Sonic Frontiers might be one of the best Sonic games ever made. Sure it’s got plenty of problems, but it does so many things right that it’s hard to call it a bad game. One of the many ways that the developers innovated Sonic Frontiers is the addition of a skill tree — the first of its kind in the franchise.
If you’re just starting out in the game and are looking at where to prioritize your skill points, look no further. In this article, we’ll be ranking every purchasable skill point in Sonic Frontiers. We’ll be covering why each one is so good, and how soon you should get them in your playthrough.
Let’s get started!
All Purchasable Skills in Sonic Frontiers, Ranked From Good to Best
We should note before going in that we will only be ranking the skills that can be purchased with skill points — the three that unlocked by playing the story will be left out. With that out of the way, let’s get going and take a closer look at the skill tree and cover all the purchasable skills in Sonic Frontiers!
11/11
Air Trick
First up on our list, we have Air Trick. This is a disappointing skill that can be acquired very cheaply early on in the game. It allows you to pull off one of several stunts/moves while Sonic is airborne. The benefit to this is that it awards you skill points that can then be spent on other skills in the tree.
While this sounds like a great way for getting skill points early on in the game, the reality is that it is incredibly slow and ineffective. After using it for several in-game hours, I hardly got any skill points back, despite using it fairly regularly. You can grab it if you really think it’s worth getting a tad few extra skill points, but I only recommend getting it if you want the skills after this one on the tree.
10/11
Wild Rush
Wild Rush is the next skill on our list. This skill works by having Sonic dodge to the left or right and then attack the enemy. This creates a zig-zag attack that deals a decent amount of damage to enemies. I enjoyed using this skill, and I think it’s pretty fun to pull off during combos and when fighting enemies one-on-one.
I just don’t think it’s as useful as some of the other abilities in the game. It’s really just better to spam a simple melee attack against an enemy once you have the Phantom Rush skill (we’ll talk about that later). Still, the skill does look very visually appealing when you pull it off.
9/11
Recovery Smash
Next, we have Recovery Smash. This is a countering ability that allows Sonic to spring back into action after he’s been knocked away by an enemy. A prompt button will quickly appear on the screen, and pressing it lets you dash back toward the enemy and hit them where it hurts.
This is a pretty good skill to get, especially for boss fights, but it’s incredibly expensive and is the last skill you get in the game. Because of these two factors, I don’t think it’s really worth going through the entire skill tree just to get this one ability. If you could buy any skill in the game without having to go through the skill tree, I’d probably put this one higher on the list.
8/11
Stomp Attack
Up next on our ranking, we have Stomp Attack. This is an upgrade to your ability to jump into the air and slam back down to the ground. Pressing this button in the middle of a combo lets you attack the enemy from above. Additionally, you can create an area of effect attack by holding the button down. This is good for groups of enemies.
Stomp Attack is a good skill to get when you get to the second island of the game. There’s an enemy there that can only be effectively taken down with this ability. Outside of that niche, the base attack really isn’t all that useful. The AOE attack is pretty good, which is enough to bump this one up a few spots on our list.
7/11
Loop Kick
For our next pick, we have Loop Kick. This one is pretty fun to use, and it’s a pretty effective tool for dealing high damage to enemies. It works by having Sonic jump into the air, dash, and then launch toward his opponent with a powerful kick. It’s one of the best skills in Sonic Frontiers for killing small enemies in only one hit, and it’s great for dealing high damage to bosses as well.
The combination of buttons is a bit tricky to get used to at first, but it really isn’t that hard to master. There are no unique enemies that can only be killed with this attack (that I am aware of).
6/11
Homing Shot
Next on our list is Homing Shot. This is a ranged attack activated by jumping into the air, boosting, then pressing the attack button. It will cause Sonic to create several orbs of energy rotating around him, which he will then launch as a ranged attack toward any enemies you are targeting. This is a pretty good skill, and it does a very good amount of damage against enemies.
I’ve had people tell me it’s really good for bosses, and that’s very much the case. It’s very handy for launching attacks at enemies from a safe distance. The downside is that it takes a few seconds to use thanks to the attack animation. This one is definitely worth picking up if you want to deal high damage from a distance.
