June has always been a big month for sonic the hedgehog franchise. June 23rd is the day the very first game was released on the Sega Genesis, and it’s also the birthday of Sonic himself. Accordingly, Sega has decided to publish information about sound borders throughout June after being silent on the game for a while. However, the way it is handled is rather questionable.
sound borders has been on the minds of fans for quite some time due to the plot the game has created. For a while, the only thing fans knew about the game was that it would be the series’ first attempt at an open world. With how Borders host of new territories, plus some interesting comments from Sonic Team, gamers were incredibly curious about what to expect from this new title. However, the information they have now only leaves them with more questions.
Revealing Sonic Frontiers throughout June
Since June is such an important month for Sonic All in all, it makes sense why Sega would try to show off the next game all month long. However, the specific way in which Sega decided to carry out the whole effort was rather strange. Instead of revealing multiple levels or broad abilities, Sega released smaller showcases focusing strictly on specific gameplay elements such as exploration and combat. While not too much of an issue normally, these previews come with very little context as to what’s actually going on.
These glimpses of sound borders might sound interesting, but many fans said it felt like a tech demo with no crucial elements like the UI and no reason as to what the player will do as a whole. It seems Sega understands how poorly these showcases reflect the game, as without notice the company hosted a Sonic Central and shared a TailsTube video alongside the new Borders revelations were planned. Some fans wondered if the sudden content was meant to help resolve or even distract from the situation with the promised news.
Sonic Frontiers at Summer Game Fest
sound borders was playable during the Summer Game Fest Play Days in-person event, but his situation there was rather peculiar. While almost every other game shown at the event allowed people to show up and try it out, Borders appointments required and for people who played it to sign NDAs that they would not talk about specific parts of the game until a certain date. Those who attended the event noted that this situation is not common and was rather odd.
This was rather strictly enforced by Sega, as videos attendees took of the event show those working on the stand for Borders refusing to allow people to show the game on camera in any capacity. Even still, through photos and videos taken during the event, fans finally got to see the upgrade system, potential UI, a few cutscenes, and previously leaked cyberspace levels found in sound borders.
The greatest thing Sonic what loyalists took from the situation was that it was the most confusing marketing the show had ever had. While the initial reaction to sound borders‘ gameplay was mostly negative, Sega has since shared more engaging footage with the fan base, and the very first hands-on previews from critics are mostly positive. Both of these things apparently changed reception pretty quickly, and fans are wondering why such dodgy gameplay was the first thing shown as a result.
The two batches of previews for Borders were so different that viewers wondered if they were from different parts of the game’s development cycle. Some fans have even speculated that two different models for Sonic can be seen depending on the release, although d others have apparently debunked it since.
Prior to June, Sonic Team and Sega were transparent about the high quality standards imposed on sound borders, like Sega hoping it reviews well, and Sonic Team pushing the game to deliver a high-quality product. Now, it feels like Sega has damaged its own game’s reputation by being secretive. Lots of people looking forward to playing sound borders this winter agree that Sega could have emphasized the cryptic nature of the game better than it has so far.
sound borders Set to release Holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.