Sonic Unleashed - What is it now after four years?

[JezMM]

Is Unleashed HD any better? From what I've read, the hub worlds and town missions seem to set right what Sonic 06 made wrong, and the Werehog is better. Also, there seems to be more levels, better graphics - I think I just answered my own question.

 

If it is better, I hope they rerelease the HD version for the Wii U sometime in the future.

 

Unleashed HD is much better.  There's still quite a bit of running forward, but there's significantly more to do while running forward, and there is a lot of challenging platforming to be found in the later stages and secret acts (albeit flawed, mainly because the accuracy required is hard to achieve with Unleashed's handling).

[Burnt Ash]

Is Unleashed HD any better? From what I've read, the hub worlds and town missions seem to set right what Sonic 06 made wrong, and the Werehog is better. Also, there seems to be more levels, better graphics - I think I just answered my own question.

 

If it is better, I hope they rerelease the HD version for the Wii U sometime in the future.

 

Personally, I found it better. I played the Wii version once at a relative's house...and that put me off of buying the 360 version for a year because back then I thought it was the same thing...and I was wrong, so I bought the 360 version and enjoyed it. The hub worlds, I think, are probably the best we have in regards to Sonic games. There's just a ton of stuff to do, and I really like the surrounding background and all, I think it's pretty cool. And yeah, I've heard there are less Werehog stages than in the Wii version, I personally like the Werehog stages, though. Most of them at least. I never really liked the "hubworld" of the Wii version, and I liked going around and walking through the ones in the 360 version and all. Aside from more medal collecting and maybe the Tornado missions, I'd say Unleashed HD is a lot better.

 

EDIT: And with that, I believe I have bitten JezMM.

 

You have been INFECTED. :3

Edited January 13, 2013 by Burnt Ash

[Spin Attaxx]

Unleashed HD is much better.  There's still quite a bit of running forward, but there's significantly more to do while running forward, and there is a lot of challenging platforming to be found in the later stages and secret acts (albeit flawed, mainly because the accuracy required is hard to achieve with Unleashed's handling).

Personally, I found it better. I played the Wii version once at a relative's house...and that put me off of buying the 360 version for a year because back then I thought it was the same thing...and I was wrong, so I bought the 360 version and enjoyed it. The hub worlds, I think, are probably the best we have in regards to Sonic games. There's just a ton of stuff to do, and I really like the surrounding background and all, I think it's pretty cool. And yeah, I've heard there are less Werehog stages than in the Wii version, I personally like the Werehog stages, though. Most of them at least. I never really liked the "hubworld" of the Wii version, and I liked going around and walking through the ones in the 360 version and all. Aside from more medal collecting and maybe the Tornado missions, I'd say Unleashed HD is a lot better.

Ok...

 

CURSE ME FOR NOT GETTING AN XBOX 360 OR PS3!

 

EDIT: You young fool, past me. I've got an Xbox 360 now. And Minecraft is very good.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Spin Attaxx

[Tara]

Ok...

 

CURSE ME FOR NOT GETTING AN XBOX 360 OR PS3!

Join the club, we have jackets and we dress in frilly outfits and sell cookies to help raise funds and awareness of our cause.

[TwiceStyle]

Sega put much more effort into Unleashed than they did into Colours and Generations.

[Chaos Incarnate]

Worst. Sonic. Game. Ever. 

 

 I just wasn't keen on the gameplay, nothing about it drew me in. I found the daytime stages too fast, the nighttime stages painfully slow, boring and repetitive. Music awful, horrible controls, badly animated cutscenes, complete with hideous voice acting. 

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Sorry to bump this thread, but I just had to respond to this comment. Endless possibility, all of apotos, spagonia, rooftop run, and chun nan are awful music tracks?

Edited February 25, 2013 by Knightofthewind417

[Sparky]

Worst. Sonic. Game. Ever. 

