Tails of Saturn | Sonic Frontiers @TailsOfSaturn | Uploaded November 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Steam version Running on an RX5700XT with i7-7700 CPU and 48GB RAM.
TLDR: Its really good
Gameplay
I have played through the first island (though not 100% yet) and so far I've had a blast all the way through. This is probably the best handling for any 3D sonic game so far. It has managed to combine the precise control of the adventure era games with the amazing sense of speed and power of the boost era games. The controls are further helped by allowing you to adjust speed and turning speed, and you can independently vary this for normal and boost running. I turned everything to max as I like twitchy gameplay and am very accustomed to SA1 and SA2 which demand a greater level of control from the player, but if that's proving difficult for you, turning down these settings can make the platforming easier. Its a great design decision that really broadens the scope for player satisfaction, and being able to do it on the fly means you can adjust to circumstances if needed as well (Turn down speed and increase turning speed if you need to do some precise platforming, or just turn everything to 11 if you want to have run around).
The open world areas are brilliantly designed, rewarding exploration, full of side quests to do and with plenty of collectables. A particular highlight for me was collecting the Kocos. If you stand still for a while, all the ones in your inventory will pop up and face sonic. As you run around them they will turn to face you. The Kocos are super cute, giving me stone Chao vibes, and being able to see how many you have collected is just fun. I had a blast just seeing how many I could get on screen at once.
I am pleased to say that Cyberspace levels are fun as well, playing more like traditional boost era games. Sonic does feel like he is up against more resistance as he runs in these stages, but it doesn't make sonic slow, rather it makes you work for that speed (whereas in previous iterations the boost just got you to max speed immediately, its a bit more limited here. I don't prefer either (Boost era were a lot of fun for giving you super power all the way), but this works really well in this game. It should be made clear that the cyberspace levels aren't the main bulk of the gameplay like you may expect in Adventure or unleashed, with the open world areas just being hubs. They are more like bonus levels and only last a few minutes each. They are fun, feel different to the main game, and comprise maybe 10% - 15% of gameplay.
The combat is also great. It adds just enough complexity to Sonics tried and tested homing attack formula, while not overcomplicating and still staying true to the feel of Sonic games from Adventure onwards. The big highlight though is the amazing boss battles. They are huge and invite you to scope them from afar to find the right approach to fighting them, whilst also affording the option to retreat if the battle isn't going well.10/10
Presentation
The game looks gorgeous. The landscapes are vast and beautifully drawn, colours are vibrant, you can see miles in the distance, reflective surfaces everywhere and everything runs smoothly. I'm playing on max settings at 4k (recoding with the AMD software at 1080p), and still seem to be getting a solid framerate. There is some detail pop in that is quite visible, but thats more or less required on a game this size and speed. It would have been nice to have a few more customisation options, even if my GPU couldn't handle it. Nevertheless, since my HW is quite old now, running at good FPS at max settings and res shows this is very well optimised. The soundtrack and sound effects are very nice as well. In combat, the sound of hitting the enemies gives a real feeling of force and adds to the enjoyment. Standard Sonic fare is here as well, with ring sounds, NPCs make cute noises in theme with the world, destroying boxes makes satisfying crashing noises, you can hear the crass rustle under sonics feet as he runs through it. Everything combines to make the world feel alive. The music is more sparse in the open zones, but what you get is wonderfully composed and helps immerse you in the experience. Sonics more rocky 3D era songs are still present as well, but only come in during cyberspace levels or boss fights, which helps in building spectacle for the player and, for me personally, improves my enjoyment.
Story
The story seems to be striking a balance, with a overall serious tone, but not devoid of cartoony elements to lighten the mood. I haven't progressed far enough to reach any conclusions, but what has been presented so far has been of a high standard. It is yet to be seen if this can beat the story in Unleashed.
Overall: A great game, I still have to finish it, but its certainly looking like one of the best Sonic games ever released. Strongly recommended.
Steam version Running on an RX5700XT with i7-7700 CPU and 48GB RAM.
TLDR: Its really good
Gameplay
I have played through the first island (though not 100% yet) and so far I've had a blast all the way through. This is probably the best handling for any 3D sonic game so far. It has managed to combine the precise control of the adventure era games with the amazing sense of speed and power of the boost era games. The controls are further helped by allowing you to adjust speed and turning speed, and you can independently vary this for normal and boost running. I turned everything to max as I like twitchy gameplay and am very accustomed to SA1 and SA2 which demand a greater level of control from the player, but if that's proving difficult for you, turning down these settings can make the platforming easier. Its a great design decision that really broadens the scope for player satisfaction, and being able to do it on the fly means you can adjust to circumstances if needed as well (Turn down speed and increase turning speed if you need to do some precise platforming, or just turn everything to 11 if you want to have run around).
The open world areas are brilliantly designed, rewarding exploration, full of side quests to do and with plenty of collectables. A particular highlight for me was collecting the Kocos. If you stand still for a while, all the ones in your inventory will pop up and face sonic. As you run around them they will turn to face you. The Kocos are super cute, giving me stone Chao vibes, and being able to see how many you have collected is just fun. I had a blast just seeing how many I could get on screen at once.
I am pleased to say that Cyberspace levels are fun as well, playing more like traditional boost era games. Sonic does feel like he is up against more resistance as he runs in these stages, but it doesn't make sonic slow, rather it makes you work for that speed (whereas in previous iterations the boost just got you to max speed immediately, its a bit more limited here. I don't prefer either (Boost era were a lot of fun for giving you super power all the way), but this works really well in this game. It should be made clear that the cyberspace levels aren't the main bulk of the gameplay like you may expect in Adventure or unleashed, with the open world areas just being hubs. They are more like bonus levels and only last a few minutes each. They are fun, feel different to the main game, and comprise maybe 10% - 15% of gameplay.
The combat is also great. It adds just enough complexity to Sonics tried and tested homing attack formula, while not overcomplicating and still staying true to the feel of Sonic games from Adventure onwards. The big highlight though is the amazing boss battles. They are huge and invite you to scope them from afar to find the right approach to fighting them, whilst also affording the option to retreat if the battle isn't going well.10/10
Presentation
The game looks gorgeous. The landscapes are vast and beautifully drawn, colours are vibrant, you can see miles in the distance, reflective surfaces everywhere and everything runs smoothly. I'm playing on max settings at 4k (recoding with the AMD software at 1080p), and still seem to be getting a solid framerate. There is some detail pop in that is quite visible, but thats more or less required on a game this size and speed. It would have been nice to have a few more customisation options, even if my GPU couldn't handle it. Nevertheless, since my HW is quite old now, running at good FPS at max settings and res shows this is very well optimised. The soundtrack and sound effects are very nice as well. In combat, the sound of hitting the enemies gives a real feeling of force and adds to the enjoyment. Standard Sonic fare is here as well, with ring sounds, NPCs make cute noises in theme with the world, destroying boxes makes satisfying crashing noises, you can hear the crass rustle under sonics feet as he runs through it. Everything combines to make the world feel alive. The music is more sparse in the open zones, but what you get is wonderfully composed and helps immerse you in the experience. Sonics more rocky 3D era songs are still present as well, but only come in during cyberspace levels or boss fights, which helps in building spectacle for the player and, for me personally, improves my enjoyment.
Story
The story seems to be striking a balance, with a overall serious tone, but not devoid of cartoony elements to lighten the mood. I haven't progressed far enough to reach any conclusions, but what has been presented so far has been of a high standard. It is yet to be seen if this can beat the story in Unleashed.
Overall: A great game, I still have to finish it, but its certainly looking like one of the best Sonic games ever released. Strongly recommended.
