That's fair. S3&K and Sonic Colors (Wii version at least) were pretty darn polished, tho. Yet to play Mania, but I've heard basically nothing but praise for that one as well. Still, the truly excellent ones are waaaaay too few and far between.
@@nyahnyahson523 oh wow I thought it would be the opposite since so many game journalists were saying those parts were the best that they couldnt talk about before the game came out bc the promo team kept it hidden in all video footage. .
Worth noting that the voice actor is the same as he's been for ages - it's the DIRECTION that is different. They told RCS to voice Sonic differently to match the tone of the game; don't blame the unusual voice acting on the actor in this case.
To be fair, he (EDIT: Arlo, not RCS) said that he hasn't played Sonic since SA2, which was 2 voice actors ago. Plus, he didn't have to endure the dialogue of the Meta era.
Though it's to be said alot of ppl didnt like Roger before either. The closest Roger ever got to being a good sonic is in boom and In the wreck it Ralph movies. And imma be honest Roger while not baaaaad is my least fave of the sonic va's for the games. Idk why something still dosent fully fit. I sort of like this take for frontiers a bit more but even still something is still missing
@@Gloomdrake yeah, they desperately need some stability to be able to refine mechanics. Part of the problem imo is they throw out mechanics too quickly and each game is too different, they can’t learn how to make the mechanics fun if they don’t build on and iterate them.
@@maninblack3410 Hopefully SEGA stops being a piece of sh*t and gives Sonic Team the time to make it the best they can. They have showed that they want to do so much more but SEGA holds them back.
You had me in the first couple minutes, Arlo, not gonna lie...Your remarks about it needing polish, but ultimately being a fun, good game seems to be the consensus overall, and I can't WAIT to get my mitts on Frontiers and see for myself. I do hope this is a new beginning for Sonic games in terms of style, because it certainly seems to be one they can build on in future games.
I was expecting an okay Sonic game at most. To hear the game be described as things like very good and very fun makes me very happy. Congratulations, Sega. You've captured some of what made Sonic Sonic again. Not all of it mind you, but some. And that's way more than what I can say for your past failures, well done.
@@jaretco6423 7/10 for me is still worth playing at least. People consider a game like Dragon's Dogma a 7/10 but that's one of my favorite games ever. The fact that they're finally experimenting means that Forces was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and that they're going to go for new things instead of the same boost to win formula for like a decade now. Also helps that this game has some of (if not, THE best. Undefeatable is so good) the best music in Sonic games in the longest while.
@@jaretco6423 Pretty much. Numbered scores are just a joke because there honestly isn't that much of a difference between a 7 and an 8, or a 9 and a 10 because no matter how good a game is there's bound to be some flaw to it. Like many people (including me) considered GOW 2018 a 9, but camera and rpg elements were a low for me and plenty others. Hell even 6/10 games are still worth playing when you get them on a discount because they'll have some good ideas that may be just executed poorly.
I find it almost hilarious how most people's critisms with this game is that it needed another year for polish, when Sonic Team actually had to fight tooth and nail against Sega just for Frontiers to actually HAVE another year of development and polish. Imagine if didn't get that extra year. This would've been the next Sonic 06 lol. Though of course more polish would've been nice, I'm SO glad that we at least have a working, fun Sonic game for once
Why does Sega insist on standing in their own way? I swear, ever since Sammy bought them out, their greed has been out of control. And going third party didn't help them any either. This is why when people say "NINTENDO SHOULD GO THIRD PARTY TOO. IT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYTHING" I laugh. As if it's an instant panecea for any of a company's woes. No, what Sega needed more than abandoning consoles was new leadership. As is, it's run like your typical western corporation. Get your games out fast as possible, regardless of how poorly polished and glitchy the game ends up being. It's all a short term profit model and it has been one of the WORST things that has happened to this industry. Unchecked greed.
As for the critics, on the other hand, looks like they haven’t learned to be nicer to Sonic even after all these years, but who knows? Because tomorrow, from a graphical, musical, story-wise and gameplay-wise perspective (which means an entire video game), this game is gonna turn out to be one of the strongest Sonic games alongside Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis), the Sonic Adventure games for the Dreamcast, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Mania and Sonic Advance 3, yet only the critics like to bash on it like it’s only decent at best while focusing more on the bad qualities to justify themselves (mainly GamesRadar+ with its 2/5 star rating and, of course, IGN, but with the strongest exception of ShackNews by giving it a 9/10). I dunno, maybe from a high-anticipation standpoint, while I wasn’t wrong about the critics (re: IGN who gave Sonic Free Riders and Sonic 4: Episode 1 and Sonic Colours Wii (I don’t hate this game. It’s fun, but also flawed) of all games a higher rating), that’s what I’m coming from to think Sonic Frontiers might just be the new best Sonic game.
@@kieranstark7213 I mean you have to be honest this isn’t really an impressive game. It’s a return to form for sonic because most of his recent games have sucked, but compared to some of the absolutely masterpieces that have come out recently (elden ring and this week god of war) the game leaves a lot to be desired still. It definitely needs another year or two in the oven to deserve anything better than a 7.5. Like it’ll be a great game for most sonic fans but it’s still nothing incredible.
@@jimmybob5541 ok but can you truly say there's anything out there like sonic frontiers? its a very unique game, to say its not really impressive isnt exactly fair.
i was really curious to see how this game would shake out given the trailers. gameplay looked a lot better in this review. I'm surprised you can run around infinitely for exp and rings you'd think some playtesters would catch that lol
Pretty sure that was done on purpose because for years Sonic team has been making it a goal to appeal to casual players, trying to cash in on that sonic movie crowd yknow?
That arc of feeling frustrated and confused and then suddenly gaining an edge at some of the quirks of the controls... I remember having that exact same trajectory playing Tales of Symphonia and that's one of my favorite games. I'm certain I'll have a blast with Frontiers.
This review is exactly my thoughts with the game. Loads of technical issues but it’s still just so fun. I really hope they learn from their mistakes here
@Nunya Bizness Huh? Sonic Team isn't an indie dev team that gets to keep working on this game and updating it with free DLC. The closest thing to new content we'll get after launch is a paid DLC. There's no way Sonic Team is going to be allowed to work on this game for longer than they have to. Hell, I bet SEGA already has them working on the next Sonic game.
@@Miriam_J_ theyve already said they'll be supporting it till the next mainline game drops with stuff plus there was a leaked dlc pass a while ago so we're getting more content and support
Love the way you reviewed this, my biggest concern with this game was the gameplay loop, but hearing you say that you got really hooked and addicted on it gave me a huge sigh of relief. Thank gosh
To give you some context Arlo, Sonic in terms of story isn't like Mario. Sonic actually kind of changes and grows up as a character from the classics all the way to Black Knight in 2009. He becomes a lot more mature, easy going and, and to a point, stoic. Sega began catering to the crtitics of Sonic in 2010 and began giving the games surface level stories and focused more on (in a lot of fans opinions) poorly written comedy, which kind of ruined a lot of the characters progression. Recently, Sega has decided they want to go back to the old method of story-telling and in a way, this is more of a continuation of Sonic's growth from the late 2000s. Thats why I find the deeper, more mature voice to be fitting in this game.
@@JonathanH Thats why I always get sad when people say they find the more serious stories weird or jarring for a cartoon hedgehog. Its like they want to erase all of Sonic's growth over the 30 years he's been around.
This is a really bias interpretation of the sonic character arc, and I'm actually a fan of the sonic adventure era. Sonic didn't "mature" from his earliest interpretation the stories surrounding him just changed genre.
I’ve always felt he’s more of a catalyst for other characters’ progression, but I 100% prefer this over the snobby wisecracking guy we’ve had in the past couple games.
This was the only review I've seen where the reviewer opens by saying he generally didn't enjoy the game, yet this is the review that tipped me over the edge and made me preorder the game. When Arlo said that they finally struck the right balance of level design and speed without making Sonic crash, that was it for me. For years, they always showed Sonic in pre-rendered cutscenes of him zipping through valleys and planes, and they finally made a game where you can play in that space. Personally, I'm hyped.
