A new trailer for the upcoming Sonic Frontiers focuses on the game’s combat, upgrades, and a new skill tree. The new open-world Sonic title will release later in November after first being announced in 2021, and sees the Blue Blur transported to a new and unfamiliar land.
SEGA has revealed a steady stream of trailers and gameplay for Sonic’s next adventure, but there have been leaks. Sonic Frontiers‘ combat and cyberspace were revealed in leaked footage at EGX London, with some attendees secretly recording the game’s intro cutscenes and gameplay showing Super Sonic battling one of the massive bosses. The leaked footage and images also contained unseen Cyberspace-based levels. SEGA was quick to remove the leaked footage, but not before fans were able to get a better idea of several of the game’s mechanics.
The latest trailer for Sonic Frontiers has revealed more details about the game’s combat, upgrades, and skill tree. By collecting and using skill pieces, Sonic will be able to unlock new skills from the skill tree, consequently using these new abilities to defeat progressively more difficult Sonic Frontiers bosses that may require Super Sonic to defeat. The trailer showcases how Sonic can collect these skill pieces from defeated enemies and breakable items throughout Starfall Islands. Furthermore, gameplay from the trailer shows Sonic collecting what are referred to as Red Seeds of Power and Blue Seeds of Defense. These seeds boost Sonic’s stats. Before players level up and learn new skills, they will start the game with a set of moves including a Homing attack, Drop Dash, and Stomp. As players face enemies, they can complete combos to gain an advantage in a fight. Hitting enemies repeatedly fills the combo meter, which when maxed out, will activate Phantom Rush – a skill that will temporarily increase Sonic’s attack power. The trailer also mentions a new long-range move called Sonic Boom, a dodging-like move called Wild Rush, and a barrier-breaking move called Cyloop.
Sonic Frontiers Levels Up Sonic’s Moves & Combat
The first Sonic Frontiers gameplay trailer drew criticism from certain corners online for its environment and combat. The newest trailer challenges that, especially the critiques regarding Sonic’s movements and the game’s combat. This trailer shows fans not only Sonic’s basic set moves (which includes bringing back the fan-favorite Drop Dash), but also a new game mechanic: the skill tree. Unlocking new moves in the skill tree will allow players to approach combat in varied and creative ways.
Although it remains to be seen whether Sonic Frontiers will be a return to form for the mainline Sonic games, this latest trailer appears to show that it will innovate in some key areas. Changes to combat are particularly important, with past 3D entries in the series coming in for criticism due to repetitive gameplay. At the very least it looks like Sonic Frontiers‘ open-world adventure will be a departure compared to the recent entries, which could bode well for its prospects at launch.
