Sonic Frontiers: The Problem with Hype

Well, it's been a long 5 year wait but the Newest Sonic Game has finally released; Sonic Frontiers! Is SEGA and Sonic Team finally learning from their mistakes? Let's find out with Sonic Frontiers: The Problem with Hype.
🙌 / lsmark_​​
😃 / lsmark​​
#sonicthehedgehog ​​ #sonicfrontiers #review
0:00 Intro to Frontiers
2:31 The Build-Up to Frontiers
5:38 The Story of Frontiers
22:20 The Gameplay of Frontiers
45:08 The Graphics and Music of Frontiers
48:12 The Response to Frontiers
53:00 Conclusion to Frontiers
The Forgotten Fairly OddParents Crossover - • The Forgotten Fairly O...
Remember Game Grumps AWFUL KZbin Red Show - • Remember Game Grumps A...
Thumbnail Art - / veronicandjelly
Edited By - / @simplydad

[@LSMark]

What'd you think of Sonic Frontiers, is it the game you waited 5 years for 🤔

[@DarcyWalker]

Main Channel Moment

[@Aggron_Ghost1221]

From how long I've played, its great!

[@sensinati]

It was all I’ve ever wanted in a sonic game, I loved it

[@vinniehatcher664]

I say yes

[@PenCatStudio]

Hey Ls mark! Quick suggestion, could you maybe review or talk about a pikmin game? Bye!

[@MorkedUP1]

This feels like a video your friend splash dash would make. It’s almost like your the same person.

[@theirishpotato6588]

Yas

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@ZekeorSomething]

I think there twins

[@grimes558]

hilarious and original

[@MorkedUP1]

@@grimes558 thanks bro 🙏

[@kgddrago3752]

I really like frontiers, it's just super fun to me to run around and do stuff. I'm excited to see what the future holds for sonic now for the first time in forever

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@tazinboor3913]

@LakehuntistCool😎 I’ve seen you before on another ls mark video I believe.

[@oyssor]

i agree

[@tazinboor3913]

@@oyssor that ls mark should rank dreamworks.

[@CosmicSpider69]

@LakehuntistCool😎 cool

[@thatoneguyUknow]

Actually Ian wrote the original script for the game based on an outline given to him from the developers. The Japanese version is a translation of his work.

[@reikahakuryuu]

according to what I've read, apparently Ian's writing was so nuanced that the Japanese localizers had a hard time translating it.

[@shinodax7123]

@@reikahakuryuu That was a joke someone made on Twitter.

[@lucylu3342]

@@shinodax7123 Then what's the JP version like then?

[@JumpyKaput]

@@lucylu3342 the bee movie script

[@theophilecaceres5855]

Is it the same thing for the european versions?

[@shackslocatedinafghanistan6401]

That semi-rant about a lot of the fans and their sensitivity really re-enforces why I love your channel, Mark. You grew up with the internet in the same way I did and many others did, and you're able to see through all the bullshit and give a genuine take about almost anything. You're genuine, even when people don't want you to be.

[@chester9853]

I fucking hate you

[@DrawciaGleam02]

I think he did a video about the sonic fandom years ago....

[@satelliteprime]

@@DrawciaGleam02 .....and then..??

[@digimonlover1632]

@@satelliteprime Made a garbage video recently about only one side of the fandom. Much like Mark here.

[@gechotaris]

@@digimonlover1632 as a sonic fan, that “side” is the biggest side of the fans

[@misterzygarde6431]

Hoping we get to see its formula be improved upon. If it wasn't for Green Hill being reused in Frontiers, Forces, and Mania, I'd be so down for an open zone game set solely on South Island. Not only did Sonic 1 take place there but also 8-Bit Sonic 2, Sonic Chaos, and Sonic Blast, so alongside the zones of Sonic 1 and new zones, we'd be having some obscure zones get the spotlight. Also I think it'd be fun to see how the zones get connected. Also maybe the equivalent to Cyberspace could be set in the special stages like 3D Blast's Half-Pipe or anything from Sonic CD

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

man i can't wait to see all the fun predictions fans might make for a possible sonic frontiers 2, or whatever the next game could possibly be like... i hope that we get to see more spinoff titles as well!

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

how about angel island?

[@KillyRR]

I have a bad feeling because SonicTeam is known for their inconsitancy. It would be stupid to not improve this formula...but dont put in Edgy the Hedgy, Bat Boobs, Gunn or any of the cringe sh** that got introduced in SA2.

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

All of CDs zones deserve more love. Stardust speedway is more than a metal sonic race in the bad future.

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

@@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778 YES YES AND YEEES more of Little Planet would be appreciated!

[@KittyKatty999]

I think this sums it up perfectly: "You don't understand. A playable 7 is like a *PERFECT 10* to us Sonic fans!" -CircletoonsHD Our standards have been lowered to such an extreme extent, that Sonic Team making a decent game is treated like any other company making a Triple A Masterpiece.

[@YakubTheKid]

I'm glad that all of Frontiers problems are easily explainable and fixable, rather than fundamental and hard to change

[@tannerbruning868]

I can say I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit, maybe because I hadn’t been paying much attention to the buildup

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@ricoparadiso]

✝️ LORD JESUS DIED & ROSE AGAIN TO PAY THE DEBT OF UR SIN! ✅By Faith in the sacrifice God has made are we saved from the penalty of sin! 🔵Turn from your sin that leads to death & accept His Gift that leads to eternal Life! 💜We are all sinners that need God. No one can say they are perfect to be able to pay their debt of sin. This is why only God could pay the penalty for us, that is merciful Love!

[@azimochaa]

These replies are sending me 💀

[@tazinboor3913]

@@azimochaaThey’re sending you d e a d?