I guess Sega were sick of Kazuma Kiryu being the defacto mascot. I would prefer if he was the mascot, but it's nice to see them trying to get Sonic his throne back.
Kazuma Kiryu has never killed anyone meme flashbacks like seriously I know it’s a joke in the fan base but kiryu has clearly killed or seriously injured some of these guys ❤😂
@@WSendam How a mistranslation goes wrong lol. The original Japanese was apparently about how he never _murdered_ anyone, so people who are attacking him on the street or from helicopters are fair game if he ends up killing them in self defense.
Best he doesnt be the defacto mascot, might just end up like sonic woth how sega mismanaged the poor dude with really strict time constraints that led to the '06 games because they wanted to pump out as many games of their company mascot as they can, heck izuka(head of sonic team) almost worked himself to death making one of the games
DONT GIVE US HEART ATTACKS LIKE THAT. Seriously you had me for a second. In regards to the VA for sonic, it is a point of contention within the fandom btw, since some prefer the other 3 from before.
It’s very funny that you say Chris Redfield specifically. Wether it was intentional or not on your end, they do have the same VA. As for my thoughts on his performance here, I need more time to think on it. This is a very different direction he went in this game compared to the rest of his career. He’s a lot deeper for starters, and he’s also not nearly as cheesy as before.
I like it, the tone is a bit more mature for Sonic and probably fits the game more than a higher pitch Sonic but again I can't make that assumption since we don't have that type of Sonic in this game
I just got done watching Gamexplains review for Frontiers and their experience was literally the opposite of Arlo’s . Started off strong for them and slowly got worse. The duality of man and all that lol. Looking forward to seeing how this game feels for myself.
GameXplain has fallen off for me. Their opinions have gotten worse and worse over time and I've basically just wrote them off. They literally hate God of War Ragnarok too when apparently everyone else is loving it. Don't give them the time of day. Go to Good Vibes Gaming instead where the actual good people from the OG GameXplain run the show :)
@@yamakingz2 No but the review reeks of a "I hated it so everyone else needs to hate it" vibe that they of all people should know not to do. Weather I enjoy the game or not they really should've thought about how to word things better in that review.
As someone who hasn’t played the game yet, (btw thank you for not spoiling. I’m very grateful.) This review helps paint the picture of the game so clearly. I’m looking forward to playing it. (Side Tangent. Sonic’s sound like a 40 year Chris Redfield for over 10 years. I myself have never been a fan of it.) Also the lack of polish whether it’s big or small always been apart of Sonic Games. Even the Good Ones. I heard Sonic Team had to convince Sega to give them an extra year of development time.
so it's slow to start but gets very good after that bump. great to know! im confident this games gonna be awesome. the games vibe feels like what the intro animation to sonic cd was, but in gameplay form. it took us a long time, but we're finally at the point where we can zip around in an open-ish world.
Legitimately my primary reason for giving any sort of shit about the Sonic franchise. Blows my mind why they've abandoned it as a feature or part of their latest games.
@@griswold3006 especially when they know fans want it and keep asking about it..😅 the potential they can do with chao garden with technology today, like it could honestly be its own sub game.. 😂
@Griswold It's because the only reason the Chao Garden existed was so the games could utilize every feature of the Dreamcast. A v-pet mechanic was a way for them to show off the VMU. When Sega went third-party there was no reason for them to showcase other consoles' hardware.
Having just heard the Gxplain review, the beginning here had a pit forming in my stomach, but what a 180. Arlo's critiques of even the rough bits just feels more positive of "a rough start, but potential to be improved" vs. the absolute piling on for half the review from Joey. I'm getting the game regardless, so I'll see soon.
It’s been a long time I’ve been actually excited, like child, in a that awesome, cool, energetic “YES” way, to play a video game. Don’t get me wrong. There have been LOTS of “can’t wait” games. But not like this. I’m 30 btw. Sonic is just…I don’t know…he means something else for some of us. I wish some people in business side of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” IP, could understand this connection.
When you said at the beginning that you weren't having a great time, I won't lie, my heart sank. But the general consensus seems to be that this game is actually pretty damned good. I'm excited to play it tomorrow 😁
absolutely loved this review!! u articulate your feelings very well and made sure to cover questions all of us are wanting to ask. excited to play this game with the right level of expectations thanks to u :)
This felt like a very unbiased review, which is greatly appreciated, and it kinda confirmed my suspicions of the game despite not playing it yet: A great foundation that’s really cool, but brought down by a distinct lack of polish which is somehow still a Sonic-centric issue, even AFTER 06 and Boom. I can tell the team truly had a vision and genuine passion for this game, which wasn’t really true for 11 years Post-Generations. If nothing else, I’m happy that Sonic is finally allowed to be ambitious again. Speedrunning for this game is gonna be nuts tho, the stuff I’ve seen on twitter is… HOOOOO you can just literally fly. Can’t wait to play it just to break it ALONE.
It's a shaky but huge step in the right direction. I really hope they don't scrap the concept because they have a solid base to work on for future games. It has been SO long since I felt hyped and overjoyed playing a 3D Sonic game. Since Generations in fact.
I loved Dunkey’s review of the trailer. Where his biggest criticism is the game doesn’t look broken and there fore not on brand. Glad to see Sonic Team delivered in the end.
Insightful opinions and a fascinating watch! Also, this is some of the best editing work I’ve seen on this channel or about anywhere really. When you talk about something, we can see it on the screen. That is so refreshing. You talk about awkward controls, and you show a place where the controls are awkward. You talk about Cyloop being broken and you show us exactly how it is. You talk about the really great parts of the game and you show us those good parts, like Sonic’s speed and the epic boss fights. And you do it all without giving too much away. I know that can’t always be done, depending on the type of video. But the execution was essentially perfect here, and it’s a big reason why this was such an enjoyable watch.
I never expected this game to be perfect -- I expect it to get high 7s or low 8s at the absolute best -- but this review soothed a lot of my worries about it. I was going to get this regardless, but now I can know I won't regret it. Also, interesting that you say it needed another year for polish, since they already delayed the game a full year. This was supposed to come out in 2021.
Every Sonic game for the last decade (except Mania) I've gone into a review of the game on release thinking "please be good this time" and had the reviewer say "sadly this wasn't it, chief". So to hear that they got this one kinda right is like... oh! Oh I forgot what that sounds like!
Sonic games tend to be jank when you first touch the controller and hit START for the first time. It's a bit of a barrier of entry that all Sonic games, even the Classic Sonic games, have and it's not for everyone. Once you push past that barrier, like you did when you mentioned the game started to get better, that's usually when the fun kicks in. I believe that's the phenomenon that you experienced towards the beginning of the game. Edit: Just to be clear, I thought I'd just throw it out there.
@@cnk9822 The jank comes from an understanding, or lack there of, of how the game is played. That could be applied to any game on a first playthrough but Sonic games tend to be guilty of that. I can remember when I played those games, way back when, I just wanted to go fast without realizing that it's about using the tools in tandem with the level design to go fast through momentum. That's why these games emphasize replaying them just for the sake of itself, which seems to becoming a lost art, nowadays. Sonic 1 was pretty messy in its design and even 2 and 3 had some low lights. Speaking from experience, it's a perspective that can be hard to understand if you've been playing these games since childhood or don't have a good memory like I do.
Frontiers was my first actual Sonic game and you're absolutely right, I SUCKED at it at first, I couldn't understand the controls well and it felt so fast I couldn't react ( and the button distribution on Switch feels rather odd ? )... but it got really fun and cool once I got more used to it ! And now I want more of it ! I do wish we'd get a story DLC for it eventually, but I don't think they'll do that, in the meantime I guess I'll try to get every single memory token off my maps and maybe try to complete all the cyber space missions as well. That'll take time, but it'll be fun !
