Info about Sonic Frontiers: Official game description: Feature List ============ Digital Deluxe Edition ====================== About the Game ============== **Experience Sonic like never before!** --------------------------------------- Worlds are colliding in Sonic the Hedgehog’s newest high-speed adventure! In search of the missing Chaos emeralds, Sonic becomes stranded on an ancient island teeming with unusual creatures. Battle hordes of powerful enemies as you explore a breathtaking world of action, adventure, and mystery. Accelerate to new heights and experience the thrill of high-velocity, open-zone platforming freedom as you race across the five massive Starfall Islands. Jump into adventure, wield the power of the Ancients, and fight to stop these new mysterious foes. Welcome to the evolution of Sonic games! Please install “Adventurer's Treasure Box” and “Explorer's Treasure Box” before starting A NEW GAME. Please note that the contents will not be validated if it's installed AFTER COMPLETING THE TUTORIAL. Please ensure that the most recent patch is installed before installing DLC. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with the Explorer's Treasure Box, which contains useful items for your adventure: Amy's Memory Tokens, a Portal Gear, Chaos Emerald Vault Keys, Additional Gloves & Shoes for Sonic, and a Digital Art Book with a 25-track Digital Mini Soundtrack.** **Experience All-New Open Zone Platforming** Race across five massive overworld islands brimming with dense forests, overflowing waterfalls, and sizzling desert landscapes, each with their own unique action-platforming challenges and hidden secrets to uncover. **Unparalleled High-Speed Freedom** Adventure across the Starfall Islands and see what each has to offer at the speed only Sonic can deliver. Blaze a trail as you see fit and discover side quests, solve puzzles, scale enormous structures, go fishing, and encounter a friendly face or two along the way… **Challenge Yourself In Cyber Space** Discover portals scattered across the island and venture into Cyber Space levels through portals scattered across the islands featuring signature 3D platforming at Sonic speeds, packed with challenges to put your skills to the test. **Cyber-Powered Combat** The Starfall Islands are home to strange creatures Sonic has never encountered before. Use the all-new battle system and skill tree upgrades to fight strategically, combining moves such as dodges, parries, counters, combos, and the new Cyloop ability to take down mysterious foes and colossal titans. **A New Adventure Full of Mystery and Intrigue** Become Sonic and journey to uncover the mysteries of the remains of an ancient civilization plagued by robotic hordes. With nothing but a handful of questions and a disembodied voice to guide you, set out to save your friends and the enigmatic inhabitants of the Starfall Islands from a colossal, mechanized threat. This game may be updated over time, and have paid for and free additional content released for it. Please be aware that this may increase the minimum requirements for running the game above the specification stated below. Release date: Nov 7, 2022 Categories: Open-World Exploration, 3D Platformer, Action-Adventure, Character Progression, Boss Fights, High-Speed Gameplay, Puzzle Solving, Collectibles Feature scans: - Wiki: score 50; verdict: Poor User Experience; summary: The game suffers from significant issues related to complex mechanics, bugs, and insufficient instructional data. Users frequently need external guides to understand puzzles and progression, and there are notable problems with basic game functions and crashes. Additionally, there is a lack of adequate explanations within the game, leading to a frustrating user experience. - Proton/Linux: score 30; verdict: Minor Tweaks; summary: The game has some issues with specific versions of Proton, leading to crashes, but these can be resolved by switching Proton versions. Graphical glitches such as flickering and texture problems are also reported, requiring some tweaks. Overall, the game runs well on Linux with minor nitpicks. - Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of the game reveals significant technical barriers. Key issues include performance problems such as low frame rates and crashes, DRM and anti-cheat complications, compatibility and optimization challenges, user interface and control issues, and stability problems. These issues collectively contribute to a subpar user experience, requiring considerable tinkering and causing frustration among users. - Hardware Profile: - Summary: The game exhibits varied performance across different hardware cohorts, with lower VRAM systems experiencing more instability and higher VRAM systems suffering from frame rate limitations. - Sample size: 125 (3% coverage) - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based. - Windows <8GB VRAM (mixed, 80 reports): Performance varies widely, with some users reporting smooth gameplay while others experience significant lag and stuttering. - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (negative, 23 reports): Users report frustration with locked frame rates and inability to uncap FPS, leading to a poor gaming experience. - Caveats: 125 of 3777 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based. Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00 - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing only when it is significantly discounted. Multiple reviews mention that the game is worth buying at prices around $5 to $15. This indicates that the perceived value of the game is much lower than its current base price. The sentiment is that the game has its merits but is not worth the full price due to various issues such as repetition, bugs, and lack of polish. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 27.5h - Story completion: 15.0h - Session length: 1.0h - Endgame: 10.0h - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about the time it took players to complete the game or significant portions of it. These quotes are used to estimate the typical playtime hours for game completion, story completion, session length, and endgame content. The reasoning involves averaging and interpreting these statements to fit the schema requirements. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game initially presents friction with its tutorial system and controls, but once players customize Sonic's speed and maneuverability, the open-world exploration becomes enjoyable and addictive. - Stance: Fun then drops - Anchor: Customizing sonic's speed and maneuverability - Time to anchor: 1h 0m - Friction: Intrusive tutorial system; Difficult controls; Repetitive gameplay loop; Tedious fetch quests - Unlock drivers: Customizing Sonic's speed and maneuverability; Unlocking fast travel options - Conditions: Open-world exploration; Tuning Sonic's speed and maneuverability; Addictive nature of exploration - Player Archetypes: - Franchise Fan (sale) - Motivation: Nostalgia and franchise loyalty - Playstyle: Explorative and completionist - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Sonic fan; Franchise fan - Reference games: Sonic Unleashed; Sonic Adventure; Sonic Generations - Casual Explorer (sale) - Motivation: Enjoyment of open-world and action-adventure games - Playstyle: Casual and explorative - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Casual gamer; Open-world enthusiast - Reference games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Elden Ring - Critical Veteran (deep sale) - Motivation: High standards for the franchise - Playstyle: Critical and evaluative - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: deep sale - Labels: Sonic purist; Critical gamer - Reference games: Sonic Adventure 2; Sonic Colors - Nostalgic Newcomer (sale) - Motivation: Nostalgia and childhood memories - Playstyle: Explorative and nostalgic - Experience: newcomer - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Nostalgic gamer; Childhood fan - Reference games: Classic Sonic games; Sonic Adventure Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Open-world design praised (weight 0.53): The open-world structure of the game is highly appreciated by players. It is described as impressive, well-done, and encouraging exploration. The design allows for more freedom and showcases Sonic's speed effectively. - Boss fights are highly entertaining (weight 0.51): The boss fights are frequently mentioned as fun, entertaining, and epic. Players appreciate the variety, cinematic nature, and challenge of the boss battles. - Positive overall game experience (weight 0.48): Players generally find the game enjoyable and fun. It is often described as a good or great game with enjoyable gameplay and beautiful visuals. - Outstanding soundtrack and music (weight 0.41): The game's music, especially during boss fights, is praised as amazing, magnificent, and phenomenal. The soundtrack is a significant highlight for many players. - Considered one of the best Sonic games (weight 0.33): Many players consider this game to be one of the best in the Sonic series, particularly praising it as a standout 3D Sonic game. - Highly customizable and fun gameplay (weight 0.32): The gameplay is noted for being fun, customizable, and flexible. Players enjoy the variety of activities and the freedom to explore. - Engaging and well-built story (weight 0.29): The story is described as cool, great, intriguing, and engaging. Players appreciate the depth and character development in the narrative. - Improved combat mechanics (weight 0.2): The combat system is highlighted as very good, varied, and fluid. Players appreciate the complexity and the variety of moves available to Sonic. Common complaints: - Poor controls and gameplay (weight 0.31): The game is criticized for its unwieldy and difficult controls, confusing gameplay, and poor design choices. The combat system is also noted as weak and repetitive. - Poorly designed cyberspace levels (weight 0.26): Cyberspace levels are criticized for being short, simple, repetitive, and poorly designed. They are also noted for reusing old assets and having control issues. - Tedious and empty open world (weight 0.22): The open-world gameplay is described as tedious, empty, and monotonous, with repetitive platforms and boring fetch quests. - Underdeveloped and flawed story (weight 0.17): The story is described