Sonicfans everywhere are currently sinking their teeth intoSonic Frontiers. The new open zone game has brought a breath of fresh air into the aging 3DSonicformula, even if some rough patches still remain. Freedom to explore and experience Sonic’s full speed in an open environment strikes a chord with many players, and serves as the basis for the charm ofSonic Frontiers. It’s not the only thingFrontiersgets right either; the writing inSonic Frontiersis also a noticeable step up from past entries. Old characters are finding new developments, and the strong vocal performances of the cast see them executed with grace.
While the dialogue and narrative are both exciting upgrades, so is the connectivitySonic Frontiershas to its own series. In the past decade,Sonicgames have become especially self-referential, reusing old environments likeGreen Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zoneacross multiple entries.Sonic Frontiersfalls into this as well, but also includes nitty-gritty details from many old games, even going as far as to include the Genesis titles in the action. This, combined with Sega’s recent call for an officialSoniclore master, has some fans wondering what part of theSonictimeline is occupied bySonic Frontiers, and what that timeline is.
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Where Sonic Frontiers Sits on the Timeline
Fortunately, the first question is easy to answer.Sonic Frontiersis, like mostSonicgames, the most recent game in the franchise, and thus the most recent game in the chronology.Sonicis rather likeKirbyandMarioin this way, as most entries don’t care about what happened in previous games aside from the fact that they came out. Unless something is specifically excluded from canon, it’s free game to be referenced in the newest entry.Sonichas done this before withGenerationsandMania, butSonic Frontiersis the first time past games' stories, rather than their aesthetics, have mattered.
InSonic Frontiers, the origins of the Chaos Emeralds and the planet on which most of theSonicseries takes place are explored. Out of the blue,Sonic Frontiersbecame one of the most important titles inSonichistory from an overarching story standpoint, joining theAdventuregames it references so heavily. As theKnuckles prologueDivergencehinted at, there’s more going on with the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos itself, and the adorable Chao than players knew. There are also plenty of call-backs while developing characters, such as references to both Tails’ past heroics and his more recent non-action roles. New players can still safely jump onSonic Frontiersand enjoy the ride, but veteran fans are going to get so much more out of it.
Sonic’s Timeline Could Use a Bit of Cleanup
That brings the discussion back toSonic’s official timeline. Some assume that the games’ release order is the chronology, but it doesn’t always work out. It would be nice ifSega could a Hyrule Historia forSonicand detail which specific entries and spin-offs are out of order. It isn’t necessarily important for mainlineSonicgames to adhere to it, but withFrontierspotentially starting a new era of revisiting old plot points, fans will appreciate a guide to keep track of them.
Not many parts need cleaning, but there are a few titles that fit worse than others. For instance, most pure 2D games are assumed to be near the beginning ofSonic’s playable story. However,Sonic the Hedgehog 4usesmodernSonic’s art style, whichGenerationsuses to mark recent entries in the timeline.Sonic ManiaandSonic Forces’ Classic Sonic also isn’tGenerations’ Classic Sonic, but instead from an alternate reality that may not fit into the timeline at all. All of this isn’t even getting into how Silver the Hedgehog keeps appearing after his debut game’s time-travel plot erased itself.
There’s also some contention as to when the many spin-offs take place, as not all fit the release order chronology theory.Sonic Battlehas what seems to be a post-amnesia Shadow despite coming out beforeSonic HeroesandShadow the Hedgehog. Furthermore,Sonic Advance 3, which also predatesShadow the Hedgehog’s release, has Gemerl as a recurring boss built usingSonic Battle’s Emerl. The relevance ofSonic ChroniclesandSonic Unleashed’s lore is also now in questionthanks toFrontiers’ Ancients. Some clarification on these many little details would help legitimizeSonic Frontiers’ approach to storytelling, and could set the stage for many more callbacks and follow-ups in the future.
Sonic Frontiersis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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