Most fans know that Sonic Frontiers takes inspiration from other open-world games as its baseline. Most famously, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a clear reference for Frontiers’ formula. Despite this, the game launched without one important mode at the start. This would be a photo mode, which would allow fans to take photos and selfies as Sonic the Hedgehog throughout the game. Players had requested the mode be added post-launch, and Sega is finally honoring that wish. It’s a great addition that will expand the game even further for a number of reasons.
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The Unseen Details in Sonic Frontiers
As much as Sonic Frontiers tends to hold the camera a fair bit away from Sonic - even farther depending on if players are making use of Frontiers’ high-speed or action mode settings - there’s a surprising amount of detail to be found when players look closely. There are plenty of secrets to be found, like how a strange glyph from the Ancients tends to be hiding away in the structures that remain.
Sonic also has tons of detailed animations that players can’t really see in gameplay with the usual camera restrictions. One example is how despite the fact that many players can’t see it as they’re too busy running around and tackling robots, the blue hedgehog actually reacts when the player, and by extension himself, mess up combos or fall off gigantic mini-bosses such as Asura. Now that Sega’s revealed that photo mode is coming soon, it makes sense as to why these animations are here as photo mode will probably let fans take a closer look.
The Environments in Sonic Frontiers
Even if fans don’t want to look up close at the ruins of the Starfall Islands, there are still plenty of beautiful views and locations scattered all across the island that would make great photographs. Some of these structures, such as the spinning, floating circles found on Ares Island, seem to serve no purpose other than to look nice. Now, with photo mode, they’ll play their role as a landmark fans can take a picture with.
The picture used to tease the mode on Sonic Frontiers’ DLC roadmap is a great example of what fans can expect from the mode. It shows Sonic taking a selfie with one of the lookout towers on Kronos Island. It tells players that they can expect to do the same in their own game very soon with other gorgeous views like Chaos Island’s volcano or Ouranos Island’s temple, both equally great photo opportunities.
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Sonic Adores Adventure
As Sonic says in Sonic Adventure 2, he’s just a guy that loves adventure. For example, in Sonic Unleashed, players take special pictures throughout the blue blur’s journey around the world with Light Gaia aka Chip. Taking pictures every step of the way is something he would absolutely do himself even if the player couldn’t.
With how Sonic is known for his cocky and egotistical attitude, it would even make complete sense if Sonic Frontiers’ photo mode allowed players to take selfies during the Super Sonic boss fights. In similar games like Breath of the Wild, it’s almost become a running joke that fans use photo mode to take selfies with the final boss, even if it means they take damage to get the shot. There’s no better use of boss selfies than with Sonic the Hedgehog, so hopefully, Sonic Team will realize this and implement the feature.
There’s an argument to be made that perhaps Sonic Frontiers’ photo mode should have been part of the game at launch due to just how fitting it is. After all, all the titles that could have influenced Sonic’s latest release had it at the start, using their DLC for things like new stories and items instead. One reason photo mode is coming so late could be that Sonic Team needed just a little more time to put the finishing touches on the feature, but then the argument may change into if Sonic Frontiers is an unfinished game or not.
However, the most likely reason that photo mode is being added as post-launch DLC is due to the story found in Sonic Frontiers. Photo mode in any game begs people to take selfies and photos of things they’re interested in and share them on social media. This, with such a story-heavy game like Sonic Frontiers, could lead to spoilers getting out faster than Sonic Team would have liked. There’s a strong chance that photo mode won’t be arriving in the game until it’s been a few months into 2023, so instead of leaking spoilers, now it serves as a perfect excuse for fans to revisit the Starfall Islands all over again.
Sonic Frontiers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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