When it comes to Sonic Team, the group that is tasked with making the next Sonic the Hedgehog titles for SEGA, they have a job that many would say is easy in theory, and yet they struggle with execution. Simply put, their job is to make the next great Sonic game–one that not only looks good, but plays well and pleases fans. If you’re struggling to remember the last time that happened in the franchise, you’re not alone. They’ve made a lot of big swings over the years, and both fans and critics have called them out for some of the things they’ve done. Sonic Frontiers might be the turning point for the franchise in modern times, but fans aren’t so sure based on what they’ve seen.
It didn’t help that when IGN dropped their first look at the game, it was poorly shown and apparently from a past build that has since been upgraded. Other looks at the game focused more on the world itself than how Sonic would move through it. Thankfully, a more recent trailer showcased that Sonic would be blasting through both a set of islands in true Sonic-style, as well as traversing through a place known as Cyberspace where he will get to partake in some very familiar levels.
That last part is where the latest debate on Sonic Frontiers begins. As fans realized, Sonic Team seemed to have taken previous Sonic levels and just dropped them into Cyberspace. Fans even pointed out the point-for-point remake of some of these levels and called it out as a bit lazy on Sonic Team’s part.
On the flip side though, some are defending it, stating that the reused levels aren’t unique to the franchise or to gaming as a whole. Furthermore, some players won’t have played those original levels before, and thus this will be their first experience with them. Others noted that we haven’t fully seen the levels in question, and thus there could be some changes, in the end, to make them unique.
It’s easy to see both sides of the equation on this one. Sonic the Hedgehog fans have been begging for a game that feels truly like the blue blur’s early days, but that doesn’t mean they want copy-and-paste recreations. Sonic Mania did have reused levels, but they put spins on them to make them their own.
If there is a grander scheme here for Sonic Frontiers, then it might make sense for the reuse–we simply do not know as of yet. Plus, Sonic Team might have a surprise or two in mind. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Source: ComicBook.com
