Sonic Frontiers: Sights, Sounds, and Speed (Free Update #1) Review

by Brian Pope March 28, 2023 0 comments

Following the release of Sonic Frontiers, SEGA had announced the promise of additional free content updates. The first update, Sights, Sounds, and Speed, brings exactly what it says in a no-nonsense update to freshen up the latest adventure in the Sonic franchise. 

-Sights-

The update comes with a photo mode that allows you to capture Sonic in the environment like never before. The interface for the camera has plenty of features that you would expect from an in-game capture camera, including a grid to line up your shots, several filters to choose from, and the ability to change the camera speed. 

-Sounds-

The Sonic franchise has so many amazing songs and now as you zip around the Starfall Islands, you are able to select songs from a Juke Box. Not only are some of the bangers from Frontiers in the list but there are also past hits from other Sonic titles. In total, 53 songs are available with 13 being instantly playable. The rest of the songs can be unlocked by acquiring “Sound Memories” that are scattered over the five different islands. 

-Speed-

Returning and new players can now access a new Challenge Mode that can be accessed after completing the main campaign of the game. Additionally, there is a Cyber Space Challenge Mode which sends Sonic racing through seven stages of Cyber Space in a back-to-back time attack mode which keeps track of your best times. Last but not least, there is also a Battle Rush Mode. In this mode, you battle through several rounds of enemies with the difficulty being increased and different levels of enemies. The higher you rank, the better you do, so you gotta’ go fast Speedsters!

Some quality of life updates are included too, which include the much needed ability to increase Sonic’s stats in bulk as opposed to one at a time. Cyber Space levels can also now be restarted mid-level, making it easier than ever to do clean runs once you get the section down.  Sonic has a Power Boost animation that has been added and the Starfall Slot Machine can be toggled in the Options of the game. 

Overall, for this to be a free update, Sega has added plenty to do for those of us who picked up the game closer to release. It gets players back into the game and allows new players to have a better experience coming into the title for the first time. The camera mode  alone has the potential for hours of fun but also allowing players to select the music tracks they can jam out to while they take some sick nasty screenshots (which we would love to see!). Creative juices aside, the challenge modes give players enough gameplay additives to make Frontiers feel fresh just long enough until the next update becomes available.