*Katsuyuki Shigihara/Yuka Kobayashi co directed the game but I didn't have space to mention it in the OP. Just getting ahead of this because there is a narrative already spreading that Shadow Generations is a better game than Frontiers because they just had more talented people involved...when it's mostly the same people from Frontiers just on a game with a better budget (hence all the new assets) and a more focused scope and scale.

Katsuyuki Shigihara and Yuka Kobayashi directed Generations and Unleashed respectively but had been working on Mario and Sonic titles since then (and in Kobayashi's case he wasn't a Sonic Team member and mostly worked on the Dimps titles, and for Dimps in general as he codirected Xenoverse 1 and 2).

To me it was pretty clear this game turned out so well was because SEGA finally gave Sonic Team the access to resources they need to thrive, but I thought it was interesting that 90% of the staff on this game DID work on Frontiers, instead of being the mix of Generations/Unleashed staff many people are implying it is (none of those level designers returned for this game)

Just makes me more excited for what Kishimoto is going to pull off with a proper budget for once, but we'll have to wait and see.