In case the whole open-zone idea is eluding you, Sega also sent along a series of screenshots with the official Sonic Frontiers announcement, none of which feature the titular hedgehog. We’ve got a lovely shot of a lake beneath a waterfall.

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A waterfall leads to a lake in a blue and green screenshot from Sonic Frontiers.
Seems like an odd place for a cartoon hedgehog but okay.
Screenshot: Sega

Then there’s a field of wildflowers I found particularly fetching. I wonder if Sonic will kick up colorful petals as he speeds through.

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Ruined stone structures rise from a field of red and white flowers in a screenshot from Sonic Frontiers.
We could be sleeping in the flowers.
Screenshot: Sega

And then we have these neat ruins, suggesting Sonic has found himself in a world that once played host to some ancient civilization.

A screenshot of a vast crumbling ruin from Sonic Frontiers.
Where are all the bounce pads?
Screenshot: Sega

What I am not seeing is a proliferation of random loop-de-loops, green grass over brown checkerboard dirt, or any signs of a massive impractical casino that doubles as a deathtrap. I’m not saying those things won’t make it into the game, just that I am not seeing a place for them in these screenshots. Maybe a dose of “reality” is what Sonic needs right now. After decades of rushing through carefully-crafted courses, it could be time to see what he can do in the real world. It worked for the movie, right?

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Sonic Frontiers is slated for a late 2022 release on current and last-gen consoles. Look for more info in the coming months.