PlayStation’s Holiday Sale is offering hit titles up to 75 percent off. You can get Game of the Year winner Elden Ring, NBA 2K23, Horizon Forbidden West, Gotham Knights, Sonic Frontiers and more at a discounted rate.
When I was 10, my best friend got a new game for the GBA: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. He hadn’t actually played the original Kingdom Hearts on the PS2; instead, he picked up this handheld sequel because his brother’s friend had erroneously told them it featured Inuyasha, the main character of his favourite anime.
I wonder if that kid thought that Riku, Kingdom Hearts’ silver-haired hero, was Inuyasha.
No, I’m not kidding — I guess kids really do say the darndest things.
Thankfully, we ended up falling in love with Chain of Memories, and one character quickly caught our eye: Cloud. His perfectly coiffed hair, badass bandaged sword, enigmatic black wing and face-covering scarf… he was the epitome of cool (everything I most certainly wasn’t). Imagine our surprise, then, when we found out he actually had his own game, Final Fantasy VII! My friend’s mum quickly bought it for him, and he devoured it. I didn’t get to see him too often since he lived far away, so I was anxious to hang out again and hear what he thought in person.
Eventually, he loaned the game to me, gushing praise, and my mind was blown as soon as booted up my PS1 and I began the thrilling opening bombing mission. I’d never experienced anything like it, and it would eventually, quite literally, change my life. But another reason that I love FFVII is that it introduced me to the broader Final Fantasy series, which has since become my all-time favourite in gaming. So today, December 18th — exactly 35 years after the original Final Fantasy debuted on the Famicom (NES) in Japan — I want to celebrate that. Here’s to the legendary RPG series from the little Square team, led by the big-dreaming Hironobu Sakaguchi, that dared to shake up the game.
A new adventure, every time
After VII, I wanted to play as many of the other Final Fantasy games as I could. That wasn’t exactly easy, given the gaming industry’s spotty-at-best track record when it comes to preservation. To its credit, though, Square Enix did release ports of FFI, II, IV, V and VI on the GBA, and that’s where I was able to first play all of those titles. And my god, did I fall in love. (I’ve since finished every numbered single-player entry in the series.)
As someone who was painfully introverted growing up and often cities or even countries removed from many of the friends and family I did hold dear, I regularly found myself drawn to games. After all, they are, in many ways, the perfect form of escapism. They whisk you away to worlds you could never have imagined and let you inhabit them in ways that no other art form can. Final Fantasy, for me, has been my biggest provider of such experiences.
Unlike most series, Final Fantasy takes an anthology approach, so every numbered entry is its own standalone experience. As such, it feels consistently fresh. The original five games are different spins on traditional medieval fantasy featuring mix-ups like interdimensional travel (V‘s Rift) and even moon landings (IV). From there, it gets even more interesting: VI is all about steampunk, VII has a refreshing cyberpunk flavour, VIII sports a distinct “anime schoolboy” vibe and X is more Southeast Asia-inspired. Discovering where each new FF takes place, and all of the ways in which each world feels unique, has proven to be delightful highlight of the series.
Of course, it’s the individual stories that help further distinguish these settings, and Final Fantasy has always done that magnificently. VI used the familiar backdrop of an evil empire to tell a heartwrenching tale about people struggling to find meaning in a dark, often depressing, world. Feeling more timely than ever in 2022, VII explored themes of life and identity and how a ruthlessly greedy megacorporation’s planet-killing business threatens to upend it all. While paying homage to the medieval FFs of old, IX also focused on the importance of love and friendship, especially in the face of mortality. X‘s world of Spira, meanwhile, warned about the potential dangers of organized religion. Taking cues from Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII was rife with political intrigue. Then there’s XIV, which has become a massive and beloved series in its own right thanks to an engrossing, sprawling and ever-evolving MMO story. Hell, XV, at its core, was literally a charming road trip between four bros. Pretty much every Final Fantasy game, even the weaker ones, has brought something new to the table, and I love them all for that.
Literal game-changers
The Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy IV.
That ethos has also extended to the gameplay. Indeed, what I most admire about Final Fantasy is its unwillingness to follow the same playbook. Over the past 35 years, the franchise has experimented with so many different kinds of gameplay, and many of them have been resounding successes.
The most impactful of these has been the Active Time Battle system, originally designed by legendary developer Hiroyuki Ito for IV in 1991. In a feat of utter brilliance, Ito took classic turn-based RPG combat and injected speed and energy into it. Essentially, party members and enemies alike would have to wait for a bar to fill up before they could attack, adding a level of urgency and real-time action to the fray. Later games would add further layers to combat in their own compelling ways, like V‘s remarkably deep Job system allowing for rich party configurations, the intricate and highly customizable Materia of VII, X‘s open-ended and addictive Sphere Grid character progression method or XII‘s more MMO-inspired Gambit system to oh-so precisely fine-tune companions’ AI behaviour.
At the same time, we’d still occasionally get returns to traditional turn-based mechanics, like X, which cleverly used this format to encourage strategy by making you decide when to swap in teammates and attack based on a bar that displayed who’s up next. And that doesn’t even take all of the spin-offs and other offshoots into consideration. Final Fantasy VII Remake, for example, is a masterful blend of ATB and real-time combat, delivering utterly thrilling battles that feel fast, fluid and strategic. Or take Strangers of Paradise, a smart, brutal Nioh-esque spin on Final Fantasy that also doubles as a fascinating villainous origin-prequel story to the original Final Fantasy. The fact that Square Enix is finding ways to breathe new life into decades-old tropes and systems never ceases to impress me.
People to root for
The famous opera scene in the Pixel Remaster version of Final Fantasy VI.
Would any of this matter, though, if you didn’t care about the characters themselves? Thankfully, Final Fantasy has truly succeeded in crafting well-realized, nuanced and memorable figures for many years now. In fact, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that so many of this series’ casts rank among my favourites in any medium. That all boils down to the unique interactive elements of games that you make you truly engrossed in your characters’ plights since you actually get to live through them yourself. Over the course of dozens of hours of well-written narratives, you come to truly relate to them.
Maybe that was in VI, where Celes’ struggles with allegiance led to a profoundly moving opera performance ordevastating struggles with depression. Perhaps you’re like me and most closely identified with VII — specifically, Cloud’s deep-rooted issues of self-worth and longing for acceptance, and also found inspiration from Zack’s story in Crisis Core. Many have also gravitated towards Vivi’s arc in IX, a surprisingly existential quest that serves as that game’s emotional centre. Others, meanwhile, might resonate with X‘s Yuna, a strong-willed young woman burdened with an unfair responsibility that she nonetheless compassionately shoulders.