@@cnk9822 I partially agree, but, sometimes, skill can't fix poor level design. While those games are good, there are times when the quality dips. Sonic 1 has First Game Syndrome, Sonic 2 has moments where it tries to fuse platforming and speed together with some sub-par results (and there's Metropolis Zone), and even Mania has some levels I don't like (Stardust Speedway and Titanic Monarch). The bosses, even in Sonic 3, have also been consistently subpar, with the occasional gem.
Sounds to me like they just wanted this game to have as little stress to it as possible. Like you said, they want ppl to be able to just go, Go fast, and go straight anything and everything you want to do. I'm here for it
I feel like the way you describe your experience with frontiers is the way Sonic games are for most people. It's why I think they're so divisive, they're hard or even frustrating to get into and once you get the hang of them they're really fun. I feel like the main appeal of sonic gameplay is getting better at the games and replaying them to develop your skills much more than it is about the initial playthrough but I don't think enough people realize that or if they do that kind of game isn't for them.
But also the games, even the good ones, truly are a bit undercooked. I think the dev team consistently struggle to meet the deadline, be it for the deadline being unreasonable or the team underperforming, I'm not sure. Fact is, it's happened every game so far.
@@goldend791 Sonic games being under cooked goes all the way back so Sonic 3 strangely enough. It seems since then their most finished titles are the ones on the gameboy and Ds, for the most part
@@goldend791 the thing is that 3d sonic games are genuinely hard to make I remember interviews talking about how hard it is to make stages for sonic all the way back in adventure 1, it's the reason the levels are reused in adventure 1,no open fields in adventure 2,reused levels in heroes, sonic 06,medal collecting and werehog length in unleashed, padding in colors, no story in generations and now cyberspace and popin in frontiers, the only sonic games that were completely realized are some of the portable games, sonic 1 and lost world
@@goldend791 It's the deadlines along with a lot of corporate interference from SEGA. For example, Sonic 06 had only 2 years to make an entire game with 3 playable campaigns and their own cutscenes. Midway through those very short 2 years, SEGA realized that there would be no way to release a Wii port of the game before the release date, so they cut the development team in half and had them work on an entirely new Sonic game only for the Wii. To sum it up, SEGA wanted Sonic Team to push out their most ambitious game yet, built from the ground up while also cutting their workforce in half but keeping the deadline the same. So yeah, it's always been SEGAs fault. They keep doing this too, you'd think they'd learn that they're hurting their dev team and the games by forcing them to come out in such short periods.
Sonic games, the good ones at least, really get fun once everything starts to click in your mind. When you get the general rhythm down, controls, stage flow, it becomes an extremely addicted and enjoyable experience. The games are generally meant to be replayed over and over again in order for you to get that speed and get faster times. Initially it's a little frustrating for players, but give it enough time, and you'll never want to put the controller down. Hell even Superstars with its flaws was like this. You git gud and suddenly you're having the time of your life. This is how Sonic games are supposed to feel. Very much an arcade-like experience, but not overly frustrating to the point where you want to walk away.
@@Colecionador7162 I think they wanted to break away from Yuji Naka's "One button does everything" shtick so bad that they didn't realize what moves should've stayed the same.
The main problem is always Sonic’s movement. Even seeing the footage you can tell the momentum is funky and it feels wrong to stop when going super fast.
Yeah, they made it so that Sonic stops on a dime in this, like an automatic, animation-less version of the Power Brake skill from Gens and that passive Wispon buff from Forces.
@Cwavy_619 He's had good movement in the early 3D games. Then they swapped it out for better handling at high speeds but it hurts the overall platforming ability.
@@amandaslough125 A tired opinion, but: it's bizarre considering how many fan games (or other mainline Sonic games) offer solutions to these problems, but you never see them all at once in a mainline Sonic game. If you start by refining Adventure's movement, integrate more robust physics interactions with environments, and throw in all the extra actions that help reign in Sonic's speed like the stomp, drift, etc, you'd have it all. The closest I've seen to ideal Sonic controls in 3D is Green Hill Paradise. The best harmony between control and level design I've seen is Sonic Robo Blast 2, but that game features a very particular method of control, like learning to drive stick, lol.
@Cwavy_619 Yet turning is a million times worse in the boost games. The fact that Sonic needs a drift button is ridiculous. He's what? 40 pounds? Grinding rails took actual skill in SA2 and it was a lot like Tony Hawk Pro Skater. They should go back to that rather than the Ratchet & Clank grinding they ended up rolling with. Otherwise, what's the point except looking cool? It's true that the physics of the Adventure games were... fragile, I guess? You had to be careful not to break the game sometimes. But those games were made with 1998 technology and the physics were still closest to what originally made Sonic so popular. There's no reason they couldn't go back and refine those physics. Consoles in 2022 would handle them easily and we'd all be happy. Sonic should be fun to control!
When playing the game I can see why they made him stop so quick. Sometimes when exploring and you see something interesting it's nice not to accidentally hit a rail or fly off a cliff trying to stop and turn around.
I will say I think Sonic is supposed to be groggy at the beginning of the game because he sounded DEEP but as the game went on he sounded like the usual voice that RCS has for the hedgehog.
Heroes is okay, Shadow and 06 are terrible, despite the former being fairly enjoyable for me, Unleashed is overrated as hell, Colors was okay, but not amazing, Generations was decent, Lost World and Boom were agonizingly bad, and Forces was disappointing but somewhat tolerable.
@@Spino-hx2mr No, no it is not. People will not shut the fuck up about how it's "the savior of Sonic" and "SEGA'S apology for 06," and are more aggressive towards naysayers than any other game in the series. It's perfectly fine to criticize the original Genesis trilogy. And the Adventure games. And Heroes. And the Advance games. And the Rush Games. And the Riders games. And the Storybook games. And the Rush Games. And Colors. And Generations. And of course the other games that are universally disliked. But Unleashed? NOPE, completely off limits. Everyone has to join the hive-minded "Unleashed is perfect! How could anyone hate this amazing game? It needs more love! We will convert the unwashed masses into our brethren so that they may receive the sacred texts which will grant eternal life, or they shall be be consigned to hell for desecrating its gentle blessings!" Cult. It makes me want to throw up.
Man that beginning was just cruel! I was so afraid this was gonna be another dud and you almost confirmed that, then the old bait and switch. Great review, I can't wait to get my hands on this one!
Arlo you're such a genius in adding intrigue and drama to your reviews with the way you say things, I audibly gasped when you said you did not have fun, haha. Awesome review 👏.
I have been a Sonic Frontiers doubter for a long time, but Arlo, you have finally convinced me. I don't think I'm willing to go for it for full price, but if I can get it on sale, I'll most likely give it a shot.
I like Roger Craig Smith as Sonic in his previous takes on the character- particularly Sonic Boom, where he was as I would expect Sonic- a fittingly snarky voice with attitude. Can’t comment on his voice work here, since I haven’t seen any of his dialogue here, but overall, I do enjoy him as Sonic. And Knuckles really works for me after the promotional short they did for the game, since it had a great range for the character. I haven’t got the game yet, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be getting it on Switch since that’s the console I have, which I hear runs fine, thankfully. But man, talk about a rollercoaster review. You start out describing not liking the game and while you were being fair while being critical, I figured it wasn’t going to be a largely positive review, so it’s really nice to see the game grew on you over time. Very excited to try this game.
Very rarely comment on videos, but got to say that the editing on this video was top notch! Always love your commentary, as it's always fantastic, but felt like the editing deserved some specific praise for this one!
Did you adjust the controls in the options? I really wonder how they might make the game feel different I was surprised they'd put stuff that changes how he turns and stuff
"And you got these little Koco things. It's, ah come on. its like a little- it's like a little thing and they got different plants...You know I'm gonna love this, this I my thing, this is my exact- exact thing, these little things" -Arlo 2022
The idea that you can focus on one specific aspect (like fishing) and still get enough collectables to progress was very much intentional on the part of the devs. Now, whether that’s good or bad is up to you, but it WAS intended.
