ROUND 2: Johnny vs. Sonic Frontiers

[@SomecallmeJohnny]

FoUnD YoU. Go to buyraycon.com/somecallmejohnny for 20% off your order, plus free shipping! Brought to you by Raycon.

[@tsyumamatsuthehavenofguard32]

...wut

[@flordelizhawk358]

I get that reference!

[@J-R_YT]

FaKeR!

[@Hey.This.Is.Stuart]

My left raycon earbud went out. Can’t in good faith recommend this.

[@LoliconSamalik]

.exe is lame

[@MrQueen8488]

This is the first Round 2 longer than the original VS video (by 7 whole seconds). We are witnessing history here folks

[@Driff97]

Between this video and Bikuribox12's review, Final Horizon sure does get people talking.

[@UltimateTomekHD]

I wonder how much longer the round 2 for Final Fantasy 14 is gonna be

[@zame-osomething5096]

​@Driff97 yeah almost every single review or video talking about it has been like an hour long I haven't even played the game and I've spent like a day of my life on sonic frontiers

[@mario7832]

Just wait until Round 2: Sonic 06

[@Linkmstr]

3:08 "A Maria and Gerald dynamic. Only they both have the gun pointed at YOU!" The edited image really got me. XD

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Yeah that along got a laugh out of me.

[@TheOldYoungOne]

Good bit did indeed get a chuckle from me

[@kingofsushi4822]

that bit made my day lmao

[@joey-jw3rj]

GUN Soldiers: Wait! That's Illegal!

[@TheUltimateRey]

Same lmao

[@bigounce4968]

Another 40 minutes of Sonic Frontiers?! I'M BACK IN THE FUCKING BUILDING AGAIN

[@RefreshingMirage]

OH MY GOD! I’M SO SICK! OH NO NOT AGAAAAAAAAAINNNNN!

[@TARDISES]

dootdoot dodododododododo dootdoot

[@RefreshingMirage]

YOU KNOW ME THE FIGHTING FREAK KNUCKLES! AND WE’RE PUMPKIN HILL! YOU READY?!

[@Eniggma39]

I miss my wife Tails

[@TheSnowQueen_369]

@@Eniggma39 I'll be back.

[@jubbalub]

2:20 According to Ian Flynn on BumbleKast, this was supposed to be an image of the Hidden Palace emerald shrine, not the S3K opening. Miscommunication issue.

[@Kingdom850]

how...in the motherfuck did they mess that up lmfao

[@arcane1012]

​@@Kingdom850sonic team IS still a Japanese company to my knowledge. Not every bit of translation is bound to hit right

[@Kingdom850]

@@arcane1012 They could have exchanged images if they misunderstood what the script said.

[@arcane1012]

@@Kingdom850 that's assuming they realized there was a misunderstanding tho

[@superbodoque7860]

​@@arcane1012I can just imagine Ian playing the full game on release and getting to that part realizing they fucked up lmao

[@Humblepie_WHAT]

I have to say With you giving yourself more time to write scripts, I felt a MAJOR boost in writing quality compared to other videos. It felt like you really got to go INTO elements and talk about them. There are more jokes and many made me actually giggle. Please keep this going. This was such an enjoyable video. Not to be a hater, but it DID feel (at least to me) like your more recent videos were quite...dull? When I heard you would write your scripts in one day, I thought "Yeah that explains it". I'm more than happy to wait a bit longer if it means we get more stuff like this. Thanks Johnny!

[@SomecallmeJohnny]

Thank you, I'm glad the effort is showing.

[@King_Luigi]

Now if he could _just_ make an oo. Make an 00. ...an o0. ...an O0! Just make an ∞!! ...there we go.

[@MrRobeStern64]

33:47 seeing Johnny rocking out to sleeping with sirens really made me smile cuz I’m a huge fan of that band

[@davidfc7136]

As another sleeping with sirens fan, it was pretty cool to see him jam out to Kellin's vocals.

[@Genesis-XE]

Another thing to note about the Final Horizon update is that the gameplay is 100% 3D with absolutely no 2D sections. The last we’ve had a fully 3D Sonic game was Sonic 06

[@LaymoSupraymo]

That makes me so happy

[@EthanMallonee]

There's technically one cannon section that's kinda 2D but yeah

[@Sonicfalcon16]

I didn't play all the stages yet but of what I played they've been 3D

[@jaretco6423]

That's not saying much though.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

@@jaretco6423that is saying much. that's 17 years.

[@fall688]

I've really loved these dlc waves. Kishimoto san (director of frontiers) was very kind and open to new ideas, even expressing his own interest in the adventure formula. My dude was so open and willing to listen to anyone when it came to ideas for sonic. That made me really happy and excited for many of his future sonic endeavors.

[@Monroah]

His general earnestness and the updates to Frontiers are legit enough to make me be just regular optimistic and not cautiously optimistic for the next game (and Shadow Generations). Man's heart seems to be in the right place and he and the team proved they can cook some fun levels with the DLC cyberspace stages. It's nice to be just generally hyped for new things and not be nervous anymore.

