Sonic Frontiers was a step in right direction for Sonic, especially after Sonic Forces. The development team opted to create an open-world experience for Sonic, and when it works, it is amazing. Sonic has never felt better in many instances throughout Sonic Frontiers.
However, there are multiple things that could have taken Sonic Frontiers from good to great. These changes, ranging from subtle to blatantly obvious, would have made Sonic Frontiers an even better experience than it already was. While some of these changes can be made through updates to the game, most of them are fundamental and will need to be addressed in the next title.
7 Reduce Technical Issues
Sonic Frontiers suffers heavily from graphical pop-in. As you traverse across the Starfall Islands, you will notice all sorts of objects and towers popping into place in the sky and on the ground. Platforms appear out of thin air, which can be extremely jarring.
It would be understandable if this issue was just present on non-SSD consoles like the Switch; however on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, this was just unacceptable. Additionally, Sonic will occasionally just fall straight through the map on certain islands. Hopefully, SEGA is able to address these graphical issues in a future update.
6 Expanded Combat
Sonic's combat in Frontiers was completely revamped and changed from past entries. The blue hedgehog now has a multitude of attack options at his disposal, allowing him to speed right up to an enemy and unleash a fury of attacks.
While satisfying, this combat feels that it could be vastly expanded upon. It feels half-baked in a way, like there is so much potential just on the horizon. The Sonic Team will hopefully build upon Sonic's attacks for the next title, addding in brand new abilities and combos.
5 Varied Biomes
Most of Sonic Frontiers felt the same biome wise, minus Ares Island and Chaos Island. Three of the five available islands in the game offer a grassy plain with various ruins and structures scattered about. While one of these areas would have been neat, the rest feel unnecessary.
We would have loved to see Sonic travel to a jungle island, covered with thick forestry and wild enemies. Additionally, a snow island with a mountain would also have been a welcome addition. These would spice up the level and world design, allowing each island to truly be its own unique area.
4 Improve Graphical Fidelity
With Sonic Frontiers being the first 3D Sonic title in over five years, you might have expected the game to look incredibly better than Sonic Forces. Unfortunately, that really is not the case here. Sonic Frontiers looks pretty average, which is somewhat disappointing considering the game released in 2022.
The islands with an extra layer of polish and foliage would have drastically increased the immersion that Sonic Frontiers offers. On graphics, SEGA does get credit for how animated the character models are in Sonic Frontiers. The characters all look lively and have great expressions throughout the game.
3 More Cyberspace Stages
The Cyberspace stages in Sonic Frontiers offered some of the most fun segments in the entire game. There are 30 total stages for you to play through, all of which you will unlock at different islands. These stages offer unique environments that you might recognize if you've been a Sonic fan for a while.
Gameplay found in the Cyberspace areas is much quicker and different from the gameplay found in the Starfall Islands. It is refreshing to hop into a Cyberspace level after roaming the open world in on the islands. SEGA could offer Cyberspace levels as side content with incentives, like unlockable costumes for Sonic and other characters.
2 Make Pinball Easier
Sonic Frontiers has a minigame that is so incredibly frustrating. You can probably guess that minigame because chances are, you had problems with it too. The infamous pinball machine minigame. It is required for the story in order to advance onwards, which only leads to an incredible amount of frustration.
You are required to gather a certain amount of points with only a few lives to do so, and depending on your luck, you could be stuck playing pinball for hours. There was no reason at all to make a required minigame this frustrating and difficult to complete. Minigames like this hopefully will not be required and instead be side content in future Sonic games.
1 A More Accessible Story
While Sonic Frontiers is incredibly lore heavy, some of its story beats are incredibly hard to comprehend unless you've played past Sonic titles. The story over time grows with more and more references to past titles that you probably have not had the chance to play unless you are a hardcore fan.
Looking at modern titles, this trend is largely avoided with titles like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Each has a story that, while prior knowledge will enhance your experience, it is not necessary to truly enjoy and understand the game in its entirety.