I'd adore it if you did a video gushing about the thousand year door, just like the similar videos you did about why you love pikmin so much! I'm sure it's not on your priorities, but I wanna see that so bad! :D
This seems like a fun game. I really hope sonic team refine the concept more in the next game instead of their usual approach of "throw everything and try again"
this seems like a really good first attempt at an open world from Sonic Team. some small mistakes like power economies and a lack of polish (which tbh for sonic team is standard). I agree with your assessment that this is similar to Arceus; a fantastic start for a new style for the series, but if they iterate on it well sonic games can be really really high quality again
I don't know if you've ever played the Sonic expansion for LEGO Dimensions, but running around in the hub world with Sonic and finding all these Sonic elements and just wondering what's around the next corner, that was amazing. When I first heard what they wanted to do with Frontiers, the only requirement I had was that it should feel at least as good as Dimensions did to play. And it took a few upgrades to Speed for me to really feel it, but especially when you've got that blue streak power boost, I think they absolutely NAILED that sensation. Just running around and finding out what else you can do it so satisfying. That's the game right there, everything else is just extra imo. I could max out my ring count and just run for a few hours and call it $60 well spent. But I also agree with most of what was said here, especially in relation to Arceus. Hope GameFreak and SEGA both continue with these concepts. If this was the first shot, the resulting games down the line stand to be truly epic.
Glad to see you put out a review, Arlo! I saw "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam and thought it couldn't be true. Looking forward to this, it's been a long time. I also haven't played a Sonic game since GameCube. "Rolling around at the speed of sound. Got places to go gotta FOLLOW MY RAINBOW!!"
Nice review Arlo Just my opinion.. people need to play the game for themselves and determine if it’s good for you. Just cause someone that reviews it and doesn’t like it it don’t mean that someone will play it and love it. Myself I want to play it and give it a shot
I love how you navigated this review because its 100000% in detail, explained my every thought while playing this game! At first..super hesitant, kinda bored, super confused, intensely frustrated by that same mini-boss, (not so mini tho...) like legit thought i was gonna quit the game at that stage. Then once i finally was understanding how to play the game, i syarted to enjoy it. And when i realized i was actually progressing and i was doing well, i was like “wow, theres the rewarding feeling i’ve been craving!” Cause at first you kinda just feel like “why am i even doing this?? What is this game??” But eventually it makes sense!
I really like this review, Arlo--it made me very excited to play the game! I guess the good news is that a lot of the QOL stuff that you mentioned could probably be fixed with an update down the road (like increasing your speed, lowering some prices for getting stat boosts, changing the mechanic that lets you get infinite rings, etc.). I'm glad that you found it fun; it seems like they really nailed the aspect of running free in a big open space even if they need to work out the kinks. I guess I won't know until I play it, but I'm glad you at least had a good time.
Sonic Frontiers is the best Sonic game in the entire franchise! This game in it of itself is a masterpiece regardless of Sonic games! The open world is so fun to explore and you can run freely and platform at full speed and fight enemies, bosses and Titans, it's so fun! You can also combat and fight a lot of unique enemies and bosses, and unlock a lot of new combat moves and skills, at the skill tree! You can also upgrade Sonic, you can upgrade his strength, speed, ring capacity and defense! The story is the best out of the whole franchise, and the voice acting is very good, Roger Craig Smith did an amazing job as the voice of Sonic! The music in this game is incredible and it's the best music in the entire franchise! The Super Sonic fights against the Titans were amazing and some of the best fights in a video game! 10/10
For us Sonic fans, a ‘fun but a few small issues’ is enough to put it in the ‘best of the series’ group.
That's fair. S3&K and Sonic Colors (Wii version at least) were pretty darn polished, tho. Yet to play Mania, but I've heard basically nothing but praise for that one as well. Still, the truly excellent ones are waaaaay too few and far between.
And that's a darn shame bc this doesnt look fun
@@InnerRise Trust me, it very much is. Solid 8/10.
@InnerRise It actually feels really nice in the open world, the only thing that feels bad is the 2D Cyberspace stages.
@@nyahnyahson523 oh wow I thought it would be the opposite since so many game journalists were saying those parts were the best that they couldnt talk about before the game came out bc the promo team kept it hidden in all video footage. .
Worth noting that the voice actor is the same as he's been for ages - it's the DIRECTION that is different. They told RCS to voice Sonic differently to match the tone of the game; don't blame the unusual voice acting on the actor in this case.
Tbh I like the direction for Sonic's voice so far
To be fair, he (EDIT: Arlo, not RCS) said that he hasn't played Sonic since SA2, which was 2 voice actors ago. Plus, he didn't have to endure the dialogue of the Meta era.
Indeed
Though it's to be said alot of ppl didnt like Roger before either. The closest Roger ever got to being a good sonic is in boom and In the wreck it Ralph movies. And imma be honest Roger while not baaaaad is my least fave of the sonic va's for the games. Idk why something still dosent fully fit. I sort of like this take for frontiers a bit more but even still something is still missing
@@lnsflare1 ummm what he was not the voice for sonic adventure 2. where did u get that . those voices for sonic during that era were epic!
21:26 Yes they confirmed that this game will lay the foundation for the next decade of Sonic.
Maybe they'll actually mean it this time
@@Gloomdrake yeah, they desperately need some stability to be able to refine mechanics. Part of the problem imo is they throw out mechanics too quickly and each game is too different, they can’t learn how to make the mechanics fun if they don’t build on and iterate them.
@@maninblack3410 Hopefully SEGA stops being a piece of sh*t and gives Sonic Team the time to make it the best they can. They have showed that they want to do so much more but SEGA holds them back.
And who's gonna believe them. Not me
The next two games?
The main problem is always Sonic’s movement.
Upgrade
And camera
Solve problem
So so
...lmao
You had me in the first couple minutes, Arlo, not gonna lie...Your remarks about it needing polish, but ultimately being a fun, good game seems to be the consensus overall, and I can't WAIT to get my mitts on Frontiers and see for myself. I do hope this is a new beginning for Sonic games in terms of style, because it certainly seems to be one they can build on in future games.
ARLO YOU SCARED ME DONT EVER DO THAT AGAIN MY HEART CANT TAKE IT
LOL
You wanna be scared? Watch the GameXplain review. They tore apart every aspect down to even the music.
@@Low_Standards_Gaming_YT 🫣🫣
@@Low_Standards_Gaming_YT GameXplain definitely took a L
@@BlackDragon3443 Let me guess, a non-Sonic fan reviewed a Sonic game.
I was expecting an okay Sonic game at most.
To hear the game be described as things like very good and very fun makes me very happy.
Congratulations, Sega. You've captured some of what made Sonic Sonic again. Not all of it mind you, but some.
And that's way more than what I can say for your past failures, well done.
its not much, but its a step in the right direction and I'll gladly take it
@@jaretco6423 every sonic game has problems and those are still technically great, this game is an easy 8/10
@@jaretco6423 7/10 for me is still worth playing at least. People consider a game like Dragon's Dogma a 7/10 but that's one of my favorite games ever. The fact that they're finally experimenting means that Forces was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and that they're going to go for new things instead of the same boost to win formula for like a decade now. Also helps that this game has some of (if not, THE best. Undefeatable is so good) the best music in Sonic games in the longest while.
@@jaretco6423 Pretty much. Numbered scores are just a joke because there honestly isn't that much of a difference between a 7 and an 8, or a 9 and a 10 because no matter how good a game is there's bound to be some flaw to it. Like many people (including me) considered GOW 2018 a 9, but camera and rpg elements were a low for me and plenty others. Hell even 6/10 games are still worth playing when you get them on a discount because they'll have some good ideas that may be just executed poorly.
@@jaretco6423 why you ranking games based on replayability 💀
I find it almost hilarious how most people's critisms with this game is that it needed another year for polish, when Sonic Team actually had to fight tooth and nail against Sega just for Frontiers to actually HAVE another year of development and polish. Imagine if didn't get that extra year. This would've been the next Sonic 06 lol. Though of course more polish would've been nice, I'm SO glad that we at least have a working, fun Sonic game for once
Why does Sega insist on standing in their own way? I swear, ever since Sammy bought them out, their greed has been out of control. And going third party didn't help them any either. This is why when people say "NINTENDO SHOULD GO THIRD PARTY TOO. IT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYTHING" I laugh. As if it's an instant panecea for any of a company's woes.
