Why Sonic's Character Is Phenomenal In Sonic Frontiers
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- Talk about a massive turnaround in the franchise! Sonic's character was one that I thought was incredible, especially in titles like Adventure 2 and Black Knight. But since the 2010's his character was absolutely ruined, with him no longer resembling the Sonic of old. Thankfully, Frontiers released and bought the hedgehog back with some fantastic writing that dived into his characteristics. This video will explore and analyze just what makes Sonic so good in this game. Hopefully, you enjoy the video!
If you want to go above and beyond in supporting the channel, then why not check out my patreon: / thepjshow
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Why Sonic's Character was so great
03:34 How His Character Was Ruined In The 2010's
05:16 Sonic's Character At The Beginning Of Frontiers
06:25 Sonic's Interactions With Amy
10:10 Roger Craig Smiths New Voice Direction
11:12 Sonic's Interactions With Knuckles
14:55 Sonic's Interactions With Tails
16:18 Sonic's Flat Character Arc and Interactions with Sage
18:01 The Cyber Corruption And Sonic's Training
20:30 Super Sonic 2
22:12 Sonic's Sense of Adventure
22:54 Conclusion
23:57 Outro 
Игры
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So, what do you guys think about Sonic’s Character in Frontiers? Did you like it? Dislike it? Let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to respond to as many as possible!
I loved it, from the beginning of Frontiers pre updates to the end with the final update.
And everyone else's character as well.
Voice direction really does go a long way.
As someone who grew up with the,, dark age,, of sonic like yourself I bet you enjoyed having a new super form in years
@@SSJacksWolf Its nowhere near any of the stuff you've mentioned but okay
Ian filn wrote sonic Perfect sonic was so great my favourite version of him was adventure 2 and sonic unleashed and black Knight filn did him justice the 2010s did him fuck but now we had the old sonic we know and love but l just love it when l first played l said to myself that is the sonic l know and love still my favourite he ever said from each game l mention in adventure 2 what you see it was you get just a guy how loves adventure am sonic the hedgehog and the line in the famous sence in adventure 2 in unleashed is that do l have a reason to help a friend that line suits him black Knight l have two lines one the one from marliea boss fight second with knuckles after the fight in frontiers my favourite danamic there is the sence you mentioned with amy and sonic when l finished l just said to myself this is the best version of sonic we got ever since black Knight every cutsences in frontiers is so great true to the character
I like it, I wish if this version of sonic be more like 2000's sonic, at least few traits for corny jokes and snarky attitude and that's okay
You can thank Ian Flynn for doing a good job with the script
He better be in charge of the script for most of the games going forward
I remember when people were SCARED when they found out Flynn was working on the script, especially because he also worked on that one Metal Virus arc that everyone’s conflicted about
@@MarioMania07 I never read the Metal Virus arc. Is it canon to the games and what makes everyone so conflicted about it?
@@MarioMania07why were people conflicted with the metal virus arc?
@@phantom-X2086if I had to guess one thing, it would be Shadow’s character, essentially him being idiotically cocky and reckless despite Sonic’s warning of the Virus, but him acting like “I’m too good to get sick” or something.
Yeah, not his brightest moment.
Can we talk about how cool Roger is when he isn’t held back by corny jokes, the man screams like a monster.
Yep. Roger did incredible in final horizon before original game he pull it off. It captures that tone delivery he's giving. Not only that he sounded mix of boom and 06 one.
@@bryanblueblurhedgehog8899agreed
The yell was good, but he still doesn't fit game Sonic
@@HazeX2 Sorry to break it to you but Jason Griffith ain’t coming back.
@@rickyrackey7930 There's always a chance. Even if that were true, there's definitely other people that can do a more fitting Sonic voice.
My favorite scene in frontiers was when sage asked sonic: "How can you still smile when you can barely stand?" And then sonic takes a deep breath, smile and keep walking. Shows how much he's willing to help
And how strong he is as a person. "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die by MY terms. Not sad fearing my inevitable death, but smiling knowing my fist is still clenched and my laces are still tied." That's the Sonic we've been looking up to for the past 35 YEARS.
You guys have perfectly resumed the situation...🥹🥹🥹
Like Penny from Snapcube said "from character assassination to character necromancy".
Having Ian on board was the best move possible. Now hopefully other characters in the games like Shadow can be fixed, made into something like his portrayal in Sonic Prime.
I respect the fact Tails' development actually addressed the sour Forces moment instead of ignoring it like never happened.
Also, big congrats on the 50,000 subs, PJ!
Where she said that? Would love to hear that!
When did she say this? I have to know because that is amazing.
She says it during the "What is your end goal" cutscene in her vid titled "they fixed tails".
@@trotlicek6664I think in her Frontiers playthrough
If Forces (and all Pontaff games) had been wiped out of the canon, we could have Tails acting like it never happened, cause it would be the case.
It’s nice to see sonic having his unleashed personality again his portrayal in that game was brilliant
Fr. I miss when Sonic actually acted like he cared about what was going on, and wasn't cracking jokes every other sentence.
@@Not_Kaitlyn I know that’s why I like unleashed sonic he had a sweet relationship with chip and took eggman seriously during times eggman triumphed over sonic plus he was completely serious when dark Gaia emerged
I personally like his portrayal in SA2 more and i still don’t think frontiers is peak sonic. But from all the shit from the 2010’s it is a step in the right direction.
Honestly can’t get over his new deep voice, lol. Hopefully it’s a temporary thing and we can get a recast for him. But the writing is pretty good from what I’ve seen (haven’t beaten the game yet, it reset my save and then I gave up)
Still feels off somehow :p
If only he had the same voice
@@Starlight-ue8jySA2 is still the best balanced Sonic to this day. That scene on the ark with Eggman and tails encapsulates everything about Sonic in one scene. Peak.
