Review aggregation website Metacritic has revealed the results of its 14th annual Game Publisher Rankings.
Sonic Frontiers Was Seemingly Sonic Team's Last Chance
03.03.2024 - 14:25 / thegamer.com
Sonic Frontiers developer Yuki Takahashi has revealed that the game was likely Sonic Team's last chance and that they all felt a "sense of urgency".
Although Sonic Frontiers eventually ended up being one of the better-received and best-selling 3D outings in the Hedgehog's line-up, things didn't always look that positive for the Blue Blur. Before release, fans were heavily critical of the lack of momentum, the open-zone design, and even how much older Sonic sounded compared to previous games.
Despite a lot of skepticism about the new direction Sonic was being taken in, Frontiers eventually won fans over and shone a bright light ahead for the hedgehog's future 3D games. That's an especially good thing for the game's developers, Sonic Team, as a recent interview shared on Sega Japan's website has revealed that it was basically the team's last shot at making a big Sonic game.
As highlighted by Twitter user super_ult, the interview dives into the development process of Sonic Frontiers, with one question honing in on the open-zone design and how it was conceived. In response to the question, background artist Yuki Takahashi was brutally honest about what the change of direction meant for the game and how much of a struggle it was during development.
Takahashi said, as translated by DeepL, that Frontiers took around five years in total, and that a prototype for the open-zone design was created that wasn't yet "satisfactory" in terms of its graphics and gameplay. Takahashi then noted that the team was developing the Hedgehog engine at the same time as the open-zone gameplay, as well as adding in features needed to fill out the gameplay.
The most interesting part of Takahashi's response is when he says that the team acknowledged that, "if we fail here, there is no way out" and that they were filled with a "sense of urgency". This seems to confirm that Frontiers was Sonic Team's last chance at making a big-budget Sonic game after the mixed response to Sonic Forces.
"The team was like, 'We have to create something new! If we fail here, there is no way out!' We were filled with a sense of urgency.
Of course, that's not what ended up happening and Sonic Frontiers managed to pull through its stressful development and come out on the other side while shining a bright future ahead for the rest of the series. Let's just hope that Sonic x Shadow Generations can keep up that momentum.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
gamesreviews.com
20.03.2024 / 15:05
Last Week to Back Ostia Pirates + Add Ons!
With only one week to go, your chances to back Ostia Pirates is slowly fading away. Listen folks, take it from me, if you want to pick up a game from UCHIBACOYA you do not want to wait. These games generally will not hit retaliers in the West, and I’ve already disappointed myself by missing out on their games multiple times. Yes, the price might be a bit concerning, but these are games that hold their value and will be something you are happy to have in your board game collection!
droidgamers.com
19.03.2024 / 17:55
The Eminence in Shadow x Shangri-La Frontier Crossover Features Sunraku And A Special VR Headset!
The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden is teaming up with the popular Japanese anime series Shangri-La Frontier. This dream team event kicks off on March 21st, 2024, at 1 pm JST. The Eminence in Shadow x Shangri-La Frontier crossover will also mark the first collaboration with an anime series for the game.
gamerant.com
16.03.2024 / 23:13
Leaker Talks Persona 6 Xbox, Game Pass Chances
Persona 6 will be available on Xbox consoles, a well-known leaker has said. The claim was offered along with some speculation about the chances of Persona 6 also making its way to Xbox Game Pass, much like the other recent entries in the series.
wccftech.com
15.03.2024 / 11:19
Silent Hill 2 Release May Be Near as SteamDB Registers Multiple Backend Updates
KONAMI has remained silent about the release date of the Silent Hill 2 remake. However, several clues point to an inbound announcement.
techradar.com
13.03.2024 / 12:27
Final Fantasy 10's main theme was never intended to be part of the game, confirms composer Nobuo Uematsu
Zanarkand is, arguably, one of the most haunting pieces of music ever composed for a Final Fantasy game. However, in a recent interview with Japanese outlet Weekly Ochiai, accomplished Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu revealed that the legendary theme from Final Fantasy 10 had an unlikely origin.
gamesradar.com
12.03.2024 / 21:01
The solo dev behind one of the wildest narratives in JRPG history agrees "it was a miracle that the story came together in the end"
Astlibra Revision is a genre-blending, timeline-hopping experience that makes the usual JRPG plot of steadily escalating toward fighting god look downright tame. It feels like reading a '90s sci-fantasy manga in a wind tunnel. It's also infuriatingly difficult to explain without spoiling the crap out of it (I gave it a try in 2022). That girl in the above image? I cannot begin to describe her character arc.
blog.playstation.com
11.03.2024 / 23:43
Rise of the Ronin hands-on report: Team Ninja’s first open-world is a wandering swordsman’s playground
Team Ninja has become synonymous with best-in-class action gameplay. From Ninja Gaiden to Nioh 2, the fundamental act of swinging a sword or spear (or any number of deadly weapons) is reliably complex and satisfying, often with a challenging-yet-rewarding learning curve.
gamesradar.com
08.03.2024 / 23:51
Nintendo keeps refusing to say who makes its games, and with Princess Peach Showtime seemingly developed by a beloved studio nobody's sure why
Dataminers have apparently uncovered the developer behind Princess Peach: Showtime, even as Nintendo continues its very strange pattern of refusing to announce who's behind its games ahead of launch.
wccftech.com
06.03.2024 / 13:03
Yuzu Telemetry Proved How It Was Used to Play Pirated Games; Nintendo Is Now in Possession of Users’ Data
The Yuzu Switch emulator telemetry feature was used by Nintendo to prove how the emulator was used to play pirated games, often before their official release.
gamesradar.com
03.03.2024 / 13:34
Sonic Frontiers developers once found themselves in a state of crisis: "If we fail here, there will be no chance"
Developers from the Sonic Frontiers team have shed some light on the project's road to release, revealing that in many ways, it was a make-or-break moment for the series.
gamerant.com
03.03.2024 / 00:33
Sonic Frontiers Devs Share Troubled Production Story
Sega and Sonic Team have shared some stories regarding the rocky development of 2022's Sonic Frontiers. These details include the size of the team, the challenges faced during Sonic Frontiers' development, and how the studio overcame the new hurdles that appeared over the course of the game's five-year development cycle.