In many of my loneliest and darkest moments, I found so much solace in these characters; I connected with them in ways that most other games couldn’t speak to me. In a sense, the series grew over time in terms of maturity and complexity, much in the way that Harry Potter‘s coming-of-age story becoming darker over time made it click so much with my generation. For Final Fantasy, that growth was no accident, either. Sakaguchi has been open about how his earlier creative failures led him to keep the stories of the earlier Final Fantasy titles relatively light, but the untimely death of his mother inspired him to draw from his emotions to pen deeper, more impactful narratives in future projects. One of the biggest examples of this was the Lifestream in VII, a beautifully spiritual exploration of the afterlife and what binds us all together. Both Sakaguchi and Final Fantasy as a whole have gone on their own personal journeys, and through them, so have I.
World-class scores
But the beating heart of Final Fantasy, for me — what unifies everything I’ve mentioned and makes it all work — is the music. I’ve long said that Final Fantasy has some of the best scores in any medium, and the key reason for that is Nobuo Uematsu. It’s not hyperbole to say that he is to Final Fantasy what John Williams is to Star Wars, especially since both have been so inextricably involved with their respective series since their inception. Indeed, so much of Final Fantasy‘s emotional resonance stems from Uematsu’s music. Honestly, this whole piece could have been solely about Uematsu, whose music is genuinely unparalleled. Even from the very beginning, we had the rousing victory fanfare that truly makes you feel like you triumphed over evil, or the stirring, majestic main theme.
And since that original 1987 title, Uematsu has gone on to compose some of the greatest soundtracks in all of gaming. “The Rebel Army” in II was an inspirational ode to the bravery and spirit of those who push on. Cecil’s redemptive arc in IV rings true thanks to the enchanting “Theme of Love” that punctuates his romance with Rosa. The fights in V against the endearingly goofy Gilgamesh have become classic in no small part due to Uematsu’s banger “Battle on the Big Bridge” theme. Despite SNES technical limitations, Uematsu managed to compose VI‘s “Dancing Mad,” a nearly 20-minute long, multipart piece that perfectly captures the stunning grandiosity and haunting lunacy of the now-deified Kefka. (To say nothing of how impressive VII‘s final boss theme, “One-Winged Angel,” would also prove to be.) And speaking of VII, would Aerith’s death, one of gaming’s most iconic scenes, have been so powerful without her heartbreakingly solemn and innocent melody? What about “To Zanarkand,” which uses understated-yet-sorrowful piano keys to define the star-crossed romance of Tidus and Yuna? I could go on. When you consider that the bulk of his Final Fantasy compositions were for I to IX — released between the NES and PS1, retro consoles that lacks the sound toolsets afforded by modern hardware — then Uematsu’s work feels even more magical.
The old and new guard of Final Fantasy. From left to right: Masayoshi Soken, Naoki Yoshida, Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu (Image credit: Hironobu Sakaguchi)
And the best part? Uematsu has only inspired other wonderful musical talents to join Final Fantasy. Hitoshi Sakimoto (XII), Masashi Hamauzu (XIII), Masayoshi Soken (XIV) and Yoko Shimomura (XV)… all brilliant in their own right, and all carrying on Uematsu’s legacy. Whether it was feeling isolated during school, taking the bus home or slaving away at homework assignments, to more recently writing for work, going to the gym or just sitting alone with my thoughts, the music of Final Fantasy from all of these composers has always been a significant part of my life, like a warm, beautiful blanket.
A living legacy
While looking back for the anniversary, I also have to acknowledge that the future of Final Fantasy is also looking so bright. On one side of Square Enix, we have Creative Business Unit III, led Naoki Yoshida, who continues to push forward on incredible expansions to Final Fantasy XIV. This division is also working on XVI, which looks to create a wonderful marriage between the medieval settings of old with a darker fantasy narrative from Kazutoyo Maehiro, writer of XIV‘s stellar Heavensward expansion, and frenetic action-RPG combat from Devil May Cry veteran Ryota Suzuki. And on the other side, we have Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase and several other Final Fantasy mainstays — who most famously spearheaded VII with Sakaguchi — overseeing an outstanding and bold reimagining of the PS1 classic, starting with 2020’s Remake and continuing with Rebirth and an untitled trilogy capper. All of these projects look to remain true to the spirit of Final Fantasy — unforgettable stories and characters, gripping gameplay systems and god-tier music — while continuing to push the series forward in exciting ways.
Final Fantasy has had its ups and downs, like just about everything, but it’s that consistent drive to deliver fresh, engaging and emotional experiences that makes it win out for me. It’s been a constant in my life even when so many unexpected events — like becoming estranged from my father — have happened. The prospect of a new game, with new adventures and characters and music to discover, always proves to be a source of joy for me. After all, the amount of memories I’ve formed and the friends I’ve made from this series is staggering. The adoration and gratitude I have for Final Fantasy is pretty much unmatched.
So, here’s to 35 years of something truly extraordinary, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
PlayStation has revealed that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will launch exclusively on the PlayStation 5 in fall 2023.
The publisher confirmed the release window in a PlayStation Blog post looking ahead to next year’s major game releases. A writer on the game had seemingly leaked a fall 2023 launch on their since-updated website, and PlayStation is now confirming this timing. Insomniac had previously only provided a vague “2023” window.
Little is known about the game currently, other than the fact that both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will be playable and Venom will be one of the main villains. It’s also been confirmed that Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter will reprise their roles of Peter and Miles, respectively, while Candyman‘s Tony Todd will voice Venom.
It should be noted that Insomniac is also working on Marvel’s Wolverine, although a release window for the X-Men game has yet to be confirmed.
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Xbox head Phil Spencer recently sat down for a podcast and discussed the current landscape of the Activision Blizzard acquisition. During his time speaking with Second Request podcast, Spencer touched on Sony’s desire “to protect its dominance” in the console space. Spencer also believes “The way they grow is by making Xbox smaller.”
Microsoft and Sony are in direct opposition over the former’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. With a $68.9 billion USD (roughly $93.9 billion CAD) deal on the line and multiple blockbuster franchises in the mix, both are fighting to legitimize their arguments. Xbox largely hopes to bring IPs like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo and Activision’s associated studios under its wing. Sony, afraid it may lose access to these games on its consoles, is fighting against Microsoft on the basis of being anti-competitive.
Microsoft is currently looking to appease regulators, especially authoritative bodies in the U.K. However, Sony has been combative throughout the process. “Sony is leading the dialogue around why the deal shouldn’t go through to protect its dominant position on console, so the thing they grab onto is Call of Duty,” Spencer states.
Call of Duty has largely been a focal point throughout this ordeal. The blockbuster franchise is currently a multi-platform juggernaut and one that PlayStation wants to ensure access to. Spencer has tried to appeal to Sony. Microsoft assures the company that Call of Duty will retain its positioning on PlayStation consoles. Spencer went as far as to offer access to Call of Duty for “at least several more years.” PlayStation head Jim Ryan publicly claims this offer is “inadequate on many levels.” Spencer then brought a 10-year offer to the table.
Sony has yet to accept or deny the offer. In a further attempt to prove its positioning against anticompetition, Microsoft offered the same deal to Nintendo, which wholeheartedly accepted. Similarly to what was offered to Valve and Steam, Call of Duty may potentially land on Nintendo hardware for the next decade if the deal goes through. However, it remains to be seen whether Sony will play ball with Microsoft or continue placing barriers.
