Sonic Frontiers releases tomorrow November 8th, a lot of people have already played the game and posted their early thoughts on social media due to getting the game before the official release date, however today at 6a.m. PT is when the official review embargo lifts and major media outlets, along with influencers, start to unleash the official review scores into the world. We will keep this post up-to-date with all the scores from highest to lowest along with a brief summary and a link to the original reviews as they come out, so if you want to read/watch a specific publication’s review, let us know in the comments if we missed it or stay tuned for an update!
- Shacknews 9/10: Not only does Sonic Frontiers succeed in introducing compelling open-world elements, it also serves as one of the most refreshingly unique entries in the series.
- Attack of the Fanboy 4.5/5: Sonic Frontiers really picks up the slack where this franchise started to falter. It’s still a Sonic game at its core and makes sure to stay true to the name even when branching out into other areas unfamiliar to the series.
- We Got This Covered 4.5/5: Sonic Frontiers marks an ambitious, seismic shift for the series, with a massive open-world adventure that both honors its past and pushes the boundaries of what this franchise can look like moving forward.
- GamingTrend 8.5/10: Frontiers boldly plants one foot into the future with its “open zone” structure while keeping the other stuck in the past with mechanics and level ideas that are over a decade old. This approach results in a satisfying game even if it does not push the series into as many new frontiers as it could. It still hits many of the right notes that long-time fans will appreciate and works especially hard to satisfy those who have felt like the past few Sonic games have been missing some personality.
- Checkpoint Gaming 8.5 / 10.0: Put simply, Sonic Frontiers is the best 3D Sonic game ever made, and a fantastic step in the right direction that bodes very well for the future of everybody’s favourite blue hedgehog.
- Spaziogames 8.3/10: Sonic Frontiers is the best Sonic 3D game to date.
- Hobby Consolas 82/10: It may not be the most solid game out there, but it sure is a daring bet that works better than many had expected. It gives Sonic lore a new scope.
- Metro GameCentral 8/10: After decades of miserable failure, Sonic Team has finally made a good 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game, and it’s one of the best open world platformers ever seen.
- The Games Machine 8/10: Sonic runs towards his future with a colorful and greatly enjoyable open-world adventure. Some technical issues are undeniable, but the ending result is considerably better than expected.
- COGconnected 80/100: As a game, Sonic Frontiers has some definite flaws to be wary of. But as a Sonic game, this is some truly top-shelf stuff.
- Game Rant 4/5: There is always something cool and worth the effort to see or do in this game, which is why Sonic Frontiers works well despite being very repetitive in nature.
- Atomix 80/100: Surprisingly, Sonic Frontiers is much better than expected. The new adventure of the blue hedgehog paints a positive future for the series.
- Push Square 8/10: Sonic Frontiers feels like a statement from Sonic Team after years of being treated like a joke. By no means is it perfect, but this is exactly the injection of life the franchise needed after the misstep of Forces, and it’s the freshest Sonic has felt since Adventure first hit the shelves. While it is wrought with minor issues, the overall package of Sonic Frontiers mostly hits the mark, with its satisfying gameplay, a storyline that will please long-time fans, and an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack. It immediately places itself among the best Sonic games ever made.
- PSX Brasil 8/10: Sonic Frontiers manages to mix what we expect from a Sonic game with an open world full of collectibles. The gameplay is great, the soundtrack is fantastic and the graphics are good. The title lacks in the difficulty, story and in the visuals of the cutscenes.
- Worth Playing 8/10: Sonic Frontiers is an all-around solid Sonic the Hedgehog game. The shift to a more open-world style of gameplay works almost entirely in its favor and allows the game to offer more freedom and exploration without resorting to werehogs. At heart, it’s still the same basic 3D-style gameplay that the franchise has been doing lately, but the change in perspective works in its favor. Not every change is a winner, but enough are that I dearly hope that Sega sticks with this flavor instead of reinventing the wheel. Fans of Sonic will be delighted, and those on the fence should give Frontiers a shot. It’s easy to see how the greater freedom (and lack of annoying gimmicks) could be the difference between frustration and fun.
- Kakuchopurei 80/100: Sonic Frontiers is going to be a good first-time experience for many gamers who have never played a Sonic game, and the story/narrative is standalone enough that you don’t need to have played any other Sonic game before playing Sonic Frontiers.
- Press Start 8/10.0: Sonic Frontiers is an unsteady first run at the open-world genre for the blue blur but Sonic Team has crafted something endearing and immensely enjoyable all the same. Its core systems are fun, making Sonic’s iconic speed an integral part of traversal and combat alike while paying homage to what has come before in its Cyber Space levels. It’s not perfect, but it tries its heart out and I come away with warm memories of an uneven game.
- One More Game Buy: Sonic Frontiers is a great new adventure for the blue blur. While it suffers from the overly-used open-world gameplay mechanics, it is certainly a fresh experience to see Sonic run around in vast expanses of land while interacting with classic Sonic elements. Despite its hitches, Sonic Frontiers is the jolt that the franchise needs and is a step in the right direction, despite this step being marred by generic open-world tropes that can get tedious as players progress through the game. It’s serviceable enough for both newcomers and fans and will certainly dictate how the franchise progresses moving forward.