 

Seriously, I would have more entertainment sat playing the old Game Gear games than this. I just wasn't keen on the gameplay, nothing about it drew me in. I found the daytime stages too fast, the nighttime stages painfully slow, boring and repetitive. Music awful, horrible controls, badly animated cutscenes, complete with hideous voice acting. 

 

I get a lot of hate from my opinion, people trying to change my mind. However, it is simply just my opinion I don't hate all modern Sonic games- Sonic 4 Episode 1 and Sonic Generations were really decent, however, Sonic Unleashed just wasn't for me ^^

Um.... this is a Sonic game... centered around speedy platforming.

[Diogenes]

That doesn't mean there isn't such a thing as "too fast".

[Tara]

Um.... this is a Sonic game... centered around speedy platforming.

 

 

That doesn't mean there isn't such a thing as "too fast".

 

What he said.  I love Sonic 2 and S3+K, but it really upsets me that fixing the "outrunning the screen" problem was apparently not a priority to Sega at the time.  Yes, Sonic is supposed to be fast, but he's also supposed to be controllable.

[Phos]

Uh, yeah it does actually most of the time. A lot of the time you'll find the game spawns impassible barriers every time you get into a confrontation until you kill every last enemy in the general area. The only notable exception off the top of my head is Chun-Nan night, and even then you'll still fall into inescapable ambushes unless you know where the shortcuts to get around them are.

What I mean is that the game's enemies are too simplistic to force you to do anything but mash Y.  

 

Unleashed Wii is a game where you ran down empty hallways trying to find the gameplay (spoilers: it's homing attacks and QTEs).

 

I felt nostalgic playing it, but not for any Sonic game.  Kinda reminded me of a PS1 game in it's design.  

 

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Sorry to bump this thread, but I just had to respond to this comment. Endless possibility, all of apotos, spagonia, rooftop run, and chun nan are awful music tracks?

I can only listen to so much Amen Break.  

[Pikachu]

The day stages have aged well. The gameplay isn't as polished as Generations and I feel like I barely have to jump in comparison (so linear :3) but I still dig it. I do kind of miss the Hedgehog Engine being in full effect though. As for the Werehog, I didn't hate it nor love it so I don't really care about him returning.

[Gabz Girl]

Sonic Unleashed is a very good and enjoyable game, but not great. There are some flaws like the endless possibilities bottomless pits, some of the Werehog stages being slow and lacking in certain areas and the story having the same Monster of the Week bullcrap. Not to mention no other characters besides Sonic, Tails, Eggman and Amy for some reason.

 

But the level design, especially in speed stages, is great. And the music and graphics are REALLY good. This game was a huge step up from Sonic 06 and it shows. Hell I even liked the smaller adventure fields which were way too big and empty in Sonic 06! And Chip was cute, I liked him as a new character and it's a shame we'll probably never see him again.

 

As for the Wii version, I actually played it before the 360 version and it is definitely inferior to the other. Nuff said. 

[MamboCat]

I've got the 360 version.... well, only had a it a few months.

 

The night levels are waaaaaaaaaaay too slow and boring. In fact sometimes they are incredibly frustrating. I get the impression that with the stretchy arms and stuff maybe SEGA were considering Ristar when they made this game... so sometimes with so much emphasis on the Werehog, it doesn't feel very "Sonicy".

 

Then I play a day level and I feel like I love this game! XD

[SilentDoom]

What he said.  I love Sonic 2 and S3+K, but it really upsets me that fixing the "outrunning the screen" problem was apparently not a priority to Sega at the time.  Yes, Sonic is supposed to be fast, but he's also supposed to be controllable.

 

Never viewed this as a problem.  Infact, I loved those moments because they were rare unless you were an absolute master of the mechanics of the game and new exactly when and how to jump off slopes to build more momentum than you should. 

 

See in games like Unleashed the speed is comparatively brainless.  You're going that fast all the time and as a result the speed doesn't feel special.  It feels like a norm and it gets dull.  

[Scar]

Yeah, the running past the screen sections were awesome. It just adds to the sense of speed and given how rare it is extremely satisfying. If you're a beast and can pull it off anywhere, I can only imagine it being even more satisfying.

