Sonic: Unleashed

[twmac]

The critics are wrong.

This game is the best Sonic game since Sonic Adventure.

The speed levels are beautiful and fluid. The werehog levels are combo heavy but never dull. The RPG system is fairly easy and never intrusive. I'm disappointed with the non-believers, play this game it is awesome.

[Nick]

I'll probably grab this once I've sorted out my funding for everything else over the next month. The speed levels do look good, but I'm not sold on the werehog levels and doubt I will be. It's Sonic, why not just have the whole game be speed levels? Why the feck would I want to amble around with stretchy arms performing fighting combos in a Sonic game?

I wouldn't.

[Roderick]

I stood openmouthed in the store, watching the intro sequence or whatever movie it is that rolls when you've been in the start up screen for a while. The speed levels look amazing. Still, playing is believing. I've never been a Sonic fan, but I do want to try this one.

[twmac]

Nick, you'll be surprised. The werehog levels play out like a weird combo of Mario and God of War, the fighting has quite a bit of depth to it and the platforming sections don't feel out of place , they work by not having the twitchyness of the last few Sonic games that made it impossible for accurate jumping. The slowing down of gameplay helps you appreciate the adrenaline fused speed levels.

Rodi, there should be a demo available check it out and see how you feel before purchasing if you have never played a Sonic game before.

Seriously, I was going to throw in the towel after the last Sonic game but I got a chance to play this one and I'm fully pledged as a fan again.

Thank you Sonic team.

[Nick]

As there's no demo on the PS3 I was doing some interweb investigating and found this interview.

http://www.campsonic.com/2008/07/16/gamespots-live-demonstration-of-sonic-unleashed

Instantly I hear the following...

...we're going to be taking Sonic into night time for one of the very first times!

Ummm no? How about Star Light Zone? It was in the very first Sonic game ever made! How did you possibly get your job?

Don't remember Sonic the Hedgehog? How about Sonic the Hedgehog 2? There was a nice level in that game called Casino Night Zone!

[DanJW]

Dear Sonic Team (or whoever makes Sonic games these days)

Please please please please can you fix it for yourselves to play Mirrors Edge? Then go away and have a think.

[David]

Harsh. Did you have to use Comic Sans?

[twmac]

Dear Sonic Team (or whoever makes Sonic games these days)

Please please please please can you fix it for yourselves to play Mirrors Edge? Then go away and have a think.

Sorry, what do you even mean by that?

I thought Mirror's edge was an interesting but deeply flawed game (ala Alone in the Dark) which deserved to be bought only to encourage EA to be more adventurous with their investment into original IPs.

If you are trying to imply that Sonic team should throw away the gorgeous, fun, and enjoyable game I've been playing for the last week in place of the shonky, awkward-but-at-least-they-are-trying job that is ME then sorry, I'm not on the same page. Have you even tried the game? If you have then please justify slagging it off.

[DanJW]

Sorry, no I'm not slagging it off at all. It sounds great in fact.

I just think that the mechanics involving momentum and fluid movement in Mirrors Edge are a great fit for Sonic and much closer to the feel of the original 2D games than any of the 3D Sonic attempts to date; and they should have started thinking along those lines a long time ago.

Sorry to derail your thread. Please carry on. What's the story like? Is it still retarded? If so can you easily ignore it?

[Wrestlevania]

I'll wait for Rab & Ryan's approval personally, but UK:R have dropped numerous little mentions as to how genuinely good Sonic: Unleashed actually is.

If there's an Xbox 360 demo, I'll make a point of snaffling that tonight/tomorrow anyway. I adored the MegaDrive games.

[syntheticgerbil]

Any word on who the lead designer is for this particular game? It seems like with all the raving about this actually being a good Sonic game it can't possibly be led by Takashi Iizuka, who in my opinion has single handedly been involved in making each Sonic game progressively worse since Sonic Adventure.

Funny how a game that was panned the minute information was leaked has got everyone excited. Even the ever complaining CartoonBrew.com who doesn't usually talk about games animation was making posts about the Unleashed intro and how good it is.