- TheGamer 4/5: There are teething issues and a reluctance to let go of the past, but it’s also a daft Sonic game with a charming story told in the most competent way we’ve seen in years. Sonic might not be back in the big leagues yet, but he’s catching up. Like Sonic Adventure all the way back in 1999, Frontiers could give the series a new lease on life – Sega has to ditch the old ways and let it happen.
- VGC 4/5: It may have had a mixed reception earlier this year, but Sonic Frontiers’ final form is a brilliantly refreshing adventure that gives the series a much-needed shake-up. The occasional control and camera ‘quirks’ still pop their head up, but they appear far less frequently than Sonic fans will be used to, making for a much less frustrating experience overall. We would absolutely welcome more of this.
- Easy Allies 8/10.0: Sonic Frontiers brings the Blue Blur to new horizons. And while it has problems, it’s by far the most enjoyable and ambitious 3D entry in a long time.
- Game Informer 7.8/10: Though it’s rough around the edges, Sonic Frontiers is the best 3D Sonic game in years.
- God is a Geek 7.5/10: Sonic Frontiers has its fair share of issues, but the open world direction and varied gameplay makes it the most exciting Sonic game in decades.
- Everyeye.it 7.2/10: An imperfect yet fun game, capable of showing us the potential of the future.
- The Sonic Stadium 3.5/5: A marked improvement over Sonic Forces – the open zone concept is executed well, laying a solid foundation for future games.
- Twinfinite 3.5/5.0: Sonic Frontiers falls short of a home run, but is still a successful step in the right direction from a studio that has demonstrably stumbled trying to do so before.
- Inverse 7/10.0: Sonic Frontiers is a fascinating game, mostly because of how little it actually feels like the rest of the series. The game’s marketing has called it an “evolution” of the Sonic formula, and that’s certainly accurate, but it’s still hampered by some growing pains. Sublime exploration and intuitive mechanics constantly clash with Sonic Frontiers’ insistence on introducing mandatory mini-games and one-off gimmicks, many of which simply aren’t engaging.
- IGN 7/10: Sonic Frontiers is an ambitious open-world adventure that mostly succeeds at mixing up the Sonic formula, even when some of its ideas fall flat.
- GameSpot 7/10: Sonic Frontiers marks a bold new direction for the series, meshing traditional Sonic action with an open-ended approach to progression and exploration across its semi-open world.
- IGN Italy 7/10: Sonic Frontiers could have been a great chance to bring fresh ideas and mechanics into Sonic (open) world, but, unfortunately, the result it’s an unbalanced experience. The open world is quite shallow and empty, while technicallywise the game is unpolished. Anyway, the frantic Sonic experience is still there and the classic stages are blessed.
- Prima Games 6.5/10: The game has oodles of vision and ambition but not enough polish to make it truly inviting, especially when released into a stacked calendar.
- GameXplain Mixed: Sonic the Hedgehog makes his open world (or open zone) debut with Sonic Frontiers! Does this game do for Sonic what Breath of the Wild did for Zelda? And more importantly, is it fun?
- Saudi Gamer 6/10: Sonic Frontiers have many great ideas, but the execution falls flat especially with the cyber space levels which is supposed to be a core element in the gameplay. It could have been the best 3D Sonic game if only it was more focused on what to do right.
- TrueGaming 6/10.0: Sonic Frontiers is not as polished as we had hoped, it suffers from repetition and mediocre execution, even the story is weak. There are some good ideas presented in the game’s open world, but past installments mistakes do come to haunt the new game as well.
- GameSpew 6/10: Still, for Sonic fans, this is an entertaining adventure, with plenty of variety packed into its 20-hour running time. Chances are you’ll encounter plenty of frustrations while making your way through it, but when things are going right you’ll see that there’s great potential in this formula going forward. ‘Inconsistent’ is perhaps the best word to describe Sonic Frontiers: it’s a grab-bag full of ideas, all pulled off with varying degrees of quality. But there’s one thing for certain: it’s got a cracking soundtrack.
- AusGamers 5.5/10: Another average, but ambitious, outing for the blue hedgehog.
- GamesRadar+ 2/5: Sonic Frontiers features the kind of lightweight yet engaging storytelling that should easily enrapture fans young and old – though I’d hate to be a child forced to play through some of the abysmal platforming featured throughout. Was taking Sonic open world an ambitious endeavor? Yes. Did it pay off? Absolutely not.
- Digital Trends 1/5: While not outright broken like Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) or Sonic Boom, Sonic Frontiers is a heavily misguided game that muffles good ideas with questionable narrative, technical, and gameplay design decisions.
- Eurogamer: Despite the joys offered, Sonic Frontiers is a hot mess of a reinvention that can’t commit to its new direction.
- SIFTER Liked: SONIC FRONTIERS is clearly inspired by some of the best games of the last five years and on the whole is a fast, fun experience, with the odd speed bump along the way. It ties nostalgic classic Sonic courses with modern 3D platforming in a way that mostly works but isn’t always seemless.
- Polygon: It’s unfortunate to see a Sonic game that tries, and often succeeds, in retreading past foundations and applying them to a different setting. But the highs of fighting the Titans or playing remakes of classic levels can’t justify the frustrations that constantly put stops along the way.
- Skill Up: Sonic Frontiers is a major step forward for the franchise because Sonic Team have finally arrived at a formula that works. It just doesn’t work here.
- Arlo
Stay tuned to Sonic City for our official review as well!
This game іѕ SO МUCH fun!