No, what Sega needed more than abandoning consoles was new leadership. As is, it's run like your typical western corporation. Get your games out fast as possible, regardless of how poorly polished and glitchy the game ends up being. It's all a short term profit model and it has been one of the WORST things that has happened to this industry. Unchecked greed.
Felt my heart sink at the start of this review, happy to hear that the game is at least decent
The only opinion that should have that effect on you is your own
As for the critics, on the other hand, looks like they haven’t learned to be nicer to Sonic even after all these years, but who knows? Because tomorrow, from a graphical, musical, story-wise and gameplay-wise perspective (which means an entire video game), this game is gonna turn out to be one of the strongest Sonic games alongside Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis), the Sonic Adventure games for the Dreamcast, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Mania and Sonic Advance 3, yet only the critics like to bash on it like it’s only decent at best while focusing more on the bad qualities to justify themselves (mainly GamesRadar+ with its 2/5 star rating and, of course, IGN, but with the strongest exception of ShackNews by giving it a 9/10).
I dunno, maybe from a high-anticipation standpoint, while I wasn’t wrong about the critics (re: IGN who gave Sonic Free Riders and Sonic 4: Episode 1 and Sonic Colours Wii (I don’t hate this game. It’s fun, but also flawed) of all games a higher rating), that’s what I’m coming from to think Sonic Frontiers might just be the new best Sonic game.
@@kieranstark7213 I mean you have to be honest this isn’t really an impressive game. It’s a return to form for sonic because most of his recent games have sucked, but compared to some of the absolutely masterpieces that have come out recently (elden ring and this week god of war) the game leaves a lot to be desired still. It definitely needs another year or two in the oven to deserve anything better than a 7.5. Like it’ll be a great game for most sonic fans but it’s still nothing incredible.
@@jimmybob5541 ok but can you truly say there's anything out there like sonic frontiers? its a very unique game, to say its not really impressive isnt exactly fair.
@@Brian-bw9fh who?
Oh god, Arlo described Monster Hunter. You start trying to push yourself through the mud but sometime later it just clicks. You start having fun.
And Dark Souls.
i was really curious to see how this game would shake out given the trailers. gameplay looked a lot better in this review. I'm surprised you can run around infinitely for exp and rings you'd think some playtesters would catch that lol
Pretty sure that was done on purpose because for years Sonic team has been making it a goal to appeal to casual players, trying to cash in on that sonic movie crowd yknow?
The game needs more enemies way more enemies. The world still feels quite empty Add like 300% more enemies.
@@raxadian the switch isn't very powerful hardware
Catch that? It’s intentional.
I'm hoping they went "But is it fun though?" And decided to keep it when the answer was "yes"
That arc of feeling frustrated and confused and then suddenly gaining an edge at some of the quirks of the controls... I remember having that exact same trajectory playing Tales of Symphonia and that's one of my favorite games. I'm certain I'll have a blast with Frontiers.
This review is exactly my thoughts with the game. Loads of technical issues but it’s still just so fun. I really hope they learn from their mistakes here
@Nunya Bizness
Huh? Sonic Team isn't an indie dev team that gets to keep working on this game and updating it with free DLC. The closest thing to new content we'll get after launch is a paid DLC. There's no way Sonic Team is going to be allowed to work on this game for longer than they have to. Hell, I bet SEGA already has them working on the next Sonic game.
@@Miriam_J_ theyve already said they'll be supporting it till the next mainline game drops with stuff plus there was a leaked dlc pass a while ago so we're getting more content and support
They don't learn, ever
Sega just likes ruining sonic's reputation
@@GabsOfficialYT sonic unleashed to sonic colors
Holy shit, this is the first time I've been excited for a Sonic REVIEW embargo. Can't wait to see what Frontiers is like.
That didn't age well.
@@otherprisma7354 it didn’t? Solid 7s and 7.5s is good enough for me - especially since I’ve been waiting for a fun Sonic release for a good time.
@@otherprisma7354 It certainly did
@@otherprisma7354 How is 4 points below Generations "didn't age well"?
@@dumdees omg the copium lol. I'm glad I'm not a huge Sonic fan because I would be severely disappointed, but I guess it's "good enough" *shrug*
Love the way you reviewed this, my biggest concern with this game was the gameplay loop, but hearing you say that you got really hooked and addicted on it gave me a huge sigh of relief. Thank gosh
To give you some context Arlo, Sonic in terms of story isn't like Mario. Sonic actually kind of changes and grows up as a character from the classics all the way to Black Knight in 2009. He becomes a lot more mature, easy going and, and to a point, stoic. Sega began catering to the crtitics of Sonic in 2010 and began giving the games surface level stories and focused more on (in a lot of fans opinions) poorly written comedy, which kind of ruined a lot of the characters progression. Recently, Sega has decided they want to go back to the old method of story-telling and in a way, this is more of a continuation of Sonic's growth from the late 2000s. Thats why I find the deeper, more mature voice to be fitting in this game.
Agreed 1000%. I hope he reads this
@@JonathanH Thats why I always get sad when people say they find the more serious stories weird or jarring for a cartoon hedgehog. Its like they want to erase all of Sonic's growth over the 30 years he's been around.
This is a really bias interpretation of the sonic character arc, and I'm actually a fan of the sonic adventure era.
Sonic didn't "mature" from his earliest interpretation the stories surrounding him just changed genre.
@@shotgun6X I mean, you're free to feel however you want. I personally felt like he matured, but to each their own.
I’ve always felt he’s more of a catalyst for other characters’ progression, but I 100% prefer this over the snobby wisecracking guy we’ve had in the past couple games.
Arlo: "Going in, I did not have fun."
Me: NO!
Arlo: "But then it got gud."
Me: Yes!
This was the only review I've seen where the reviewer opens by saying he generally didn't enjoy the game, yet this is the review that tipped me over the edge and made me preorder the game. When Arlo said that they finally struck the right balance of level design and speed without making Sonic crash, that was it for me. For years, they always showed Sonic in pre-rendered cutscenes of him zipping through valleys and planes, and they finally made a game where you can play in that space. Personally, I'm hyped.
Awesome that you like it Arlo!
It's always a great day whenever Arlo uploads a video
Saying for yourself
I've never been more nervous for a metacritic score before this
Funny.
I never cared for metacritic.
metacritic gave it a SEVENTY SEVEN damn Sonic way to go.
@Scott Pilgrim because Sega does unfortunately
@@acemstudio it's sitting at 73 still really impressive
Its at 76 right now
I guess Sega were sick of Kazuma Kiryu being the defacto mascot. I would prefer if he was the mascot, but it's nice to see them trying to get Sonic his throne back.
Kazuma Kiryu has never killed anyone meme flashbacks like seriously I know it’s a joke in the fan base but kiryu has clearly killed or seriously injured some of these guys ❤😂
@@WSendam How a mistranslation goes wrong lol. The original Japanese was apparently about how he never _murdered_ anyone, so people who are attacking him on the street or from helicopters are fair game if he ends up killing them in self defense.
Best he doesnt be the defacto mascot, might just end up like sonic woth how sega mismanaged the poor dude with really strict time constraints that led to the '06 games because they wanted to pump out as many games of their company mascot as they can, heck izuka(head of sonic team) almost worked himself to death making one of the games
@@Sugarman96 Do you know what "splitting hairs" means?
@@mechadeka Is this a sincere question? Because Amit is not splitting hairs here, he's just explaining the joke...
DONT GIVE US HEART ATTACKS LIKE THAT.
Seriously you had me for a second.
In regards to the VA for sonic, it is a point of contention within the fandom btw, since some prefer the other 3 from before.
many prefer the last 2 and the new 2 that came out after aswell
Sonic has had some great voices but RCS is not one of them.
