!!WARNING!! THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD.
Total Score: 9/10

Story: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Sound/Music: 9.0/10





So; Let's start this out with that I've been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog since Sonic 2, when I first got into the series back when I was only 5 Year old. Truth be told; I have above and beyond been disappointed in the Sonic series since 06's Release, There were some okay games, and then there was Generations which was really solid. But outside of those the series has been in a downward spiral..

Then I learned of Sonic Frontiers. Ian Flynn was set to write for the game. For those of you who do not know, Ian Flynn is one of the greatest Sonic the Hedgehog writers of all time, having written extensively for the Archie Comic Series, and currently for the IDW Comic Series, both showing his immense understanding of the characters and work. So needless to say, this drove me to have a bit of a higher bar for this game and while the game isn't perfect, hardly any game is, I can say without a doubt that it flew over that bar to the highest point.

I strongly believe this is one of the best stories written in Sonic's game history, the story focuses on the damage done by the previous games to the characters we know and love, allowing us to see them rebuild from the deep dive the last 16 years have done to Sonic and his Friends. It even deep dives into Robotnik, without going into spoiler territory that is practically all I can say about the story. But I loved every moment and was captivated, the only problem I have is that at the very end of the game it strongly feels like the ending is missing a lot and was generally rushed. But that doesn't ruin the rest of the game for me. Sage is a fantastic new character that I can't wait for them to do more with in the coming future.

In terms of gameplay, I think outside of the 2D Sections, the movement is fantastic, the control is phenomenal, and the introduction of the Stat System was a worry, but implemented it very well and negated all worry I had. The games open world is fantastically done, It's not massive, but it's also not empty, like BOTW was. Combat was a little rudimentary, but honestly it didn't detract from the game and I believe that they will improve it more going forward. My biggest issue with the Gameplay is the Stage Selection, while I get the point, the fact that all the stages of the islands are just repeats of Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary and City Escape was a little disappointing. But the Open World definitely makes up for that.

Finally; let's discuss the Music and Sound design, First and foremost I am NOT a fan of the Voice Acting in this game, it honestly feels like the VA's were forced to do one take and then go with that take. Roger Craig Smith's new sonic voice was such a shock, it's not BAD, but it's not Sonic. It sounds like he's just doing his normal voice for Sonic. At times you can hear the true Sonic behind his voice, but generally it isn't the Sonic voice we've all come to love. This is generally the same for everyone except for Knuckles and Tails, both of their VAs hit the A+ Mark for their Voices. Now, we'll move into the Music...The Music was pretty hit or miss for the first part of the game, but as you progress in the game the music takes a massive upturn in quality, and I definitely started loving the beats and the Lyrics told a story in and of itself. So generally I can't be to annoyed by the Music.

So I can say happily, that this game is above and beyond the best Sonic game I have ever played, and I want you to know I've played a lot. They stated that this game was intended to work like Sonic Adventure in that they will set the tone and format of the upcoming sonic games for the next decade, and I can say without a doubt that I hold high hopes for everything coming forward. This game has rekindled my love for the Sonic Franchise, and with Ian Flynn heading the writing and development of these characters I can say they are in good hands as long as SEGA doesn't find a way to fudge it up.

Thank you for reading my review, please be sure to buy this game so that SEGA can know this is the quality we want, not the crappy games for the last 16 years (Generations Excluded).