as empty, short, and lacking emotional depth. It is also criticized for being simplistic and poorly delivered through drip-fed cutscenes. - Slow and boring gameplay (weight 0.15): The game is described as slow, boring, and mediocre, with gameplay that becomes tedious and repetitive over time. - Severe pop-in issues (weight 0.12): The game suffers from significant pop-in problems, which are visually distracting and pervasive throughout the game. - Game feels unfinished (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for feeling unfinished, incomplete, and soulless, with some areas feeling empty and a disappointing ending. - Short and poorly designed levels (weight 0.1): Levels are noted for being short, poorly designed, and frustrating, contributing to an overall negative gameplay experience. - Poor quality DLC (weight 0.1): The DLC is described as poorly made, of low quality, and not well thought out, making it not recommended. - Underwhelming final boss (weight 0.1): The final boss is criticized for being a let-down, unoriginal, and lackluster, contributing to a disappointing ending. - Frustrating platforming sections (weight 0.1): Platforming sections are criticized for being frustrating, difficult, and poorly designed, adding to the game's overall frustration. - Technical issues and flaws (weight 0.08): The game suffers from various technical defects, shortcomings, and unpolished aspects that detract from the overall experience. - Denuvo DRM issues (weight 0.08): The use of Denuvo DRM is criticized, with players noting issues and problems related to this anti-piracy measure. - Deficient graphics and visual design (weight 0.08): The game is criticized for its poor graphics, bad visual design, and overall graphic design issues. - High price for low quality (weight 0.08): The game is criticized for being overpriced relative to the quality and content it offers, making it not worth the price. - Repetitive boss battles (weight 0.08): Boss battles are noted for being repetitive and often devolve into button-mashing fests, adding to the game's repetitiveness. Gameplay feedback: - Open-world gameplay emphasis (weight 0.38): The game features a significant focus on open-world gameplay, including exploration, puzzles, and various activities. Players appreciate the large, interactive world with elements like collectibles and parkour sections. - Boss fights and unique mechanics (weight 0.21): The game includes numerous boss fights with unique mechanics and specific music. Players experience a variety of boss battles, including mini-bosses and giant enemies, which add strategic combat elements. - Customizable gameplay and controls (weight 0.17): The gameplay is noted for being fun and highly customizable, including customizable controls. However, some players criticize the controls as poor or needing improvement. - 2D and 3D platforming sections (weight 0.16): The game combines semi-2D stages and 3D platforming sections. Players enjoy the mix of side-scrolling and 3D phases, although some note the forced 2D sections. - High-speed action and platforming (weight 0.15): The game features high-speed platforming and action, combining open-world exploration with fast-paced movement. Players appreciate the sense of speed and action mechanics. - Character dialogues and interactions (weight 0.13): Character dialogues and interactions are highlighted, including character design and writing. Players appreciate the development and impact of character interactions on the story. - Cyberspace levels and design (weight 0.12): Cyberspace levels are a notable feature, though some are criticized for being copy-pasted from older games with poor physics and design. These levels include both 2D and 3D phases. - Combat system and difficulty (weight 0.11): The combat system is praised for being good, with hack n' slash elements. The game features adjustable difficulty, allowing players to balance the challenge to their preference. - Game modes and replayability (weight 0.08): The game is primarily a single-player experience with discussions on replayability and the potential for a multiplayer mode. Experimental gameplay elements are also mentioned. - Positive gameplay feedback (weight 0.07): Players consider the gameplay to be very good and potentially the best in 3D Sonic games. The fun of running around the world and the mostly 3D design with fewer forced 2D sections are highlighted. - Soundtrack and music (weight 0.06): The game's soundtrack is noted for its variety and quality. Players appreciate the music, including unique boss battle tracks. - Progression and skill systems (weight 0.06): The game features a leveling system and skill tree, allowing for player progression and customization. These systems add depth to the gameplay experience. - Memory token collection (weight 0.06): Collecting memory tokens is a time-consuming activity in the game. Players discuss the process and impact of gathering these tokens throughout the game. - Mini-games and challenges (weight 0.06): The game includes various mandatory mini-games and challenges. These activities provide additional gameplay variety and tasks for players. Performance notes: - Frame rate limitations (weight 