#so do you just have to make it to ouranos island and then the dlc story will be available?

[sonknuxadow]

i assumed that the frontiers dlc would just be adding to the existing plot, like maybe showing certain events from other characters perspective or adding more story content to areas that were lacking but now that theyre actually giving more information on it it seems like theyre going for an alternate route sort of thing? but if thats the case then which version of the story is gonna be considered the canon one? and if its the version from the dlc why would they add the true ending of the story as dlc. to be fair its FREE dlc but still. would kinda be a weird thing to do

[atwas-gaming]

The base game of Sonic Frontiers completely spoiled this fandom.

Is Final Horizon difficult? Yes. Do I suck at it? Heck yes! But do I hate it? NO!

So far, I've only gotten past the first trial tower. And yeah, I do wish Sega had warned us that the new DLC would have a MAJOR difficulty spike. I thought I was doing badly as Amy, Knux, and Tails because their stats weren't levelled up and I was having trouble adjusting to the new abilities; and that could be some of it, but even playing as Sonic is more difficult than the base game.

I've seen a lot of people say that Sonic fans are lousy gamers in general, and... I think they're right, ha! Some of the platforming in Final Horizon feels like a 3D Metroid or Hollow Knight- one slip-up and if you're not dead, or you've at least lost several minutes' work.

Don't even get me started on those Cyberspace time trials, ugh. I only opened 1 portal, and never found the goal.

Even the map is more difficult. The puzzles themselves are much more challenging than in the base game, and they only reveal about a half dozen map squares.

But... it makes sense. For one thing, this was where the Ancients gathered for prayer and reflection. The people gathered here would have no means of defending themselves; and besides, this seems to have been the center of all their knowledge and technology. So, it HAD to have the most sophisticated cybersecurity (which, for the Ancients, extended into the physical world as well as the digital- hence the lunatic platforming). Anyway, Elder and Hermit Koco already said Ouranos was designed to hide and protect the Emeralds.

The story gets even more complicated when you start defeating the Trial Towers (I've only defeated the 1st one) and you have to fight the Titans' pilots. The other Koco might be forgiving of Sonic for what he did to the Titans, but not the ghosts of the pilots. Makes sense to me that they might be influencing cyberspace and even the Ouranos security system to keep Sonic from doing any more damage.

As for the gameplay itself- yeah, it's hard. But I don't think it's unfair (altho, again, I think Sega should have warned us about the difficulty spike). Given time, I think I can figure out how to get thru these. They're not too much worse than some of the Special Koco from the 2nd DLC, or the Rhea Island towers.

And am I complaining a lot about it? Yeah, I am. But at the same time, I can admit that the main problem isn't the design, it's my skill level (although I will forever complain about Sega's camera angles...). The level design is actually not bad, IMO. I just need to learn how to use it.

[dany36]

now that i've S-ranked every stage in the DLC and also completed the map, just have some final junk thoughts from the sonic frontiers dlc (plus me raving some more about the music) before i move on to another game :)

i know i mentioned that playing as amy is the best out of the new playable characters, and i still stand by that opinion, but MAN is tails' MAX rings cyclone flying ability fun as FUCK. like, i kind of have a hate-love relationship with it. on one hand, who the hell doesn't like flying around the island at max speed? like, oh, there's something all the way over there, let me just ZOOM right over in a few seconds!! AND the fact that you can control its height unlike knuckles' flying is just insanely cool. on the OTHER hand though, yes it cheapens tails' flying ability because honestly once you get the cyclone ability, you don't even have to do any of the set-paths that the game wants you to follow to get to the map kocos or skill kocos. you can just fly up to them and boom, didn't have to do the set path. which is kind of sad because those can be really fun and satisfying to complete, so what i'd end up doing was get to the area where the map koco would be, and instead of just flying up to it, try to follow the path and get the map that way to not just suck the fun out of the entire thing

but also, that one M-puzzle where it lit up 3 or 4 red beams of light all across the island and you had to reach all of them under a time limit??? MAN i think that was my favorite puzzle of all!!! i first bumped into that one when i was playing with amy, and at first i thought i was gonna have to come back to it with sonic since i didn't think i'd get another character that would be as fast as him (also didn't have the spin dash ability yet since this was early in the game). but holy shit once i unlocked that ability and saw just how fucking fast you could fly around the island (skells from xenoblade x my beloved), i immediately went back to that puzzle and just completed it as tails. just so damn awesome!!

