Sonic Frontiers' open zone design lets you feel the speed

Sonic Frontiers is the eagerly awaited latest game in the massively popular franchise. For those that have been following its development, any new piece of information or gameplay trailer is welcomed with opened arms. Recently, Shacknews’ own Greg Burke had the opportunity to get some extended hands-on time with Sonic Frontiers ahead of its release. Take a look at our Sonic Frontiers preview below to hear Greg’s thoughts!

During his time with Sonic Frontiers, Greg was able to explore three different islands and even meet a brand new character. One thing that’s worth noting is that the game does not rely on players having a deep understanding of the lore and stories from the past. This allows returning players an opportunity to engage with the story without being completely lost in the narrative.

In terms of the gameplay in Sonic Frontiers, there is a lot on offer. Players will be able to explore these huge islands, engaging in puzzles, time trials and enemy encounters. Each activity will be directly helping Sonic grow his power through three attributes, Speed, Attack, and Defense. There’s also a Skill Tree that will expand the blue blur’s talents.

Combat has also been taken up a notch in Sonic Frontiers. Sonic can still home in on enemies, but he’s now able to perform attacks and combos, building a charge that will unleash a flurry of attacks. Greg notes that not only does the combat feel rewarding, it feels powerful.

There also appears to be some nods to the older Sonic titles. Players will be able to collect rifts that open towers, granting access to mini stages. Players can race through side-scrolling levels as well as stages that feel like they’re inspired by Sonic Adventures.

It seems as though Sonic Frontiers is shaping up to be a worthy entry in the franchise. Be sure to check out the Shacknews YouTube channel for a wealth of exclusive Sonic gameplay as well as the GamerHubTV channel for developer interviews. Sonic Frontiers is scheduled to release on November 8, 2022, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler