Sega’s fast-moving mascot returns to Green Hill Zone repeatedly in an ambitious open-world shake-up that doesn’t quite come off
The Blue Blur has always been on shaky ground when it comes to 3D space – unlike Mario, who not only aced it on the first go but caused a revolution in the process. So this time, rather than sticking its hero back on rails, Sonic Team has gone for a bold and liberating open-world overhaul.
The familiar Sonic designs are still here, however: springs and boosters speed you up, while grind-rails direct you along set paths. Linear traversal hasn’t gone away, but you have more options… although the annoying camera and physics issues of past games are still here. The frustration is only eased by the ditching of limited lives, and the fact that you respawn with rings intact.
Throwing in skill trees, a levelling system and collectibles makes Frontiers feel like a checklist of things a modern game is supposed to have. But it does bring some innovation: instead of bopping enemies in one hit, Sonic actually faces some mean machines that call for new abilities. The first skill you unlock, Cyloop, lets you draw shapes with a light trail left behind as you run. It’s handy for exposing a heavily guarded enemy’s weak spot, for activating certain puzzles, and even for digging out rings from the ground. A lot of the new skills add panache to the combat loop, an