[@ThatTravGuy]

34:59 Timing your "Fuck out of here" with the backhand was 10/10 editing.

[@PKSparkxxDH]

I gotta say, if the journey to 100% Sonic was just running around with my favorite music playing, I'm loving that journey.

[@HeavenOnlyKnows2002]

5:34 It doesn’t help that most Sonic fans always change opinions on games every month. Hell we have fans saying Sonic Generations is mid now.

[@jenerossitea9247]

geez really? lol stuff like this is why i'm glad i'm not part of any fandoms 😅

[@TeltStory]

@@jenerossitea9247 yes sip that tea.

[@adsr5863]

9:41 To be fair, while getting 100% of ALL ranks and items is insane... I appreciate that there is some recognition for actually doing everything in the game. It's not as cool of a reward as SA2, but at least it's not a postcard at the end of the credits.

[@indecisiveponderer643]

it's really not that hard or troublesome to do everything in the game lmao. did it like twice as I was going through the islands. it's in no way comparable to 100% SA2, ShTH, SATBK

[@adsr5863]

As someone who has 100% SA2, Mario Sunshine, and Heroes multiple times, you are correct. Having to replay every level 5 times was terrible. At least Frontiers doesn't ask you to play the game multiple times to complete it@@indecisiveponderer643

[@SamProcrastinates]

Been waiting for this one! Time to pop some popcorn! 🍿

[@jeremiahbullfrog6293]

Wow what's up Sam.

[@nman551]

Sam!

[@christianred9730]

You don't have a verified mark? I thought you did. The more you know.

[@goku262002]

"Hey a new Johnny video!" >sees that its 41 minutes long "Welp, better get comfortable."

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

"Are you ready for Round 2?" Me: Hell Yes I am!

[@okuraorca]

When you mentioned you didn't complete the Cyberspace Challenge mode... Completing each challenge set with an overall A Rank unlocks the ability to use the Cyber Space Power Boost. It actually makes the Cyberspace levels a lot more fun and allows you to use it on all new playthroughs!

[@ketrub]

and when you combine it with the tighter S ranks on extreme difficulty, cyberspace becomes REALLY good

[@FlameGirlPlays-gq9xv]

Correction. You need S ranks, not A ranks

[@Zastier]

I think the towers in Final Horizon are some of the best 3D platforming we got in Sonic to date. Like there are some awkward bits there but it takes such good advantage of Sonic's moveset, once you get comfortable with it they are a lot of fun to go through.

[@BritBox777]

The first time I played FH it was hell. The second time I tackled it with the spindash and knowing the mechanics better, it was easy and more fun.

[@PathBeyondTheDark]

I think the platforming design was well executed in FH, maybe going as far as to say the best 3D Sonic has ever had. It's Sonic and the core mechanics to an extent that get in the way. While Sonic in general feels better then he has since before the boost era, with these very precision necessary challenges Sonic does still handle jankily enough that certain sections become frustrating. The camera also absolutely does not want to work with you during a lot of it.

[@ISAAC607]

It's a dice roll. For me it's some of the jankiest sonic platforming. Shit is so buggy.

[@sonicmastersword8080]

I like it. It is amongst the hardest platforming challenges I have performed in a 3D game and you had to earn your victory. That said, the controls definitely needed some fine tuning.

[@Club_Weeg]

The excerpt of Wyvern's theme chosen for the jamming session is also the PERFECT summation of the players feelings when you're fighting that fucker for the 50th time. If those boss themes weren't such jammers I don't fucking know HOW a vast majority of players would've endured that bullshit.

[@Skeleton20133]

I you're an edgelord loser because the boss themes are objectively dogshit.

[@Drflash55Official]

And then when you actually beat Knight, that works SO well.

[@kingluno4983]

“I hope they don’t fuck it up” me every time I hear about a new sonic game

[@Daryl42]

People have been saying this for like 25 years, more or less.

[@captainseg]

Seeing Johnny scream on his pillow was great.😂😂

[@DaBOOMKid]

23:16 Bro went so fast he turned into Star Platinum

[@jarmelatodyssechutminds126]

Jojo'd up!

[@tsyumamatsuthehavenofguard32]

MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDAAA

[@CeHee123]

This is still one of my favorite newer Sonic games despite its issues. I still need to get through the DLC but this game has started a very promising formula, which I hope they can expand on.

[@sonicsnobody]

Just get ready for the same hault Johnny got 32:03 here

[@felixdaniels37]

What other "newer" Sonic game are you even conparing it to? The extremely low bar that's Forces? Lost World, the game that came out over a decade ago? Dream Team, the game that's downright unavailable to most audiences? The legion of botched ports and rereleases? I don't mean to be antagonistic here, but saying it's the best "recent" Sonic game means less than nothing here.

[@best_mate456]

@@felixdaniels37 what ever the next game it is. I am expecting to be another open zone game with higher expectations.

