

The islands deliver terrific playgrounds through which Sonic grinds, boosts, and bounces hitting a dash panel that sends you up a rail, off a spring, and into a line of rings never ceases to satisfy. Sonic controls remarkably well as he runs through the lush fields, sandy straights, and other biomes I encountered during my 30-hour playthrough. Running through the open zones is often a joyful experience. Though each side of the coin has faults, Frontiers is an overall positive experience that serves as a boost in the right direction for the franchise.

The open Starfall Islands offer engaging exploration, while linear Cyber Space stages deliver the familiar speed-based Sonic experience. In Sonic Frontiers, Sega finds the intersection of the series’ linear past and its “open-zone” future, paying capable service to both eras of the franchise.
