Sonic's back, and this time in a new open-world action-platformer that aims to bring the franchise's design and mechanics into the modern era. From uncovering pieces of a map by activating waypoints to giant boss battles and classic mini-stages, the variety is strong in Sonic Frontiers.

But is any of it good.

Structurally, you could say that Sonic Frontiers is an open-world modern take on the formula first seen in the original 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog, and then in the Dreamcast’s Sonic Adventure. Even average games like Sonic Forces. There’s a map to uncover new regions by completing challenges at various waypoints, and there are plenty of roller-coaster-like structures and momentum opportunities to send Sonic racing from one point to another. There’s also a cartoon-like story too, but with one-note dialogue and equally bland voice work - the quality is a far cry from the recent films.

Sonic’s move list is long too, and there’s even a skill tree to unlock new abilities - but it’s not game-changing stuff. You can also increase Sonic’s power up to Level 99 by collecting components to trade in. At its core, it’s a very Sonic take on the pure 3D platformer that expands the size of the playspace to match the sheer speed at which Sonic can move around. And with that larger size comes more freedom to explore and tackle little bits and pieces in a non-linear way. That said, it’s still more Super Mario 64 than Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Our Full Sonic Frontiers Review