Sonic is the perfect example of writing a " flawed hero" without making him out as some incompetent moran or him having personal issues or mental issues he needs to work on. Not everyone in life is having personal issues they need to resolved, there are characters who has themselves together and are kind and want to help. His flaws are his inpatiences, reckless nature and his rebellious personality
This! Sometimes the most sympathetic characters are the ones who are just "being themselves" and have to learn and grow from their mistakes. IT's what makes them feel "real" and not written with a bad backstory. Nothing is wrong with Sonic, but nothing has to be. He's just a rebellious teen with a good heart. Just like all of us IRL. Wanting to do the right thing but still wanting to have fun in life. No super powers, no "my parents died and that's why I'm broody" just... life. just real.
You both are right! :D
@@MarioMastarhis values are also tun
Yep! That's Sonic right there.
I love how you included how Sonic's flat character arc plays a huge role in the story, because a lot of people tend to have a bad understanding of flat arcs. I think a big reason for that is that for flat arcs to work, you need supporting characters around you who aren't flat. It is the contrast between a flat character's undying convictions and a dynamic character's development that allows them both to shine brighter for it.
The biggest flaw of a flat character arc was showcased in the 2010s, where Sonic was the only focal point of the stories and other characters were just there to serve as an ego-boost or as a meaningless plot device. However, that exact arc is what made him so compelling before the meta era, because he's the one who inspired Tails's growing confidence, Knuckles's desire to lay back and feel comfortable outside of his role as "Master Emerald guardian," and Shadow's break away from his "destiny" or stubborn attempts at pushing everyone away.
I'm holding out hope for both the gameplay and the writing to come together at once so Sonic can truly revive into a phenomenal renaissance like with the Adventure games. With Ian Flynn at the helm, I know I only have to worry about one of those things.
...Also, bringing back a Chao Garden or two could help. It's optional, but also pretty please with a cherry on top.
Super educational.
Sonic as a flat character makes it more compelling when other characters who were influenced and inspired by Sonic also share that to other characters like how Amy helps Shadow to try to let go of his past or how Shadow helped Silver to go into the right path of justice.
Sonic is at his most fulfilling when his actions influence or inspire the people around him, taking out any obstacle standing in their way. It's even more interesting when he does what he does because it's right to do and that it's in his nature to convey that sense from just being him. The living embodiment of good and freedom that he possesses.
@@minty6623 Exactly! And what is good is, Sonic, even being already nice and perfect without needing development, isn't unbeatable yet, he can still get weak and in trouble, angry or sad, he can need help, and that's what makes him interesting. He doesn't need to be developed, just being emotive and equal to others.
The thing is most people don't have a problem with flat character arcs,they have a problem with characters being unentertaining while also having no character arc.
@@kingtiger5040 Which is not the case of Sonic.
Sonic in this game feels to me like the first instance of Sonic as an adult. The classic games feel like the latter part of his childhood: he’s rebellious but still has an air of innocence. The adventure/dark era seems like his teenage years where he becomes a slightly edgier symbol of freedom who defies tyrants, monsters, and even gods. Unleashed feels like the transition to frontiers with Sonic beginning to serve as a mentor and genuine friend who just makes other people better. To me, that’s kind of the final stage of Sonic’s growth: not appealing to kids as a silly cartoon character nor a perfect role model, but as someone cool enough to believe in you.
so all the games where he was making terrible jokes was just him having a mental breakdown
@@ravencg7709I would call it a "Mid-life Crisis"
The whole reason Sonic is such a great character is because unlike any other character in gaming history who suffers from personal trama, Sonic always remains positive and keeps going with a smile on his face. It's like Sage said: He never stops, he never gives up.
Yeah, no matter all his suffering, despite everything he endures, he keeps smiling and being nice and sweet. A real adorable angel.
@@maryafantalia8614 I'm sensing sarcasm. Understandable, since it is possible that Sonic does have to deal with trauma.
@@maddenboseroy4074 Who mentioned sarcasm?
@@maryafantalia8614 You? "Yeah...he keeps smiling and being nice and sweet. A real adorable angel."
@@maddenboseroy4074 And can you tell me since when it was sarcasm? Don't call anything sarcasm if you're not sure it's the case.
Honestly wish my mum was alive to see frontiers. She would have loved it
Condolences 🙏
My condolences, I’m sorry for your loss.
@@JacobFlores-pt8hc thank you
Rest In Peace
This really feels like a Renaissance for Sonic the Hedgehog. For once I'm actually really hopeful for Sonic's future because it seems like Sega is *_finally_* understanding that having such tight restrictions and mandates aren't helping these characters, but rather hurting them. The meta era has done such immense damage to Sonic's legacy, but I think thanks to not only Frontiers but Sonic Prime and the films, these characters will really have a chance to shine once again. With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 really course correcting Knuckles, I actually have a lot of hope they'll fix up Shadow as well. The dark furred hedgehog deserves his own Renaissance alongside Sonic.
Don’t be hopeful. We know Sega is going to go back to messing things up and hurting their characters once again like usual.
well, welcome to the future. the return of shadow the hedgehog is indeed upon us
@TheRibottoStudios "films"
Ah yeah, I too associate Sonic with insisting on living in Small Town America with a cop as his surrogate parent and being lectured by cops on responsibility (with Sonic making a speech about responsibility to Knuckles) and overall being a superhero who actually fights bank robbers even though Sonic is supposed to be the freest boy alive who doesn't care about being a hero outside of amusement and sometimes his values (which are focused on trees and his liberty, not responsibility or Small Town America).
