- Not to be confused with Cyberspace or Cyberspace theme.
Cyber Space[1] (サイバースペース Saibāsupēsu?), also known as the Digital Dream[2] (電脳空間[3] Dennō Kūkan?), is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. A unique digital world separate from other areas in Sonic's universe and possibly other dimensions, it is a type of mysterious space that is only accessible through Portals on the Starfall Islands.
Description[]
The Cyber Space is a strange, digital world that bears a distinct resemblance to the typical cyberspace environments. The way they are presented varies by culture and intent. The "CPU" of this world is theorized to be the Starfall Islands themselves, which hold Portals to Cyber Space. The Ancients, who created this dimension, have left a large mark on it, having recorded their history, memories, and even desires, almost as if they had encoded their very souls there.[4]
The terrain in Cyber Space is constantly shifting, due to the dimension itself gathering data from beyond the Starfall Islands. As a result, it shows elements from various locations from all around the earth and the rest of Sonic's universe in general, all of which appear to be based on the visitor's memories.[5][6][7] Some of these elements include a city, South Island, West Side Island, Angel Island, the EggNet, the United Federation, G.U.N. military craft, the Final Egg, and even Donpa Kingdom, among others.[8][9][10] However, these environments are much more abstract than normal: the landscapes are floating in midair as fragmented islands and structures like suspended highways have been turned and twisted around both horizontally and vertically, forming incoherent networks of roads.
Dr. Eggman being attacked by replicas of G.U.N. military aircraft in Cyber Space, from Sonic Frontiers.
The Cyber Space is not entirely devoid of dangerous entities, as copies of Badniks and G.U.N. aircraft and tanks can be found. In addition, the hostile environment of this dimension makes it nearly impossible to escape it, with Sage concluding that no safe way to do so exists after running over one million simulations.[11]
Background[]
The Ancients' Elder describing Cyber Space to his people, from Sonic Frontiers.
Cyber Space is a very ancient, but advanced technology, apparently created over 4,000 years ago.[note 1] After the destruction of their home planet and their arrival at earth, the Ancients created Cyber Space as a way to preserve their culture and record their memories and hopes.[12][4] However, with this civilization having been wiped out some years later, the dimension would be left abandoned for millennia to come.
Overview[]
In Sonic Frontiers, after falling through a wormhole when approaching the Starfall Islands, Sonic found himself in a Cyber Space that resembled Green Hill, which he managed to escape by some miracle, only to end up on Kronos Island.
In gameplay, Cyber Space stages are accessible through Portals made by the ancient civilization of the Starfall Islands. These structures can be found all over the maps of the levels, although they will be locked by default. To unlock them, the player has to collect Portal Gears and bring them to the Portals. The player will then be taken to a Cyber Space with its own setting.
In contrast to the Open Zone environments of the Starfall Islands, the Cyber Space stages feature the traditional, fast-paced, speed running action platforming of previous titles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Inside each Cyber Space stage, the player will need to reach to the Portal Gate found at the end of each stage while completing missions, like Time Attack, collecting all the red rings, etc., to receive Vault Keys, which are needed to obtain the Chaos Emeralds and progress further in the game.
List of Island Cyber Space stages[]
Every Cyber Space level is themed after either Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary, or Eternal Highway[13], the latter being an original design appearing as a vast network of highways. They take place in either day, dawn, sunset, or night. Additionally, most levels' layouts are also designed similarly to the layouts of stages from previous Sonic games, including Sonic and Shadow's stages in Sonic Adventure 2, the daytime stages of Sonic Unleashed, and Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic's stages from Sonic Generations (with the 3D and 2D sections of the latter being separated into two separate stages).