“The largest console maker in the world raising an objection about the one franchise that we’ve said will continue to ship on the platform,” Spencer says.
U.K. regulators and Sony aren’t the only bodies fighting against Microsoft. Last week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed its opposition against Microsoft’s acquisition. The EU, who is also looking into the deal, has a deadline of March 23rd, 2023 to finalize its investigation.
It’s no secret that this current console generation has progressed rather slowly.
After more than two years, the majority of games are still cross-gen, with only a few others exclusive to the latest hardware. For that reason alone, I’ve had my eye on Square Enix’s Forspoken, as it’s being made solely for PS5 and PC. Further fuelling my interest is the fact that the game comes from developer Luminous Productions, a team made up of many Final Fantasy XV alums, the most recent numbered entry in my all-time favourite series. The central mix of magic-infused combat and parkour certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Now, after having played three hours of the open-world action-RPG, I have to say that I’ve come away largely impressed. Here’s why.
A lot more than a meme
My demo began in Chapter 2 as our protagonist, Frey Holland (Ella Balinska from Netflix’s Resident Evil), finds herself transported to a mysterious castle in the fantastic land of Athia. As evidenced by her plaid shirt and jeans, she doesn’t actually belong here; she’s a New Yorker. She then discovers a talking bangle on her wrist, which she quickly dubs “Cuff,” and ventures out to find a way home.
Now, before I go any further, I have to address the elephant in the room: Forspoken‘s dialogue. Earlier this year, one viral piece of marketing, in which Frey recaps all of her new outlandish abilities, was heavily criticized for being fast-talking, expository and unnatural. This led people to grow concerned about how grating the rest of the game could be. Luminous developers later responded by saying that these soundbites were taken out of context.
After seeing the full scene in action myself, I’m actually inclined to agree with the team. Several of those lines came early in my demo, after a fight in which Frey discovers her first magical powers, the ability to shoot rocks. With these new abilities, she makes quick work of a pack of wolf-like enemies, leading her to become overwhelmed with emotion — hence, the flurry of “wow, I just did that!”-style lines.
Is this “cringeworthy” like many have said? Sure, but I’d argue it’s cringeworthy in a way that’s reasonably believable and human. I could certainly see this girl, who very clearly has some sort of chip on her shoulder, feeling abundantly confident upon discovering she can fight off monsters with magical powers. It’s that momentary feeling of being on top of the world — invincible, even — that many youth fall prey to.
“Context is really that key thing. We’ve created what we believe is a very original character, a very fresh-feeling character, who is very complex and has so many different sides to her. She’s determined, she’s got a great sense of humour, but she’s also got a soft, kind of vulnerable side as well. And it’s hard to convey all that as a new IP, without any kind of past knowledge of the title or the story and try to introduce this new character out into the world,” says Raio Mitsuno, creative producer on Forspoken.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge, because we don’t want to give away the story. We want to make sure that’s intact for players when they get to play the game. So we’ve been selective about what we show […] There’s a lot more to the character. She’s a character we could all go for. I think everyone’s going to feel a connection to her, and you’ll see her go through so many things. And I think she’s a character that a lot of people are going to fall in love with.”
Another side of this scene that was left out of the trailers is Cuff, who’s trying to keep Frey’s briefly inflated ego in check. In this way, I found myself quickly taking a liking to the sentient bracelet. With his soothing English tones, he initially seems like Iron Man’s AI J.A.R.V.I.S., but that betrays his decidedly droll and deprecating personality. This creates a humourous and engaging buddy cop-esque rapport between the two unwitting allies. Some of the barks during combat even elicited a chuckle, like Cuff asking the player to avoid getting hit again and Frey telling him to “shut the **** up” with a surprising bluntness.
“[Cuff] is partly a narrative tool to allow her to get a sense of the world and act as a guide, so to speak, but also be useful in battle and exploration. And the other idea with Cuff is, instead of just making it a useful tool, we wanted to give it a character and make it a personality on its own that can match the screen presence of Frey, even though it’s just a voice. Once we found [Balinska], who was perfect for the role, we wanted to find a personality that could create that great chemistry with Frey and have those kind of back-and-forth conversations,” says Mitsuno. “Their relationship is at the core of the story, too. As much as it is Frey’s journey, he’s there every step of the way, and you see their relationship go through these many changes as well. It’s very essential to the overall experience.”
It’s also clear that Luminous is looking to build up intrigue by leaving elements of Frey’s backstory a mystery, considering the demo began after the introductory New York chapter. As I played, there were certainly some hints sprinkled throughout; in one instance, she hints at having a complicated relationship with her father, and even when she’s sent through the portal to Athia, a sign that says “Holland Tunnel” can be seen behind her, suggesting she comes from some sort of wealth or influence. Seeing these seeds planted during my demo has me interested to find out where things go, especially since I’m a sucker for “daddy issues” stories.
According to Mitsuno, it’s the pursuit of such deeper character beats that resulted in Luminous tapping a Western writing team that consists of the likes of Uncharted creator Amy Hennig, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story co-writer Gary Whitta and Shadowhunters writer Allison Rymer.
“We’ve developed Final Fantasy games with these big, giant stories, but what they really excel at, what they really brought to Forspoken, is this micro level of looking at the human aspect of the story. Like, what Frey goes through and the relationships that she forms and how it all basically contributes to her growth and the trajectory that she goes on during this journey. So that was what we thought was really nice — that they were able to bring this really human element to the story.”
Not all of the story material has worked for me so far, though. For instance, Frey’s anger over the Chapter 3 death of a little girl named Olevia at the hands of one of the game’s villains, Tanta Sila, didn’t land quite as hard as it should given the relatively brief time they spend together. But in general, I like Frey and Cuff so far, and I enjoyed unpacking more of the game’s lore, which includes how the world and once-benevolent Tanta matriarchs have become corrupted by a mysterious force that Frey dubs the “Break.” It’s certainly not nearly as well-written as, say, Final Fantasy XIV or Final Fantasy VII Remake, but it’s still much more promising than trailers would lead you to believe, and I’m looking forward to seeing more.
Quite the magical gameplay experience
With all of the story talk out of the way, I’ll get into what was easily the highlight of my time with Forspoken: the gameplay. Simply put, it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with combat and traversal systems in a while.
On a base level, the game just benefits from an unparalleled sense of flashiness that’s afforded by the PS5. Put another way: if Final Fantasy XV was awe-inspiring for the scale of its massive summons that strike the battlefield with earth-shattering, terrain-altering magic, then Forspoken takes that several steps further by letting you be such a force of nature yourself. And because of the added graphical power of the PS5, Forspoken has some of the most impressive display of particle effects and colourful environmental effects I’ve ever seen. From the way Frey’s vines smash out of the ground and spray debris everywhere to how she sears the ground with magmatic sparks, I was constantly marvelling at the visual splendour. It becomes quickly apparent how the game is benefiting from being current-gen-only, and that’s before you factor in the practically instantaneous fast-travel — the quickest I’ve ever seen in a console game.