and SPEAKING OF the spin dash....wow. amy, knuckles, and tails may not be as fast as sonic, but they become just as fast as him with this skill. and i can't believe i went through the entire main game without using the spin dash more often. spin dashing around the island and abusing the hell of its physics was just something that never got old, even in the sonic stages. i don't think i ever used the fast travel with the portals since i mean....spin dashing everywhere the island is just like a damn dream come true: it's always something i'd do in sonic adventures' mystic ruins but at a smaller scale, but this time? the ouranos island is fucking huge and gorgeous and then with that beautiful music playing in the background and just rolling around everywhere at high speeds AAAAAAAAAA this game is honestly just the perfect sonic game!!!!!

i think i already talked about this earlier but the new stages were super fun and actually challenging to S rank, unlike the main game. there were some i wasn't too fond of (like that one where sonic's speed as "gears"?? what was that lol) but overall they were a joy to replay over and over and try to bring my time down. i think my favorites were definitely 4-A (with the rocket boosters and beehive-looking things) and 4-B (the one with the hologram tails and the falling platforms).

the music. GOD how does sega keep doing this!!! every single new character theme is just so on fucking point, but i gotta say amy wins this one as well: there's something just so hauntingly beautiful about her theme that just honestly fits the overall mood of the game. but honestly, all just so good. i neeeeed to get my hands on the ost, especially since i'm late to the party and realized that now they have a GORGEOUS BEAUTIFUL AMAZING remixed version of the windy and ripply (emerald coast 2) song AKA a song so dear and beloved and nostalgic to my heart that just thinking about it makes me want to cry tears of joy. like, running around the islands with that music playing in the background is just so freeing and beautiful and exciting that just makes you feel glad that you get to experience a sonic game like this.

oh shit got sidetracked talking about this game's overall out-of-this-world soundtrack again um um um what else. i mean, i really don't know what else to say except frontiers just knocked it out of the park and surpassed my expectations in every single way possible. as i was playing the game and would just be exploring the island and completing puzzles/paths, i'd just keep saying to myself "this game is fucking amazing" every once in a while. sega just fucking nailed the 3d sonic formula and any doubt i had about an open-world sonic game was just thrown out the window: i couldn't stop thinking about this being a MUCH larger, more fun, and more gorgeous version of running around mystic ruins than i could have ever imagined, and it's exactly the type of exploration freedom that i had been itching for in a sonic game.

and it goes without saying that sega bringing back amy, tails, and knuckles as playable characters was just soooo fucking good and refreshing to see, and my god did they do them justice. last time they were all playable was, what...sonic adventure?? really?? like, holy crap. sonic frontiers really was a love letter to 3d sonic games and ughhhh i just can't stop saying good things about it. EVERYONE NEEDS TO PLAY THIS GAME!!!

anyway!!! can't wait to see where the sonic 3d series is headed after this, but for now, time to wait for sonic superstars (holy shit that's soon!!!) since that looks fun as hell too, and that's me saying it as someone who prefers 3d sonic vs 2d sonic!

[kirstenonic05]

Glad to see we had the EXACT same thoughts abt the end. Lemme put a read more to not spoil anyone.

Edit: I also wrote. A lot. I was not expecting this. Sonic thoughts on brain...

It's so sad how the story was leading up to something so epic and then... It gets dissolved straight away! Sonic gets corrupted and then ten seconds later, nevermind! He's fine!