[@SwordgunnerM92]

I am still happy that Tails, Amy, and Knuckles are finally playable in a 3D Sonic game since 06, but I hope they keep improving from Frontier's foundation from now on.

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

Tails and Knuckles always had their moments as extremely good playable characters... But Amy? They made her playable appearances go from "meh" to "this is the best playable character ever!" in my opinion. They really need to bring her Frontiers playstyle back in a future game.

[@azure361]

Sonic Boom: 🗿

[@blackietherock]

That's the idea!

[@jordandillow2417]

no they should not because I hate her!!!!!!😡

[@Mumu2k3]

​@@jordandillow2417 Nobody asked for your senseless whining! :D

[@SonBlackHeart22]

12:47 The thing you get for completing the Cyberspace challenge with all of the challenges in S rank is the power boost to use in Cyberspace at anytime. Also the the star bits you get from the star showers remind me of Saint Quartz from FGO ngl ^-^'.

[@RogueOmega]

Oh, so I'm not the only one who looked at those star bits and thought "Is that freakin' Saint Quartz!?"

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

saint quartz wishes it was as generous.... dat FGO RNG....

[@demsterclippy4252]

God i love that final boss rant. I'm all for well thought up yet passionate rants like that and it always makes me laugh or smile.

[@tannerprice2018]

Blue-eyed Sonic is the closest thing we’ll get to Sonic Kaio-Ken.

[@Future_Vantas]

Kaio-what?

[@galaxy_kitten95]

@@Future_Vantas Not a fan of Dragon Ball?

[@Crimcomet]

​@@galaxy_kitten95They made a TFS reference...

[@Yuli_Ban]

Believe it or not, in the game files, it's literally known as "Super Sonic 2" Not even joking, that's literally what the devs called it.

[@jaretco6423]

​@@galaxy_kitten95I thought it was an Yu-Gi-Oh reference when he said Blue-eyed.

[@Mentleif]

2:24 - 2:44 : This has been my opinion with all the references. So many complain, but I’m glad to see that this game is acknowledging itself as part of a series. For me, the references were a great way of tying together a bunch of the continuity and clarifying a lot of the somewhat ambiguous continuity. Do we need a bunch of references everywhere in every game? Not necessarily, but I feel that this game did a lot to sort of “clean up” the lore in a lot of regards and act as reassurance that continuity will be more of a concern going forward. The “Meta Era” of the series was pretty bad at having a lot of issues due characterization of a lot of characters not really carrying forward into it, especially with characters like Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails. Likewise the canonicity of Riders was debatable before Frontiers. TL;DR - References (and Tails Tube, really) helped a lot with cleaning up the mess that was the lore by the end of Forces. After getting a lot of badly written stories, it’s nice to see a care for continuity again

[@ThatOneCloudGuy]

"Sonic team has said they want to look forward not backward" > Looks at Sonic Generations being released again That sure aged well.

[@islandboy9381]

> Relies entirely on Shadow nostalgia instead of allowing his character to move on already It certainly has aged well, can't wait for the Silver expansion they'll add to the next nostalgia bait remaster

[@Sonario648]

xD I was about to say

[@SuperUnknownPerson]

23:22 great subtle edit use of the metal bar clang sfx there 😂

[@brandotoonie]

23:11 Literally sums up my experience with Action Chain. Love this

[@thabreez456]

I remember Johnny’s original review where he said that he would love the spin dash to be added cause then he can spin dash off of edges like SA1. I immediately thought of that When I saw what the spin dash can do from Sam’s Procrastination Station

[@kadosho02]

Someone from Sega or the Frontiers team were definitely taking notes

[@Stardust_V0Di0t]

Dawg I’m shocked that you haven’t been invited for the real time fan dub. Also love your vids. My fellow Puerto Rican king

[@Pixel_Rocket23]

"the stomp does the most damage" May i introduce you to the cross slash move? or as i call it, the health bar melter.

[@BlueThunderKeyKing776]

I'mma say this; Sonic Frontiers. Great game, not perfect. But, after Sonic Forces, i think we can all agree that a game like Frontiers is exactly what we needed.

[@thetrophygamer3606]

So pretty much unleashed after 06. Good foundation but needs improvement.

[@BlueThunderKeyKing776]

@@thetrophygamer3606 Precisely. So if the pattern persists, next game we'll probably get the fat trimmed a bit, and then the game after that will be absolutely beloved upon release.

[@bluudevil4483]

Um no we have spark and rascal

[@jaretco6423]

​@@thetrophygamer3606And than something like Frontiers 2 improved on everything to make it an near perfect gameplay style. Like Generations did from Unleashed.

[@Antonio-is2cn]

The update for Sonic Frontiers was really good!

[@naitsabes6222]

The mandatory Titian bosses that you have to beat under 400 rings: allow us to introduce ourselves

[@Genesis-XE]

@@naitsabes6222It’s better after they released a patch which made it easier

[@RefreshingMirage]

@@Genesis-XETry Extreme Difficulty then

[@atre5763]

Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhh….

