The recently revealed Sonic Frontiers looks quite similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but the similarities are more than skin deep. Both are open-world titles that look to give new dimension to their respective series. At the same time, there is still more to each game than meets the eye.
The first look at Sonic Frontiers shows a world that looks quite similar to Breath of the Wild‘s. It is lush, green, and seems to have a wide stretch of wilderness before any sign of civilization. Of course, the landscape is also dotted with Sonic mainstays such as rings, loops, and rails. While the trailer did not show much aside from some basic gameplay, it’s clear that Sonic Frontiers new open-world gameplay is a significant shift from previous titles.
Sonic Frontiers and BOTW share similar goals in addition to playstyles. Both games are showing up at a point where the developers want to put a new twist on their respective series. However, while Zelda has always been quite respected, the Sonic series has faced regular criticism over in recent years. However, the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies has given the franchise some positive momentum. The hope is that Frontiers will be able to continue this good fortune for a series that has seen its fair share of struggles, such as Sonic Colors‘ numerous bugs in its recent rerelease.
Like BOTW, Sonic Frontiers Is A New Direction For The Franchise
Open-world games are a trend that has seen a fair amount of success, with such titles as Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas gracing the genre. When Breath of the Wild was released, its open-world gameplay was a strong selling point. Exploration had always been a big part of Zelda games, and the open world let them expand on that element to great effect. However, Sonic‘s strengths have always laid in high-speed gameplay and platforming. While the trailer offered some look at Frontiers‘ gameplay, it remains to be seen how traditional Sonic gameplay will be adapted into an open world environment. The rather empty world in Sonic Frontiers‘ gameplay trailer did not reveal much more than the basics, so its full potential is yet to be seen. The gameplay trailer can be viewed below:
It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Sonic series has featured a major shift. The series has been experimenting for a long time, with both positive and negative results. Even the most recent entry in the series, Sonic Forces, featured experimental gameplay involving combat-focused sections featuring a player-made avatar. Other such innovations include the RPG spinoff Sonic Chronicles and the Werehog transformations in Sonic Unleashed. However, past attempts to change up the Sonic games have not always been received warmly, to the point that most of the more successful Sonic games have been platformers faithful to the series’ roots. However, Sonic Frontiers may be able to break that trend if its open world experiment proves to be a significant enhancement to gameplay. Knowing that even Sonic‘s iconic rings were a last-minute addition, there is reason to hope for new ideas to help the series flourish.
Breath of the Wild was able to become a massive success for the Zelda franchise, and Sonic Frontiers could be a chance for Sonic to earn similar acclaim. In addition to being open-world titles, both show a willingness to branch out and add something new to the series. When Sonic Frontiers releases later in 2022, it will be seen if the innovation pays off.
