Sega offers a glimpse at Sonic Frontiers Cyber Space levels, which call back to older games

The Sonic Frontiers marketing train keeps chugging along, today revealing the Cyber Space levels for the first time. During the Nintendo Direct this morning, Sega offered a small tease on what’s to expect. In short, Cyber Space levels call back to older Sonic games.

Sonic Frontiers‘ Cyber Space levels are more your traditional Sonic fare. They’re shorter, linear Zones in which you race to the end all the while destroying familiar enemy bots. The short footage shows Sonic speeding down a broken freeway full of platforming sections, balloons, and bumpers. It was followed by an area reminiscent of Green Hill Zone, with the trademark checkered soil and a massive loop de loop. Sonic fans should find plenty to like, especially if they haven’t quite been convinced by the “Open Zone” overworld so far.

The goal in the Cyber Space levels is to get to the end and claim a “Vault Key.” Opening one requires a “Portal Gear,” according to a preview by GameInformer. The gears can be earned by completing challenges within the main game. For the most part, the Cyber Space levels are required for the story of the game, so it’s not like you’ll be able to miss them during your time in Sonic Frontiers.

Back to the good ol’ days

Despite my initial groanings about Sonic Frontiers, the Cyber Space sections are a clever idea. I like that Sonic Team is including some segments more typical of modern-day Sonic games. I’m still not completely convinced about the open-world design, but it’s nice to see that it won’t all be Sonic dashing across lands with enemies and rails scattershot about.

Sonic Frontiers still has a lot of work to sway fans. The earlier gameplay preview videos didn’t spark a lot of confidence, and hands-on previews have been divisive. We’ll have to wait until its winter release date to see if Sonic Team can pull off its most ambitious Sonic yet.