[@Genesis-XE]

@@RefreshingMirage It’s very difficult, but still possible to complete

[@Jiggleslinky]

Loved the editing and energy in this one, thanks for the video.

[@Chconroy]

This felt like less of a Round 2 and more of a complete re-review at this point, not that I'm complaining.

[@atasker7432]

When I first started the Final Horizon update, when Eggman said, "Ugh. Please, no tedious speeches about the super power of teamwork." I was like, "WOW! Eggman knows how I felt when Sonic said that infamous quote in Heroes."

[@MrGameguyC]

*Pissed Sonic walks slowly*

[@tailsprowerfan2729]

Still better then the power of friendship line my God that was horrible

[@atasker7432]

@@tailsprowerfan2729 What "Power of Friendship" line?

[@tailsprowerfan2729]

@@atasker7432 form sonic forces

[@Brianycus]

Sonic Frontiers is the blueprint to Sonic Adventure 3. The question is: when will they ever make that god damn Adventure 3?

[@AYTM1200]

I'm glad you also realised they want to use this to make SA3 but 8 hope they don't just go ahead and call the next game SA3. They should call it SAX, SAGT or something. This team have never made an adventure game and calling it SA3 puts too big of a burden on them to produce greatness with one attempt.

[@jlev1028]

They did - 17 years ago.

[@-Gax-]

When you get the Spin Dash and understand the difference between normal dash, drop dash and spin dash and how to utilise them effectively, get good timing with the stomp and double jumps, this game feels phenomenal to control. The game is far from perfect, and I found a lot of the collectibles dull, but this game is easily the best feeling Sonic, once you get used to it. And the bonus adventure is how I wish the whole game was. Heart racing, precise. That is what I want in a Sonic game. High-level, skill-based platforming. I know it has moments where it's not very intuitive, and it frustrated some, but I didn't find that to be much of an issue. It's genuinely felt satisfying, at least for me.

[@KyrenDinh]

13:15 oof, they messed up the layers. you can see the shooting stars pass in front of the flowers

[@GhostGhosterson]

Man ive been waiting for this Round 2 for a while. Glad you followed up on it.

[@IJReviewss]

I think the biggest issue with Frontiers is how unintuitive certain manouvres are. Take the Supreme End for instance, where you have to dodge while attacking its head in order to target (and destroy) the cord, or during the second phase where the camera angle becomes more cinematic and you have to attack the head, dodge, AND THEN parry its arms (seriously, WHO ON EARTH is finding that out on a first run). The boss becomes really fun when you know what to do and can enjoy the cinematics as a result of that, but when you don't? The game simply doesn't do a good job of teaching you how certain mechanics work. If SEGA truly want the next game to be something EVERY demographic of gamer can enjoy, they have to make everything you can do in-game clear from the start, as well as fixing the numerous fundamental issues present with Frontiers. No more cut corners, and give developers the time they need to create something that can rival the likes of Breath Of The Wild and Mario Odyssey in terms of production values.

[@roiitzkovich4545]

The question is whether or not Sonic Team have the skill and brain to make such a game, and whether or not Sega is willing to support them. However, if the next game DOES turn out the way fans want it to, it HAS to sell well. If not, Sega will once again think that investing money in Sonic is a big waste and keep making rushed and low-budget games.

[@leon4000]

@@roiitzkovich4545 Another question is if Sega can let these guys push their limits and not get ahead of themselves. Because they certainly did somehow with Sonic Superstars in the state it was released. Super Mario Bros. Wonder still kicks that game in the rear. Sega has an ongoing issue with this kind of nonsense, and it has gotten in the way of Sonic Team and any other developer in charge of making a Sonic game. And I've been worried for the incoming Sega games like Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage(Bare Knuckle), Shinobi and any project in the works for this very reason.

[@SaiyanGamer95]

I remember seeing people ask how to perform a "Perfect Parry", due to such a thing not being needed beforehand. I think some people even thought it was a new addition added to the DLC, since, you know, you'd prepare to parry, but Sonic would still get hit.

[@gengargamer5657]

Finally! I’ve been waiting so long for the Peaktiers Round 2!

[@LazKoal]

Hey Johnny, just wanted to thank you for all your hard work. I’ve been watching your videos for nearly ten years now, and I must say you’ve always been my favorite game reviewer here on KZbin. Your reviews are so expertly written and you are to articulate your thoughts/feelings about a game better than any critic I’ve ever seen. You’re always my number one source for game recommendations and you’ve helped me discover some of my favorite games of all time. Thank you so much for all you do. I hope you’re feeling better.

[@Danominator]

Always ready to have a Round 2. Glad you're taking care of yourself Johnny. You come first and I will always watch a new video of yours when it comes out (I also rewatch them from time to time).

[@Shellshock39]

"Even if the games were shitty, Sonic fans will defend that shit in 10 years." I've been seeing some many people defending 06. Give it a few years, they'll start defending Rise of Lyric too.