[@pizus4823]

"From *my buddy* Splashdash's videos, it was apparent that *I* didn't hold much hope" never change mark

[@Advent-Axl]

Crazy that I read this as he was saying it while scrolling through the comments

[@drakenastee]

I'm honestly proud of Sonic Team for actually trying this time to do something new and actually have some sort of structure for it's future, it's by far not perfect but its a start which i can appreciate. I personally loved the story, voice acting and the writing Ian did rewriting Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Eggman and especially Tails was honestly great, but I gotta say my favourite character in this was definitely Sage she really was a red herring that I didn't know I wanted but got, the idea of making her seem like a villain but ultimately was just there observing and getting in the way at times made sense, yeah the whole "your doomed and I could tell you but I won't" thing might of upset some but my thought was: She's a AI brought to life where numbers and calculations make sense to her, so her natural reaction to Sonic made sense "I don't know you and I have data recorded from Eggman who hates you so by definition I do too". The parent thing with Eggman honestly made me happy to see that he too has become more light hearted in a different way, he's still evil sure but the dynamic with Sage (if you got the memos and took in how she felt as well) really made it feel genuine and that he had something he truly loved which we never really saw that side of Eggman that wasn't in a comic so it really was a breath of air as well lack of the goofiness that he has been portrayed as. I know you weren't a fan Mark but the music honestly was the highlight to me and having that rock in between bosses to me made the fights so much fun and gave it a lift as we only see that in end battles , having that with each fight gave it so much strength and power it really was a treat plus they all were great, i will say i was shocked to see Nathan Sharp aka Natewantstobattle have his own official song in this that's honestly really good. Overall outside of the flaws mentioned by Mark I personally think this is a great step in the right direction for Sonic, it is far from perfect but considering the travesty of Forces and Colours Remake i think this was far from the worst so yeah i think a solid 7.5 out of 10 is fair, the issues of gameplay and mechanics will be a thing present but in the sense of a foundation for the series it's honestly the best thing needed.

[@drakenastee]

@@secoTheSonicFan It took them 5 years with a team of 60 people that’s not including the musicians and the music put into it, again it’s not perfect far from actually but the fact they put a lot of effort and energy into something they truly were passionate about to me says wonders, but again as I said before there are issues to be sure like it’s no secret or surprise, however for the sonic team to come back and make this after the backlash with both Forces and colours….it’s honestly not the worst and was still very enjoyable

[@elibonham4388]

I'm not proud of sonic team like why is this game so sloppy? 5 years!! And man the game nose dives after the 3rd world and that finale was dog shit. I'm so mad at the game right now honestly say what you want about forces but that game had a satisfying ending with great fitting music. This games final boss music was fitting for credits lmqo 🤣

[@Banana807]

@@elibonham4388 blame sega not sonic team

[@rhysburns5420]

I think this is a step in the right direction for sonic! Looks like open world is the right way to go for him

[@DrawciaGleam02]

Yeah, I heard 3D sonic just didn't work for the concept itself because Sonic's goal is speeding ahead as fast as you can.

[@PikaLink91]

Sure, but then how many games TILL we get there?

[@rhysburns5420]

@@PikaLink91 difficult to say but good things will come if we wait and if sonic team gets time to make good games

[@lProN00bl]

As another youtuber put it, Sonic Team isn't really entitled to a leisurely pace at this point in quality. Maybe if this came out 15 years ago would call it that.

[@RatchetClankFan112]

I love Sonic going open world

[@milliondoller06]

The way sonic was going over these years, you could say this game is breathe of fresh air. Not amazing, not horrible but okay hopefully they can keep continuing on this journey.

[@swoopsack3368]

Disagree its a amazing

[@Oceane1803]

I personally love Sage's development, she's my new favorite character and the fact that Eggman considers her his daughter also means so much for his development.

[@KenofLyoko4]

Ian Flynn didn’t write the English translation. Sonic Team knew of his comics and liked his take on the characters; they asked him to write the story and the team in Japan translated his script to cater to Japan

[@Vikumax]

Just a lil' clarification: The script was apparently written in English by Ian FIRST and then translated into Japanese this time around. Quite interesting. Also, while I agree tat the game does get a little too gun ho with referencing previous stuff, it does feel like that when you watch all of Sonic's quips in a compilation when in reality they are suppose to just pop out randomly in small doses as you run around...which is what I WOULD say if I managed to trigger ANY OF THEM. It doesn't seem to be me either, with the exception of a couple times I have yet to trigger most of these referential quips at all; I have no idea how the hell to even spawn them. Overall great video.

[@hiddenflare6169]

I feel this. I didn't get much expect Sonic commenting on locations and some story stuff on the last island. It feels like it didn't happen enough. I am not asking for Sonic to constantly talk, but it would be nice to hear him say something once in awhile outside of any cut scenes.

[@markcampbell8590]

Honestly your comment about how hyper sensitive the Sonic fanbase has gotten about criticism is completely on point. It's why I'm holding off on buying the game til a price drop especially cause I don't see it being worth $60.00 at the moment.

[@gebist8396]

Yep. Whenever i say I'm excited but also critical everyone gets offended

[@reddead__]

48:12 This part is amazing, I don't hate people who just want more Sonic or just want to do a deep review about the games but lately the discussion has becoming pretty annoying, I remember someone saying this word and it stuck with me "Constant positivity can lead to delusion Constant negativity leads to toxicity." I'm glad people are slowly opening up and saying that we should be ok with both sides of the coin.