@TheRibottoStudios "that having such tight restrictions and mandates aren't helping these characters, but rather hurting them"
ITT: Only Sega has mandates for how to write/depict/other their characters.
I love seeing how the individual aspects of Sonic's character come out depending on who he's interacting with; he's compassionate and understanding with Amy, he's more jokey and tough but still supportive with Knoucles, and he's mentoring and encouraging with Tails; a brotherly figure. Not only is he a guy that loves adventure, he's a character that understands the situation he's in and the individual needs of his friends; a small act of heroism that is easily overlooked but still effective. He's still a fun and interesting character, but we see his softer side when he's reminiscing about his friends, and I personally think that's beautiful writing. 10/10 interpretation, bravo.
Sonic Frontiers reminded me of Why I love this character so much.
But did you love him because of his too deep voice ?
I was super happy with Flynn's work in Frontiers.
It wasn't perfect, but damn, I enjoyed it. No stupid quirky lines that removed tension in tricky situations. Instead, we got great characterization and hope for a great future.
Agreed
With all we have in Sonic writing, it IS perfect! This is how all games should be! Even 2000s games didn't have this audacity despite the awesomeness of their writing!
Not only that, but when the game does try to be funny, it's actually funny
@@areakastudios6704 Yeah!
@@areakastudios6704 forreal. Like the meta joke about Sonic’s end goal 😂
Man, words cannot express how much I felt, when Sonic went Super Sonic 2!
That was sooooo awesome, when Sonic snap his fingers bringing supreme/The End to the ground and when you parry, he simply just waved his hand.
My favorite part was when Sonic transformed back after he got knocked down, man, people can say what they want to say with the Dragon Ball comparisons, but it genuinely reminded me of Goku and Vegeta in a good way,( but still Super Sonic 2 on his own finesse) Sonic Team went hard with the Final Horizon update!
I was literally in awe.
I KNOW RIGHT?!
power creep will be the downfall of new forms
@@kiromi790 ...
“Cool! My eyes are Blue now”
@@kiromi790 ?
I like how this game showed how much Sonic and Amy’s relationship has changed and matured since the early days, where before in games like SA1 or Heroes Sonic would back away or even run if he sees Amy coming his way, now he’s clearly much more comfortable around her because Amy herself has matured and gotten calmer, she’s not regularly throwing herself onto him, only doing that once in this game which even then was because of her excitement over Sonic’s victory over The End which he seemed to realize when he was initially taken aback by it but it quickly wasn’t a problem for him anymore since he still had a smile on his face and didn’t push her away, and she’ll even call him out if he’s doing something she doesn’t agree with meanwhile if this was the 2010’s Amy, especially Free Riders, I can guarantee that would not have been the case
I'm actually very glad that Frontiers actively decided to draw on Tails bad characterization from the last decade (I think it dates back to Unleashed, but whatever) and not ignore/decanonize it for two reasons. First, Ian Flynn has pulled this trick before with the Sonic Archie comics to great effect. He avoids handwaving bad characterization and instead uses it as a springboard for future improved characterization. If he comes back to write whatever big game comes next, I can't wait to see what he pulls off with Tails. And second, this makes the time spent experiencing those horrible stories feel like it wasn't a big waste of time, retroactively. As fans, we all spent varying amounts of resources to experience those awful 2010-2017 stories, be it money and effort on the games or just time reading wiki's or watching cutscenes on RUclips. Decanonizing that, means it was a true waste, regardless of how much or little was spent on it. And besides, you KNOW that we'd all still be groaning about how bad those stories were regardless of if they were acknowledged in Frontiers or not. Better use it to the narratives advantage I say.
Reminds me of how Ahsoka in the clone wars was pretty badly written, so they decided to make an arc that humbled and fixed her character, and she became one of the most beloved characters of the series.
It's surprising how a bit of good writing can change everything about a character.
Yeah it lead to what we see in Nine in Sonic Prime and why Prime felt like it was going to conclude Tail's "Depression arc". Nine feels like the real tails finally unbottling his anguish over the years as he meets his old self and explicitly tells Sonic he doesn't want anything to do with who he used to be cause he feels like that tails was a failure. Every split personality in Prime is a part of each of his friends with that personality trait emphasized, with each region having one of them exaggerate thier worst trait "Amy's sense of control and lack of confidence (boscage), Knuckles' blind greed and selfish nature (Pirates), and Tails' inferiority complex and desire to be his own man at all costs (New Yolk). Given Amy and Knuckles have resolved thier issues, Tails was the only one whose issues got worse as Sonic kept leaving him in the dust and Prime is him finally snapping. It's gonna be epic to see how that story concludes.
Sonic Frontiers was a huge step in the right direction. Not perfect, but a massive improvement. Hopefully they continue in this vein.
5:45 In fairness, Sonic was suspicious of the voice, saying “If they wanna start trouble? I’ll fight them too”. Finding his friends and the Emeralds are simply all he can do at the moment.
He got that from the GOAT Shadow when Mephiles tried that on him. Granted Sonic didn't see it, but I feel like all of Sonic's best "I'll fight for what's right" moments came from Shadow doing the same earlier...ironically in 06 mostly.
Sonic Frontiers’ writing may not be perfect, but Ian Flynn’s writing in this game was a definite step in the right direction. Sonic was feeling like how he was in Unleashed which is a good thing, Tails finally realized how he has regressed back into Sonic’s shadow and wants to be his Adventure 2 self again, Amy wanting others to feel her growth as a person and Knuckles understanding what his people did was wrong, what happened to them was their own fault and how he may be the last echidna, he’s not alone anymore. I’m hopeful they’ll let Flynn stick around for longer to get the Sonic franchise back to its prime soon in terms of its writing potential! 🎉
I can imagine Shadow deep down being very insecure and miserable beneath that edgelord persona and Sonic would try to help him find happiness.
