Watch on YouTube 35 minutes of Sonic Frontiers, with game mechanics examined and critiqued - and every version tested. The games doesn't even bother with dithering or blending the transitions - objects suddenly appear out of thin air every time. The primary issue is that while the engine does have an LOD system - which is used for certain types of terrain detail - many objects do not have an appropriate LOD or imposter assigned to them so rather than fading from a low detail version of a model to a higher detail version, they simply pop into existence. Running across the terrain, it's difficult to ignore entire structures, platforms and foes popping into view from nothing. Sonic Frontiers exhibits some of the worst pop-in I've personally witnessed in a modern game. The most serious issue with Sonic Frontiers stems from the way it handles object draw-in. There are a lot of good things to say about Frontiers visuals but, at the same time, its flaws are egregious to the point where I should probably discuss them first. The result is far from perfect but, overall, it works. This time, the team was challenged with building much larger environments than any prior Sonic game, while implementing a full time of day cycle complete with an impressive global illumination solution and long-distance shadow rendering. At its core, Sonic Frontiers is powered by Sonic Team's internal Hedgehog Engine 2 - the latest iteration of the technology that debuted in Sonic Unleashed. The experience ranges from sublime to, well, Nintendo Switch, where the compromises made are problematic in many ways.Īs a Sonic fan, I have much to say about the game design - and all of that commentary is in the embedded video below - but for the purposes of this piece, I'm going to focus on the core technology and the best way to play. However, there is a massive asterix attached to that in that it depends very much on where you play the game. The game lets players trade in all their seeds at once to upgrade Attack and Defense, so why can't they do the same with Speed and Rings? Exactly why Sonic Team streamlined the process of upgrading one pair of stats but not the other is anyone's guess.After a lengthy development period, Sonic Team's latest creation has finally arrived and after doubts and fears about the quality of the title based on early trailers, I'm happy to say that Sonic Frontiers is a good game - a really good game. Gamers would rather hand over all their Kocos to receive a lump sum of stat boosts. Most audiences seem to agree: This process is painfully slow. Not only do players have to collect Kocos to upgrade these stats - these little critters are difficult to find as it is - they also can only upgrade these stats one at a time, one point at a time. This system seems like it should feel familiar to anyone who played "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," but it commits the cardinal sin of being slow in a game about speed.Ī number of people who have played "Sonic Frontiers," from seasoned reviewers to dedicated gamers on Reddit, have complained about upgrading Rings and Speed. To improve Speed and Rings, gamers collect Kocos and hand them over to Elder Kocos. To upgrade Strength and Defense, players collect red and blue seeds, respectively, and give them to Hermit Koco NPCs. In "Sonic Frontiers," Sonic has four stats: Strength, Defense, Speed and Rings. Here's hoping the Guardians serve as blueprints for future "Sonic" game bosses. Each field boss is a miniature "Sonic" level or puzzle in its own right, in addition to a bonafide fight, which is a solid new direction for the series. He likened some of the field bosses to the enemies found in "Shadow of the Colossus." While he seemingly didn't intend that comparison as a compliment in this case, it is actually a solid summary of the "Sonic Frontiers" Guardians. While Skill Up's review was highly critical of "Sonic Frontiers," it gave credit where credit was due and praised the Guardian fights. For instance, the Strider and Caterpillar guardians task players with grinding on rings while dodging incoming fire, while the Sumo guardian tests players' skill with ricocheting spin dash shots. These enormous enemies are sprinkled throughout the zones, and critics have praised these enemies for the ways in which they provide unique challenges. While "Sonic Frontiers" has requisite giant bosses that cap off each open zone, the most challenging fights come in the form of field bosses, otherwise known as Guardians.
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