Kronos[]
| Portal | Theme | Time | Inspiration | Access Portal Gears requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Sonic Game | ||||
| 1-1 | Green Hill | Day | Windmill Isle Daytime Act 1 | Unleashed | N/A |
| 1-2 | Sky Sanctuary | 3D sections of Windmill Isle Daytime Act 2 | 2 | ||
| 1-3 | Eternal Highway | Dawn | Original | 1 | |
| 1-4 | Green Hill | Sunset | 3D sections of Green Hill Act 2 | Generations | |
| 1-5 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | 3D sections of Chemical Plant Act 2 | ||
| 1-6 | Green Hill | Day | Green Hill Act 1 | 2 | |
| 1-7 | Eternal Highway | Night | City Escape sections | Adventure 2 | N/A |
Ares[]
| Portal | Theme | Time | Inspiration | Access Portal Gears requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Sonic Game | ||||
| 2-1 | Green Hill | Dawn | 2D sections of Green Hill Act 2 | Generations | 1 |
| 2-2 | Sky Sanctuary | Day | Dragon Road Daytime Act 3 | Unleashed | |
| 2-3 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | Original | ||
| 2-4 | Radical Highway sections | Adventure 2 | |||
| 2-5 | Sky Sanctuary | Sunset | 2D sections of Sky Sanctuary Act 2 | Generations | 2 |
| 2-6 | Green Hill | Day | Sky Rail | Adventure 2 | 1 |
| 2-7 | Sky Sanctuary | Sky Sanctuary Act 1 | Generations | ||
Chaos[]
| Portal | Theme | Time | Inspiration | Access Portal Gears requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Sonic Game | ||||
| 3-1 | Green Hill | Day | Green Forest | Adventure 2 | 1 |
| 3-2 | 2D sections of Savannah Citadel Daytime Act 1 | Unleased | |||
| 3-3 | Sky Sanctuary | Sunset | 3D sections of Sky Sanctuary Act 2 | Generations | |
| 3-4 | Green Hill | Day | Windmill Isle Daytime Act 3 | Unleashed | |
| 3-5 | Original with elements comparable to Savannah Citadel Daytime Act 2 | ||||
| 3-6 | Sky Sanctuary | Rooftop Run Daytime Act 2 | 2 | ||
| 3-7 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | 2D sections of Chemical Plant Act 2 | Generations | N/A |
Ouranos[]
| Portal | Theme | Time | Inspiration | Access Portal Gears requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Sonic Game | ||||
| 4-1 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | Metal Harbor | Adventure 2 | 1 |
| 4-2 | Eternal Highway | Day | Original with elements comparable to Speed Highway Act 2 | Generations | |
| 4-3 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | Original | ||
| 4-4 | Eternal Highway | Dawn | |||
| 4-5 | Green Hill | Sunset | Original with elements comparable to Cool Edge Daytime Act 4 | Unleashed | |
| 4-6 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | Chemical Plant Act 1 | Generations | |
| 4-7 | Eternal Highway | Night | Original | ||
| 4-8 | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | |||
| 4-9 | Eternal Highway | Day | Original with elements comparable to the skateboarding section of City Escape | Adventure 2 | 3 |
The Final Horizon[]
The Cyber Space levels featured in The Final Horizon are remixed versions of pre-existing stages and often feature unique mechanics. They are labelled "4-X", with X being a letter designation rather than a number. In lieu of Red Star Rings, Sonic must collect Number Rings, Animals, Silver Moon Rings, and find hidden goals. Completing missions in Another Story Cyber Space levels award Lookout Koco, which are needed to unlock Trial Towers.
| Portal | Theme | Time | Arrangement | Access Portal Gear requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-A | Green Hill | Sunset | Remixed version of Cyber Space 1-4 and the first stage to feature the Rocket Boost mechanic, which powers up Sonic's boost. | 3 |
| 4-B | Day | Remixed version of Cyber Space 3-1. This is the first stage to feature a race against the Hologram Tails. | 1 | |
| 4-C | Sunset | Remixed version of Cyber Space 4-5. This stage is the second and last one to feature the Rocket Boost mechanic, as well the second to feature a race against the Hologram Tails. | ||
| 4-D | Chemical Plant | Red Sky | Remixed version of Cyber Space 4-3. This is the first stage to feature the mine radar mechanic, where an exclamation point will appear above Sonic's head to indicate how close he is to a mine. If he steps on a mine, he'll be blasted into the air and take damage. | 2 |
| 4-E | Remixed version of Cyber Space 1-5. This is the only stage to feature the timed bomb mechanic, where a bomb floats above Sonic's head. If the timer runs out, the bomb explodes and the player is forced to restart the level, but there are clocks placed around the level to extend it. | 1 | ||
| 4-F | Remixed version of Cyber Space 2-4, and the third and final stage to feature a race against the Hologram Tails. | 2 | ||
| 4-G | Eternal Highway | Day | Remixed version of Cyber Space 4-2. This is the only stage to feature the Rev Gauge mechanic, where Boosting will fill the gauge rather than deplete it. Upon filling the gauge, Sonic's top speed will increase, indicated by the speedometer on the screen. | |
| 4-H | Dawn | Remixed version of Cyber Space 4-4, and the second and final stage to feature the mine radar mechanic. | 1 | |
| 4-I | Night | Remixed version of Cyber Space 1-7. This is the only stage that has Sonic going through the level backwards, as well as the only stage to have the low gravity mechanic, where Sonic's gravity is decreased, allowing to jump higher and farther, but descend slower. |
Fishing Spots[]
Fishing Spots are special locations within Cyber Space that are accessed from Purple Portals. These areas are non-hostile and instead provide access to minigames hosted by Big the Cat.