[miffy495]

I hear that the Wii version is significantly different from the 360/PS3 version. If this is true, any word on which is superior? And which have you been playing yourself?

[twmac]

Sorry Dan, the flow of the game is in fact very good (unlike some of the stop and start sections of Mirror's Edge). The sense that you aren't punished too brutally for fucking up works really well in the opening sections but does take a dip in some of the later levels.

The story is ridiculous and Chip the dragon creature is mildly annoying, but once the level loads (about 2-4 seconds into the cut-scene) you are free to skip it.

The first boss battle is an extended QTE but actually works as a rythm mini-game, I'm useless at them but after my third attempt I got through. Also, these sections are really good fun to watch.

At the end of the year, next to Gears of War 2, Fable, Fallout and FAr Cry (and Kingdom under Fire: Circle of Doom which is strangely addictive)this game and Banjo Kazooie: NnB have made me smile.

Oh, but one bit in te Sonic version of China as the Werehog, may actually make you kill someone.

[nsps]

I hear that the Wii version is significantly different from the 360/PS3 version. If this is true, any word on which is superior? And which have you been playing yourself?

There are some videos showing comparisons of the two different versions, but I couldn't tell how different the versions are apart from graphics.

[syntheticgerbil]

So how accurate is Yahtzee's description? I must know as a former Sonic junkie.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/472-Sonic-Unleashed

[Nick]

Still no demo on PSN

[twmac]

Demo available on 360 right now.

The Yahtzee thing was hilarious but I have to say that I now know how some of my friends who loved Assassin's Creed feel after watching the slating he gave it.

There are some shortcomings in the game I'll admit (having gotten a great deal further), and maybe the Wii version was kind of shitter or something, but his emphasis on a couple of minor niggles seems a bit over the top. It is like he never played the labrinth zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog or the level on the airship in Sonic 2 with the teeth grindingly hard one-hit-and-you-die bosses at the end. So it breaks up the speed (rarely) of the Sonic levels with a few jumping areas... So what? That's exactly what the original Sonics did.

So Were's etymology derives from 'man' okay, nice dig but the fight sections were fun.

The only thing that has pissed me off enough to walk away were the rythm action sections, which mainly has to do with the fact that I suck at them.

So yeah, if what Yahtzees stuff said hit a note with you then maybe you shouldn't bother but for those who can check out the Demo. If you have a 360

[Wrestlevania]

I tried the demo last week and was modestly impressed. The sense of speed is very good, but I don't like being able to move through all three plains; it just doesn't feel right for Sonic. It's also too easy to come to a sudden halt on peripheral scenery, because you were pressing the stick slightly to the left or right whilst dashing forwards.

Side on, Unleashed looks glorious--it's just how I'd hoped Sonic would look in 3D. It's a faithful evolution, visually and stylistically, and the demo level at least was interesting and varied. However, it's rarely apparent how you reach an alternative - usually higher up - path through a level, which means the exploration aspect (at least in the demo) isn't that fun. Unlike the original 2D Sonics.

[Nachimir]

Heh

[gdf]

I'll wait for Rab & Ryan's approval personally[/url]

Another Consolevania fan! Holy shit!

Anyway, that diagram is dead on, Nachimir. I played the demo of this game and this is much more a string of QTEs than PoP, didn't like it one bit. Horrible, horrible state Sonic is in now. Sonic Team are forced to produce this shit every couple of years and I really feel sorry for them, they don't seem to realise that Sonic is meant to be about platforming as well as speed, one of my biggest issues with what I played of Unleashed.

Edited January 14, 2009 by gdf

[Spaff]

oh we're all consolevania ppl here

anyways, i played the demo of this game and it was horrible

[Spaff]

Still no demo on PSN

there is now...

[Nick]

there is now...

Yer I played it. It's definately missing part of the formula. It has speed but everything flies past far too quick to see what it was you just smashed through, you end up hitting walls that you were supposed to duck under and 3D running forward still sucks.

I wasn't very impressed. Making Sonic games bad is beyond a joke now.

[twmac]

Ah well... It's just me then.

Would like to argue somehow but if you dont like it you just don't.