Definitely not
Well, sonic's 31 now
@@GabsOfficialYT I like to think he's still 25
It’s very funny that you say Chris Redfield specifically. Wether it was intentional or not on your end, they do have the same VA. As for my thoughts on his performance here, I need more time to think on it. This is a very different direction he went in this game compared to the rest of his career. He’s a lot deeper for starters, and he’s also not nearly as cheesy as before.
I like it, the tone is a bit more mature for Sonic and probably fits the game more than a higher pitch Sonic but again I can't make that assumption since we don't have that type of Sonic in this game
Thank Gaia for that. I hated his voice in Colors.
I... Kinda like mature Sonic.
who gives a fuck english sonic always sucks japanese sonic is the only valid one
@@xXDexter3000Xx get out of here weabou
I just got done watching Gamexplains review for Frontiers and their experience was literally the opposite of Arlo’s . Started off strong for them and slowly got worse. The duality of man and all that lol. Looking forward to seeing how this game feels for myself.
GameXplain has fallen off for me. Their opinions have gotten worse and worse over time and I've basically just wrote them off. They literally hate God of War Ragnarok too when apparently everyone else is loving it. Don't give them the time of day. Go to Good Vibes Gaming instead where the actual good people from the OG GameXplain run the show :)
@@cragl3yman343 They hate GoW Ragnarok??? Why, that game clearly looks better than Sonic Frontiers and I'm hyped for both games
@@cragl3yman343 So they are bad people because they have a different opinion then everyone else?
@@yamakingz2 No but the review reeks of a "I hated it so everyone else needs to hate it" vibe that they of all people should know not to do. Weather I enjoy the game or not they really should've thought about how to word things better in that review.
@@yamakingz2 he never said that lmao. He just said that he found GameXplain's opinions to be worse.
As someone who hasn’t played the game yet, (btw thank you for not spoiling. I’m very grateful.) This review helps paint the picture of the game so clearly. I’m looking forward to playing it.
(Side Tangent. Sonic’s sound like a 40 year Chris Redfield for over 10 years. I myself have never been a fan of it.)
Also the lack of polish whether it’s big or small always been apart of Sonic Games. Even the Good Ones.
I heard Sonic Team had to convince Sega to give them an extra year of development time.
so it's slow to start but gets very good after that bump. great to know!
im confident this games gonna be awesome.
the games vibe feels like what the intro animation to sonic cd was, but in gameplay form.
it took us a long time, but we're finally at the point where we can zip around in an open-ish world.
Looks promising. Thanks for the honest review Arlo ❤
I need a revitalized Chao Garden feature so bad. One of the best parts about S2AB imo
Legitimately my primary reason for giving any sort of shit about the Sonic franchise. Blows my mind why they've abandoned it as a feature or part of their latest games.
@@griswold3006 especially when they know fans want it and keep asking about it..😅 the potential they can do with chao garden with technology today, like it could honestly be its own sub game.. 😂
Until it's required for getting all the emblems
We need some make-a-wish kid to blow a wish on a modern Chao garden.
@Griswold It's because the only reason the Chao Garden existed was so the games could utilize every feature of the Dreamcast. A v-pet mechanic was a way for them to show off the VMU. When Sega went third-party there was no reason for them to showcase other consoles' hardware.
Arlo: I just wanna make a quickie
Video: 22 mins
Me: nice
LOL
Having just heard the Gxplain review, the beginning here had a pit forming in my stomach, but what a 180. Arlo's critiques of even the rough bits just feels more positive of "a rough start, but potential to be improved" vs. the absolute piling on for half the review from Joey. I'm getting the game regardless, so I'll see soon.
Thanks alro for being one of the only reviewers that makes actually good reviews
It’s been a long time I’ve been actually excited, like child, in a that awesome, cool, energetic “YES” way, to play a video game. Don’t get me wrong. There have been LOTS of “can’t wait” games. But not like this. I’m 30 btw.
Sonic is just…I don’t know…he means something else for some of us. I wish some people in business side of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” IP, could understand this connection.
When you said at the beginning that you weren't having a great time, I won't lie, my heart sank. But the general consensus seems to be that this game is actually pretty damned good. I'm excited to play it tomorrow 😁
This is one of the best reviews I’ve seen on Frontiers, great video Arlo! You’ve managed to get me more excited to play it!
This is gonna be the most 7.5/10 game and I’m all for it lol.
7.5 is better than forces at least
@@Golinth Not really much but yeah. Wasn't Forces getting like 6-7?
@@Golinth Forces…more like Fources/10
@@spritvio639 Critics views on Sonic don't really matter. Most of hte Sonic Fandom think Forces is like a 3.
7.5 is a resounding success for Sonic, at this rate he might get his first 8.0 before long
absolutely loved this review!! u articulate your feelings very well and made sure to cover questions all of us are wanting to ask. excited to play this game with the right level of expectations thanks to u :)
This felt like a very unbiased review, which is greatly appreciated, and it kinda confirmed my suspicions of the game despite not playing it yet: A great foundation that’s really cool, but brought down by a distinct lack of polish which is somehow still a Sonic-centric issue, even AFTER 06 and Boom. I can tell the team truly had a vision and genuine passion for this game, which wasn’t really true for 11 years Post-Generations. If nothing else, I’m happy that Sonic is finally allowed to be ambitious again.
Speedrunning for this game is gonna be nuts tho, the stuff I’ve seen on twitter is… HOOOOO you can just literally fly. Can’t wait to play it just to break it ALONE.
It's a shaky but huge step in the right direction. I really hope they don't scrap the concept because they have a solid base to work on for future games. It has been SO long since I felt hyped and overjoyed playing a 3D Sonic game. Since Generations in fact.
Absolutely addicted to this game. Kept saying "one more shrine" or "I'll explore just a little more over there" then 4 hours went by in a blink.
I loved Dunkey’s review of the trailer. Where his biggest criticism is the game doesn’t look broken and there fore not on brand. Glad to see Sonic Team delivered in the end.
Insightful opinions and a fascinating watch! Also, this is some of the best editing work I’ve seen on this channel or about anywhere really. When you talk about something, we can see it on the screen. That is so refreshing. You talk about awkward controls, and you show a place where the controls are awkward. You talk about Cyloop being broken and you show us exactly how it is. You talk about the really great parts of the game and you show us those good parts, like Sonic’s speed and the epic boss fights. And you do it all without giving too much away.
I know that can’t always be done, depending on the type of video. But the execution was essentially perfect here, and it’s a big reason why this was such an enjoyable watch.
Nervous for this review I’m happy to hear the sonic team made sonic what he needed to be
I never expected this game to be perfect -- I expect it to get high 7s or low 8s at the absolute best -- but this review soothed a lot of my worries about it. I was going to get this regardless, but now I can know I won't regret it.
Also, interesting that you say it needed another year for polish, since they already delayed the game a full year. This was supposed to come out in 2021.
Just cause it's delayed once doesn't mean it can't be delayed further. :P
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this game Arlo. Having your input on it makes me more excited
Only a 73 on metacritic
@@SoggySlopster
Metacritic exclusively has good takes
@@SoggySlopster
The average is 74, but a majority of the reviews are 80.
@@SoggySlopster so? 70 or higher is considered a good game
I usually watch your videos several times and I always recommend your channel to others. You deserve all the recognition you're getting.
Every Sonic game for the last decade (except Mania) I've gone into a review of the game on release thinking "please be good this time" and had the reviewer say "sadly this wasn't it, chief". So to hear that they got this one kinda right is like... oh! Oh I forgot what that sounds like!
Can’t wait to see Danny and Arnold do a full play through
Love those guys
Hey, look Michelle. It's the Game Grumps.
Cant wait for more of Danny reading Sonic fanfic lol
cant wait to listen to Danny read Little Sonic fanfic while Arin skips the tutorial and complains about not knowing the controls
Look! They're...they're doing an impression of me!
Sonic games tend to be jank when you first touch the controller and hit START for the first time. It's a bit of a barrier of entry that all Sonic games, even the Classic Sonic games, have and it's not for everyone. Once you push past that barrier, like you did when you mentioned the game started to get better, that's usually when the fun kicks in. I believe that's the phenomenon that you experienced towards the beginning of the game.