I'm not convinced he wrote this game himself. I'm sure he was surrounded by people who knew the character more than he does and that's why it came out better than the comics.
@@biohazardbin You are correct. The story itself was not Flynn's work. All he did was the script. He's even gone on record saying that the process is different from how the comics are done. In the IDW comics, Ian is the one who writes the stories and selects what characters to use (within SEGA's approval). But with the games, Sonic Team already had the characters picked out in mind.
Morio Kishimoto is the director of _Sonic Frontiers,_ and he has been wanting to do this type of thing in Sonic for a while now. Needless to say, it was a success.
[On a side note, something funny I've found out is this; Ian has once stated that he was told that "Only male hedgehogs can go Super." However, Kishimoto was asked about this particular rule, and Kishimoto claims that this is the first time he himself heard of it. Funny how a man who has worked directly for SEGA/Sonic Team since 2005 has never heard of a rule that a freelancer who only recently started working closely with the same company claims is fact.]
I really did love the reference to Fleetway sonic in that last boss. Most people wouldn't notice that
Fleetway was an interesting take on Super SOnic. it feels weird but one thing Ebony said about Super Sonic towards the end made me realize WHY Super Sonic is evil. It's because Fleetway SONIC was evil. She was trying to stop him from having a corrupted heart because she knew Super sonic could be a force of good if Sonic just allowed himself to be good and control the chaos energy, but Sonic was having none of it and in the end, his rage against her kept allowing evil Super sonic to use the chaos energy for even more destruction. I don't think Sonic ever realized it though as the comic ended after that and was never finished, but it was interesting.
I think it’ll be sick to add in Fleetway as a feature for Sonic or even a boss once Sega gets to expand more on Sonic’s character
A bit more attitude from him like in the adventure games would make him a bit more better
Maybe in the next game things won't be so moody and he can do his usual amount of sass!
I think Roger’s Sonic works with Sarcastic Deadpan humor straight outta Penguinz0
I'd want him to be more sassy and more like adventure but still wise and willing to help others
@@AFKei I want this for Kingdom Hearts. KH1 Sora was peak, but after that, he's just an emo who has to force himself to be happy. At least he still has charm when things are calm though.
Imma just say...this is peak Amy. I never liked her over obsession with Sonic. It was really creepy. Now...I adore her. And I still like that she still has this love for sonic showed in one of the Twitter takeover.
It showed that Amy has definitely matured and I love that.
It's like ThePjShow said, Amy's love of Sonic was never a problem. The problem was how it was handled. And in Frontiers, they made sure that her love was there but not in an obsession way
Amy loves sonic, but the fact it was pushed to obsession was an issue, like sa2 Amy is primarily in the story to help, she tries to exchange freeing sonic for marriage as a joke, and does hug shadow the hedgehog mistaking him for sonic (great scene imo), but primarily she's trying to help save the world.
Nah the only reason why you think its creepy is because you’re American and love Sally so that makes think it’s creepy when it was meant to be funny
@@iceman92211 ...Tf does that mean?
@@agentdon1760 read it again then you will understand it
AS someone who grew up in the '' dark age'' of sonic I bet you are happy with having a new super form in years
I am so happy I was born in 2000 so yes the dark age technically.
@@nman551 cool
shouldnt you be?
@@kiromi790 I never said I wasn't happy mate
I was born in 2008 and im happy that im older than unleashed and black knight
I love how sonic was handled in frontiers I can tell the similarities between that and the idw comics. Despite the fact that the cutscenes are mostly them just standing around talking and there mouths not moving all the time, the dialogue is what remade me want to watch them all.
Fr
Only parallel cutscenes are like that. Mainline cutscenes show them way more alive.
Ian Flynn is a freaking GODSEND for the Sonic franchise
Yea no💀
absolutely not. Ian Flynn is a parasite on this series.
@@biohazardbin Says the guy that spreads as a virus in the comments to insult Ian Flynn. You're the most comparable to a parasite here.
Oh, and I guess you didn't know about IDW comics.
Ian's favorite 3D Sonic game is a tie between _Colors_ and _Generations._ It says so on his website.
Funny how that works.
Roger Craig Smith's deeper Sonic voice suts him better than before.
Sage reacting to Tails' and Sonic's relationship was me and a good amout of other people seeing it.
One of the things I've loved most about frontiers is that the titan themes are about the character you save on their island. i dont know much about the first two, but the third one is definitely about tails. The singer from infinites theme continues trying to get tails to doubt himself, which makes sense because tails failed to do shit against infinite. Infinites voice LITERALLY haunts him through the song. Then the louder more feminine voice from the main singer of frontiers comes in as sonic, reassuring tails. Auausgsha it's just so well done.
Imagine if at the end of Tails’ journey he beats Infinite who has miraculously survived all by himself. A Gohan vs Perfect Cell battle if you will.
The Final Boss in the 3rd Update made my life Literally Flash before my eyes and i loved it Feels your with sonic during all of that
Sonic was out for blood with that boss
@@nman551 Facts Our boy became Vegito
I was replaying Colours yesterday and my god I forgot how good I had with Frontiers Sonic compared to Colours Sonic. His character in Frontiers is truly revived from the dead. Thanks to the great writer Ian Flynn course!
They're the same Sonic though.
@@emmanueldavis1872 Not at all, precisely. What are you saying?
@@maryafantalia8614 I'm saying that the Colors Sonic is Frontiers Sonic. Sega is tying all their stories together, so all the games are tied together. This means that all the Sonic's from previous games are the same Sonic. And Classic Sonic is Sonic when he was a kid.
