50
    Sonic Frontiers deserves credit for being a true departure from previous series installments. The open-zone structure is a great concept that frees the developers up to experiment with Sonic’s speed and abilities in new ways. Where the game comes up short is in its stale rehashing of classic stages, a control setup that could stand to be simplified, and performance woes that suck players out of the gameplay experience. With plenty of DLC and patches on the way, hopefully Frontiers can become a better version of what came out at launch. In the interim, it’s a buggy affair that entertains and frustrates in equal measures.
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