0.18): The game is limited to 30fps and 60fps, which has been a point of contention among players. Some players find these limitations restrictive and impacting their gaming experience. - Object and texture pop-in (weight 0.15): There are numerous reports of object and texture pop-in issues, where objects and textures suddenly appear as the player moves through the game world. This issue is particularly noted with platforms and environmental elements. - Performance and lag issues (weight 0.14): Many players report experiencing lag, frame rate issues, and general performance problems. These issues seem to be widespread and affect the overall gameplay experience. - Bugs and glitches (weight 0.14): Players have encountered various bugs and glitches, ranging from visual issues to gameplay-affecting bugs. These issues can disrupt the gaming experience and cause frustration. - Poor optimization (weight 0.14): There are multiple reports indicating that the game is poorly optimized, leading to performance issues across different hardware configurations. This includes problems on both high-end and low-end systems. - Visual oddities and glitches (weight 0.11): Players have reported various visual oddities and glitches, including strange graphics and rendering issues. These visual problems can detract from the overall gaming experience. - Performance on older hardware (weight 0.08): Players with older or weaker hardware report performance issues, indicating that the game may not be well-optimized for lower-end systems. - Crashes and technical issues (weight 0.07): There are reports of game crashes, particularly after loading save files or following recent updates. These crashes can disrupt gameplay and cause frustration. - Draw distance issues (weight 0.06): There are complaints about the draw distance in the game, with players noting that objects and terrain do not render at a satisfactory distance, affecting visibility and gameplay. - Shadow and lighting issues (weight 0.06): Players have reported issues with shadows and lighting, including extremely dark or broken shadows and problems with water puddles rendering incorrectly. These issues affect the visual quality of the game. - Physics and clipping issues (weight 0.06): There are reports of physics glitches and clipping issues, where objects or characters behave unpredictably or pass through solid objects. These issues can make exploration and gameplay uncomfortable. - Mod recommendations for performance (weight 0.06): Some players recommend using mods to improve performance, especially on lower-end hardware. This suggests that the base game may not be well-optimized for all systems. - Denuvo performance impact (weight 0.05): Some players attribute performance issues to the presence of Denuvo, an anti-tamper technology. They claim that Denuvo negatively impacts the game's performance. - Frame drops in specific scenarios (weight 0.05): Frame drops are reported in various scenarios, such as during open-world gameplay or after character death. These frame drops can affect the smoothness of gameplay. - Black screen on startup (weight 0.05): Some players experience a black screen when starting the game, which can prevent them from playing altogether. This issue seems to be a significant technical problem. - Engine limitations for compatibility (weight 0.05): Players note that the engine's draw capabilities have been reduced, likely for compatibility with the Nintendo Switch. This has led to compromised performance and visual quality on other platforms. - Camera and control issues (weight 0.04): Some players have noted minor camera bugs and character control issues. These issues can affect the overall gameplay experience and make navigation more difficult. Recommendations: - Worth buying on sale (weight 0.26): Many reviews suggest purchasing the game during a sale or at a discounted price. It is often considered worth the price when discounted. - Highly recommended for Sonic fans (weight 0.22): The game is frequently recommended for Sonic fans, both new and old. It is seen as a must-have for those who enjoy the franchise. - Mixed recommendations for non-fans (weight 0.13): While some recommend the game even to non-Sonic fans, others suggest it might not be worth it for those who are not fans of the franchise. - Not recommended at full price (weight 0.12): Several reviews advise against buying the game at full price, suggesting it is better to wait for a sale. - Recommended for specific player types (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for fans of 3D platformers, those who enjoy platinum trophies, and players who prefer sandbox-like games. - Suggestions for gameplay improvements (weight 0.08): Players have suggestions for improving the game, such as adding more popular characters, removing Denuvo for older games, and hoping for a more polished sequel. - Mods and settings recommendations (weight 0.08): Players suggest using mods like HedgeModManager and Cinematic Luts for a better experience. Additionally, turning off certain options like 'slow down when jumping' is recommended. - Good entry point for new players (weight 0.07): The game is seen as a good starting point for new or returning players to the Sonic series. - Language and difficulty settings (weight 0.06): Recommendations include playing with English or Japanese voice acting and trying the game on difficult mode. - Alternative game suggestions (weight 0.04): Some reviews suggest trying other games in the series, such as Sonic Generations or Sonic Colors, instead. Other player notes: - Desire for water running (weight 0.03): Players expressed a desire to have the ability to run on water. - DLC mentioned (weight 0.02): Some reviews mentioned the DLC, but no specific details were provided. Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by a range of technical and design issues. These include always-on internet requirements, Denuvo DRM, lag, camera problems, and repetitive gameplay. Difficulty spikes, poor level design, and unskippable mini-games also contribute to the frustration. - Enjoyment (weight 0.18): Players enjoy the game's open-world exploration, engaging story, and fun gameplay mechanics. The soundtrack, boss fights, and cyber stages are particularly praised. Despite some flaws, the overall experience is enjoyable and addictive. - Disappointment (weight 0.16): Players feel disappointed due to the game's repetitive mechanics, lackluster story, and technical issues. The game's potential is seen as wasted, with comparisons to previous Sonic games highlighting a decline in quality. - Excitement (weight 0.1): Players are excited about the game's open-world design, engaging story, and epic boss fights. The soundtrack and high-speed gameplay also contribute to the excitement, making the game feel fresh and enjoyable. - Joy (weight 0.09): Players experience joy from the game's open-world exploration, engaging story, and fun gameplay mechanics. The soundtrack, boss fights, and overall atmosphere are particularly praised, making the game enjoyable and immersive. - Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players feel satisfied with the game's rewarding exploration, smooth gameplay, and enjoyable combat mechanics. The story and character development also contribute to a satisfying experience. - Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's inclusion of elements from previous Sonic games, nostalgic music tracks, and childhood memories associated with the character. These elements evoke a sense of fondness and nostalgia. - Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the effort put into the game by the development team, including the depth of character interactions, atmosphere, and soundtrack. The attempts to revitalize the Sonic franchise are also acknowledged and appreciated. - Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the game's open-world design, high-speed gameplay, and epic boss fights. The adrenaline rush and fresh elements contribute to the excitement. - Positive (weight 0.02): Players have a positive experience with the game's enjoyable rhythm, beautiful graphics, and large open world. Despite some flaws, the overall experience is fun and engaging. - Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's story, audio, soundtrack, and levels. The movement, combat, and visuals are particularly praised, making the game deeply enjoyable despite its problems. - Hope (weight 0.02): Players express hope for the future of the Sonic franchise, including improvements in the next game and potential for a better sequel. The current game is seen as a good starting point for future developments. - Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed with the game's terrible graphics, uninteresting enemies, and repetitive gameplay. Technical issues and difficulty problems on easy mode also contribute to the disappointment. - Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry about the game's poor controls, combat mechanics, and level design. The game being raw and unpolished, along with forced controller use on PC, adds to the frustration. - Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players are frustrated with the game's difficult platforming levels, repetitive guardians and bosses, and poorly tested sections. Forced 2-D sections also contribute to the frustration. - Negative (weight 0.01): Players have a negative experience with the game due to issues like ray tracing causing lag, control jank in boss battles, and the game becoming boring towards the end. These issues detract from the overall enjoyment. - Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused by the game's initial gameplay mechanics and some puzzles. The controls are also mentioned as being confusing, adding to the overall confusion. - Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the game's open-world design, graphics, story, and character development. The beauty and content of the game contribute to a positive impression. - Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the unexpected enjoyment of the game and the positive experience it provides. The Final Horizons expansion content also contributes to a pleasant surprise. - Enthusiasm (weight 0): Players have an enthusiastic overall experience with the game, finding it enjoyable and engaging despite some flaws. The positive aspects of the game contribute to this enthusiasm.}