| Name | Island |
|---|---|
| Western Fishing Spot | Kronos Island |
| Northern Fishing Spot | Ares Island |
| Eastern Fishing Spot | Chaos Island |
| Southern Fishing Spot | Ouranos Island |
Gallery[]
Concept artwork[]
| Gallery |
|---|
 Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack  Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack  Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack  Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack  Sonic Frontiers: Digital Art Book with Mini Digital Soundtrack |
Arcade Mode Banners[]
| Gallery |
|---|
Screenshots[]
| Gallery |
|---|
 Sonic in 1-1  Sonic in 1-2 .png "Death Egg (Sonic Froniters; 1-2).png (4.93 MB)") Death Egg in 1-2  Sonic in 1-2  Sonic launching out of a cannon in 2-3  Sonic in 4-2  Sonic navigating 4-2  Sonic in 2-2  Sonic rail-grinding in a Cyber Space level resembling Sky Sanctuary at sunset  Sonic in 2-1  Sonic wall-jumping in 2-1  The Portal Gate found at the end of every Cyber Space stage |
Trivia[]
- In the gameplay of Sonic Frontiers, there is no Time Over for almost every Cyber Space stage. The only exception is in stage 4-E, in which the player receives a "Time's Up" message if the bomb Sonic is carrying detonates.
Notes[]
- ↑ In his Egg Memos, Dr. Eggman says that the Ancients predates the Knuckles Clan, Black Arms and Babylonians. With the clan of echidnas being over 4,000 years old, this would imply that Cyber Space was created before that timeframe, possibly much earlier.
References[]
- ↑ Sonic Frontiers | PROLOGUE. Sega. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved on 24 August 2022.
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. "Hermit Koco - Life moves on, with or without us. We found our own ways to endure. And I... perhaps I have lingered too long in the past. Elder Koco has looked after our kind while I've slept here, wandering the Digital Dream. We had our time. Now it is your world. Protect it and savour it as we would have."
- ↑ ソニック フロンティア | PROLOGUE (Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved on 24 August 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Fish-o-pedia. "Egg Memo 6 - It appears the Starfall Islands act as the CPU for Cyber Space. Once I'm out of here, I need to secure them at all costs. I'm not able to access the data too readily, but it appears the entire history of the Ancients is recorded here in Cyber Space. More than that! They logged their memories, their desires... it's almost like they encoded their very souls into this place. Now then - how can I use that for my benefit?"
- ↑ Sonic Frontiers Cover Story And Cuphead DLC Review | GI Show. Game Informer (30 June 2022). Retrieved on 1 July 2022.
- ↑ Sonic Frontiers: Answering Your Questions About Cyber Space and More. IGN (30 June 2022). Retrieved on 30 June 2022.
- ↑ Sonic Frontiers: 123 Rapid-Fire Questions With Takashi Iizuka. YouTube. Game Informer (12 July 2022). Retrieved on 13 July 2022.
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Fish-o-pedia. "Egg Memo 3 - The 'terrain' here keeps shifting. I'm finding recreations of regions from South Island, West Side Island, even Angel Island! Where is this environmental data coming from?"
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Fish-o-pedia. "Egg Memo 4 - I have found elements from my own EggNet, United Federation, even Planet Donpa Kingdom race data! As best as I can surmise, this Cyber Space extends well beyond the scope of these islands and is gaining information from around the world. Fascinating!"
- ↑ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ【公式】 (22 December 2022). ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ【公式】 on Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved on 20 March 2023.
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Ares Island.. "Sage: I am extending the range of my control, but I can still only command a few of the Ancients' relics at a time. / Eggman: Commendable, but what about finding me a way out of this digital dimension? / Sage: I have run 1,700,050 simulations. There is no scenario to safely remove you from Cyber Space. The only person who has been able to do is Sonic, and even then, his escapes were described as miraculous."
- ↑ Sonic Team (8 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers. PlayStation 5. Sega. Area/level: Rhea Island. "Elder: And although our home world was lost, our history was not, thanks to Cyber Space. All our hopes, our dreams, and memories can be uploaded to Cyber Space and accessed at any time."
- ↑ ソニックフロンティア 超音速プレイングガイド(Sonic Frontiers Supersonic Playing Guide / KADOKAWA Game Linkage / ISBN 978-4-04-733644-5) Page 33