[@kwahhh]

if anything, im glad that this game is letting people realize that roger craig smith is actually a fantastic voice actor

[@rejectscorner9939]

I mean him being Chris redfield proved it long ago

[@pond0479]

I would specify that he can be considered a fantastic Sonic now not a fantastic boom Sonic, if you catch my drift. This especially makes me happy considering we almost lost him as Sonic, he is almost left.

[@PepperMcLime]

For me, his acting chops have never been in question. I've always known he was a great actor. He's just a bad fit for Sonic, and Frontiers only really solidified that for me.

[@rynobehnke8289]

I mean people always know he is a good actor from his many other roles. This game really didn't do anything to change my mind about disliking his take on Sonic tho.

[@firdanharbima6997]

@@PepperMcLime it's total opposite for me I'm begging him to be sonic for a longer time now thx to frontier

[@NonbinaryFelineArtist]

I think this is a nice and well-balanced review. From what I've heard, the reviews of this game are either positive or negative with no in-between, and I think you've showed everybody that there is a middle ground. This is an honest review and I think we need more of this kind of stuff; it tackles the pros and the cons in a way that doesn't come off as spiteful or biased. You've successfully managed to bridge the two sides and I applaud you for that!

[@yutuberocks22]

I mean, most reviews I've seen of thos game give it like a 7 or 8 out of 10, with only a few outliers that give it a really low score. Seems pretty balanced to me.

[@soapbiter36577]

I feel like you didn't look at most of the major reviews then.

[@JuanPablo-su6vw]

Most that I have seen were that the game is fan or that it is complicated, only sonic

[@NoName......]

He was mostly shitting on the game though.

[@digimonlover1632]

You didn’t look at most reviews then.

[@carlwapper]

Sonic Frontiers looks pretty great. Some of the characters are more likable than in Forces, and that’s and example of character development right there. Though you can see loops, but still an okay game! Even the voice acting is awesome!

[@dachel683]

lol "loops"

[@onecell5674]

@LakehuntistCool😎 what a loser

[@morganrabideaux4288]

Just looking at the digital artbook for the game shows that they had the ambition to make it a grand AAA experience, but they we’re definitely held back by time and money. This is the best review I’ve seen for this game, it aligned with my thoughts perfectly. I hope Sonic Team takes reviews like this to heart and make a genuine effort to improve on the next game. I think everyone agrees when I say that we want nothing more than to see the blue rodent succeed.

[@danibster9798]

This makes me realize and puts into perspective just how big the gap is in main games is

[@TheLonelyGoomba]

I had ups and downs with the game. But ultimately I came away really liking it. I think ultimately they just need more variety in overworld objectives. And have the platforming integrated into the environment more. I mean really, pretty much every single aspect of the game could be improved but eh...still had a good time.

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

as many people say, it's an improvement from forces, and as well as forces, it leaves us wanting more, funnily enough even more potential that could be tapped onto that I'm sure they'll be focusing on. (and it's certainly a great direction they're moving towards with this franchise I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE)

[@unknownwill4th549]

Exactly my stance

[@n19ntendods]

I absolutely adore the voice acting. Everyone sounds fantastic! Especially Roger. When he’s given actually good writing and voice direction, he sounds phenomenal! 🦔💙🎧🎙 P.S. There’s gonna be a Frontiers Twitter Takeover on Monday! 😆😆😆😆

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@n19ntendods]

@@tazinboor3913 YES PLEASE!!!!

[@FormalFilmsProductions]

I agree. This is some fantastic voice acting

[@TheRibottoStudios]

I know people are saying Rogers' sounds really bland but I don't think so at all. That dialogue with him and Tails was one of the most genuinely moving moments in the entire franchise. Sonic's chuckle after Tails' "if that's okay with you." and telling him he can go his own way....GOD DAMN you can tell the VAs really put their all in that moment. Which is nice, because it's been way too long since these two had an actual brotherly moment in the games.

[@n19ntendods]

@@TheRibottoStudios Yeah.

[@Everik-ct6pg]

In my personal opinion, i believe this game is an 8/10, but i feel like frontiers could've been even better if Sonic team wasn't so microscopic. Sega definitely needs to hire more people to work on sonic team, 60 people is NOT enough to make an amazing triple A game, and I'm honestly impressed the game was so good (again, in my opinion) when it was made by such a small group of people. Hopefully Sega will notice the good reception the game's recieved (i don't get the mixed angle that mark went with at all, I've seen a lot more people praising the game) and beef up ST. 120-200 workers would be perfect.

[@bullsbulls3358]

I dont know why people are shitting on Mark opinion about frontiers, when what he said is 100% true, heck even your comment is an example of how Mark said Sonic fans will consume everything about sonic even if it is of the worst quality and will praise it over of what could be instead of what is Edit: Is genuinley amazing and concerning how the sonic fans can completely take things out of context and be extremely defensive about it. Apparently people thought i was saying the game is completely garbage, which i literally never said, and then proceeded to insult me, make fun of me, tell me that i am wrong and that i am a piece of sh´t etc. JEEZ Its funny how sonic fans being extremely defensive about the game proved my point LOL, thanks

[@Everik-ct6pg]

@@bullsbulls3358 but bro, i genuinely feel like it's an 8/10. Mark can feel whatever he wants about this game, i was just denying his statement that the overall reception was mixed. Again, I've seen a lot more people praising Frontiers. Even if their standards are low or whatever, that means the reception was mostly positive, not mixed.

