Trials are a series of challenges given to Sonic the Hedgehog during The Final Horizon campaign of Sonic Frontiers by the four Master Koco: Dragon, Snake, Tiger, and Crane, as well as their leader, the Master King after ascending the Trial Towers and unlocking them with Lookout Koco.
Overview[]
The trials are a series challenges set forth by the Master Koco to understand Sonic's motivations and abilities during the course of Sonic Frontiers, in exchange for quelling his worsening Cyber corruption, as well as granting him new powers. There are five challenges in total, each one hosted by one of the four Ancient pilots of the Titans, as well as their leader, the Master King, and they take generally take place in a large training hall area.
Dragon's Trial[]
When approaching Dragon on top of the first Trial Tower, she will admonish Sonic for deactivating the towers on Rhea Island and destroying their Titan, Giganto, placing everything she loved at risk of destruction by The End, demanding an answer to his actions.
Dragon's trial pits Sonic up against five of the white-colored Soldiers found on Ouranos Island. These Soldiers act similarly to their original counterparts, but move far faster and are far more aggressive. Sonic's stats are fixed to base level (except on Easy, where his strength stat will be level 25) and he has three minutes to complete the trial.
The key to completing this trial is to try and get the Soldiers grouped up and keep them staggered by using long attacks that hit multiple times, like the Cyclone Kick or Cross Slash skills.
After completing the trial, Dragon will come to an understanding about the extreme lengths he went through to protect those he cares about, and gives him her blessing, urging him to continue to protect those he cares for.
Snake's Trial[]
When approaching Snake on top of the second Trial Tower, he will be angry that he failed to defeat The End, and that his Titan, Wyvern, managed to be defeated by Sonic. Unsatisfied with these results, he challenges Sonic to face him again.
Snake's trial pits Sonic against four Shell enemies. Like previous encounters with them, they will hide in their shield when Sonic is too close, and throw their shield at him when he is a distance away, however they are much more powerful than before, and their shield moves a lot quicker when thrown. Sonic's stats are fixed to base level (except on Easy, where his strength stat will be level 25), he only has access to the Cyloop ability, and he has two minutes to complete the trial.
The mention of the Cyloop ability is a bit misleading, as using the Cyloop as the player normally would battle Shell enemies can eat a lot of time unless the player is quick about it. While it is possible using that method, an easier and more reliable method of completing this trial is to bait the enemy into throwing its shield and Homing Attack it and attack it a few times, before Parrying the shield, which can be repeated until the enemy is defeated. The timing is tight, and Sonic can only get maybe two-to-three hits in per opening, so getting the rhythm of Parrying and attacking is key.
After completing the trial, Snake will recognize Sonic's skills and unbreakable spirit, and comes to find that there is no shame in being defeated by him. He gives Sonic his blessing, and urges him to earn the victory he could not.
Tiger's Trial[]
When approaching Tiger on top of the third Trial Tower, he finds himself baffled that Sonic was able to defeat and overcome his greatest creations, the Titans, including his own, Knight. He pleads with Sonic for more data to be able to understand just who he is.
Tiger's trial pits Sonic against a pack of six golden-colored Wolf enemies. These variants of the Wolf are much faster and more aggressive, and are vulnerable for a much shorter period of time than their counterparts on Ouranos Island. Sonic's stats are fixed to base level (except on Easy, where his strength stat will be level 25), he only has access to the Cyloop ability, and he has five minutes to complete the trial.
Despite the increased speed and aggression of the Wolf enemies, they function almost identically to their original variants, and thus can be taken out the same way.
After completing the trial, Tiger finds himself still unable to understand how Sonic is able to do what he does, but is nonetheless fascinated by his limitless potential. He urges Sonic to continue defying the impossible, giving him his blessing, and lamenting that he will not be around to see it.
Crane's Trial[]
When approaching Crane on top of the fourth Trial Tower, Sonic will note that there was a fourth Titan after all, and questions how Crane is able to be on the island while also having sacrificed himself and his Titan, Supreme. Crane says that it's of no importance, and challenges Sonic to prove that he has the ability to defeat The End and save the world.
Crane's trial pits Sonic against a single Ninja, who's speed and stats have been greatly enhanced. Sonic's stats are fixed to base level (except on Easy, where his strength stat will be level 25) and he has ten minutes to complete the trial.