@@emmanueldavis1872 Yeah but it's just an accident due to a bad choice of writers. 2010s Sonic is totally different in quality of writing. Chronicles Sonic is way closer from Frontiers Sonic.
@@maryafantalia8614 Yeah, I know he acts completely different to how he's been acting. But they're the same Sonic. Yes, Sega has had terrible writers, but they have Flynn now. And he altered Sonic from how he was and back into who he is now.
They did a great job with fixing up the personalities of all the characters in Frontiers, and the writing was becoming serious like it should be for the Sonic games, instead of being too childish. The animations of what Sonic was doing during the Titan battles is very interesting to watch, and I very much hope this effects what Shadow will be behaving like next, have him be like he was in the games before the 2010s, (not including his gun shooting spin-off one,) instead of being an edgeloard, and especially not have the kind of rude personality that he was shown with especially in the Sonic Boom spin-off franchise. That problem might be coming to an end because he has been acting more like a smart older brother to Sonic in Sonic Prime instead of like an edgloard in that show so far. I hope that he continues to be like that in the upcoming games and whatever the next Sonic cartoon show will be. I do like that "Baldy Mc. Nosehair" nickname though, what a hilarious one.
The Sequel we all been waiting for
Yes
Video Idea: The History of Rouge
Why Rouge Was Amazing And How She Was Scrapped
From Real to Fake
Ah yes miss saxophone stroke, at least in sonic x
From Sexy to Soured.
@@rickyrackey7930 Pretty creative.
You’re gonna have to wait months for that video because he takes ages just to make one video that is very easy to make
10:48 - I think sonic’s model got very slight tweaks compared to forces. Still looks similar to it, but Sonic is a deeper blue and his spines are back normal.
Looks like he also got a slight fur texture in frontiers too, but I think the spines in frontiers are the same as forces, I’d love to be wrong though
How many times is PJShow gonna talk about THAT scene from SA2!
PJShow: Yes
good analysis, it seems like Sega has started taking Sonic's characters and universe more seriously , which is always good to hear.
Hopefully, after the next big Sonic game the title of your next video will be, how Shadow is back to being the character he once was,
a man can dream...
Yes I’ve noticed Sega is starting to give other characters more importance again
Takashi Iizuka planned to bring Shadow back. Rouge and Cream already made their big comeback. So just let's wait.
@@maryafantalia8614 good. I’m excited to see how Shadow is written. I’m currently satisfied with his portrayal in the Prime series so I’d like to see how he’s depicted in the newer games
@@rickyronny4019 Me too! I can't wait!
The reason why Shadow has been acting like a douche for the past decade can be due to self-loathing, rage, grief, and fear of everyone he loves dying in the future as he is cursed with immortality.
It felt like we went back to the days of "Let's show that creep the Real Superpower of TEAMWORK!" 😊
I honestly couldn't be happier about Sonic's characterization in Frontiers. The only thing missing in the game is how contained everything is by the setting. Part of what makes Adventure 2 or Unleashed work so well is this feeling of unbound adventure that leads to Sonic having more interactions than just with Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Eggman. In Frontiers however we're introduced to everyone Sonic will interact with fairly early on, and it feels very limiting. Eventually I started to feel desperate for someone unexpected to show up such as Shadow, Blaze, or even someone from the comics like Tangle and Whisper, just to give Sonic someone new to talk to.
People still want a sonic adventure 3, even after sonic 06.
Sonic 06 frankly was not ready when it was released, but there still was unmistakable care put into the game, shame the characters just weren't that fun to play, project 06 basically proved that the levels are great the characters just sucked
@@andrewgreeb916 Being unfinished is definitely the specific thing that was wrong with 06. There were a lot of really good ideas in the game design that might see proper light of day through P-06 eventually but probably never officially, which is a bit saddening. For instance, the idea of swapping characters partway through the level for a brief change of pace, Shadow differing from Sonic in that he sometimes uses vehicles, and even the whole concept of mach speed sections during which Sonic is able to run faster than in other gameplay.
If a person in real life had the same personality as Sonic in the Meta Era, everyone would consider them as an annoying and immature jerk, NOT a hero.
Good thing he's fictional then
Besides, his sense of humor, however whack, keeps things from getting dark
I don't know, sometimes I need a weak joke or two to excite myself too.
@@sonicplays8740 Yes... a weak joke or two, not a weak joke and ten more following it! XD
In these kinds of stories, Sonic usually makes fun of the serious situation with hopes that it may make things a bit lighter for others and himself, so I'm taking those ten jokes and other three@@lasercraft32
The jokes honestly weren't that bad, I feel like people are exaggerating. Corny yes, but I don't think they're nearly as bad as people make it out it be. Why can't we just have a character who's trying to have a good time
Sonic Frontiers completely changed the direction of the franchise and I don’t think it’s appreciated enough.
In a single game, SEGA, Sonic Team, and Ian Flynn were able to reinvigorate faith in the franchise and almost everything Sonic-related post Frontiers has been a success in some way. If the next mainline game is a smash-hit like Frontiers, we’re looking at an actual “Sonic Renaissance” era.
One thing I really appreciate about Super Sonic 2 is how the form actually changes his fight choreography to emphasize the fact that he's holding himself back from going all-out. Regular flavor Super Sonic is basically a living projectile who rams himself head-first into enemies with overwhelming power. Meanwhile, Super Sonic 2 uses measured and effortless dodges and blindingly fast strikes with deliberate and focused bursts of raw power to make a mockery out of his opponent. His counter attack is a simple dodge followed by a lightning fast flurry of strikes that leaves his foe crumpled on the ground and even his big cyloop finisher merely has him create a torrent of energy around his opponent before casually snapping his finger to crush them within their chaos energy prison. I really like how this low-effort choreography works both as a way to communicate just how powerful he has become through his ability to unravel his opponent without exerting himself, while at the same time subtly showing that he is holding back.