[@bullsbulls3358]

@@Everik-ct6pg The reception IS mixed, the only ones that truly think this game is a 10/10 is, as always, the sonic fandom, heck i even read many reviews of the game and the only ones praising it were the ones that knew sonic since its beginnings or since unleashed, people that know every single reference the game throws to the player and know who are this characters and why they act like this because a normal person that doesnt know too much about sonic wont enjoy the gama as much as someone that know the full lore of sonic I even double checked metacritic to see Frontiers general public reviews and it went down from 9.5 to 8.7

[@mystics4935]

@@bullsbulls3358 Frontiers was never at 9.5 at metacritic, it was at 9.1 and 8.8 is still good? Its currently higher than GoW Ragnarok (even if I disagree) Idk why were trying to take peoples enjoyment away from games. Low standards or not, people enjoyed the game. The game sits at overwhelmingly positive at steam which means people feel like they spent money and thought it was worth it. Objective fact or not if the game is terrible, it seems that alot more people like the game than dislike it,not every game has to be an objective masterpiece, having flaws gives games character too

[@bluryder4186]

@@bullsbulls3358 "The reception isn't mixed, and I feel the game is an 8/10" "The perception IS TOTALLY MIXED YOU GUYS. IT'S ONLY 8.7 INSTEAD OF 9.5. Just like every other game without a positive reception!" Yeah, that makes sense.

[@waffleboi7487]

After finishing the game a couple hours before this video dropped I can confidently say that I liked Frontiers. It’s not perfect at all but overall I think it’s a good game. It feels weird to be excited about the future of this series but here we are

[@anothergamer112]

I had no idea what to expect when I got this game. Hell, the only reason I even bought it launch day was because of how positive first impressions were pre release. I play platformers for their controls, so to see them be as good as they are in this game is honestly a miracle. The best part of this game is actually ignoring story markers as much as possible and seeing what you can do with the controls based on your environments. Every Island feels like it's own playground, and it reminds me of those fan engine showcases that never go anywhere...in a good way. The story is surprisingly sincere, with how the characterization is better than ever and how the scope and stakes are appropriately "Sonic" if that makes sense. Also the soundtrack goes hard. Improvements? The pop in is gross. That needs addressing. Cyberspace controls are strange, especially at first. Why so slow on the ground? Also the combat is a bit shallow. I'm not expecting DMC or anything, but more incentive for combat is a must if they insist that Sonic throws hands now.

[@sethisevilone02]

It's a 7-10 definitely but the next game will be better

[@Sonicmid]

Sonic Frontiers 2 has a lot of potential to be honest. Also I hope there is a Time skip.

[@qumxlinger1081]

Holy shit it’s a complete circle and they’re not any the wiser

[@sethisevilone02]

@@qumxlinger1081 ?

[@ajjones6682]

@@qumxlinger1081 circle? the last few sonic games were bad lmao, frontiers is the best one in recent memory

[@_G.C]

My initial gripes were mostly the plain looking environments, but I think that's definitely bound to change in the future. I'm just hungry for more like mirage saloon, red mountain, steel harbor and seaside hill

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

i honestly just hope the success of frontiers encourages sega to actually rerelease their old sonic games that arent just from the genesis

[@DeadwingDork]

I actually really like some of the reused cyberspace level layouts. Playing through Green Forest and Sky Rail again is really neat! But taking originally unique and cool levels like those and throwing a generic Green Hill coat of paint over them is just... extremely lame, and makes me not want to see more of them. On top of that, if they're gonna reuse old themes, why JUST the first three levels from Generations? Even Forces had some decent original themes, could they not have just included some of those? Let alone Colors or Unleashed, or even just the rest of Generations. Those levels still look better in Generations than in either Forces or Frontiers, and that game was on the 360. At this point, a DLC idea I'd support would be to literally just add in new cyberspace level themes and let me interchange them, since they're completely interchangeable anyway. Remember when SA2 had Green Hill Zone as an unlockable and it was really special and cool and unique? Yeah. Yeah...

[@veggsbacon1891]

It feels like sonic team/sega forgot they have OTHER games that's not just Generations. There are some neat level themes from 3 Advance games, 2 Rush games, Secret Rings, I can go on. Generations was a good game, but holy crap, can they STOP reusing those assets?

[@DapperIndividual]

(This is before watching) To me, Sonic Frontiers is the best 7,5/10 I've ever played. It's a flawed experience I had a great time with. I'm excited about what the next stop is.

[@KodyTauros]

The mishmash level design idea you had for the cyberspace levels was exactly what I wanted, but knew we wouldn't get. Stellar video, Mark

[@Dharengo]

I think there’s just a difference between being critical and just being a negative Andy. I don’t understand why people are so afraid of being perceived as the latter when it’s pretty easy to distinguish between the two. I say this as someone who genuinely loved the experience merely based on the way I felt while playing it. A lot of stuff is janky but eh, minor inconvenience. Doesn’t mean that other people may not be held back more by this. The thing is, the stronger the negative words people use, the more people like me are made to feel like freaks for even finding the slightest bit of enjoyment in all this. Not that this is you. I’m just saying this is what gets people so defensive, not the criticism in and of itself.

[@MastaGambit]

People are afraid of being perceive as "pointlessly negative" because the people who would accuse them of that are biased AF and just want an easy way to bash on anyone who has an opinion that contradicts theirs. Sonic fans are some of the most infuriating individuals on planet earth to deal with

[@Dharengo]

@@MastaGambit No I'm not. I'm literally saying, just have your criticism. Be the one who doesn't enjoy it. Just don't try make me _not_ enjoy it. It's not that hard.

[@jangofett7593]

Imagine Sonic Frontiers but in a city where you can run around, grind on rails, wall-run, and do stuff like racing against cars instead of walking on panels. This is what I want to see in the next game. Oh and being able to free roam as Super Sonic could also be pretty cool. Putting that aside, the Sonic Frontiers we got was actually pretty good, I always wanted an open world Sonic game since I was a child and I think this formula could work pretty well in the future too.