“We felt that designing this new IP for the PS5, which is new hardware, was really an ideal opportunity to really showcase what the game can do with the high-speed SSD and adaptive triggers,” says Takeshi Aramaki, Forspoken co-director and head of Luminous. “These are all features that we’re really able to show off because we’re able to develop for the PS5, and the magic parkour and traversal and all of that high intensity, high-speed, is possible because of the PlayStation 5. So we really wanted to deliver a brand new game experience to new players.”
Spectacle aside, though, Frey’s moveset is just remarkably varied. Even when you first start off, her rock powers offer a surprising amount of versatility. For example, her standard Burst Shot fires clusters of rocks at the enemy, and you can charge this up to hurl a larger projectile. Initially, this starts as a small clump of earth, but I was pleased to see that upgrading this ability turned it into a sizeable boulder. These heavy-hitting attacks nicely contrast the Scatter Shot, in which Frey holds out her fingers, Emperor Palpatine-style, to pepper enemies with smaller debris before launching a big cluster, and the Shield Shot, which gives you a defensive rocky wall that you can charge up to then explode into smaller particles. It’s a rather ingenious system that keeps combat more manageable and less input-heavy than some other action games while still affording you a good amount of options.
Support abilities can also help turn the tides of battle. These include vines that can ensnare enemies and leave them open for follow-up attacks, a Venus Flytrap-esque plant that can whittle away at enemies on its own and a plantlike whip that can sap enemy health to replenish your own. And if that weren’t enough, large area of effect supermoves called ‘Surges’ are available once you fill up a metre by using attack and support abilities. Being able to summon hordes of thorny branches to skewer my enemies with the ‘Genesis’ Surge never got old during my demo.
“Since this is an action game, first and foremost, we wanted to make sure to maintain this balance of distance between the players and the different magic that they were using,” explains Takefumi Terada, co-director of Forspoken. “For example, at the start of the game, there’s a lot of mid-range magic that’s available to players and then as you progress in the game, there’s fire-based magic that’s more closer-range, and then later on there’s more water-based magic, which is like a further-range magic spell. So we were very conscious of making the distance between the player and then the battles and then we created four schools of magic as a basis.”
Indeed, my only real gripe with the combat early on was that Frey felt like she was lacking a melee option, and as Terada promised, one came towards the end of my demo. After beating Tanta Sila, Frey is able to absorb her powers, adding the villain’s sword-based fire attacks to her arsenal. Since I wasn’t allowed to go past this point, Square Enix instead booted up a different, more curated demo — the one that was just dropped for free onto the PlayStation Store — in which I could sample Sila’s abilities. Immediately, I fell in love with these moves. Besides a flaming sword always being inherently cool, it just felt gratifying to use, with Frey whirling around with delightful Devil May Cry-esque flair.
Complementing these close-range moves are Sila’s even more impressive Support abilities, which offer all sorts of crowd control benefits. My favourite, by far, was Crucible, in which Frey conjures up a giant wall of fire around her to entrap her foes; it felt like the ultimate power fantasy. But the other fire Support moves were well-worth using, too, like Bombardier, which sees Frey punt an enemy and cause a fiery explosion, or Legion, which calls forth enflamed zombie allies. The spectacle and utility of these moves is remarkable, and it made me feel like an absolute badass. In some ways, it’s the Dr. Strange game I’d always hoped for.
Altogether, Luminous says there are around 100 spells that Frey can use, including electric and water powers I didn’t get to play around with, and the thought of uncovering them all in the final game is quite tantalizing.
“This is really also well-suited to the open-world environment that players are placed in. Since it’s such a huge world with many different corners, there’s different areas where there’s magic that’s more in line with searching for things and then other parts where there’s magic that deals a lot of damage in combat,” adds Terada. “And since Athia has so many different areas, and there’s so many different magic spells that come out of that you can use, so this is very suited for just having a variety of 100 different spells that you can use, because the world is so large.”
I didn’t get too much of a bearing on how the new types of magic that Frey learns will actually help with traversal, but even at the start, her magical parkour is extremely fluid and satisfying. Her base movement ability, Flow, lets her run at high-speeds while vaulting over low objects in oh-so stylish twirls and tumbles. (Flow also allows for equally graceful dodges in combat.) Frey can also bound up walls with timed jumps to gain some verticality, which is essential in Athia’s often mountainous terrain. With so many open-world games relying on vehicles or even horses to get around, it’s refreshing to have this unique spin on parkour at the heart of Forspoken.
It feels appropriately paced, too, as Flow has a stamina metre that quickly replenishes. On-the-fly management of your stamina, including using abilities to instantly top it up at key moments, helps maintain a thrilling sense of momentum during traversal. Luminous has also teased several ways in which the parkour will only continue to expand, like a fire-based whip to pull Frey to new heights or a surfboard to glide along bodies of water. It’s easy to imagine how all of these could be used in conjunction to make zipping around the map feel immensely engaging and even rewarding.
I do, however, have some concerns with the open-world itself. It’s definitely pretty, like the rest of the game, and it’s got an old European-inspired vibe that feels lovingly reminiscent at times of classic Final Fantasy games. But it also feels a little barren at times, with NPCs seemingly relegated to cities, while the icon-filled map that includes timed challenges, stat-increasing landmarks and photo snapping missions feels a bit like a relic from the last console generation. Admittedly, my demo was primarily focused on going through story missions, so it’s certainly possible I’ll come to appreciate all of this more. For now, though, I have some reservations.
Just give it a chance!
After my extensive hands-on with Forspoken, I honestly have to say that the hate Forspoken has been getting is pretty overblown. Having actually played the game, I’m now a lot more confident in Luminous’ vision. While it remains to be seen how the broader story and open-world will play out, the moment-to-moment gameplay and character interactions have won me over so far. Frey’s magical abilities, in particular, are, so far, an absolute blast to use and well-worth the price of admission alone.
If you have a PS5 or PC and like action games, you should absolutely keep Forspoken on your radar when it releases on PlayStation 5 and PC on January 24th, 2023.
The Federal Trade Comission (FTC) has officially filed a suit in order to attempt and halt Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This raises new hurdles as Microsoft’s $68.7 billion USD (roughly $93 billion CAD) deal is already seeking approval from regulators.
The FTC is filing its suit after months of investigations. The commission believes that the acquisition would “enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.” Since Microsoft announced its plans to acquire the Call of Duty and Overwatch publisher, anticompetitive concerns have surfaced.
“Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,” Holly Vedova, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, says in a statement. “Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets.”
Agency notes that Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesda's titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles /5
Microsoft has been facing pushback throughout the year as it seeks approval from regional regulators. Sony, one of Microsoft’s biggest competitors, argues that the acquisition may unfairly tip the scales in the industry. With blockbuster IPs like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and more laying in the balance, U.K. regulators have been investigating the deal. Pressure from the FTC only increases the hurdles presented currently.
We continue to believe that our deal to acquire Activision Blizzard will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president said in a statement. “We have been committed since Day One to addressing competition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC. While we believe in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court.”
Microsoft has shown a willingness to quell concerns over IP exclusivity. With Call of Duty’s presence on Sony’s PlayStation hardware in question, Microsoft has attempted to appeal to Sony and the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Most recently, Microsoft attempted to offer Sony a 10-year deal, securing access to Call of Duty on PlayStation hardware. Sony has not accepted the offer at this current point. This offer has also been agreed upon by both Nintendo and Valve.
Since publishing its statement, Activision Blizzard executive Lulu Cheng Meservey provided a statement. On Twitter, Meservey wrote, “This vote departs from precedent but the law hasn’t changed.” She continues, “Any claim the deal is anticompetitive ignores facts; the deal benefits gamers and the industry, especially given competition from abroad.”
Activision Blizzard is currently under investigation for reports of workplace harassment and “frat boy culture.” Likewise, CEO Bobby Kotick is also under investigation following allegations that he was aware of such acts and decided not to make meaningful changes.
At times, it can be pretty isolating; you feel like you don’t really belong to either of the radically different groups that make up your background. For me, that’s being British-Canadian on my mum’s side and Guyanese on my father’s. In social settings with either parent, you become consciously aware that you stick out like a sore thumb. I’m not quite white, I’m not quite brown, so what am I? Making everything murkier for me is the fact that I’ve long had a strained relationship with my emotionally abusive paternal half of the family, and, consequently, my feelings about that part of me are complicated, to say the least. As a result, I’ve often felt like I need to carve my own path — to find my own sense of identity.
*Warning: this story contains full spoilers for God of War Ragnarök*
Much to my surprise, then, when I discovered just how central this conflict was to God of War Ragnarök, the latest big-budget game from PlayStation and developer Santa Monica Studio. In Atreus, protagonist Kratos’ teenaged son, I saw a young man who embarked on a journey much like my own. He, too, has an intricate mixed lineage, and this leads him on a similar search for his own identity. That he also has a difficult relationship with his father only made him more relatable to me. Over the course of Ragnarök‘s 20-plus-hour campaign, I was deeply engrossed in ways I hadn’t been with most games. And when Ragnarök came to an end, I found myself balling. Through Kratos and Atreus’ story, I felt seen, and it created one of the most deeply cathartic experiences I’ve ever had in games.
The wolf that always seeks its own kind
God of War (2018) ended with the shocking reveal that Atreus was actually Loki. His mother, the Jötunn (Giant) known as Laufey, concealed this from both Kratos and Atreus, and it sets up the boy’s arc in Ragnarök. On top of hoping to prevent the prophesied Norse apocalypse, Atreus seeks answers about his past. Who were the Giants? Who was his mother? What’s his role in all of this? Immediately, this connected me to Atreus in a way I hadn’t been in the previous game.
And just a few hours in, Ragnarök further deepens that connection by actually letting you play as Atreus. While many expected this would happen, I certainly didn’t think it would so early in the game. By doing it then, though, Santa Monica Studio was able to achieve wonders. Structurally, it served to shake up the pace of the game by giving us a character who played remarkably different from Kratos. The way Atreus gracefully zips around the battlefield, leaping and twirling and hammering enemies with his bow, makes for a wonderfully refreshing gameplay experience from the slower, heavier Kratos, diversifying the game’s already really damn good combat. It also helps that actor Sunny Suljic, who’s grown so much since the last game, does a great job of bringing Atreus to life.
But narratively, taking control of Atreus only enhances his coming-of-age story. In God of War (2018), he was a support character, effectively teeing up enemies for Kratos to finish them off while relying on his father to literally carry him around everywhere. In Ragnarök, though, we see — or rather, experience — how independent Atreus has become. In the three years since the last game, he’s grown, and it’s led him to become independent. He can think on his own, fight on his own and climb an entire mountain on his own. By embodying Atreus, we can fully appreciate how he’s starting to become his own man. Best of all, he does this, consciously or not, by leveraging both sides of himself — marrying the best of both worlds of his lineage. The survival lessons from his father, coupled with the magic of his mother, have helped shape him into a capable warrior.
This was all rather touching to see. As someone who’s been estranged from his father for several years now, I can fall into the trap of trying to distance myself from that side of me. Brown people and culture can bring up unpleasant memories and push me to withdraw. But in Atreus, I saw someone who was empowered by embracing both halves. I saw someone who often felt lost and desperate like me, but didn’t run away from what made him who he was. If anything, it only helped motivate him in his journey. It reminded me that you don’t have to be defined by family, but what you take from them, on either side, can truly be beneficial.
The bear that keeps to his own line
The other side of the coin, of course, is Kratos. Part of the brilliance of the Norse God of War games is the fact that they don’t shy away from their past; all of the previous Greek mythology-inspired titles actually inform the current story. In this way, Santa Monica Studio contextualizes the central “father-child” dynamic far more deeply for me than the many other games that have tackled similar subject matter, be it The Last of Us, The Witcher 3 or Telltale’s The Walking Dead. We’ve seen the vengeful, loathsome, even evil man Kratos has been, and that adds significant weight to everything he now does.
What this means is that Kratos is a deeply flawed character and, as a result, an utterly believable and true-to-life father — one not unlike my own. While we understand Kratos’ efforts to protect his son stem from his guilt over the deaths of his previous family, that doesn’t change the fact that it leads him to exhibit decidedly toxic behaviour. His inability to properly show his love for Atreus, on top of his coldness and emotional unavailability and overbearingness, only serve to push Atreus away. These actions mirrored those of my own father, who often wasn’t around or, when he was, demanded respect and obedience without ever extending any of that to me. Kratos is even advised against this behaviour early on by Mimir, with whom he now shares a surprisingly close bond. “Brother, he’s going to walk his own path,” says Mimir. “If you don’t want him walking away from you, then smarten up and walk with him awhile.”
And sure enough, Atreus does walk away — repeatedly. At first, it’s in small ways, like sneaking out with Sindri behind Kratos’ back, but this later manifests in more dangerous excursions. Take Jötunheim, where Atreus finds himself after Kratos effectively told him to shun his Loki side because “you are Atreus, my son, and nothing more.” Here, Atreus comes across Angrboda, a kind, bubbly young woman for whom he starts to develop feelings. Together, they explore the mythical Ironwood forests in a significant departure from the main Ragnarök quest. For some people, this section was “too long and absolutely boring,” but it’s one of my favourite parts of the entire game.