This game was the CTRL+R the Sonic franchise needed and I'm really hyped where things go from here
Never thought you'd post about characters' downgrade and upgrade u do a lot of research into their characterization
"Careful? Where's the fun in that?"
This is what I like to hear. This is the sonic I know and love. I'm happy someone new has taken on the writing cause I wanna see this in future games
Also I like that some of the characters are having lower voices, it makes him more like an adult than just a teenager
I think another thing that really helped, was the voice actor for sonic deepening his tone, as it really helped add to the voice acting and cutscenes with sonic and his friends.
God I'm so excited to see where the series continues from here with the rest of the cast and lore
I love how the game shows how powerful The End is, with Sonic being unable to damage it, even with all the chaos emeralds. Even when he transforms into Super Sonic 2, The End is able to near instantly regenerate all of its health if Sonic doesn’t attack fast enough. Not only this, but it’s able to straight up knock him out of his new, far more powerful super form easily if it lands too many attacks.
Quick Answer:
Because Ian Flynn understood Sonic's character far better than the writers for him in the last 12 years since Colors.
Quick answer to that too:He worked on archie comics which included the best sonic
@@alptugraakan7490 FAX!
@@alptugraakan7490 So he knows how Sonic works than the clowns who doesn't.
@@MidoseitoAkage yep
frontiers writing is just the prime example of what happens when big game company hires indie "person" as their lead. the game that goes out from this, just hits the current ceiling instead of new floor.
I do think that at times it's fine for sonic to essentially flip off a threat at the worst time, but the main issue is the excessive amount of the quips undermine so many things. Seriously thats the only issue with sonic doing that imo, though obviously the main issue is the extreme use of unfunny jokes being his only characteristic
I honestly do like Sonic in sonic rush, trying his best to understand blaze and even challenging her morals with his own during their fight, only to later on help Blaze understand the meaning of friendship and teaching her how to use the power of the Sol Emeralds to stop Both Eggman's in the Egg Salamander mech that is infused with the Sol Emeralds power, I always liked how Sonic was shown in Sonic rush, just wished Sega would make a remake or remaster for it. Wrapped in black will always be my favorite Extra zone theme.
I love Sonic’s character in frontiers I hope he continues to be this great or better in future games.
I honestly don’t think Sonic’s character (basically from colors to colors ultimate) was completely out of character for him. I think the quips were great, a lot of them sounded like Sonic like lines (I could totally see him call Eggman Baldy Nosehair). The issue with that era of Sonic was that was ALL of his character. There was no Sonic being nice, there was no genuine reaction from friends. It was all just stupid jokes, making fun of people, and never taking it serious. It just didn’t feel like Sonic.
Feels more like Scourge eh?
Finally, a video essay that makes rational sense and talking about that the problem was the story and not the voice actors
Sonic Frontiers and its writing and story aren’t perfect. That being said, it’s leagues better than what we got in the 2010s. All the characters actually feel like real characters again. The story is probably the best we’ve gotten in years. And Sonic feels like himself again. One of my favorite moments in Frontiers was seeing Sonic slowly be consumed by the cyber corruption and Sage questioning him why he continues to push forward. And all he does is smile and keep going. That sheer determination to save his friends and the world regardless of the consequences is what I missed seeing from Sonic.
Frontiers is not a perfect game and the writing has flaws. But what we got gives me hope that the future of the Sonic series is bright and that it’s only up from here. (Hopefully SEGA doesn’t prove me wrong in that regard.) I’m actually excited to see where the series goes next. Something I couldn’t say back when Forces released.
All that aside I’m glad Sonic Team went back and patched the Final Horizons update recently. I like a good challenge, but some of the difficulty was straight up unfair at times. Especially the timing on the perfect parry. At least now it’s more fair.
Ian Flynn is the true writer of sonic characters
And my version of sonic has him older wiser patience and has a exploit
@@Toysonicandfriends2agreed
True
Ian is trash yall have not seen the script he wrote for forces 💀
Yeah by having him make Sonic saying so many random references that no sense.
We have a good writer we just need good people that can animate cutscenes really well to make this feel like it is natural and not forced to look stiff
I think Ian should just look over all writing in the series, forever
edit: ayy 20 likes
probably for the best, it's gonna be great him actually taking notes, he's an actual Sonic fan, AND interacts with the community when he can!
@@kaxcommentssomethingREAL but also has a history of fucking up everything he touches.
Funny, because he's literally a nobody without the Blue Blur.
Pontac and Graff weren't perfect, but they didn't deserve the harassment this fanbase spewed at them. They were just doing their job. And, credit where credit is due; they did a decent job with writing Eggman's lines. I honestly found the Eggman PSAs in _Colors_ to be funny.
And at least Pontaff Sonic didn't let Eggman go unpunished like Flynn has a habit of doing.
@@E-102GammaMKII i think i get it now... so what you're telling me is Ian has a habit of letting Eggman (and maybe the villains) receive slaps on the wrist from time to time? sure... i can see that from some of his works in IDW, it's a pretty controversial thing to do, even for Sonic (we all know how crazy this fanbase can be), but i have no idea how heavily involved he got with the actual story of the game (Frontiers) other than writing dialogue
@@kaxcommentssomethingREAL The most creative freedom Ian had with _Frontiers_ was writing Sonic's open world dialogue snippets, which is how he was able to have Sonic namedrop Tangle at a random point.