[@kennydarmawan13]

19:40 For reference, in Kirby Star Allies, they do the same fan service stuff. Except the characters aren't mentioned, they APPEAR and are PLAYABLE. There's a difference. Even the past games are referenced via puzzle art. Also, Kirby's not as story-heavy, so it can't be tacked on when there's nothing to tack on.

[@LunaGirl196]

I will say that referencing its history a bunch in the Eggman memos fits perfectly to me. They’re an extra collectible for those really interested in the lore. So since they’re optional, them throwing in a bunch of references there feels like a treat being given to those that sought them out.

[@boomerangmonkey8263]

I think it would be neat if they maybe added more to the ruins. Like, make the outside of the ruins looks Stony and boring, and then when you go in, they're actually huge, themed places. It would answer the unasked question of "What would an ancient casino look like?"

[@four-en-tee]

For what its worth, Adventure 1 is also pretty rough around the edges. I'm sure once we get a sequel, it'll iron out a lot of this game's flaws. Overall though, this is a really cool direction for the series.

[@crealyguy]

Honestly I think the game looks great, will pick it up soon.

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@tazinboor3913]

@LakehuntistCool😎 please stop.

[@beanoptodon]

@@tazinboor3913 if you keep spamming it on comments I feel like he will not want to ever do it. It's annoying seeing your comment on everyone else's comment and completely breaking the topic. You're just as bad as the bot you're telling to stop.

[@tazinboor3913]

@@beanoptodon well yes but the difference is I stopped and my comments were spaced out while the other guy is a bot and I’m not.

[@MatTheGameGuy]

tbh they really needed another year or so to really dial in Sonic's physics as well as add just a little more detail into the open zones.

[@ArynBacklogDragon]

just a correction. Ian Flynn didn't write "the english translation" He wrote the original script and his work was what was translated. That said, I feel that, while not having the greatest Sonic story, Frontiers had 2 jobs: Salvage the characters from the 2010s by returning their characterization to what they were meant to be and move past the baggage from the meta era without pretending it never existed, and make Sonic's world feel connected and cohesive again. The game accomplished both of those with flying colors and is an excellent foundation for the future.

[@LycanMOON]

The general consensus is “alright,can have fun with it just wonder what this means for the future” Which is totally understandable,I’m just glad we got a game fabs could agree is good

[@thequinlanshow3326]

Imagine spending 100$+ on "the future" 😂

[@LycanMOON]

@@thequinlanshow3326 ok and? It's working with Pokémon and splatoon seems to be setting up their final for the future of the series

[@silveramyknux241]

20:48 This was more clarification for Sticks, as her being cannon was established in Runners, and a online comic for Sonic’s 25th anniversary. Just those two examples can easily be changed.

[@FloofPuppy]

Still not canon to me

[@philandermcfly6441]

Sonic is like a fast food chain; everyone knows it’s not the best quality out there but is still enjoyable from time to time

[@LegoEaterPeter]

Even with everything, I still can’t wait to pick this game up. It looks like it would be a pretty fun time

[@genyakozlov1316]

15:00 We don't really see Sonic get attached to Chip in Unleashed outside of optional collectable movies of them hanging out, but the ending expects for you to care about them being separated. If Unleashed has such good plot, how come there is NO STORY between the first two bosses and Eggmanland?

[@HumeAnn]

Fr the praise Unleashed gets is definitely coming from nostalgia

[@spinceiling7442]

Thank you. People suck off unleashed’s story so much and it’s some of the most milquetoast stuff in a sonic game. It genuinely confuses me

[@HumeAnn]

@@spinceiling7442 omfg yes finally someone with common sense. I'm so tired of sonic fans acting like unleashed was the best game ever made. Just heard someone say the graphics were better than frontiers, Like are these people actually delusional?

[@UltraDude212]

@@HumeAnn it’s still my absolute favorite sonic game of all time. One day I’ll emulate it to replay the story, but yeah I mean the story is great. I replayed it 3 years ago so my memory isn’t the best, but most of the main plot ties together. Sonic and chip conquer each continent/country together and it all builds up to the finale. Since my first time to the most recent time playing and watching videos of the game I always feel that connection between em. The art style is wonderful, graphics were great for the time and to me, still hold up. Frontiers does have pretty muddy textures, but overall the graphics are great, just the art style isn’t sonic. I can’t look at a realistic, more barren landscape and compare it to Jungle Joyride, then say frontiers looks better. Looks are about the whole image, not just the power of modern graphics. So yes nostalgia is a factor, but generally people know what they like.

[@Prime_Legend]

Holy shit finally fans with common sense. I swear people suck off unleashed WAY TOO MUCH, especially its story. Even Sonic heroes had more going for its story than unleashed. Unleashed story is painfully boring, it essentially just becomes restore emeralds simulator throughout and character interaction boil down to Chip's chocolate jokes. Plus unleashed is the start of useless meta era Tails. It doesn't even acknowledge sonic lore elements like GUN that much either and the light vs dark gaia concept is so plain,it just comes outta nowhere towards the end. But of course fans say "the tone of unleashed is perfect" because that's the only fucking element people think matters in writing.(apparently) Sonic and Elise>Sonic and Chip (Not shipping but when it comes to development)

[@n19ntendods]

I’ve been watching a playthrough of it and it looks pretty cool. The best story in a Sonic game, since Unleashed, IMO!

[@tazinboor3913]

*Ls mark rank every dreamworks movie please!*

[@n19ntendods]

@@tazinboor3913 YAS!