Edit: Just to be clear, I thought I'd just throw it out there.
How are the clasic mega drive games janky? 💀💀
@@cnk9822 The jank comes from an understanding, or lack there of, of how the game is played. That could be applied to any game on a first playthrough but Sonic games tend to be guilty of that. I can remember when I played those games, way back when, I just wanted to go fast without realizing that it's about using the tools in tandem with the level design to go fast through momentum. That's why these games emphasize replaying them just for the sake of itself, which seems to becoming a lost art, nowadays. Sonic 1 was pretty messy in its design and even 2 and 3 had some low lights. Speaking from experience, it's a perspective that can be hard to understand if you've been playing these games since childhood or don't have a good memory like I do.
Frontiers was my first actual Sonic game and you're absolutely right, I SUCKED at it at first, I couldn't understand the controls well and it felt so fast I couldn't react ( and the button distribution on Switch feels rather odd ? )... but it got really fun and cool once I got more used to it ! And now I want more of it ! I do wish we'd get a story DLC for it eventually, but I don't think they'll do that, in the meantime I guess I'll try to get every single memory token off my maps and maybe try to complete all the cyber space missions as well. That'll take time, but it'll be fun !
@@SolidSpartanX Skill issue, i when i was a child i understood it very easlily. Blaming the game for your skill issue is not the game's fault.
@@cnk9822 I partially agree, but, sometimes, skill can't fix poor level design. While those games are good, there are times when the quality dips. Sonic 1 has First Game Syndrome, Sonic 2 has moments where it tries to fuse platforming and speed together with some sub-par results (and there's Metropolis Zone), and even Mania has some levels I don't like (Stardust Speedway and Titanic Monarch). The bosses, even in Sonic 3, have also been consistently subpar, with the occasional gem.
The Sonic redemption is real when Arlo is positive.
I've never been so anxious and looking forward to a Sonic game before, I can't wait to play tonight and see for myself how the game plays
Love the way you reviewed this, my biggest concern with this game was the gameplay loop, but hearing you say that you got really hooked and addicted
Sounds to me like they just wanted this game to have as little stress to it as possible. Like you said, they want ppl to be able to just go, Go fast, and go straight anything and everything you want to do. I'm here for it
Looks like it's for me! Will get it on switch eventually! Thanks for the review Arlo!
That sonic boost ability really reminds me a lot of the turbo nozzle from Super Mario Sunshine. Just thought it was kind of interesting.
I love the turbo nozzle
I feel like the way you describe your experience with frontiers is the way Sonic games are for most people. It's why I think they're so divisive, they're hard or even frustrating to get into and once you get the hang of them they're really fun. I feel like the main appeal of sonic gameplay is getting better at the games and replaying them to develop your skills much more than it is about the initial playthrough but I don't think enough people realize that or if they do that kind of game isn't for them.
But also the games, even the good ones, truly are a bit undercooked. I think the dev team consistently struggle to meet the deadline, be it for the deadline being unreasonable or the team underperforming, I'm not sure. Fact is, it's happened every game so far.
@@goldend791 Sonic games being under cooked goes all the way back so Sonic 3 strangely enough. It seems since then their most finished titles are the ones on the gameboy and Ds, for the most part
@@goldend791 the thing is that 3d sonic games are genuinely hard to make I remember interviews talking about how hard it is to make stages for sonic all the way back in adventure 1, it's the reason the levels are reused in adventure 1,no open fields in adventure 2,reused levels in heroes, sonic 06,medal collecting and werehog length in unleashed, padding in colors, no story in generations and now cyberspace and popin in frontiers, the only sonic games that were completely realized are some of the portable games, sonic 1 and lost world
@@goldend791
It's the deadlines along with a lot of corporate interference from SEGA. For example, Sonic 06 had only 2 years to make an entire game with 3 playable campaigns and their own cutscenes. Midway through those very short 2 years, SEGA realized that there would be no way to release a Wii port of the game before the release date, so they cut the development team in half and had them work on an entirely new Sonic game only for the Wii. To sum it up, SEGA wanted Sonic Team to push out their most ambitious game yet, built from the ground up while also cutting their workforce in half but keeping the deadline the same. So yeah, it's always been SEGAs fault. They keep doing this too, you'd think they'd learn that they're hurting their dev team and the games by forcing them to come out in such short periods.
It makes me happy that Arlo is using music from Sonic 06. It's the little things that show that he cares about the subject. :D
I have been waiting for this review for so long! I'm so excited to see if Sonic Frontiers is good or typical Sonic quality...
I find kinda sad that "Sonic quality" has a whole different meaning now from what it used to be
How long ago would one have to go such that “Sonic quality” was a positive thing, a status to aspire towards?
@@iantaakalla8180 at least some 20 years
@@iantaakalla8180 11 years
Sonic games, the good ones at least, really get fun once everything starts to click in your mind. When you get the general rhythm down, controls, stage flow, it becomes an extremely addicted and enjoyable experience.
The games are generally meant to be replayed over and over again in order for you to get that speed and get faster times.
Initially it's a little frustrating for players, but give it enough time, and you'll never want to put the controller down.
Hell even Superstars with its flaws was like this. You git gud and suddenly you're having the time of your life. This is how Sonic games are supposed to feel. Very much an arcade-like experience, but not overly frustrating to the point where you want to walk away.
You had me worried in the beginning, not gonna lie. Glad you like it.
They really had us in the first half, not gonna lie
I feel like that's with most sega games. It starts off weird and bad, but once you get used to the controls, the game is really good and fun.
Sonic and the Secret Rings in a nutshell
@@theminecraft2516 unleashed as well, I still want to know who is the guy that thought that putting the homing attack in the X button was a good idea
@@Colecionador7162 If only Sega knew how to add in simple button settings
@@Colecionador7162 I think they wanted to break away from Yuji Naka's "One button does everything" shtick so bad that they didn't realize what moves should've stayed the same.
The main problem is always Sonic’s movement. Even seeing the footage you can tell the momentum is funky and it feels wrong to stop when going super fast.
Yeah, they made it so that Sonic stops on a dime in this, like an automatic, animation-less version of the Power Brake skill from Gens and that passive Wispon buff from Forces.
@Cwavy_619 He's had good movement in the early 3D games. Then they swapped it out for better handling at high speeds but it hurts the overall platforming ability.
@@amandaslough125 A tired opinion, but: it's bizarre considering how many fan games (or other mainline Sonic games) offer solutions to these problems, but you never see them all at once in a mainline Sonic game. If you start by refining Adventure's movement, integrate more robust physics interactions with environments, and throw in all the extra actions that help reign in Sonic's speed like the stomp, drift, etc, you'd have it all.
The closest I've seen to ideal Sonic controls in 3D is Green Hill Paradise. The best harmony between control and level design I've seen is Sonic Robo Blast 2, but that game features a very particular method of control, like learning to drive stick, lol.
@Cwavy_619 Yet turning is a million times worse in the boost games. The fact that Sonic needs a drift button is ridiculous. He's what? 40 pounds? Grinding rails took actual skill in SA2 and it was a lot like Tony Hawk Pro Skater. They should go back to that rather than the Ratchet & Clank grinding they ended up rolling with. Otherwise, what's the point except looking cool?
It's true that the physics of the Adventure games were... fragile, I guess? You had to be careful not to break the game sometimes. But those games were made with 1998 technology and the physics were still closest to what originally made Sonic so popular. There's no reason they couldn't go back and refine those physics. Consoles in 2022 would handle them easily and we'd all be happy. Sonic should be fun to control!
When playing the game I can see why they made him stop so quick. Sometimes when exploring and you see something interesting it's nice not to accidentally hit a rail or fly off a cliff trying to stop and turn around.
I will say I think Sonic is supposed to be groggy at the beginning of the game because he sounded DEEP but as the game went on he sounded like the usual voice that RCS has for the hedgehog.
The settings let you adjust sonics speed and turning sensitivity. I bumped those sliders all the way up and love it
Yes they confirmed that this game will lay the foundation for the next decade of Sonic
Well Arlo, you’ve really missed quite the journey with Sonic. Both a lot of hits and a plethora of misses.