The newest update fixed the Perfect Parry in Normal Mode at least. Old Extreme Timing is gone, old Hard Mode timing is now Extreme Mode's timing, old Normal Mode's timing is now Hard Mode's timing, old Easy Mode timing is now Normal Mode timing, and Easy Mode was reverted to Vanilla's near-infinite guard
I love you’re character analysis videos. The way Sonic and his friends interact, you can tell they’ve become more than friends, they’re like a found family. Sage says as much when she sees Sonic and Tails’ bond. Some people may have been a little put off by the noticeable change in voices, but that, and the new voice direction, and script that acknowledges the last and the cast’s relationships to each other, shows they’re all seasoned heroes and villains at this point. They’ve matured and grown through the years. It may be a while before the next big Sonic game, but I’m looking forward to Sonic’s future.
Seeing how well Sonic was portrayed in Sonic Frontiers made me SO happy as a huge Sonic fan since I was just 4 years old back in 2006. I was more than relieved to see Sonic return to his former self after a decade of his character being botched by awful writing. 😊😁💙
Sonic is canonicly one of the smartest characters in his verse.
He has good understanding of robotics(being able to make a Plane by himself)
And also fly it with no prior training.
His iq is confirmed to he 178
I’m expecting more upward character slope videos from you in the years ahead! Definitely won’t miss the 2010s, or Pontac and Graff
Great video! We’re really in a new era 👌
Tails in Frontiers: I'M wildly inconsistent.
Kinda like this entire game franchise, amiright!?
Well, to be fair. They have been consistent since this game's release.
@@manuelinacio4038 well theres that and then theres 2010s where theres 4 good,3 bad and 1 decent game
@@alptugraakan7490
There's only 2 good games in the 2010s
Mania and Generations
Colors and Lost World were Meh, and Forces sucked
I have issues with ian Flynn but he got lucky writing sonic as a protagonist for showcase of the character, sonic is like noble hero who trying to figure it out of the seriously scenarios like IDW for the most part. Yet it feels good to have sonic as a character in frontiers cause it feels genuinely perfection. He's not perfect compared to sa2 and black knight for decades with sonic, i enjoyed this version of sonic might be stick around going forward
Very mild detail that i thought was neat was sonic flinching when knuckles tells him to hurry to the next island while sticking his fist out, a neat reference to the intro of sonic 3. Its the little details like this that just show how much genuine passion was put into this game and flynn’s dedication to the franchise. Bravo
Something really cool I noticed also about frontiers is the lyrics to I’m here are tied to each of the four important characters “leave the life you knew before”-knuckles
“See a new world worth fighting for”-Amy
“Find the truth of who I’m meant to become”-tails
“Another path I must now walk on”-sage
When even the music is on theme you know you made something truly special
I remember getting Sonic Frontiers thinking that it was going to be another failure…
I was deeply wrong.
Actually, you weren’t wrong because the game was so lifeless and boring
Too bad Sega has this thing where Shadow "has no friends" and likes to be the lone wolf when in reality he considers Rouge and Omega as friends and trusted allies. Rouge possibly being more based on her dialogue from earlier games before the soft reboot. She was the only person to show genuine care for Shadow and even disobeyed direct orders just to help him and even Shadow acknowledged this.
Well team dark might not be a thing anymore
Because Rouge nowadays is hanging out with the main four while Omega is just gone from the franchise
@haydenbennett3547 Team Dark were never supposed to be a team made from friends. They were always supposed to be an alliance against shared enemies who became comrades in arms. Them being full time friends like the Sonic/Tails duo or a found family was never in game canon (noting the game canon bit since a lot of the takes on Team Dark in fanon is pulled from Archie).
I noticed the fangs on super Sonic cyber but I didn't realize it was a sort of reference to fleetway
Sonic and Knuckles giving each other the bedroom eyes constantly was one of my favorite parts of this whole thing with their interaction it was hilarious
The english writing and voice delivery is really good in frontiers. I think with a few adjustments it's could be as great as the japanese VA's. (They've really been rocking it since 1998.)
Warning: Long Comment
2 more things I think you should have mentioned.
You mentioned that Sonic is impatient and that some people would say that Sonic should be more sceptical of The Voice. There is a cutscene in the game that explores that very well in a short amount of time. The "What is your end goal" cutscene on Chaos Island. Here, Sage asks Sonic, "The Voice that commands you, what if it is leading you to disaster?" Sonic replies, "They want to start trouble, I'll stop them too."
You could Sonic is acting reckless and irrational there, and he is, but he is also headstrong and levelheaded. He is focused on saving his friends and that is what he is most focused on in this moment, if a new problem does arise, he will deal with it then and he has the confidence in himself that he will be able to stop it.
Sonic's relationship with Sage also showcases some great characterization for Sonic and Sage. Once again, it shows another brilliant example of how Sonic influences other characters. Sonic's personality makes him like a force of nature while Doctor Robotnik and his Creations are machines, and artificial. Sonic is always confident, tries his best, and does what he believes is right (just like in Sonic and the Black Knight) and he tends act and take descions based on his emotions and his way of thinking rather than making descions based on logic. An AI like Sage would make decisions based on Logic rather than emotions, especially since she is artificial and doesn't fully experience emotions. (Not intially anyway.) Sonic's way of thinking and living life is therefore confusing to an AI and that is why Sage takes such great interest in him and starts to learn more about life and experience emotions through Sonic, and she even cries expresses pity and Sonic continues traveling across Rhea island taking on more cyber energy.