On the one hand, Ironwood serves as a lovely respite from the harrowing apocalypse that loomed in the background, instead giving us an infectiously sweet back-and-forth between Atreus and Angrboda. In God of War (2018), Atreus really only gets to spend time with adults — chiefly his cold, hardass father. Now, though, we see a new side of him; he gets to just be a kid. The sense of youthful innocence on display between the pair is utterly endearing, reminding me fondly of Ellie and Riley hanging out at the mall in The Last of Us: Left Behind. When Atreus races through the mountains with Angrboda, Bear McCreary’s cheerful and adventurous “A Son’s Path” blasting in the background, I had a massive grin on my face. In many ways, Atreus and Angrboda are the beating heart of Ragnarök, the future that Kratos will inevitably commit to fighting for.
But beyond that, Ironwood made me feel even closer to Atreus. Narratively, this section is as long as it is because the lad wants it to be. He doesn’t want to go back home and deal with all of that drama. After so much conflict with his father, who fails to accept him for who he is, Jötunheim offers an alluring sense of escapism, and he’s fully drawn in by it. For me, this hit close to home. Since my mum worked long, late nurse shifts, I’d have to spend a few days of each week with my father. Needless to say, that was not my preference. So, that sense of dread that Atreus felt in having to go back to his father, and his desire to prolong it as much as possible to be around a much warmer presence? Well, I got that.
Ragnarök also captures the little intricacies of an angsty teen who nonetheless has legitimate grievances with his father. After Ironwood, when Kratos returns from Vanaheim with Freya, he goes to confront Atreus about where he’d been. Mimir had asked him to consider a measured approach, but Kratos, acting out of frustration, rather forcefully declares “He will tell me where he’s been.” Naturally, this quickly leads to a heated fight, with Atreus upset that his father doesn’t trust him, and Kratos thinking that he’s recklessly plotting to seek Odin to prevent Ragnarök. With haste, the rest of their allies take Kratos’ side, essentially ganging up on Atreus by doing so.
Now, is Atreus being foolhardy for considering such things without much in the way of an actual plan? Absolutely! But Kratos and the group’s complete lack of empathy for this clearly scared and conflicted teen just leads him to feel even more alone. Everyone stands around and berates him — of course, he’d lash out, run away and do the exact thing he was told not to do. It brought back vivid memories of all the times I’d spend the summers in Florida to visit family, where everyone would take my dad’s side and make me out to be the villain. Was I perfectly behaved? Probably not (is any child?), but adults not being more understanding when dealing with a teen, especially one who clearly feels lost and scorned and far from the comfort of his home, just leads him to become even more bitter. Even the way Atreus rather astutely points out Kratos’ hypocrisy in lying to him rang true for me. The many times my own father would keep things from me — chief among them, how I found out about his wedding through Facebook, of all things — but then get mad should I also not be so forthcoming. “Wonder where I learned that?” Atreus says sarcastically when Kratos calls him out for lying. Every resentful remark, every anguished plea for his father to just listen to him, felt all too familiar.
Finally being better
This isn’t to say that Kratos is a terrible father — far from it. It’s evident that he does care, and the ways in which Ragnarök uses not only main story missions but an ample amount of sidequests to illustrate this are absolutely masterful. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the heartwarming Hafgufa “Jellyfish” quests in Alfheim. After Atreus asks to track down and free a wounded creature, the boy is surprised when his father is willing to traverse eerie, barren deserts and Elven warrior-infested caves to do so. Eventually, Atreus’ curiosity gets the better of him — he just has to ask why his father has even bothered to go on all of these excursions.
“Have you ever considered..? He just wants to spend time with you lad, while he still can,” asks Mimir.
“We do not know what lies ahead, but if Ragnarök approaches…” Kratos adds sternly before his voice softens, “I wish to enjoy the time we have left.”
This little exchange encapsulates so much of what I love about Kratos and Atreus’ relationship. No father is perfect, and it’s certainly not uncommon for one to be guarded with his emotions. But it’s the effort that counts. Kratos going on these grand adventures with his son is, in his own way, the ultimate expression of love. For someone like me, with a father who lived just 10 minutes away yet barely ever made the time to see me, Kratos was exhibiting everything I ever really wanted. The beautiful subtleties in Christopher Judge’s performance — which he’s candidly admitted serves as both a “love letter” and “apology” to his own children — only adds to the sincerity and emotional weight of such scenes.
We also see Kratos grow more empathetic. When Atreus returns to Brok and Sindri’s, ashamed of having let the deadly Garm free, the others start to admonish him. Kratos, though, acts a bit differently — he actually stands up for his son. Instead of making him feel even worse, he puts a hand on his shoulder and reassures him that together, they will fix this mess. Atreus even asks if he’s going to be reprimanded, and Kratos simply says, “No. I am… relieved you are safe.” What’s more, this entire experience brings Kratos to a major epiphany. After they stop Garm and prepare to return home, Kratos has a heart-to-heart with Atreus, candidly acknowledging how he’s wronged Atreus. “I have been… falling back into my own ways. Angry. Distrustful. With you, now… and before. I… I chased you away.” What’s more, he actually says, “I’m sorry,” with Judge expertly capturing all of the guilt and self-loathing in his tone. It’s a far cry from the Kratos in God of War (2018) or even Ragnarök up until this point. All of this, in turn, helps Atreus see the good influence his father’s watchful eye has had, and the two come to an understanding.
It’s a moving exchange and one I’d have killed to have with my own dad, even once. Never did he accept responsibility for anything; it was always me, the petulant child, to blame. When I had to call my mum at 3am on Father’s Day to pick me up from a party he dragged me to, my 13-year-old self fearful of how intoxicated all of the adults were, I was at fault. When I saw him weeks later, he complained about how embarrassing that was, how I was the only child to do that and cause a scene. If I told him I didn’t want to go to Waterloo, Ontario with him so he could see his fellow beer-loving cousin, I was being disrespectful and disobedient — who cares if I just wanted to spend the day just the two of us? In that moment, I saw something I always dreamed about — my father recognizing his harmful traits and genuinely apologizing for them. Throughout his entire journey in the first game, Kratos told Atreus about the need for them to be better — now, he’s actually doing that, and my heart was full.
From here, everything we see between Kratos and Atreus is just icing on the proverbial father-son cake. When Atreus feels immense guilt over the murder of Brok, Kratos tries to comfort him by accompanying him on a deer hunting trip and, later, tries to apologize to Sindri. The night before they make the climactic charge on Asgard, Kratos lets Atreus sleep in his tent and tells him a story to help him go to sleep, all while trying to keep his weariness and reservations about the coming battle in check. Ragnarök takes its time to get to these tender, oh-so-human moments so that they feel earned when we get them. But Santa Monica Studio saved the best of them for last.
Letting go
Much praise has been heaped upon the ending of God of War Ragnarök, in which Kratos weeps as he discovers a prophecy depicting him as a peaceful and beloved god, and, finally, having hope for his own future. I certainly adore this, as it’s a magnificent and beautifully poetic cap to his arc; somehow, the thinly written, one-note rage monster of the old God of War games was given some of the most profound character development I’d ever seen in a game. Not forgiving him for his actions, but making sure he puts in the work — going around the Nine Realms with Freya to clean up Odin’s mess — to earn his new lease on life.
