To solve all Guardian Challenges on Ares Island, you must locate and successfully complete each of the 28 unique map challenges (M-026 through M-053). These challenges involve various tasks such as timed damage tests, Cyloop puzzles, parrying specific attacks, and navigating obstacle courses within a time limit. Successfully completing these challenges will clear sections of your map and often reward you with Red or Blue Seeds.
Ares Island Challenges Overview
Ares Island, the second major area in Sonic Frontiers, presents a new set of challenges that blend familiar puzzle mechanics from Kronos Island with unique desert-themed obstacles. These challenges, labeled M-026 through M-053, are crucial for revealing the full map, locating important landmarks like Portals and Chaos Emeralds, and earning valuable Red and Blue Seeds. While some challenges require straightforward actions like attacking a target, others demand precise platforming, quick reflexes, or strategic use of Sonic’s abilities like Cyloop and Stomp. Each completed challenge contributes to uncovering the island’s layout, which is initially blacked out upon arrival.
The challenges are spread across the island’s diverse terrain, from its southwestern deserts to its northern plateaus and canyons. Many involve interacting with specific objects or areas, such as statues, sand piles, pressure plates, or hourglass timers. Pay close attention to the challenge markers on your map once they are revealed, as they often hint at the type of puzzle awaiting you. Rewards for these challenges are typically Red or Blue Seeds, which are essential for increasing Sonic’s stats.
Southwestern Ares Island Challenges
The southwestern section of Ares Island hosts several early challenges, many of which introduce core mechanics or variations on puzzles seen previously. These challenges are generally found near the starting areas or established landmarks like Elder Koco’s oasis or the initial Eggman crash site.
| Challenge | Location | How to Solve | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-026 | Southwestern corner, near Elder Koco’s oasis | Attack the statue, deal 50 damage within 10 seconds. | Red Seed |
| M-027 | Southwest of Eggman crash site, near first Strider | Cyloop around 3 small sand mountains, step on plates. Third plate is on a rocky outcropping. | Blue Seed |
| M-028 | East of Eggman crash site, near first Strider | Stand on triangular pedestal, parry one yellow projectile with L1 + R1 / LB + RB. | Red Seed |
| M-029 | Small island in southeast corner | Hit hourglass, race to top of nearby plateau within 20 seconds. Beware of grind rail boosters. | Blue Seed |
| M-030 | West and slightly north of Stage 2-1 Portal | Step on two ground plates. Stomp Attack on the taller third plate three times. | Red Seed |
For M-026, simply mashing the attack button (□/x) will suffice to reach the 50 damage threshold. M-027 requires careful observation to find all three sand piles; the third plate’s elevated position can be easily missed. M-028 is a direct test of your parry timing, a crucial combat skill. M-029 emphasizes careful platforming; while 20 seconds seems generous, overshooting with grind rail boosters can cost valuable time. Finally, M-030 introduces the Stomp Attack as a puzzle mechanic, requiring three successful stomps on the elevated plate.
Northeastern Ares Island Challenges
Moving towards the northeastern parts of Ares Island, challenges begin to incorporate more complex movement and environmental interaction. Timed sequences and precise ability usage become more prominent in these areas.
| Challenge | Location | How to Solve | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-031 | In canyon west of Blue Emerald Vault | Attack hourglass, clear all markers within 20 seconds along canyon floor using Homing Attack. | Blue Seed |
| M-032 | Northwest section of canyon leading to northern half of island | Attack hourglass. Use Homing Attack to springboards, Cyloop glowing orbs on platforms within 30 seconds. Repeat for 3 orbs. | Red Seed |
| M-033 | East of Strider on western side of island | Step on all lit plates once without stepping off. | Blue Seed |
| M-034 | North of Stage 2-5 Portal, western edge of island | Attack hourglass, reach finish line within 85 seconds. Use springs, boosters, rails, platforms. | Red Seed, Koco |
| M-035 | Northeast of Stage 2-4 Portal | Hit punching bag for 100 damage within time limit. Stomp at end helps. | Blue Seed |
M-031 demands a balance between speed and accuracy to hit all targets with Homing Attacks. For M-032, avoiding boost is key to not overshooting the platforms, ensuring you can land and perform the Cyloop on each orb. M-033 is a memory and navigation puzzle, requiring you to follow a specific path on the illuminated tiles. M-034 is a longer race, but its 85-second timer allows for some minor mistakes, emphasizing consistent movement over perfect execution. M-035 is similar to M-026 but with a higher damage requirement; a well-timed Stomp can significantly boost your damage output.
Northern Ares Island Challenges
The northern reaches of Ares Island present some of the more intricate and demanding challenges, often combining multiple mechanics or requiring keen observation of the environment. These challenges are crucial for fully unveiling the northern sections of the map.
| Challenge | Location | How to Solve | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-036 | North side of island | Cyloop in front of sign. Hit blue ball into both circles within 40 seconds. | Not specified |
| M-037 | Northmost side of island | Step on all lit plates once without stepping off. | Not specified |
| M-038 | Northern side of island | Catch the orb patrolling the trees near the sign. | Not specified |
M-036 is a unique puzzle requiring precise aiming with the blue ball, likely using a Homing Attack or similar ability to guide it. M-037 is another pattern-based plate puzzle, similar to M-033, testing memory and careful movement. M-038 involves tracking and intercepting a moving orb, which may require a boost or Homing Attack to catch successfully. The specific rewards for M-036, M-037, and M-038 are not detailed in the provided sources but are generally Red or Blue Seeds, consistent with other map challenges.
FAQ
What kind of rewards do I get for completing Ares Island challenges? You primarily receive Red Seeds of Power and Blue Seeds of Defense, which are used to upgrade Sonic’s stats. Some challenges, like M-034, also reward you with lost Koco.
Do challenges need to be completed in a specific order? No, you can attempt Ares Island challenges in any order you discover them. However, completing them helps reveal the map, making it easier to find other objectives.
What happens if I fail a timed challenge? If you fail a timed challenge, you can immediately retry it. There’s no penalty for failure beyond the time spent.
Are there any challenges that require specific upgrades or abilities? Most challenges can be completed with Sonic’s core abilities. However, some puzzles, like those involving Cyloop or Stomp, require you to use these specific moves. Ensuring you’re comfortable with Sonic’s full move set will be beneficial.
How many challenges are there on Ares Island? There are 28 challenges on Ares Island, ranging from M-026 to M-053.