So. Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition leaked, and my head has been swirling with ideas on how it could be improved. Now, before I start. Do i expect any of these in the game? No, not really. I would honestly be shocked if they were implemented. Realistically this is just a reprint and switch 2 edition, maybe with the Soap Shoes or some kind of extras mode thrown in as a free update.
This could also be something really fuckin special. So here's my absolutely insane pipe dream for Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition. I'm approaching this like it's Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. Essentially a soft remake that paves over all the issues of the original. Although if that is the case, Sega you better not delist OG Frontiers. I mean it. Keep them both up. Also i don't expect any of this, this post is just for fun lol. With that aside, here we go:
I think this one is actually somewhat likely. While I don't expect them to change the art direction, and honestly I wouldn't want them to, I do think there's room for little improvements. Maybe better and less stuff animation like in Shadow Gens, better shadows, updated models for the characters, fix some textures like on trees, and the big one: finally fix the atrocious pop-in. You can have low LOD versions of rails and platforms that load into the full HD versions when you get close. It's a simple change and it would make the game just feel so much less cheap. Especially in Final Horizon. While I love the platforming towers in that game, the fact is it gets in your way sometimes with how things will only appear when you're 2 feet in front of them.
First off, everyone in Final Horizon should have their basic attack options and the cyloop unlocked by default. For the most part the rest of the new character skill trees can remain the same but the fact that you can't attack by default with them is ridiculous. Also. Put the Spindash in the skill tree. Hell, make it part of the moves you unlock as you traverse the islands. Sonic can obtain it in Ouranos the way he gets the cross slash, for example. And speaking of Ouranos
3) Ouranos visual overhaul.
Now I think the level design in Final Horizons is actually pretty good. That's not what I mean by overhaul. I mean that I want Ouranos to have its own unique aesthetic. The easy answer here is a snowy biome, like the Snowy Ouranos mod. Just that alone would make Ouranos feel more like it's own thing instead of Kronos part 3.
Extreme mode in base Frontiers is probably my biggest disappointment. It sucks, frankly. It's just a 1 hit kill mode, and while that can be *kind* of fun it more often then not is just annoying to me. If you made extreme mode a proper challenge by upgrading all of the enemies to the + variants from Final Horizon, swap the parry for the perfect parry in every instance, give stricter time limits on puzzles, and lower the S rank times even further then they already are, I think that would be perfect.
5) Integrate Final Horizon better.
I would honestly just have Final Horizon replace the entire last island. I'd make it so that on Easy/Normal it's more in line with the rest of the islands, with simpler platforming. On Hard/Extreme though? Just hear me out. Every island gets revamped. It should still be a natural difficulty curve, but they will have harder platforming, with less automation and handholding until it ends with Final Horizon. Then, Rhea Island, instead of ending with Sonic dying, ends with the gang giving up their bodies to hold off the cyber corruption, just like in Final Horizon. Basically the entire cutscene of Sage explaining the 2nd option happens, but on the tower while Sonic is dealing with the corruption. Then, it would immediately lead into Final Horizon as it is. This way, it feels so much smoother going in instead of the kinda weird stop and start when you hop from Rhea to FH.
I've gotten most of the big ones out of the way so I'm gonna rattle off a few more here before we get to the last one: Shadow Gens control in Cyberspace. Big's fishing hole should be on the menu. Even if it doesn't benefit me I wanna fish whenever I want. A more dynamic title screen. Making pinball fucking optional because of that stupid score requirement. And last but not least: Allow me to play as any character on any island or in any cyberspace stage after beating the game.
I'm in the camp of Frontiers' story is actually pretty good. While it's not my favorite Sonic story, it's a bit too melodramatic in places and has one GLARING flaw (which I will get to), it's really not the worst. I like it, in fact! But, there's one thing that's wrong with it, and unfortunately it's the emotional crux of the story. Sage and Eggman's dynamic is not nearly fleshed out enough. They barely feel like father and daughter to me and that stupid scene with that fuck ass song where Sage is reminiscing on nothing happening falls completely flat. It's the one part of the story I would call straight up bad. So what would I do? For one, the egg memo's are now mandatory cutscenes. These short memos genuinely flesh out Eggman's thought process so much and the fact that they're missable is crazy. I didn't listen to them until well after my first like 5 playthroughs. On top of that, he needs more moments with Sage where he's being tender, or doing ANYTHING except yelling at her. Have a scene of him praising how hard she's working, and despite his ego, telling her it's okay she hasn't found him a way out yet. Just give them something, man! Idk, it's easy to say "just make it better" but that really is the crux here. Also cut that scene with Sage reminiscing. Like, have her talk about her emotions to herself and then end it before the montage and let the subtext speak for itself. If I could only choose one of these changes to be put into the game, it would genuinely be this one. It's the biggest glaring flaw in Frontiers to me. I already love the gameplay. This part of the story is just bad, I'm sorry.
That said, those are my ideas. I don't expect any of this to come true, but hey. It's fun to think about, and I can dream, right?
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