But it’s the other half of that ending that resonates even more for me. After the war with Asgard, Atreus takes the opportunity to tell Kratos that he’s decided to find the remaining Giants. After everything he’s been through, all of the soul-searching to forge his own identity, he’s now certain of who he wants to be — a hero to his people. As he attempts to explain his reasoning, Kratos quickly tells him he understands why — to truly become his own man, he has to take a risk and venture out, even if it frightens him. What’s more, he tells Atreus that the reason they overcame Odin is because his kindness — his innate ability to believe in good — led him to entrust the allies who ultimately saved them. Ultimately, Kratos says, “you are ready,” a wonderful full-circle moment for the man who has been saying the opposite for nearly two full games. “Loki will go… Atreus remains,” says Kratos, choking up as he utters those last two words, embraces his son and a solemn version of the God of War theme swells.
This final interaction moved me to tears. For so much of my life, this is something I’ve longed to have gotten from my own father. No, Kratos wasn’t the kindest, most forthcoming or even thoughtful of dads. But at this crucial juncture in his son’s life, as he’s about to become a man, he’s there for his son — to put a hand on his shoulder, tell him he was proud and give him his blessing to go forward. Atreus, the conflicted mixed youth who I saw a lot of myself in, got what he needed from his father. As someone who went through university, graduation and real-world employment without any fatherly support or encouragement, this hit hard. Sure, the circumstances were a bit different between Atreus and me. He parted with his father on the best of terms, lovingly and with the knowledge that someday, they will surely reunite. Meanwhile, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready — or even willing — to reconnect with my own father. Still, seeing Atreus step out from Kratos’ shadow and successfully carve his own path was nonetheless so meaningful to me. Me even writing this about this publicly for the first time is, in many ways, doing something that scares me, just as Kratos mentioned. And in a way, hearing Kratos say, “you are ready” also felt like a direct address to me — a reminder that whatever happens, I can also move forward without my father.
As Kratos descends the mountain with Mimir and Freya in tow to start a new heroic journey, McCreary’s commanding and stirring score hitting a stupendous crescendo, I felt a surprising sense of resolve. Kratos and Atreus will be okay. And you know what? I will be, too.
God of War Ragnarök is now available exclusively on PlayStation 4 and 5.
It’s the lead-up to the weekend, meaning that my mom would pick up my brother and me from school in Toronto and drive back over to Brampton.
This particular week was quite special, however, as Sonic Generations released on Tuesday and my anticipation for the game was immense. I still remember endlessly playing the demo on PlayStation 3 leading up to its release.
As a middle-school student, I did not have a lot of money to spend or even ask for, but my mother made an exception for this game.
If I were to trap those memories into a time capsule, it would contain all the ridiculous hours consuming Sonic Generations. If I wasn’t playing through the game, I was watching two of my favourite content creators Somecallmejohnny (a person who was one of my inspirations for creative writing) and ClementJ642 duking it out in the leaderboards.
I could go on about how Sonic the Hedgehog has both directly and indirectly influenced my life, specifically the 3D games because those are what I grew up with.
It’s also the reason why I remained cautiously optimistic with Sonic Frontiers until launch, because I wanted the game to be good since primary Sonic developer Sonic Team’s reputation is pretty rocky.
Not to say that the recent games were outright terrible, but Sonic Team lost my trust with Sonic Forces. It was tonally ridiculous (World War 3 in the Sonic universe does not work), the level design was flat and classic Sonic felt (pardon the pun) forced into the game because they were playing the nostalgia-bait card again.
It didn’t help that Sonic Frontiers’ marketing was not great at the start. All we saw was Sonic interacting with a lifeless, bleak-looking world without any signs of the traditional levels or Sonic’s banter with his friends.
Thankfully, not only did the marketing greatly improve but so did my own general feelings. As I played through the first couple of hours, it felt like I was back in my pre-teenager self eating Frosted Flakes and playing video games in front of the TV.
I’m a firm believer that instead of forgetting the past, we should embrace and learn from our mistakes, even if we fail to learn the first time.
Because of this mindset, I think it’s fair to look back at Sonic Team’s track record at storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Before Sonic fans click off this review, I’m not going to mention Sonic ’06 or Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
Instead, I want to comment on Sonic Colors, Forces, Lost World and even Generations, as I feel these games highlight Sonic Team’s lack of direction with developing new characters and characterizing pre-existing ones.
One character that really showcases this issue is none other than Sonic’s sidekick Miles “Tails” Prower. Throughout the aforementioned games, Tails’ development is both confusing and inconsistent. For example, Sonic Colors does a great job of showing how useful he is as Sonic’s partner, as he’s cunning and witty. Then Lost World’s story has him getting angry at Sonic for not trusting his intelligence (for no good reason) and working with Eggman to stop the Deadly Six. Talk about mood whiplash.
However, the biggest crime comes from Sonic Forces as Tails, the person who stood up to Eggman when he was about to blow up Station Square in Sonic Adventure and fights multiple powerful versions of Chaos, becomes scared of the base form of Chaos and cries for Sonic.
Tails, while timid in his own right, is a character that does stand up for himself, even if the situation is quite scary. While he’s not as direct in handling situations like Sonic, he makes up for it with mechanical skills and intelligence. Sonic Forces essentially killed his character, making him one of many characters that I felt previous Sonic writers never really understood.
However, instead of disregarding the previous games, Sonic Frontiers actually embraces these flaws and weaves them into the storytelling. For example, Tails actually comes to terms with his problems about co-dependency on Sonic and, specifically, references plot details from Forces. Not only that, but there are so many references to the older games (including the classics) that had me constantly grinning during my playthrough.
For the first time in over a decade, I felt these characters had a clear sense of direction that was actually written by a Sonic fan. This is in special part to the involvement of Ian Flynn, the lead writer for Sonic IDW comics that have been well received for a long time. While the overall story did have some issues, I loved the characterization and I’m eager to see how this writing carries over to the next game.
Finding your own flame
Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team, coined the phrase ‘open-zone’ to describe the gameplay for Sonic Frontiers. While it sounds like techno-babble (Apple’s ‘dynamic island’ springs to mind), it really does describe the gameplay quite well.
Sonic Frontiers is not an open-world; rather it’s filled with bigger sandbox levels that have various obstacles and puzzles to explore. Though these worlds lack any real presence besides Sonic’s friends and the Kocos (adorable stones used to enhance Sonic), that’s not really essential for this game’s setting.
Instead, it’s about the joy of travelling around the islands. This is only further highlighted as you complete more puzzles and open up new routes to run quickly between areas. The more you play and complete challenges, the more these islands feel like traditional Sonic stages.
I especially loved experiencing the freedom of running around the world without the constraints of sticking to one specific path imposed by the past Sonic games. There was also a sense of reward when you had to figure out how to travel from one place to another without the game explicitly pointing out how you needed to go. This type of exploration is also encouraged because of the various collectibles that are scattered across the map that you need in order to progress the story. These include vault keys, memory tokens, portal gears and purple coins.