But mostly misses
Absolutely mostly misses
Heroes is okay, Shadow and 06 are terrible, despite the former being fairly enjoyable for me, Unleashed is overrated as hell, Colors was okay, but not amazing, Generations was decent, Lost World and Boom were agonizingly bad, and Forces was disappointing but somewhat tolerable.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 Unleashed was UNDERRATED as hell. Doesn’t even DESERVE that 3/10 rating, and Generations was great!
@@Spino-hx2mr No, no it is not. People will not shut the fuck up about how it's "the savior of Sonic" and "SEGA'S apology for 06," and are more aggressive towards naysayers than any other game in the series.
It's perfectly fine to criticize the original Genesis trilogy. And the Adventure games. And Heroes. And the Advance games. And the Rush Games. And the Riders games. And the Storybook games. And the Rush Games. And Colors. And Generations. And of course the other games that are universally disliked.
But Unleashed? NOPE, completely off limits. Everyone has to join the hive-minded "Unleashed is perfect! How could anyone hate this amazing game? It needs more love! We will convert the unwashed masses into our brethren so that they may receive the sacred texts which will grant eternal life, or they shall be be consigned to hell for desecrating its gentle blessings!" Cult.
It makes me want to throw up.
"but then... something curious happened. It got better. it started to get better."
yeah, that's sonic for ya.
Finished the game within Ryujinx. Had a ton of fun with it, but I am more so excited to see the improvements on the sequel.
Thanks Arlo. You tend to have a similar feeling on games to mine so. I'll probably wait for a year or so til it's under $10. Thank you for the review!
Man that beginning was just cruel! I was so afraid this was gonna be another dud and you almost confirmed that, then the old bait and switch. Great review, I can't wait to get my hands on this one!
Arlo you're such a genius in adding intrigue and drama to your reviews with the way you say things, I audibly gasped when you said you did not have fun, haha. Awesome review 👏.
"I did not enjoy this game" Proceeds to praise it for 20 minutes straight.
I have been a Sonic Frontiers doubter for a long time, but Arlo, you have finally convinced me. I don't think I'm willing to go for it for full price, but if I can get it on sale, I'll most likely give it a shot.
I like Roger Craig Smith as Sonic in his previous takes on the character- particularly Sonic Boom, where he was as I would expect Sonic- a fittingly snarky voice with attitude. Can’t comment on his voice work here, since I haven’t seen any of his dialogue here, but overall, I do enjoy him as Sonic. And Knuckles really works for me after the promotional short they did for the game, since it had a great range for the character.
I haven’t got the game yet, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be getting it on Switch since that’s the console I have, which I hear runs fine, thankfully. But man, talk about a rollercoaster review. You start out describing not liking the game and while you were being fair while being critical, I figured it wasn’t going to be a largely positive review, so it’s really nice to see the game grew on you over time. Very excited to try this game.
Very rarely comment on videos, but got to say that the editing on this video was top notch!
Always love your commentary, as it's always fantastic, but felt like the editing deserved some specific praise for this one!
Dude if the Kokos were Chaos I would have picked up this game in a heartbeat.
Yo, hearing that outro makes me feel good again.
Did you adjust the controls in the options? I really wonder how they might make the game feel different I was surprised they'd put stuff that changes how he turns and stuff
"And you got these little Koco things. It's, ah come on. its like a little- it's like a little thing and they got different plants...You know I'm gonna love this, this I my thing, this is my exact- exact thing, these little things" -Arlo 2022
Can’t wait to play this!
i love when people learn how sonic games work and they understand what i love about sonic it makes me so happy
This game looks fantastic and I can't wait to play it.
The idea that you can focus on one specific aspect (like fishing) and still get enough collectables to progress was very much intentional on the part of the devs. Now, whether that’s good or bad is up to you, but it WAS intended.
"It could've used another year for more polish" basically sums up the entire franchise.
I'd adore it if you did a video gushing about the thousand year door, just like the similar videos you did about why you love pikmin so much! I'm sure it's not on your priorities, but I wanna see that so bad! :D
This seems like a fun game.
I really hope sonic team refine the concept more in the next game instead of their usual approach of "throw everything and try again"
an arlo review of a game before the game comes out and not a year later? We are blessed today
this seems like a really good first attempt at an open world from Sonic Team. some small mistakes like power economies and a lack of polish (which tbh for sonic team is standard). I agree with your assessment that this is similar to Arceus; a fantastic start for a new style for the series, but if they iterate on it well sonic games can be really really high quality again
I’m glad you liked it! It makes me happy to see people HAVING FUN!!
Sonic needs a cohesive art style... They need to Take more liberties with the look of whatever Halo ring that is.
Hearing Arlo worrying about having the wrong oppinion is so relatable
Arlo, it’s been over a year since the last ArloCast episode. We finally got News Roundups back, can we please get ArloCast back as well?
Dude's real busy. He's just gotten back into his stride with News Roundup, I'm sure he'll bring ArloCast back in his own time when he's ready.
I don't know if you've ever played the Sonic expansion for LEGO Dimensions, but running around in the hub world with Sonic and finding all these Sonic elements and just wondering what's around the next corner, that was amazing. When I first heard what they wanted to do with Frontiers, the only requirement I had was that it should feel at least as good as Dimensions did to play. And it took a few upgrades to Speed for me to really feel it, but especially when you've got that blue streak power boost, I think they absolutely NAILED that sensation. Just running around and finding out what else you can do it so satisfying. That's the game right there, everything else is just extra imo. I could max out my ring count and just run for a few hours and call it $60 well spent.
But I also agree with most of what was said here, especially in relation to Arceus. Hope GameFreak and SEGA both continue with these concepts. If this was the first shot, the resulting games down the line stand to be truly epic.
Looks like we're winning here boys!
Glad to see you put out a review, Arlo! I saw "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam and thought it couldn't be true. Looking forward to this, it's been a long time. I also haven't played a Sonic game since GameCube.
"Rolling around at the speed of sound. Got places to go gotta FOLLOW MY RAINBOW!!"
Nice review Arlo
Just my opinion.. people need to play the game for themselves and determine if it’s good for you. Just cause someone that reviews it and doesn’t like it it don’t mean that someone will play it and love it.
Myself I want to play it and give it a shot
I love how you navigated this review because its 100000% in detail, explained my every thought while playing this game! At first..super hesitant, kinda bored, super confused, intensely frustrated by that same mini-boss, (not so mini tho...) like legit thought i was gonna quit the game at that stage.
Then once i finally was understanding how to play the game, i syarted to enjoy it. And when i realized i was actually progressing and i was doing well, i was like “wow, theres the rewarding feeling i’ve been craving!” Cause at first you kinda just feel like “why am i even doing this?? What is this game??” But eventually it makes sense!
I will never forget how inhumane the fandom has been with you
I really like this review, Arlo--it made me very excited to play the game! I guess the good news is that a lot of the QOL stuff that you mentioned could probably be fixed with an update down the road (like increasing your speed, lowering some prices for getting stat boosts, changing the mechanic that lets you get infinite rings, etc.). I'm glad that you found it fun; it seems like they really nailed the aspect of running free in a big open space even if they need to work out the kinks. I guess I won't know until I play it, but I'm glad you at least had a good time.
Sonic Frontiers is the best Sonic game in the entire franchise!
This game in it of itself is a masterpiece regardless of Sonic games!
The open world is so fun to explore and you can run freely and platform at full speed and fight enemies, bosses and Titans, it's so fun!
You can also combat and fight a lot of unique enemies and bosses, and unlock a lot of new combat moves and skills, at the skill tree!
You can also upgrade Sonic, you can upgrade his strength, speed, ring capacity and defense!
The story is the best out of the whole franchise, and the voice acting is very good, Roger Craig Smith did an amazing job as the voice of Sonic!
The music in this game is incredible and it's the best music in the entire franchise!
The Super Sonic fights against the Titans were amazing and some of the best fights in a video game!
10/10