[@SonicAdventureEnjoyer]

Since Black knight*

[@Viewtifulyoshi]

I’ll probably pick up Frontiers in a couple of months, but your point at the end really resonated with me given my experiences with other fan bases. Social media is so rarely used for actual discussion. People seem content to create their social bubbles and it’s disheartening that fan expression and criticism is only accepted if people agree with it.

[@DuskLegend]

That’s consensus culture you’re noticing

[@roble8943]

"This can someday be great" can describe about 90% of all 3D Sonic games.

[@spiritx3608]

Never played the game but I like the storyline how Sage learns that the blue blur isn't the enemy which took a while to accept him as ally in the end she sacrificed herself to defeat the real enemy and during the cutscenes our blue hero was interacting with the cast it's a good game.

[@Parkerminty]

I’m always happy when Mark posts a video. But then I see the length

[@beanoptodon]

I had such a good time actually listening to Sonic, not only sounding older and having a less annoying inflection, but also not constantly cracking one-liners to the point that it overstays its welcome. Yes he makes some little comments but it's so in line with how you make a character like him. I loved it and I always wanted this kind of Sonic in a game.

[@MrLedhed123]

I think not considering the review in mind, Sonic frontiers with the whole automation in some set pieces to run around it. This game felt like it had it well in mind pretty well and not as automated as one would think. It definitely feels not very automated especially with the freedom you have running around jump into other platforms and the like. It felt needed in this game and I enjoyed that aspect very well.

[@crystalmaiden7791]

The message about Sonic fans being overzealous and coddling applies to Flynn too, where it seems like no one is allowed to criticize his writing. IDW only became " solid " AFTER Evan Stanley took over. Before that it was a zombie apocalypse in Sonic caused by Sonic being impossibly stupid and making Tails repair Metal Sonic, and an uncreative repetitive first arc before that. How is writing stellar if it uses 42 Bad Writing Tropes and has thousands of plot holes? And then he wrote Imposter Syndrome, also just caused by a character being impossibly stupid, where he didn't just have his minions unable to choose to betray him. KZbinrs need to stop calling his writing good without evidence, when it's just misinformation that leads to Hype Backlash. Also, you should read a comic's issues before calling it a mess just because you were told that. It's just common courtesy. The Ancients just sound like the Drakons from STC because the Emeralds aren't from Mobius originally, they were from another planet and used by aliens.

[@ike.0037]

"It's not like they're devoid of original and creative ideas". Well if sega and sonic team are gonna putt out sonic boom, forces, team sonic racing and frontiers then it's pretty safe to say that they are

[@JBoehmGames]

The long and short of my opinion was it's a good time, if not a bit flawed. It successfully kept me engaged through the entire experience with sidetracking me on the little side playgrounds, or with the next story beat. I've been a fan of the series for well over 20 years now so hearing Ian's callbacks were honestly really exciting for me and I didn't have that much problem with them (save for the beam weapon one, that was admittedly a bit much), and the plot beats were genuinely really interesting to me. However, as the general consensus seems to go, some physics are wonky and Cyberspace is far and away the worst part about the game. And the dropped the ball at the end HARD. But that's not going to ruin the other 15 hours of enjoyment I got out of the game, y'know? I enjoyed my time, and it was a good amount of it there to be enjoyed. I just wish it'd maybe had a bit more time in the oven or a larger set of hands working on it.

[@darkychao]

having a plot focusing on the relationship between Sonic and the rest of the core 4 is really what we've needed for a while and it's probably a smart idea if they want Frontiers to be a sort of soft reboot to their approach going forward.

[@whiteroach3]

While I haven't played the game yet, from all the gameplay that I've seen, I am definitely really happy with what I see. It looks really fun, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. My biggest worry with this game isn't with the game itself, but instead with what's going to come afterwards. It is known that Iizuka fought for SEGA to delay this game to the date we got, and honestly it's a freaking miracle this game came out this year and not last year (hell maybe even 2020). I can not imagine what the game would look like if it came out that early, that timeline has this game looking like yet another 06/Boom no doubt. Due to the massive Sonic game drought that preceded this game, I am worried that SEGA will do the same exact song and dance, forcing Sonic Team to rush out the next game just to fill their pockets. There's a chance that won't happen thanks to the success of the movies, but it feels extremely likely considering the lack of any other game content out there at the moment.

[@Yami_Soryu]

Frontiers is a good idea, but a bad execution... I feel very mixed on it

[@geekyspecter6896]

If the modding scene gets as crazy as Generations' did, I am definitely hyped for more than just whatever Sonic Team will have cooking up next :)

[@dedley0829]

Just want to add to the Egg Memo point with an example: Freedom Planet 2 has Time Capsules to collect that change the ending of the story depending on whether you get all of them or not. It recontextualizes the same ending with different scenes that give more insight to the characters it details about. Hell, there's even a secret boss from collecting them all, so it drives incentive to discover these capsules and get an alternate ending. The Egg Memos could've *literally* done the same thing; provide the daughter scene and the post credits scene *AFTER* you collect all the Egg Memos and understand the context of why Eggman cares for Sage so much. A change as minimal as cutting scenes until you do a certain thing is the bare minimum to make it at least mean something.

