Sonic Unleashed

"Sonic is finally getting back on track, but there's still some work to be done."

We all know that the last few years haven't been the best for Sonic. I don't think I need to remind anyone of such travesties as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, and especially Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. Games like these have driven many hardcore fans from the series, as they never expected Sonic Team to give their flagship franchise the attention it deserved.

But now, with Sonic Unleashed, it seems something has finally clicked, as Sonic Team has released a well-polished, vibrant, and overall beautiful Sonic game that shows that they truly do care about the blue dude with 'tude after all. Still, not all is perfect in paradise.

The game kicks off with a beautiful, action packed cutscene in which Sonic and Eggman are once again at odds with each other. When Eggman seems like he is to be handed another defeat by Super Sonic (Sonic's Chaos Emerald-empowered form), he turns the tables and traps the empowered hedgehog, draining his powers into a large cannon, which he then fires directly at Earth, breaking it into pieces. However, this has a strange effect on Sonic, transforming him into the furry, elastic monstrosity known as the Werehog at night. Sonic of course escapes, and is off on a world-tour in a quest to restore the planet.

Now, if this was all that the plot was about, I might have enjoyed it more, but instead we are introduced to yet another new character, named Chip. This little guy looks like the love child of Tinker Bell and the Taco Bell dog, and he is so annoying that he manages to put Marine the Raccoon from Sonic Rush Adventure to shame. Apparently, the adorable little mutant has lost his memories, and Sonic takes it upon himself to help him find his identity. His bland personality, incredibly out of place voice, overdone childish antics, and (seemingly) needless place in the game makes me wonder why Sonic Team feels the need to inject a new major character into every single new Sonic game they can.

Then we get to the daytime gameplay, and to my surprise, it was...good. Not bad, not half-assed, not mediocre, but good! Sonic controls smoothly and the level design is tailored specifically for how he moves, which means no more unfair deaths and controls that want you dead. He also moves at high-speeds easily, which is nice to see after how slow Sonic played in his last Xbox 360 outing. But using the Sonic Boost, a new maneuver introduced in the game, Sonic can run even faster, going at speeds of nearly 300 MPH, creating a gust that blows away enemies and obstacles in his way. This move is triggered by collecting rings, which fill up the "Boost Gauge" in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and this truly brings Sonic's trademark speed to the next generation. But while it might seem like you can easily spam the boost button to blast your way to the end of a stage, that's not the case. Due to clever level designs, which include some bottomless pits, slower platforming segments, and sections where you must battle enemies suspended in the air by using homing attacks, you'll find that Sonic isn't just going to be powering around like a race-car constantly. This is a refreshing change of pace and keeps things from getting stale, but don't worry: there's minutes of uninterrupted running in every daytime level in the game, and it's enough to provide the adrenaline-rush you want when you play a Sonic game. Sure, there are a few segments that seem like they play themselves, but there's been moments like that since the beginning of the franchise, and they don't detract from any of the fun.

Another new mechanic Sonic Team added to the game is the quick step, which allows Sonic to move left or right while running when you press the corresponding bumper on the controller. This is a fantastic feature, as now Sonic can keep running at full speed and be able to avoid obstacles in his way without slowing down. Again though, due to clever level design, you must be careful when using this move.

But the real catch of the daytime levels is the seamless transition from 3D to 2D. At times, the camera will pan to the side, allowing for a nice throwback to the good ol' Genesis days. These transitions never impede the flow of the levels, and if anything, they only enhance the experience, thanks to a (FINALLY) well-done camera system that manages to keep up with the action.

The graphics in this game are gorgeous, almost on-par with that of a Pixar movie. Even moving at high-speeds, it's hard to miss of the detail and beauty of the environment. As the game is a Sonic World Tour, there are many unique areas to visit, and Sonic Team outdid themselves in adapting areas such as China and New York to the Sonic universe, as everything is as bright and vibrant as you remember in the classic games. The cutscenes are very well-done, and often you'll have a hard time discerning the pre-rendered scenes from the in-engine ones. The music is also well-done and varied, as you'll hear everything from orchestral tracks to hard rock tunes throughout the course of the game, and they feel right at home with this title and the Sonic world.