[@theomnigamer9177]

If my opinion counts for anything, I didn’t play Sonic 06 until last month and I don’t understand why people make such a big fuss about it. It’s a meh game, nothing more, nothing less. At least for me. I played Colors 2 weeks ago because my friend said it was really good, but I just couldn’t stand it. A boost 3D Sonic where most of my time was 2D, I could beat levels in under 30 seconds, and there was slow moving platforming in during boost era. It’s the last time I ask what Sonic game is recommended.

[@veggsbacon1891]

06 is still not a good game, but at least there are stuff that show some effort, like the level design. And of course P-06 exists to show that the game (gameplay mostly) has good potential. Forces is just worse, and I kinda doubt that game can get the same yet strange treatment as 06. Rise of Lyric? Oh yeah, that game Sega screwed Little Red Button over it...

[@genyakozlov1316]

​@@veggsbacon1891 Forces is not as good as 06 but definitely better than Colours and Frontiers.

[@ceoofceos5219]

⁠@@genyakozlov1316 lmao slop eater spotted, thank god Sonic Team stopped listening to fans cause yall have horrendous taste

[@iateitguy903]

I never played RoL or Forces, but I remember '06 was fun for the wrong reasons. I had the patience to figure out the controls so I could get it to function properly, and once I could consistently do what I wanted I messed around with the buginess of it all. I will say it's objectively bad, but I still enjoyed it as a kid for VERY subjective reasons.

[@spsaofficalchannel]

Amy and Tails: FUCK THIS HURTS GOD WHY DOES THIS HURT SO BAD??? Knuckles: HAHAHA FUCK YOU DEATH!!!!

[@JacktheLightningRipper]

In order to get to the cord in Supreme’s neck in the final fight with The End, you have to use the in-combat Quick Dodge to circle around and then immediately attack the cord as the reticle locks onto it when you do this. This is primarily how you defeat any of the Ninja bots and you can also use this to go around Knight’s shield when it puts it up to ignore its shield surfing sequence and save time.

[@mintystingmoon4787]

I kind of forgot about the dodge entirely because combat in this game, especially for the trial stuff and super fights, feels like it trains you to parry more than anything.

[@anotherjon6997]

So here's the really interesting this about this. The game only tells you this for Supreme AFTER 100%ing the Final Horizon island challenges. 🙃

[@thetrophygamer3606]

@@anotherjon6997they lock knowing how to beat the boss behind 100%? Thats definitely a sonic team moment

[@LexStormA]

That's the thing, both times you're shown this in the base game is via an enemy shielding itself. That isn't the same with The End. You can damage it as much as you want, just that it will heal up pretty quickly. They could have just had the same shield effects on Ninja appear on The End whenever you attack it without removing the cord first, visually showing players what they have to do. However, they just create a scenario the player never encountered in the whole game for the final boss, hence the confusion. And that can be said about the rest of Final Horizon Not only are several new mechanics they've introduced not explained to the player, but remember that they're going off the ENTIRE part of the game up until that point being taught something else. No one's gonna purposely figure out you can one shot Spider+ and Tower+ by cylooping them enough times because that's not how any boss has worked in the game up until that point. They're not gonna know that Tank+ and Caterpillar+ are never going to stop attacking, and that you have to find openings within their attack patterns because every boss beforehand gives you clear openings In a way, it almost feels like FInal Horizon misguides the player by giving them challenges that doesn't build off of what they've learned on the way there, but rather deviates from them entirely

[@BritBox777]

First time I played FH this flat out didn't work. Took dozens of tries to beat, even when I knew the 'trick'. Second playthrough months later it worked every time and I killed him right away. I'm convinced they had to patch something.

[@keelanbarron928]

17:50 Well, that's why you change the settings so that Sonic isn't so slippery. 26:49 fun fact, the original glide turning was a reference to how the glide worked in the classic games. (Since there was a delay for it as well.) 35:44 hey! Dark sonic is cool.

[@Robbie_Haruna]

For the first thing, the problem with that is that some sliders are something you want set differently for exploration vs precise platforming, in particular the midair friction slider which makes exploring and going fast so much more enjoyable because it allows you to actually make good use out of momentum, but it makes ultra precise platforming a nightmare. Yes, you can change it any time, but it's annoying to keep doing. I'm also not sure that second one is a fun fact, seems more like an assumption and not even one that makes sense, because a slow turn in 2D isn't remotely as problematic as in 3D.

[@keelanbarron928]

​@Robbie_Haruna 1. I guess. 2. Compare the original glide from frontiers with the 2d glide in classic sonic games. It's very clearly what it's supposed to be. (But it's changed now so it doesn't really matter.)

[@red5158077]

Dark Sonic is cool! It left an impression.

[@Dreamcast2005]

Glad to see you back Johnny!!! Watching this video gave me a big ol smile. Can't what to see what you bring us for the rest of the year! Take care of yourself!!!😄

[@staticshock4239]

Let's go! If any game needed a round 2, it was this game.