[@Owen-zm6sq]

i receive psychic damage whenever anyone refers to any metal as "screamo"

[@Handepsilon]

Despite personally liking this iteration a lot, I'd say yeah, I do agree with some of the points here. References were a bit on the nose and automations were a bit too rampant (especially in Chaos Island) The Emerald path for me is actually fun to traverse tho. I would say, yeah. Combat is a bit too easy even during the boss battles, especially if you got the power seed pretty high. I'm actually not sure why they made the parry not tied to any timing at the very least. Would've made it far more engaging I'd still say it has the most engaging Super Sonic fights to date tho

[@alucardakathebombasticbach2057]

I don’t know how intentional this is, but this has been my favorite analysis from Mark in a while. I love when he goes super in depth on one subject so he can properly express his opinions and they’re really interesting. Don’t get me wrong I love binging his 7 hour reviews, but after a while it just turns out as this sucks and this doesn’t. Awesome video

[@olii921]

48:22 oh how this aged like fine wine

[@BronzeFacade]

I think the best way I can put it is, this is 80% of a really good game. Sonic Team has outright said that the reason the last "2" islands are so rushed is because the first 3 took so much trial and error for the new direction. Not trying to DEFEND them per se, but if those first 3 islands gave me as good a time as they did, then I say there's nowhere to go but up now that a lot of the groundwork's been laid out.

[@Nekucloud]

Sadly that's the problem with fanbases. They refuse to listen to criticism about even the smallest error and then just decide to go straight to gaslighting. Maturity and respect is very few and far between. If people like this game that's perfectly fine for them, but it's a pretty shitty thing attack people who don't. Like many game franchises I think the most important thing is improvement and quality control. Is this the Sonic game worth 5 years sense Forces? Absolutely not.😤😬

[@Joshi_ForReal]

23:35 What Mission is this? Edit: Ok nvm I booted up Gens and it turns out it's "jump rush" "Act 2 Challenge 4"

[@Newhouse56]

As somebody who really enjoyed my time with the game, probably a lot more than you did tbf, this is the best analysis video on the game I’ve seen so far. Great job!

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

Lol, the reference stuff really stood out to me. It was cute hearing references to dark gia, and a lot of adventure. But there's a point where Ian needs to chill a little bit. He's clearly trying to show everything is canonical again, but you don't need to say EVERY little thing. I can gather by myself that these things exist now, it's fine. Leave some mystery... I also find it funny how he's trying so hard to make Sonamy canon too. I know he loves that ship, but it brings a huge whiplash when the games hardly ever acknowledges any sort of romance... Especially on Sonic's end.

[@HumeAnn]

And specially in Frontiers where it's literally nonexistent. With the way Amy's character was written, it looks like she's completely over her crush on Sonic

[@HumeAnn]

@Yukio I'd argue that it's still a friendship. In IDW, I never had a moment of 'they're in love" between them at all, just them being friends with sonic on the more introvert side and amy on the clingy side

[@andygoldwoods170]

I still see Sonic as ace, I just don't see how romance has any place in the games. it's just... Weird to me? He's acted in disgust not bashful towards her, so them suddenly becoming an item is just... It makes no sense. It feels forced too, but that's my opinion I guess.

[@sheacorduroy5565]

This is my favorite non-dark era Sonic game. I think what I appreciate most are a lot of the smaller details that they didn’t have to add, like how Sonic’s animations progressively get more tired, or how the loading screen icon changes the further into the game you are. It’s not perfect either. I still can’t get on board with Roger as sonic, there’s a lot of baffling decisions with some of the mechanics(of all the things to bring back from 06 you bring back the delayed homing attack), and I think, despite it being a 20 hour game, there’s not a ton of content. Seriously, why is Rhea island just a damn platforming challenge? Either get rid of it or add another character to save. It’s clear there was a lot of passion put into frontiers, which, I can appreciate given how lazy of a title Forces was.

[@OverlordAlastor]

Roger is just an older sonic. That's why he sounds so different

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

@@OverlordAlastor all the characters have to hit puberty (or whatever they go through) at certain points i'm curious to see how the next game will handle the voice directions for these characters

[@HumeAnn]

@@OverlordAlastor I don't know why characters growing up/aging is such an unacceptable thing to people, to me it shows the writers care about the characters

[@OverlordAlastor]

@@kaxcommentssomethingREAL i'm certain sonic, knuckles and amy have, but i cannot wait for tails to do so. I cant wait to see the little guy being a hero on his own with a kick ass voice

[@OverlordAlastor]

@@HumeAnn so true

[@dip.918]

The sheer heart this game exudes makes it so clear Sonic is having a resurgance

[@OOFMAJOR]

The fact that he predicted the free dlc

[@SsjkidsSaveCosmo08]

I kinda hate how hype everyone aways gets OMG ITS GONNA BE THE BEST THING EVER only for it to usually be mid

[@Anigeek1246]

Hype definitely was a factor in these mixed reviews. Just like in BoneLab, people hyped it too much, leading to large expectations from the fans and left disappointment when there were problems in the game.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

I guess the reason why the memos weren't implemented in the main story was to make happy those who do not want story in a Sonic game, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a new rule for Sonic games, you know, the same rules those applied stuff such as "Can't introduce new familiar characters to stablished characters (aka, Sonic parents in the comics will never happen in the games)" or "Sonic can't kiss humans (because... 06)", this new rule being "Can't introduce too much story and develop new relationships between characters over time in cinematics". So yeah, wouldn't be surprised if Ian Flynn wanted those memos to be used in cinematics rather than optional content.

[@Raph___A]

Listening to the bgm from reviews of this game makes me want to listen to the soundtrack while I draw, it sounds so relaxing and fun and overall good.

[@TheSunsetHero256]

In defense of Ian Flynn's writing: The man was given one chance to write a main entry in the Sonic Franchise. I didn't see all the past-game namedrops as fan pandering. I saw it as a man using his only opportunity to straighten the continuity of the franchise. Every name-drop is a game solidly locked-in to the overall timeline. You'll also notice, each "needless" namedrop was a different character from a different game. Maybe Flynn gets to write the next main Sonic game. I hope so. The ending perfectly leads into a fantastic potential Sonic Adventure 3. But that's assuming that Sega does the correct thing. That's always a huge ask.