5/11
Sonic Boom
For our next pick on this list of every purchasable skill in Sonic Frontiers ranked, we have Sonic Boom! This is a pretty good early-game ranged attack that everyone should pick up. When activated, Sonic will begin firing out a never-ending stream of ranged attacks that deal a small amount of damage.
This is a pretty great way to attack enemies from a safe distance, avoiding some of their melee attacks. It’s saved me several times when I’m one hit away from dying and need to finish off an enemy. It’s also a very good attack for attacking a certain enemy in the first island in the game. It allows you to easily strip off their armor and kill them in only a few seconds. Again, the damage isn’t too great, but it’s still a very practical skill to use.
4/11
Phantom Rush
Taking the next spot on our list, we have the skill Phantom Rush! This is a really effective skill that can be acquired very early on in your playthrough. It increases the amount of damage every attack does by 20% when the combo meter is filled up. This is very good for boss fights, as it allows every attack you do to get a decent buff of damage.
The fact that you can get it so easily early on in the game makes it a really valuable upgrade that’s useful for pretty much the entire game. Regardless of what moves you decide to use in combat, this will buff your abilities greatly, making it incredibly versatile for all playstyles.
Honorable Mention: Cyloop
Next up, we have the skill Cyloop! This is a brand new ability for Sonic, never before seen in the franchise. It works by allowing Sonic to draw a pattern onto the ground that can be enclosed to deal damage to enemies. It is also used in solving a variety of different puzzles in order to progress the game. I decided to make this one an honorable mention because while it is technically a purchasable skill, it is also a mandatory skill you need to get to progress the story.
It’s literally the very first skill in the game, and it’s needed to get every other skill. Even if you didn’t need it to progress in the game, its usefulness in puzzles alone would make it number one. Its combat utility is good for taking on groups of enemies, so it’s still a great skill to use often when you get into enemy encounters, and you should use it often. Don’t be too surprised if, out of all the skills in Sonic Frontiers, this one becomes a recurring mechanic in future installments of the franchise.
3/11
Auto Combo
Next up, we have Auto Combo. This is a pretty basic and straightforward ability that simplifies combat for all Sonic Frontiers players who buy it. It makes it so Sonic will automatically use certain abilities that he has unlocked during combos. This can be a great help, as there are many different move sets you’ll unlock by the end of the game. It can get overwhelming, to say the least.
The downside is that having this skill activated will reduce the damage of each one of your attacks. Thankfully, the damage reduction is hardly noticeable. While I normally choose to keep this ability turned off (which you can do from the game options menu) because it makes the game less challenging, this is still a very good ability that you should pick up. It makes effectively dealing with enemies much easier.
2/11
Quick Cyloop
At the next rank on our list, we have Quick Cyloop. This is an attack that you can perform mid-combat to quickly encircle the enemy and deal a good amount of damage. This is one of the best skills in Sonic Frontiers for many different types of enemies, and it’s very easy to pull off, as all you need to use it is to attack enemies until your Cyloop meter fills up.
It’s great when you arrive at Ares Island, as some of the enemies there will shield themselves, and using this attack is a good counter to that. It’s also just a pretty fun skill to use, so be sure to pick it up sometime soon.
1/11
Spin Slash
Taking first place on our ranking of all purchasable skills in Sonic Frontiers, we have Spin Slash! By pressing the right button in the middle of a combo, Sonic will quickly spin around enemies with a special attack that deals a strong amount of damage. Not only is the damage great with this attack, but it’s very good for filling up the meter so you can start using Phantom Rush in a fight.
The main reason this skill takes spot number one is because you can use this ability early on in a fight to build up the meter, which will give you a damage buff (Phantom Rush). Then, when you get that damage buff, the fight becomes so much easier!
Join the High Ground
We hope you found our guide on all the skills in Sonic Frontiers useful. What are your favorite skills? Did you agree or disagree with our ranking? Let us know, and please be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. We offer regular content on Sonic Frontiers and much more.
Happy gaming!
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