[@BenVSA]

Damn, just came off a mini rewatch binge of your stuff and suddenly there’s a new one! I must use this power for good…

[@ShinRobjira]

Ohohooooo!!! A PEAK FRIDAY!! JOHNNY AND SONIC!!

[@sonicjboom6967]

This the start of a new age for this channel and im all for it!

[@joshuamarks4425]

Now then, with the dust settled, considering what we know about Sonic Frontiers' development, all I can say is that if they wish to continue things on this path, the best way forward is to learn from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and just do what they did and just keep improving on this same formula. That's exactly what RGG did with the Yakuza franchise with each and every installment to the point that they could easily push these games out regularly and they still felt fresh. Even when they made a change into another style of genre, it still felt natural enough and well-made to refine into an even better sequel that just came out to even more critical acclaim. That's what Sonic Team should take notes from imo.

[@lupinthenerd439]

I 100% agree. RGG has been making the same game for almost 20 years, and yet the games they make are still praised. The open zone style in frontiers has the same potential imho, and i think they can stick around for a long time. Adding stuff from those yakuza/LaD games will also improve the formula like substories or additiinal minigames. 'Open your hear' karaoke, anyone?

[@amphicyon4359]

Problem is that the more we learn about the development process and how Sonic Team/SEGA are struggling to see what separates industry leaders from Frontiers, the more it becomes clear that they don't have a good handle on what the appeal and success of Frontiers is about or what is needed to build on it. Call me pessimistic but every new piece of info I hear makes more think the next game will not be a smooth evolution of the formula but a haphazard attempt of many different ideas crammed in at once without the team size, budget, creativity experience crucially time to pull it off

[@zixxsaISreborn]

Been thinking about how I haven't seen a Jonny video in a while. And here we are lol. Thanks for the video Johnny life's been tough for me. Glad to see this in my feed today.

[@horaciosi]

Fans: "Can you give us an Adventure-style game, please?" Sonic Team: "Sorry, but we wanna move forward and not stay in the past. Anyways, here's Green Hill Zone!"

[@jamiewalsh3349]

Gotta love the spin dash in this game. I was one of those guys who thought we no longer needed the spin dash post Sonic Unleashed thanks to the boost, I was wrong.

[@Next0gen0]

This game really feels like Sonic Adventure 1. Janky with a bunch of a great ideas and potential, but still memorable. Now let's hope Frontier's 2 is this generations SA2. (please just make it frontier's 2 and not something weird...)

[@anacreon212]

I want them to stick with the frontiers style. Especially since the last few years it seems sonic team have just been basically throwing things at the wall to see what sticks for 3d sonic games. The good parts of the frontiers style is fucking amazing. They just need to stick with it and just refine it. The in depth customization for how stiff or slippery you want the characters to feels is great. The spin dash feels great just being able to launch your self or immediately drop your self to the ground to do an enhanced drop dash feels great. The Super sonic stuff feels great and is fucking badass. Amy, Tails and knuckles are very fun to play. I ended up actually loving how amy plays and she became my preferred play style.

[@zacharylandrum4789]

Another thing to note about The Supreme End boss fight is that if you have less than 100 Rings by the time you trigger the cutscene where it throws the giant black hole at Sonic... That's it, game over. Restart the fight all over again! How is anybody suppose to see that coming the first time, that feels so cheap. And since the boss can cut your max ring count upon each hit you take, giving you less time to beat the boss, this just feels like a fight that was designed to be hard just for the sake of being hard.

[@tripodranger7873]

I'm pretty sure that's exactly the case. One of the big criticisms of Frontiers shortly after release was about how easy it was, even on hard mode. To me, it seems that Sonic Team over-corrected in an attempt to address that criticism.

[@zacharylandrum4789]

@@tripodranger7873 My problem isn't the fact that they made the game harder, it's the fact that they went in such an extreme direction to make the game hard that it becomes incredibly unfun as a result.

[@tripodranger7873]

@@zacharylandrum4789That's what I'm saying. That's what "over-corrected" means. Making the game harder was the correct direction. But they went too far in that direction, thus they over-corrected.

[@BritBox777]

To be fair, I fought this dude several times over before seeing the "not enough rings" variant and losing. I think you have to actively try to be below 100 rings at that point.

[@jaretco6423]

Making the game harder doesn't always mean it'll be good. If there something that seems unfair, cheap, obnoxious or all the above, that's more of an frustrations. Not fair challenge. Which is an big problem.

[@firehedgehog1446]

Honestly I think the fans are the reason why Sonic Team thinks they need to reach this unrealistically high level of quality, cause we all know Sonic fans tend to have unrealistically high expectations, and Sonic Team is trying to meet those expectations which we all know is impossible

[@DariusRoman-p6x]

10:22 Getting some Super Mario Sunshine Blue Coin flashbacks I see 😂

[@garrettviewegh9028]

I personally loved how much focus Sonic and the cast got in their interactions. Really shows you not only, how their relationships have evolved and changed over the years, but it also shows how Sonic and his friends have become seasoned heroes. They’ve saved the world many, many times. Not only that, you feel they’ve become a found family. The conversations Sonic and the others have, it doesn’t feel forced. Even Eggman discovered his family in Sage. I hope we see Eggman, and his family again in a future game. A Sage and Metal duo boss fight with Sonic and Tails would be great!