I'm hoping the DLC adds an End of the World type sequence to save Sonic from death (again) where we get to play as the side characters to save Sonic, this time adding Sage and Eggman. I feel like they should have made Ouranos Island an island where you have to play through as other characters and work towards bringing Sonic back, or something!

Or, or, you play as the corrupted Sonic and have to regain Sonic's memory tokens with the aid of the others. Something like that.

Then onto Rhea, which would be the final like you said! The Rhea island music gives me mega angst brainrot and it's one of my favourites from the soundtrack. Glad you appreciate it as much as I do!

The final boss made me really disappointed since it was by far the easiest boss as well! I would love to see them make a final level where Sonic traverses through corrupted Cyberspace levels like you said!!! They really should have gone more in with the corruption, it's just a shame so much got cut before the game came out! The End piloting Sonic would be heartbreaking to see. At least Hard Mode actually gets a bossfight...? Kind of.

You're right about Sage's sacrifice! I actually did start caring for her since I did all the sidequests before finishing (except two but for stupid reasons) and they sacrifice her! Heart-wrenching! And then she comes back. Huh? I kind of understand why, Sage is cool and it'd be great to see her back. And it might set up the next storyline. But this wouldn't be the first time a sentient, important android in Sonic would die! (See: Emerl)

Pinball minigame breaks our hearts and also broke speedrunning for ages until they figured out Pinball skip. I wish it had the SA1 mechanics and charm. Then I'd play the heck out of it. I had to redo it 3 times because there's so many stupid things that could happen out of your control. And why is there a random pinball machine in the middle of an ancient ruin??? Actually, the scene made me laugh, so it gets a pass. I guess it's to tie in with Sega's origins again. Can't have Sonic without pinball, huh?

Surprisingly enough, I found Sonic quite fast, but that might be because I'm used to much slower games. The momentum issue is a shame, but hopefully they'll touch it up with the next game! (Then maybe the dropdash would have more use)

Sonic's voice actor didn't change! It's still Roger Craig Smith. Just that he uses his Batman voice. Jk, but he made sure to deliver lines with a lower tone in order to fit the more serious tone of the game. I personally like it because OUCH OOF MY HEART but yeah it is kind of weird for Sonic of all people to sound like that XD

Photo mode will be in the DLC, don't worry! Thankfully they said DLC will be free!

Good stuff now! Titans? AMAZING, 10/10 DESIGNS. And their real story and how people used to pilot them and ugh. I love them. They're awesome. And their music? Bangers. I haven't liked a song this much in a while.

You're so right about how cinematic the shots are. Woo boy did they do well with the titan fights. And people are still figuring out new ways to beat them and new animations! Speaking of animations, I like how there are actual animations for whenever Super Sonic loses. Eg. Giganto eating him, or, my favourite, Sonic going too fast and crashing into the End. Good stuff.

I see why you like the Wyvern fight so much. It's amazing. Like flying over the island you just explored? Top stuff.

Supreme having the classic "Main theme is final boss theme" is so good! They hardly do that anymore for Sonic! Epic boss.

Island music is amazing! I can't wait for the jukebox to get added in the DLC so I can listen to Kronos Island 2-5 and Aries Island 1-3 on loop again. It's a shame that at the moment you can't go back, but whatever, it's on Spotify :)

Somehow Aries Island Mvt. 1 has become one of my favourite songs in the game??? Even though I listened to Mvt. 2 when it was teased and because it sounds like Dusty Desert from '06??? The feeling of being alone in a new place and the sense of wonder hits home and I just love it to death.

Actually, I love a lot of the island themes! They're all so mystical. And how each one gets more and more intense and driving as you get closer to the final emerald is amazing. Tomoya Ohtani, the composer, said loneliness was a main drive, and oh boy can you hear it. I don't usually like sad-ish songs, but the sense of wonder, loss and loneliness... I can't describe it!