You did mention this cutscene a little, but I'm going to go into more detail. Another cut scene I think does a brilliant job showcasing Sonic's relationship with Sage is when Sonic is on Rhea island and his cyber corruption is at some of its worst. Despite the pain that he is experiencing, Sonic is still determined and continues to move to the other towers. Sage appears, and once again, speaking from a logical point of view, asks Sonic, "How can you smile when you can barely stand?" And Sonic being as cocky as usual, doesn't reply and simply breathes in, getting his strength back, continues moving forward with a proud smile, and Sage looks in complete astonish.
Sage also starts to recognise Sonic's Talents and becomes sad that her and her creator, Dr Robotnik, are enemies, and she wishes that there would be a time when Sonic and Dr. Eggman would work together, believing that Sonic and Robotnik could have a powerful alliance with Sonic's power and talent combined with Robotnik's intelligence. This is then why she gets so excited when the opportunity finally does present itself when Sonic and Robotnik need to team up to destroy The End.
Sorry, everyone, I probably spoke way too much there.
I very recently just finished the New Story in Frontiers and was dying to watch this video afterwards, I also rewatched the original Sonic character analysis lol. I love the scene at 11:58 between Sonic and Knuckles, it’s the perfect balance between serious but also playful. Also HOLY SHIT THERE WAS A FLEETWAY REFERENCE?!? God I love Frontiers, despite how annoying it was sometimes to get through the game’s New Story I’m so happy I completed it! Great video as always PJ!
this video shows such a deep understanding of his character and a passionate love of the franchise. thank you thank you thank you!!
I was never much of a sonic kid growing up. I had some of the Wii games and Sonic Generations, so the majority of my exposure to sonic in general was his more generic and corporate stuff. But seeing all of the hardened OG sonic fans feel so betrayed and disheartened by Sonic’s mischaracterisation and then getting to play sonic frontiers with no spoilers?? That gave me a sense of satisfaction I never thought I’d have. I watched Penny Parker gush over the brilliant character moments and it made me feel like I’d just found something I didn’t even know was missing. Considering how amazing sonic content has been recently in 2023, I’m super excited to see where they go. The main storyline seems to be taking a really great path and it seems that we have a writer that really knows what he’s doing, so let’s stick it out and see whatever comes next ✨☺️✨
Who the heck is Penny Parker?
Would you be reacting to the new Knuckles TV show trailer like you did to the prologue of Knuckles in Frontiers?
Just uploaded my Reaction now. Hope you enjoy!
Man everytime pj mentions how amazing black knight is a portytaying sonic’s character i hang on to the hope that we’ll one day get a full analysis of black knight sonic and how perfect it is
nice vid keep up the good work!
They brought back my Sonic!
I played Colours, Generations, Lost World and Forces in one year in preparation for the release of the Final Horizons DLC and I can safely say that Frontiers blows the preceding games out of the water in terms of writing
Love or hate Sonic Frontiers, you must admit, Ian Flynn did Sonic and the others justice and Sage is a welcome addition to the cast
To paraphrase Tenacious D: This is not the greatest game in the world, this is just a tribute
Honestly, i think we should keep Flynn as a writer. That way we'll have this Sonic for as long as possible
I keep having a smile while watching this great vid 👍
I would like to hear your thoughts and speculations on the upcoming Sonic Movie 3. The fans went NUTS not too long ago.
Good analysis
After watching a video on the character development of Sonic in the Archie comics (also written by Ian Flynn) and how Sonic matured towards the end of those compared to his younger self, your explanation of Sonic's character in Frontiers made me realize that Sonic's character here seems to be Ian Flynn's continuation of that matured Sonic from the end of the Archie comics. The new Roger voice, his "unnecessary gestures" conveying his deeper emotions and thoughts...all feel like they're continuing that. Hopefully this is a new great direction for the Sonic franchise.
3:23 didn't expect it, and I love it.
Hey ! Sonic in the 2010s was awful, I agree, but the cutscene before the final fight in Generations was incredible ! Well at least until Sonic's friends show up just to tell him he can do it instead of doing something themselves. That's not just bad writing for Sonic, that's bad writing in general.
Okay I admit that the "you and what mustache ? I already defeat you on my own, and now there's two of me" was a bit weird, but I played the french version where it's a bit different and he says something around the lines of "Destroy me ? You and the other mustached idiot ? I already defeat you on my own, and now, let me point out that that there's two of us !".
The "two of us" instead of "two of me" feels less annoyingly arrogant. I don't know what the original in japanese says, but it's probably not an annoying and arrogant joke, and the scene probably feels cool like in the french version I experienced.
And hey, outside of this one line (and Sonic's friends showing up to do nothing), the interactions between the two Eggmans are funny and great in both english and french (which is the biggest reason why I love this cutscene). I just wish the game had more moments like this.
If only he had a VA that could do the emotions better
Perfect video dude ❤
An underrated moment of PERFECT characterization of Sonic was in Unleashed.
The line was: Do i need a reason to help out a friend?
Now they gotta fix Silver.
Well, if you want that, then you have to wait for 10 years lol
@@iceman92211 we learned from sonic 06, I’ll wait those 10 years 😂
Honestly. I think the biggest accomplishent here was how Ian didn't just ignore the last 10 years of writing, he tried to retroactively fix them. That legit takes some dedication. I don't think anyome would have been mad if he just took the easy way out and ignored what happend in those games, but the fact he actually took the time to integrate them into the story and make them make sense with how the characters are written now is an accomplishment. I'm really hoping he stays on board.
Keep in mind he's been doing that since the Archie days, so he does have some experience in that kind of writing
I like how sonic in his super form and knowing knuckles cant hurt him, he flinches when knuckles swings at him because he remembers getting knocked out of super by him in S3
Cool video do a in depth video on Eggman in frontiers and how he changed
BLACK KNIGHT ON TOP RAHHHHHHHH