[@pigu2632]

"BALLS BALLS BALLS BALLS BALLS BALLS BALLS" - Juan "SomecallmeJohnny" Ortiz

[@davidasilvaoliveira7781]

If you complete the new cyber space challenge you unlock Sonic's movements from the islands to the cyber space levels of the history

[@jubbalub]

That's correct, getting all S ranks in the cyber space challenge unlocks the Power Boost for cyber space, it makes you significantly faster

[@davidasilvaoliveira7781]

@@jubbalub exactly

[@yurathedigital7077]

If I remember in an interview the devs said super sonic was suppose to turn hyper in the supreme end battle but the higher ups made them scrap that idea

[@thegamerator10]

I have been waiting for this one. The Final Horizon was a blast.

[@ultrasonic4220]

I personally didn't care for the game or story as a Sonic fan myself, but I'm glad it succeeded. The amount of ambition and passion in this game is something I haven't felt in a Sonic game since Unleashed. Here's hoping the next game, takes this series to higher heights.

[@ataladin87]

Don't compare and insult Unleashed to Frontiers.

[@ultrasonic4220]

@@ataladin87 I wasn't insulting either game, Unleashed is my first Sonic game and is in my top 5, I was praising both for their ambition and passion.

[@Gaia_BentosZX5]

Ignore the Unleashed fanboy. He knows he'll never get a port of the opening cutscene.@@ultrasonic4220

[@okagron]

The ambition in Unleashed led to one of the worst playstyles in the series and it's the Werehog. Thankfully it was one of the few times Sega correctly learned when they just dropped it in the next game, because the Werehog is the complete antithesis of the series's core aspect.

[@ataladin87]

@@ultrasonic4220 except Unleashed is good in storytelling and execution, while Frontiers isn't. Not the same.

[@GlytchGames]

22:21 this isn’t really your fault, I’ve seen a lot of people do this. If you let the player get into a flow state and don’t actively stop them things like this happen all the time, if they put more time or thought into this they could’ve scripted it so the way down only appears after triggering the cutscene It wouldn’t have been hard, the button trigger script already exists, just tie it to the “hold X” trigger for the cutscene :|

[@Aberyyyy]

I guess you could say Johnny was trying to put the raycon earbud in Sonic's Front-Ear.

[@jonhikarizx3631]

33:41 - This is what I'M HERE for. Reaching far across these new FRONTIERS!

[@bandicootsauce4569]

"Oh, my God, now I've got a SWEET RAVE in the background!" Lmfao!

[@nman551]

I really loved frontiers I know it had flaws, but the ending of final horizon had me in tears. I hope the next game builds on his open zone type formula. You do not need to reinvent the wheel sonic team this formula has so much promise!

[@mikeAustinstonecold]

the soundtrack of sonic frontiers is amazing especially big the cat fishing LO - FI bgm

[@iateitguy903]

10:25 SO glad to see I wasn't the only one who had Planet Wisp on full blast as I was running around once I got it. It was honestly my favorite Colors soundtrack and I think it fits really well for the exploration when you don't feel like using the default music.

[@flashthemonkey6032]

If you don’t wanna spend your time only unlocking the Tornado 2 as soon as possible… the wrench cycle attack bounces Tails up on contact, and his flight duration resets! Keep creating wrench platforms and fly infinitely!… Obviously it’s slower than the Tornado, but it’s easier to handle!

[@MarcoCaifan87]

Ah, I was thinking just yesterday “I haven’t seen Johnny post in a while.” Glad to see you back!

[@CompleteProducer84]

Was literally just thinking “I haven’t seen a vid from Johnny in awhile, I wonder if he’s still posting”. What are the odds that you just posted this 11 minutes ago 😊

[@kaphizmey6229]

he was struggling with some mental health issues as a result of running the channel, so he took a small break. the community showered him with praise after he talked about it in his past video (sonic dream team). i myself hope he’s learned to take a step back when needed and give himself time to breathe away from everything

[@CompleteProducer84]

@@kaphizmey6229 I see, thanks for the info as I had not known about this

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Honestly, it's not too hard or tedious collecting everything in this game. I actually had a lot of fun collecting everything. Which is a big plus considering how much of a chore 100%ing other Sonic games is.

