The Sights, Sounds, and Speed DLC has added a new mode to sonic frontiers in “Extreme” difficulty form. Originally, the game only had Easy, Normal, and Hard modes, but now a fourth can be unlocked. Originally announced via the Japanese magazine Famitsu, the new difficulty sounded like it was available just like the other new additions, like Photo Mode, but instead, it takes some skill to unlock.
Extreme mode is inherently tied to another new feature in the game: Battle Rush. Battle Rush is a mode where players are tasked with taking on all the enemies in the game in a fairly strict time limit in order to get an S rank. This mode is definitely designed for those who have not only beaten the game, but they may have completed it. For those who want to take on the challenge, this guide will go over how to unlock extreme difficulty sonic frontiers.
Sonic Frontiers: What is extreme difficulty?
Extreme mode is the hardest mode that sonic frontiers has to offer. It can only be started as a new game and is permanently locked, meaning players are faced with the toughest challenge until the file is removed or cleared.
The biggest differences between this and the other difficulties are that Sonic’s stats cannot be upgraded past level 1, the cyberspace stages have stricter S-rank restrictions, and any damage will lead to death. However, the enemies will continue to get stronger over time as the game progresses.
The game even warns players before they start the file that it’s for “battle-hardened veterans.” There’s also no reward for beating Extreme difficulty, so it just serves as an added challenge for those who want an even harder game.
How to unlock extreme difficulty in Sonic Frontiers
To win this bonus challenge, players will need to S Rank all Battle Rush mode. As stated above, Battle Rush is accurate down to the second, so one mistake can cost players a full rating if they’re not careful and skillful enough. As a result, it is best for fans to take on S Ranking Battle Rush once they have maxed out all of sonic’s abilities. Thankfully the update has fixed Elder Koco where it’s much easier to upgrade speed and ring counter.
Battle Rush operates by ranking players in an overall time rather than individual sections, which could be both a blessing and a curse depending on the player. Fortunately, this means that failing one section but beating another incredibly quickly could save players time. The general times for S rank in each stage of Battle Rush can be found below.
- Cronus Island: Less than 5 minutes.
- Ares Island: Less than 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Chaos Island: Less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Ouranos Island: Less than 7 minutes and 55 seconds.
- All islands: Less than 30 minutes and 10 seconds.
Once all of these modes have been rated S, the notice that Hardcore has been unlocked should appear on the player’s screen. While there isn’t a reward for beating Extreme difficulty, there is another reward for S Ranking Battle Rush: a golden two-sword badge on the title screen so players can brag and be proud of what they’ve accomplished.
sonic frontiers is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
