Fans who have been eagerly awaiting Sonic the Hedgehog’s return to the gaming world after his trips to the big screen don’t have long to wait now after the announcement thatSonic Frontiershas gone gold ahead of its multiplatform launch. After a lukewarm reception to the game’s debut trailer, interest in the title has been steadily growing as a series of new trailers and gameplay from aSonic Frontiersleakhave caused fans to take a second look at the title.
Sonic Team’s latest entry in the long-running franchise sees Sonic making the transition to an open world with gameplay elements inspired byBreath of the Wild. Despite being one of the granddaddies of the gaming world, theSonicfranchise has struggled for over a decade to regain the magic and fan support of the series’ early titles. While early 3DSonicgames, such as 1998’sSonic Adventure, have earned a special place in the hearts of many fans, later 3D entries, such as 2006’s critically pannedSonic the Hedgehog, have made many gamers wary of seeing Sonic leave his 2D roots. By introducing new features such as an improvedcombat system and skill trees inSonic Frontiers, Sonic Team is hoping to lure back gamers who may have felt burned by previous releases.
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In a post translated by the @SonicJPNews Twitter account,Sonic Frontiersdirector Morio Kishimoto announced that the game has gone gold ahead of its multiplatform launch in November. The translation of Kishimoto’s tweet states that hardware mastering is now complete and that five years of development has come to an end. The combination of recent gameplay reveals and the inclusion of the fan-favoriteSuper Sonic inSonic Frontiershas renewed interest in the title in recent weeks, though many fans remain wary after several lackluster entries in the series.
By incorporating feedback from previousSonicreleases and introducing new gameplay mechanics, Sonic Team is hoping thatSonic Frontierswill be a fresh start for the franchise. Whether fans will give Sonic another shot remains to be seen, but early gameplay impressions have painted a positive picture of the title so far. The addition of post-launch content, such as the recently announcedMonster Hunter DLC forSonic Frontiers, could prove to be a draw for some players, as well.
TheSonicfranchise has seen some dramatic highs and lows since first appearing 21 years ago, but Sonic’s die-hard fans have refused to give up on the character. By taking a new direction with the franchise,Sonic Frontierslooks set to shake things up yet again when it releases in November.
Sonic Frontierswill launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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