While these may sound tedious, especially for a Sonic game, I didn’t find it to be a nuisance. That’s because you can acquire all these items alternatively through Big the Cat’s fishing mini-game, a fun distraction with lots of useful rewards. It also helps that Sonic himself controls quite well, with the added feature of customizing exactly how you want him to play. This includes movement speed, jump height and more, making this the most accessible Sonic game (control-wise) to date.
Another addition to the overall gameplay is the revamped combat system. Since Sonic Frontiers reintroduces enemies with health bars, the blue hedgehog decided to take some fighting lessons from the Devil May Cry series. Sonic can perform parries, initiate combos and even has a skill tree to upgrade moves, though it’s really simplistic. The combat system is not fully realized, but it was quite enjoyable to fight different mini-bosses and even opened up some different combat strategies.
However, there’s more than the open-zone gameplay in Sonic Frontiers — you also have the cyber space levels. These are bite-sized platforming levels using the ‘boost’ formula, where the player has to quickly traverse through the stage while reacting to various obstacles at high speeds. They also contain four challenges that include reaching the goal, clearing with a S rank time, collecting all the red rings and finishing the level with a certain amount of rings. While I was concerned about this approach because of Sonic Forces’ shorter stages, these provide a great burst of challenge without overstaying their welcome.
Not exactly all fist bumps
However, while the cyberspace levels provide a lot of fun, they also bring up most of the issues I have with Sonic Frontiers.
For starters, there are over 28 levels but Sonic Team reuses the same four aesthetics present in Sonic Generations. It’s still baffling that we can’t move past Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant is starting to become an eyesore. Unfortunately, this laziness is also present in the level design because most are a copy-and-paste job from previous 3D games. It’s a double-edged sword because it makes the stages fun to play through at the cost of unoriginality. However, if you’re not familiar with the older games, this probably won’t be an issue.
What is a universal problem is how Sonic controls in these stages. While I have a lot of praise when it comes to the open-zone gameplay, those controls don’t necessarily translate well to cyber space levels. Specifically, I found that basic 2D platforming was incredibly awkward for precise jumps, though there are some 3D stages that highlighted issues regarding sharp turns and double-jumping.
Outside of the cyber space levels, I can’t ignore the multiple graphical issues during the open-zone islands. There are numerous issues with objects popping in, textures looking right out of an early PS2 title and some cutscenes feeling hollow and unfinished. However, if the world can accept Pokémon Violet and Scarlet’s horribly poor performance, which is worse than anything you see in Sonic Frontiers, then these graphical issues are comparatively quite minor.
Undefeatable in Certified Hits
There are some guarantees in life: death, taxes and Sonic games having phenomenal soundtracks, and Sonic Frontiers is no exception.
In fact, it’s one of the best since Sonic ’06, with so many varied tracks ranging from peaceful and atmospheric to high-energy EDM and metalcore. Long-time series composer Tomoya Ohtani has dabbled through different genres before (with some being hit-or-miss), but he’s finally perfected it here.
I can’t quite describe the levels of euphoria I felt when I first heard “Undefeatable,” the first Super Sonic titan theme, but the joy was very similar to listening to hearing veteran Sonic composer Crush 40’s final boss songs.
Endless Possibilities
Overall, what Sonic Frontiers has achieved is a reminder that Sonic Team can be successful when ambitious.
Many people see this game as the hedgehog’s revival or that “he’s back” to being a video game mascot. While it’s not inaccurate to say (Sonic Frontiers currently has an 82 percent user score on Metacritic and is being received overwhelmingly positive on Steam), I honestly feel like he’s never left. We’ve had other entries such as Sonic Mania, Lost World and even the 3DS Sonic Boom titles that delivered a good experience.
Sonic Frontiers isn’t perfect, but it’s a giant leap in the right direction as Sonic Team has finally made the right evolution to the hedgehog’s core gameplay. Most importantly, it was the most fun I’ve had with Sonic outside of the Adventure games and Generations.
New modes, new Koco, new…playable characters!? More Sonic Frontiers content coming your way next year! pic.twitter.com/MoZ8Gtj4Ro
To my surprise, they’re also continuing to support Sonic Frontiers with free DLC next year, introducing new challenge modes, small quality-of-life improvements and playable characters (a feature Sonic Team has avoided since Sonic ’06).
With all the positive press and continuing support, my hope is that Sonic Team uses this game to deliver an even better experience. This time, I’m quite hopeful that they will keep their promise.
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Each month, PlayStation offers a handful of games at no additional cost to its PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Now, the company has revealed the trio of titles hitting PlayStation Plus Essential in December. (PlayStation will announce December’s PS Plus Extra and Premium games in the coming days.)
Notably, this month’s highlight is Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a remastered PS4 collection of BioWare Edmonton’s beloved sci-fi shooter Mass Effect trilogy. Rounding out this month are two PS4 and PS5 games, the third-person platformer fighter Divine Knockout: Founder’s Edition and action-RPG Biomutant.
All three games will be available for free through PS Plus from December 6th to January 2nd. Meanwhile, November’s free PS Plus Essential games will remain available until December 5th.
And sure enough, Atreus does walk away — repeatedly. At first, it’s in small ways, like sneaking out with Sindri behind Kratos’ back, but this later manifests in more dangerous excursions. Take Jötunheim, where Atreus finds himself after Kratos effectively told him to shun his Loki side because “you are Atreus, my son, and nothing more.” Here, Atreus comes across Angrboda, a kind, bubbly young woman for whom he starts to develop feelings. Together, they explore the mythical Ironwood forests in a significant departure from the main Ragnarök quest. For some people, 
This little exchange encapsulates so much of what I love about Kratos and Atreus’ relationship. No father is perfect, and it’s certainly not uncommon for one to be guarded with his emotions. But it’s the effort that counts. Kratos going on these grand adventures with his son is, in his own way, the ultimate expression of love. For someone like me, with a father who lived just 10 minutes away yet barely ever made the time to see me, Kratos was exhibiting everything I ever really wanted. The beautiful subtleties in Christopher Judge’s performance — 
From here, everything we see between Kratos and Atreus is just icing on the proverbial father-son cake. When Atreus feels immense guilt over the murder of Brok, Kratos tries to comfort him by accompanying him on a deer hunting trip and, later, tries to apologize to Sindri. The night before they make the climactic charge on Asgard, Kratos lets Atreus sleep in his tent and tells him a story to help him go to sleep, all while trying to keep his weariness and reservations about the coming battle in check. Ragnarök takes its time to get to these tender, oh-so-human moments so that they feel earned when we get them. But Santa Monica Studio saved the best of them for last.
However, instead of disregarding the previous games, Sonic Frontiers actually embraces these flaws and weaves them into the storytelling. For example, Tails actually comes to terms with his problems about co-dependency on Sonic and, specifically, references plot details from Forces. Not only that, but there are so many references to the older games (including the classics) that had me constantly grinning during my playthrough.