Despite the enhancements made to the Ninja, its attacks are as simple as they were in the first fight with them. Parrying and dodging are key to this fight, as well as using every skill to your advantage.
After completing the trial, Crane will congratulate Sonic for his victory, relieved that he is the hero he hoped Sonic would be. He explains that his people thought the same of him, looking to him as a beacon of hope and inspiration, and laments that he wasn't enough in the end. Crane thanks Sonic for freeing his friends from their Titans, and goes on to explain that the version of him on the island is just a memory of him from before his demise, grateful for being able to know his ultimate fate. He gives Sonic his blessing, thanks, and hopes, and urges him to be the hero of the world.
Master King's Trial[]
When approaching the Master King on top of the final Trial Tower, he begins by dismissing Sage, calling her an intruder, wishing to speak with Sonic directly and alone. After she leaves, he explains to Sonic that he would be able to control his cyber corruption, and was the leader of his people, ushering them away from the destruction of their home and their subsequent colonization of the Starfall Islands, watching over them as a guiding voice to his people. After Sonic points out his current situation as a Koco and how pressed for time he is, he grows upset with him, but notes that he reminds him of another, before taking him in to temper him into his finest weapon.
Master King's trial consists of a boss rush against Giganto, Wyvern, and Knight (including the initial climbing/chasing phase for each of them). Sonic's stats are fixed to base level (except on Easy, where his strength stat will be level 25 and his rings will be increased to 600), rings will no longer spawn in the arena or via Cyloop, and Sonic will only have access to the Perfect Parry ability. This ability severely limits how long Sonic can hold the Parry for, and makes timing these fights more crucial than ever. The player will need to have a good sense of timing to be able to complete all three bosses while on the 400 (or 600) ring time limit.
Guide[]
The rematch against Giganto is fairly simple, and an easy way to defeat Giganto quickly is to Cyloop it as soon as possible in the first phase, which renders it vulnerable and open to attacks. Utilise the Stomp + Homing Attack combo repeatedly to drain its health until the Quick Cyloop bar is filled. To beat the second phase, spam Parry to dodge Giganto's mouth beam before getting in a Quick Cyloop. Then parry his arm before doing the Stomp Attack + Homing Attack Combo to defeat the Titan and progress the fight. If done correctly, the player should win with only 30-50 Rings lost.
Of the three Titans, Wyvern is often seen as the most difficult of them. The initial chase sequence is very long and hazardous, and colliding with the orbs will cause Sonic to significantly lose rings. Wyvern can only be damaged after being parried, which makes the tight timing on higher difficulties like Hard and Extreme make the fight even more difficult. In the first phase, Wyvern will launch a barrage of missiles, so practice the Perfect Parry, look for when a missile is flashing white and Parry. Then parry the claw right when it is next to you before utilising the Stomp + Homing Attack combo repeatedly. Keep an eye out for when Wyvern attacks again. DON'T use the Quick Cyloop, as Wyvern will break out of it quickly. The fight becomes harder in the second phase, as the energy rings add clutter to the screen and Wyvern needs two parries to be made vulnerable, the first one being a lot more awkwardly timed.
Knight, despite the simplicity of the battle compared to Wyvern, should not be underestimated. At this point, rings might be beginning to run low, and the spikes in the opening climb can easily drain all of Sonic's rings at once, but they can be dodged or parried away from. Much like Giganto, Knight is susceptible to being trapped in a Cyloop during the first phase after either going through the shield attack, or dodging the shield and targeting Knight directly. It is a good idea to utilize the Sonic Boom while Knight is strafing to get in some early hits or fill the Cyloop bar before dodging the shield and using the Quick Cyloop. During the second phase, parrying the shield can be tricky to time with the short windows of the Perfect Parry, and missing Knight can eat up precious rings. However, hitting Knight once is all the player needs, as, unlike Giganto and Wyvern, who will attempt to break out of the Cyloop during their second phase, Knight makes no such attempts, and can be easily defeated, completing the trial.
After completing the trial, Sonic claims to be able to feel the new power coursing through him, but Master King warns him away from using the power recklessly, as he will not be able to regain it after he uses it. Sonic notes that he's not used to holding back, and is given Master King's blessing, urging him to confront The End as it draws near.