The Theme of the Starfall Islands amazes me because it's actually Kronos Island Mvt. 2-3 and it's main leitmotifs carry on throughout the movements. And then you go to Ouranos, and BAM! You get to hear the full song, with the orchestra and everything! The first time I heard it when it got leaked, I listened to it on loop. And then hearing it progressively build in-game was a feeling like none other.

I could gush about the music all day, but I'll shorten it by going on about my favourite song in the game:

Spider. Yes, you heard me right. Guardian: Spider. I love how the electronic parts are off beat, and off time, making it seem like a confusing, scary beast is headed towards you. Like, say, a spider. It puts you on edge, and the drum staying through to the beat of the song makes a clash that really messes with your head. The electronic instruments being all short and fast, kind of like how you'd imagine a spider to walk, amazes me. And again, it gives a creepy crawly type of feel!

And it turns out there's an extra phase in the Spotify version of the song that's not in the game that includes high-pitched arpeggios that really puts you on edge! And the other instruments drop out, leaving only the drums and the arpeggios. Then it goes back to the skitterish sound.

And then you get launched into the air and suddenly, BOOM! FULL ORCHESTRA! It reminds me of the Mega Death Egg Robot's theme from Sonic Forces. A confusing, disorienting song, that suddenly explodes into a coherent, strong, motivating one. Heroic, even. The first time I got launched into the air, my first reaction was utter amazement. ...To the point of missing half of the rings because I was too focused on the song, but still. This might be one of my favourite songs of all times now. I've been listening to it on loop help.

Oh, and some of the songs take inspiration from older songs! Like Aries Island Mvt 2-3 being Dusty Desert, Cyberspace 4-2: Ephemeral being End of the World and something else, Rumble Rave (can't remember the number lol) being Arsenal Pyramid, etc. And as a person who listens to mainly Sonic music, it makes my heart flutter.

About Kronos Island 2 Electric Boogaloo, Ouranos Island, Rhea Island and Kronos Island were meant to be the same island! If you go out of bounds, they're all connected! You can go from Gigantos' arena straight to Ouranos, if I recall! Again, there was a lot of cut content, and I'm kind of glad they split this island into three.

Dynamic music is my blood. Oh my God. I love dynamic music SO MUCH. The first time I heard some of it I was amazed. I'm so glad new games are starting to normalise dynamic music! I haven't seen a game with dynamic music in so long! Apparently even the fish caught jingle changes with a new fish! (It's very tiny difference though, makes it sound different to the SA1 song lol)

Volcanic glass on Kaos Island? Sign me up. Oh, and random hotspring I'm 100% gonna spend all my time taking photos of? Also sign me up.

The island layout! You're right about how memorable they are! Even though Kaos Island is super hard to navigate, you still have an idea of where you're going!

Also about the maps, I actually spent most of my time going about and "collecting" more map pieces. It made exploration fun, as you always went "Ok, if I go into this void on the map there's got to be a sign somewhere around here." There really was no need to grind at all in the game! (Other than fishing. Which wasn't a grind. Just a whole lot of fun I spent most of my time doing instead of playing the game. Whoops.)

Light puzzle on Kronos was horrible for me. I didn't get it, and got through it by sheer luck! ...After 30 minutes. I uh. Still don't get it. And I can't wait to do it again on hard! /s My brain is not big enough for this.

It's funny, cause I found crane puzzle easy! I guess that shows all the different people who play this game, huh?

Why. Why was pinball 5mil points. I love SA1 pinball but. What. What is this. I could complain abt pinball all day I think.

Hacking minigame was fun. Those old arcade type bullet hell games are always fun :D

So about the slot machine. You can hit down on the D-Pad to play the slots. And the game doesn't tell you that, why??? There's so many tutorials, and that's not one of them??? I only found out after searching about it on IGN for reference for my fic. Like come on man. BUT. It's still such a fun mechanic. I often drop whatever I'm doing and go chase stars. Then it ends and I'm like. Oh. Why am I on the other side of the island?