[@bluefin844]

5:40 06 Apologists in shambles

[@BH-98]

Rise of Lyric will be 10 years later this year… Oh wait, there’s already apologists for the game, just watch the commentary on BrainScratch

[@CJBooks4]

I initially turned off notifications for your videos Johnny due to spending increasingly less time online, but then I watch this and am reminded of why I still watch your videos (roughly) 11 years later, so I turned on all notifications again😄💖

[@BoxoSpoons]

Not to be too much of a doomer about things, but I’m going to be honest, unfortunately Final Horizon kind of got rid of a lot of the good will for the next Sonic game that Frontiers gave me. Not that Frontiers didn’t still have a lot of Sonic Team’s bad habits and issues that it had no excuse for having (there is literally no excuse for a developer specializing in platformers to not be able to make 2d platforming not feel bad), but for me Final Horizon just felt like it was emphasizing all of Frontiers’ biggest problems on top of adding a bunch of new ones. Like, completely, COMPLETELY seriously it felt like the entire thing was never even playtested. I’m just hoping Sonic Team will see FH as proof they need to build a much stronger mechanical foundation for the next game, and that it isn’t just what happens when Sonic team tries to tackle something more mechanically complex than a boost game.

[@jjtails]

Going for 100% in Sonic Frontiers felt like 100% in Sunshine but at least Frontiers gives you an award

[@jaretco6423]

It's also not as cheap and other BS moments.

[@LaymoSupraymo]

It’s way better than in sunshine because you actually have a spin dash that lets you break the game in the most fun way possible. ;))

[@KingCasual1986]

7:01 I see Giganto used your Raycon discount code Johnny!

[@Cool750Boy]

Glad to see you back and doing better, Johnny. Always look forward to your videos. Just know you always bring a smile to my face.

[@DomoSama13]

This game was truly one of my favorites of recent Sonic Titles, who would of thought we'd have a final boss that would top SA2 Battle!?

[@DomoSama13]

@@jaretco6423 Trust me, HYPE doesn't even describe it.

[@BritBox777]

So crazy that Johnny would be so soured on this game in a second playthrough while I gave it a second go and found it markedly more fun than the first time. The very definition of a mixed game I guess.

[@realbobsaget]

I really loved the atmosphere of the 4th island and spent a ton of time exploring it. There's no rings or springs or rails except for the on towers, and there's loads of neat ancient ruins far out of the way that serve no purpose and have no context. The towers go insanely high up, giving a great aerial view of both Rhea and Kronos islands. Roaming around and searching for hidden secrets or new ruins not for collectables or whatever, just to see what's out there, gave me serious Shadow of the Colossus vibes. I love how you can see the underwater ruins from like right at the beginning of the game, so I was expecting like some big boss fight to take place there or something but when I finally got there and discovered that it was a place in total ruin with nothing remaining along with the rest of the entire island it gave me goosebumps, real nice environmental storytelling. Fantastic music there too.

[@spinceiling7442]

Yes Rhea Island is incredible and the music is insane. It's genuinely the highlight of the base game for me

[@SwannyTheMike]

I was pleasantly surprised by Frontiers when I finally played it. It's still janky as all hell like every 3D Sonic, but it was the first time since about 2001 that I actually had fun playing a Sonic game without having to try and convince myself that I was having fun.

[@BlueBlur86CP]

Time for a Johnny video while riding back home. 🚌

[@indecisiveponderer643]

"I want a game that everyone loves" tbh I've always kinda hated that mindset. it always feels like all fans are really looking for is a "perfect" game. not necessarily one they'd find special to them. like why can't most of us appreciate the things some of these games do instead of jumping to harp on them bc they apparently aren't perfect

[@tetermc]

I get that but Sonic actually deserves a phenomenal, 10 out of 10 game for once. Seemingly every game there are good aspects and atrocious aspects. It would be nice if there was only good stuff for a change. "Not perfect" is a really sugar coated way to say this game is terrible in a lot of ways. Hell, most ways.

[@indecisiveponderer643]

@@tetermc By that line of thinking something like Dream Team might as well be the "perfect" game y'all are looking for. would a game like that which lacks the substance, innovation, and ridiculously high highs of most mainline games really be more satisfying to you???

[@brandontherabboat4850]

I’m gonna be real with you, as soon as I got to playing the DLC and realized that I had to go through the trouble of uncovering the entire map all over again, I got too demotivated to pick up Frontiers again. I knew there were awesome moments in store from me, but the act of actually getting to them felt like busywork instead of exploring a strange new land.

[@cloudshines812]

Wow… another Round 2 Johnny vid. Think the last time I saw one of these was the Sonic Colours one WAYYY back in 2021. A 3 year wait well worth it John ❤

[@deaglehawkings2543]

I feel like there's never a middle ground when it comes to Frontiers, people either think it's one of the best Sonic games ever or a disappointing mess, but good dlc or not you get all this extra content for free and I can't complain much about it

[@CrossOutBryce]

5:14 Sonic Team is so focused on this because that was the mandate they were given by Sega. Sega basically told them if Frontiers wasn't a AAA unique banger, then they were DONE for GOOD.

[@shadowedfate151]

"I know I'm supposed to hit the tube on his head... The game won't FUCKING LET ME" My words exactly

[@YakkoWarnerTower]

I play Sonic Frontiers once in a good while even though I haven't played a Sonic game in years.