Get ready to forge new frontiers like never before and experience Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Frontier! It represents a giant leap into the future of 3D action Sonic games.
With the return of fan-favorite characters like Sonic, Tales, and Amy, and the introduction of a mysterious new character, Sage, one big question came to mind. Fit them into the future of the franchise?
Sonic Frontiers Producer Sachiko Kawamura and Art Director Yoshitaka Miura answered some questions about the new characters and foes we’ve seen from the highly anticipated title so far, and went through the design process for introducing new friends and foes to Sonic. shed light on universe.
How does Sonic Team go about creating new characters to fit the long-running series?
Sonic Team: Sonic has a very long history, but each title has its own theme, world view, and character image. From a variety of ideas, the team sketches out the world of the game, then selects the best character designs and makes sure the new characters fit the game’s desired setting and cast. We also want to make sure we respect the history and core identity of the series.
To what extent does Sega consider past character designs and types when creating new characters?
Sonic Team: The main rule when creating a new character is that the character design should not feel out of place when in the same world as an existing character, even if the design style varies from title to title. Creating a design that is simple and memorable for fans is also important. I try to avoid combining aspects of past characters and try to be on par with simple, straightforward character designs.
How does the open zone nature of the game affect character design?
Sonic Team: In previous games, players often attacked enemies head-on in games where Sonic runs through a linear stage with a time limit from start to finish, so prioritizing how the enemy looks from the front. did. For the new enemies that appear in Sonic Frontier, we pay close attention to how each enemy and its silhouette looks from different directions, allowing the player to choose the direction to approach them and see them from all angles. I was.
Also, due to the new combat system, there are more enemies that cannot be defeated with a single homing attack. Given that fighting enemies requires more effort, we had to revise the enemy designs many times to make each battle visually appealing and functional.
Can you elaborate on the new character design and mythology details for one character?
Sonic Team: I can’t say much about the new character Sage, as she is central to the mysterious story and setting. The design of the was trial and error. I paid attention to how she was perceived on the other side in the design and cutscenes so that she didn’t have too much mythological or religious connotation.
Sonic Frontiers is available for pre-order starting at $59.99 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles.