Then night-time rolls around, and Sonic undergoes a drastic transformation in not only appearance, but in gameplay. The night-time levels are very different from the speedy day-time levels in that the Werehog moves much slower than the normal hedgehog and has gameplay focused on combat and puzzle-based platforming. Why Sonic Team felt the need to inject another gimmick in the game is beyond me. Do they have that little faith in normal Sonic? Thing is, though, this gimmick is...actually okay, and unlike some people, I'm not going to bash it simply because it "isn't Sonic". The controls are fine, and the camera remains decent enough (though it sometimes obscures obstacles, such as bottomless pits, in front of you). The combat system is robust and very fun, and the Nighthog's stretchy arms allow him to grab onto ledges and pull himself up in a Ristar-like fashioned.

These levels wouldn't be bad if they didn't drag on for so long. The night-levels are about the same distance as the daytime levels, but since Sonic moves slower at night, they take much longer to complete, sometimes up to 35 minutes! It gets really tedious having to button-mash your way through the same enemies while occasionally solving a puzzle before you have to do fight again, and you repeat this process over and over again until the end of the level. And honestly, that basically sums his gameplay up, there's really not too much else to mention about him. Fortunately, there are a few more daytime levels than there are night, so the ratio between hedgehog and werehog is balanced, meaning that you'll feel a bit refreshed to each style every time the sun rises and sets so nothing gets TOO stale.

The levels are accessed in hubs, similar to Sonic Adventure. However, the hubs in this game are hardly intrusive, as they are small and linear, which gives you a clear path to the level itself. With the exception of only 2 or 3 times, you also aren't forced to talk to townsfolk and do missions for them a la Sonic 2006 (though this time, the missions aren't a complete bore to go through, as they are actually quite fun and give you a good challenge). If anything, the hubs merely add extra replay value to the game. The real problem is level progression itself. To unlock both daytime and night-time levels, you must find medals scattered around levels you have already unlocked. Sun medals unlock day levels, moon medals unlock night ones. This isn't a problem for the Werehog, as his levels actually support exploration, but the day-time levels...well, don't. They constantly push you forward, and as you'll find out the hard way, are very difficult to back-track through. And since there are points in the story where you need to unlock a specific TYPE of level...well... All in all, it's a mess, and really drags down the experience. I'm guessing Sonic Team implemented this to try and lengthen the game, but it fails on so many levels.

Lastly, there are a FEW bugs I wanna talk about. At times, the frame-rate can grind to a halt, especially in one certain day level, and it really can take away from the game's sense of speed. There are also some graphical problems that I think could have been fixed in development, such as pop-up and seeing through supposedly solid objects. And lastly, the loading times from hell are back. While there's not near as many as there were in Sonic the Deathtrap...er, Sonic 2006, they are still incredibly long and make you wonder what you could have done with the minute of your life that just passed you by.

Overall, this is certainly a step in the right direction, as Sonic himself plays beautifully, and even the gimmick they slapped in the game is pretty entertaining, but Sonic Team really needs to rethink level progression for the next title, and they need to take time to iron out some bugs that should be fixed in early development. If I was allowed more freedom with the rating system, I would have given this game a 7.5/10. I say that any Sonic fan with a 360 should at the very least rent this game if they already haven't, and I recommend other people who are considering becoming a Sonic fan to rent, not buy, this game, as it pretty clearly represents where the series is and where it could go in the future. To people who hate Sonic or just ignore him as a whole, it doesn't seem like this game will change your mind, but hell, if you thought you might like it based on my review, give it a shot.

In conclusion, this game is a fine way to make up for some past abominations of the series, but it's not quite up to par with the classics. Hopefully, Sonic and the Black Knight will continue the trend of increasingly good console Sonic games.

Viva la Hedgehog!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/08

Game Release: Sonic Unleashed (US, 11/20/08)