With the reception of Sonic Frontiers being generally positive, developers may look at the game’s new direction for inspiration for older IPs. After the lukewarm release of Sonic Forces, it was clear that Sega and Sonic Team needed to change up the series' formula. Placing Sonic in an open world with traditional levels sprinkled throughout seemed to scratch the itch of both fans new and old. For other gaming icons struggling to find their place in the current market, an open-world title may do the trick.
Although Sonic's latest adventure has been received well thus far, its sales and overall success could impact how other franchises approach future installments. Sonic Frontiers has more content than any game before it, giving players hours of extra activities to participate in. Gaming franchises that have been long forgotten like Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, and Banjo-Kazooie could be revitalized with a large-scale open-world title filled with side missions. The fact that Sonic, a series that has had its ups and downs for 3D games in the past, could find its footing in an open world gives promise to other series. Putting other classic characters like Fox McCloud, Samus Aran, or Donkey Kong in massive playable areas would be a dream come true for many fans.
An Open-World Map Was The Right Call For Sonic Frontiers
The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild was one of the first classic gaming franchises to venture into the genre with great success, even years later the BOTW's open world is unmatched. With The Legend of Zelda series being so popular, it's possible that other developers may have written off the game’s accomplishments as a fluke or something that only the greatest minds at Nintendo could pull off. Sega may be no small company, but it has put out some questionable releases for Sonic over the years. Turning things around and proving that the genre can work for its own trademark franchise could lead to more innovative open-world titles from other gaming icons.
The Sonic series has been around for more than three decades, if it kept releasing the same type of games that birthed the franchise it would not be where it is today. Sonic Frontiers includes new skill trees and combat options available for Sonic, changing up the gameplay fans have been used to. There will always be room for classic side-scrolling and platforming titles, but fusing other elements with content that made the older games great is what made Sonic's latest outing work. If other developers experiment with this idea, it's possible that players could see a renaissance of older franchises delving into the open-world genre. However, this may all be dependent on the legacy and sales of Sonic Frontiers.
Longtime fans have always wondered what an open-world Sonic game would be like, now with Sonic Frontiers they can finally see for themselves. If the game keeps its current momentum other developers for gaming classics may try their hand at the genre. Only time will tell if Sonic Frontiers becomes a series classic years from now.