[@behnamhassanpoor6793]

Yep i also didn't have any problems with reference and name drops if anything it kinda made me feel nostalgic even though i wasn't born in the 90s when sonic was created.

[@TheSunsetHero256]

I didn't see half the "pandering" voice lines in my playthrough. I think there's a setting that's off by default that plays those lines. Meaning this guy went out of his way to be annoyed by Ian Flynn's writing. Okay.

[@FloofPuppy]

I'd rather play through Sonic 06's story.

[@faker1888]

"Make it so you can play the entire campaign as tails amy and knuckles" DOES HE KNOW?

[@lasercraft32]

I wish they had chosen a more original name than "The Ancients." I feel like every game, movie, and tv show uses that name at one point or another. Its like the most cliché name you could ever think of.

[@TheEmckay]

SO i beat the game but when I hit continue after the final cinematic, the latest save available is right BEFORE I beat the game and grab the white emerald. Is this normal??

[@hnaw1360]

Idk, on the topic of the memo thing I believe that actually works in the games favor personally. Sure it is annoying you get it through a fishing minigame but at the same time, if someone DID get them all before finishing the game it adds a strong sense of sadness when it's shown how sad Eggman is over her sacrifice, not to mention the fact he's never really treated any of his creations like that before. But also if someone HASN'T done them then it gives much more of an incentive to actually play through the game and find all the information to discover WHY Eggman was so attached. It's not SEGA's fault if someone doesn't play through the game and discover all the information themselves, it almost feels like an extra reward to find out why Eggman was so attached to her by the end and why he had such a parental bond toward her.

[@HordikaNate3821]

Lookin forward to playin this game in a few days. Regardless of what mark thinks about it, I'm open to hearing what he has to say and I respect his opinion. I've heard it's pretty good

[@ducc1]

A few things Sonic Team needs to add to the game: Fix the pop in issue Allow us to replay bosses without starting a new game DLC costumes (Or whatever DLC they want, maybe different playable characters?) Hire a new Knuckles voice actor

[@the3dluxe53]

I think overall my assumptions about frontiers were correct. It’s a pretty good game with some big flaws but it’s got potential if this is the direction Sonic is going for the future. I think it managed to find a good sense of identity for the Sonic series in the 2020s which is something I can’t really say about 2010s Sonic games.

[@thelastwindwaker7948]

Cyberspace was the highlight for me. I can totally understand the controls not being great. The dreaded 1-2 required me to avoid using the quick step because of it. But there was just something so satisfying about the air dash, and how I could use it to skip over sections. It felt less restrictive than the controls of games like Colors and Generations. I'd still prefer Adventure 1 style platforming any day, but whatever. The open zone stuff was my biggest concern right out the gate and it's safe to say the baby puzzles mentioned confirmed it. What is with sandbox style games that just feel compelled to litter their boring, empty maps with this filler? And some of it is literally Korok Seed puzzles from BOTW. Following the flower, touching the flowers in order, and the pixie thing. I'm just sick of games that care more about the player's freedom and ability to express themselves than making a coherent game.

[@jamespearce1420]

48:22 Hehe, foreshadowing.😉

[@husaynimran8628]

Apparently Sonic Frontiers wasn't in development for 5 years, but whatever they were working on before was scrapped after I think a year or two, and then they made Frontiers.

[@zardthedragon1896]

the 3 map areas were fun but i personally wish they put more life into like saying that cyber space and reality were starting to mix so the first had green hill aesthetics, island 2 had sonic adventure aesthetic, and then island 3 could be lost world or unleashed or something. idk i think its just that those games had more personality in their environments while the islands felt so bland and empty. theres only so much you can do with forest, volcano, and desert.

[@djburrage7603]

This isn't an hour long video I'm furious

[@diegov1743]

I'm sorry but I have to say it I hate the "fans eating good" thing so much. It just promotes getting excited over quantity.

[@WeeAddy]

What I assumed about the name drops to almost all the games or characters, at random and not just when it suited, is that they REALLY tried to hammer home "everything is canon," but actually putting it into words at last. I imagine/hope going forward it's just the odd nod, and these namedrops are just to establish that literally everything is on the table. I appreciated it for that reason, and less for the fanservice of the references itself.

[@AJ-TV]

YOU DONT LIKE THE MUSIC???

[@Fighter_Builder]

I just finished the game myself and I loved it! It's definitely not perfect, but for what it's worth, I had a damn good time with it. I do feel like this style of Sonic has a lot of potential and I hope they continue to refine it in the next game. Also I really loved the writing here, and not just because of all the Adventure-to-Unleashed fan service... which I did appreciate but I hope they tone it down a smidge going forward; I don't want a repeat of classic sonic nostalgia getting driven into the ground.

[@The1upBlock]

Genuinely sad to hear the boss music didn't hype you up. No insult, just sorry to hear it LOL. I had the same feelings, though I'm a lot more forgiving. Breath of the Wild struck this cord of open word activities in me that now even as Sonic running around solving piss easy puzzles is still a vibe I can run with. I hope Sega doesn't pull a Sega and actually builds on this timid first attempt.

[@glassta]

every time mark pulls up sonic unleashed that same video of sonic being too fast for the camera plays and it gets me every time

[@Supermariorpg6]

I really really love this game, I'll give it an 8/10. It has its flaws but I feel it highs overshadowed it. lol Also fantastic video Mark! Tell SplashDash I said hi!

[@childOFtengu]

It's a lot better than what the demos and early trailers showcased. I'd argue better than what Unleashed and Forces presented, but the physics are not great (almost nonexistent at times due to a bug). But it is a much better game than I expected it to be. Definitely needs to improve, if they intend to do a new Sonic Adventure at some point.