Funny story! The first time I reached Ouranos, a starfall started as Sonic spawned in. I thought it was scripted, but no! It was just luck! I think about it sometimes. It was right after a starfall on Rhea as well, which was weird! It took me ages to realise it wasn't scripted.

And also the first time I went to Chaos Island I got a starfall! So both Chaos and Ouranos had me just running around like a headless chicken collecting stars and getting completely lost. 10/10 mechanic. Can't wait for photo mode. Again, stars are my aesthetic, so obviously I think about starfalls often. Very often. *Pushes away the crossover fic I'm writing related to the starfall I got on Ouranos*

Oh I didn't realise starfall could cause Guardians to spawn in the wrong places! That's really interesting actually.

Fishing. Let's just say it makes or breaks games for me. SA1 got me VERY very accustomed to fishing, since I used to also play Sega Bass Fishing and pretty much any fishing game I could get my hands on. Heck, I only play Final Fantasy XV on my sister's account to fish!

I'm a little sad they didn't bring back the SA1 mechanics, but it might be for the best since people didn't really like it much. This game's fishing reminds me of Minecraft, except more therapeutic! I like how as you progress the QTEs become more tight and harder to do. It's so calming, and seeing Sonic interact with really random things makes my day. I ended up buying all of Eggman's logs first then buying 2000 kocos. And then I bought more on a later date. And I had to sit there talking Elder Koco for a good hour. Whoops!

Fishing is amazing and it is totally broken as heck. I ended up with too much ATK/DEF for half the game and going "Whoops. FIshed too much." My main goal with each island was to find fishing so I could get fast travel early, but I totally ended up staying and going "Ok, one more fish" and then proceeding to get stuck in the endless loop of fishing. I love fishing.

Combat was good, yeah! Just buggy sometimes, but it worked pretty well! I agree about how to execute them though. I would constantly forget which attack was which and struggle to form coherent combos that weren't just homing attack > kick kick kick > cross slash. But still, good fun!

Platinuming the game was... Really easy??? I finished the game and went "Ok what do I have to do" and most of the stuff was done. Just 3 more stories, 2 more cyber space stages and talking to the Elder Koco for around an hour (too many kocos man...) then fishing and talking to the Hermit Koco. Then boom! Platinum. There were some VERY out of the way map parts though, and I had to use guides for them.

Speaking of guides, ball puzzles. I struggled more than expected? It took me ages to get the physics and I had to use a guide, only to realise I was doing it wrong the whole time. Probably just a me problem, but they give me nightmares.

And another me thing! There was one Ghost Guardian that had a weird track and I kept launching off of it. And then, the game glitched and I couldn't cyloop its pedastal! I laughed afterwards (and had to watch Sonic die... oof) but that was a major glitch I encountered!

Frontiers was, indeed, ALMOST perfect! A step in the right direction, though! I like where they're going, and with more touch ups the game could be even better! It's a lot of fun to play, and it was an amazing experience from start to end!

Unleashed is indeed a good game (I should finish it one day...), and I totally see how it's your favourite! For me, nothing will ever, EVER beat SA1. And that's thanks to bias 👍

I'm glad you're enjoying your time in the Sonic fandom! I used to also play Heroes with Ink, and I would go between Team Sonic and Chaotix, while Ink would take Dark and Rose. It was my first Sonic game, actually!

I'm so so so happy your love for Sonic has been rekindled! Thank you for being someone I can talk about Sonic with <3

Just finished Sonic Frontiers and. Yeah.

Even though it was likely unintentional, I want to thank you for violently dragging me back into the Sonic fandom <3

I would've passed on getting Frontiers and it's. It's pretty damn good. I have a lot of thoughts on it I'm still gonna let stew in my brain for a bit but it's probably like a 8.7/10 to me, which is like really high for me

You're welcome! Welcome back to the fandom, we have angst! XD

I can't wait to hear about what you thought of the game. Will you be replaying it on hard mode? I heard the final boss changes if you do

Great to hear you enjoyed! :D