[Tara]

Never viewed this as a problem.  Infact, I loved those moments because they were rare unless you were an absolute master of the mechanics of the game and new exactly when and how to jump off slopes to build more momentum than you should. 

 

See in games like Unleashed the speed is comparatively brainless.  You're going that fast all the time and as a result the speed doesn't feel special.  It feels like a norm and it gets dull.  

I don't know.  It seemed like a frequent thing for me, but I guess it's all a matter of opinion.

 

But you're right.  What hindered the enjoyment of the speed in Unleashed was the lack of acceleration, for one.  Having a sense of forward momentum would have made the game a lot more playable.  That, and in the Wii version, the boost definitely hurt more than it helped since you couldn't control where you were going when you were using it, and often times you found yourself either boosting straight into a wall or the boost would stop working as soon as you were one foot in front of an enemy.

[Blue Blood]

2 year bump? Sure, why the hell not.

 

Sonic Unleashed - What is it now after six and a half years?

 

I’ve recently gone back to playing Unleashed HD. It’s flawed, but generally agreed upon that it’s one of the best Sonic games in recent years. Well amongst this community at least, as we all know critics and other people feel very differently. I always like it in the past, so thought a revisit was warranted. And boy was I disappointed.

 

First up, we shouldn't even be calling it “HD”, considering the fact that it doesn't run at a measly 720p. The visuals of this game are such a huge mixed bag; looking absolutely great in stills and sometime during the gameplay, but constantly let down by a framerate that’s all over the place, a sub-par resolution and the blurriest of textures. The art style is gorgeous on the whole. And that really sets a precedent for the entire game. Most of it is alright, comprised for more pros than cons, and yet it all comes together to make for a lacklustre experience which, frankly, sucks hard.

 

The first thing Unleashed gets crap for is the Werehog. The very concept behind it is utterly asinine. Sonic Team decided to make the fastest Sonic game ever and for some reason to lump it with a slow and button-mashy brawler. In actual fact, the Werehog gameplay isn't even all that bad. It’s just dull, somewhat generic and out of place. Incredibly out of place even. Unlike the alternative playstyles in past games which still bore some resemblance to Sonic but with different slightly movesets and goals, the Werehog gameplay has absolutely no resemblance to Sonic in the slightest. You wander around beating up hoards of enemies and pushing switches, with some slow platforming occasionally breaking it up. And it gets worse. This gameplay, which nobody has ever played a Sonic game for before, accounts for the bulk of the experience. All of the main levels last in excess 10, 20 or even 30 minutes. What the hell is up with that? Again, it’s not actually bad on its own merits. It’s just bad as part of this game.

 

And then we move on to the daytime stages. People herald these as the saving grace of Unleashed. They’re definitely the best part of the game without a doubt. Fast, fun and straightforward. They’re pure Sonic gameplay. So what’s the problem with them? There’s a fair bit of trial and error and some cheap elements (especially when you move on to the mini-acts), but even with that considered they’re still pretty good. Generations fixed up many of those issues anyway, so I’ll chalk them up to simply being new. This is where the games technical issues really hit hard though. The framerate (360 version) is embarrassing. Capped at 30fps and constantly dipping below 20, it’s an absolute disaster when the player is supposed to controlling Sonic at such high speeds. This is just a perfect example of a game being let down by its technical aspects and not its own content. Generations again rectified this, reaching a steady 30fps most of the time on consoles.

 

The number one problem concerning these day time levels is the size of them. They account for only a tiny proportion of the game. A few minutes a piece and all too soon BAM you have to stop playing the best part of the game to do something else that’s not all that great.  You can blast through these levels so quickly and they barely account for the much of what you've got to do to progress.

 

It’s not all day and night though. You've got those fantastic hubs too. Those fantastic nine hub worlds where you’re constantly being tasked with going and talking to Professor Pickle even though you know what you’re supposed to be doing next.  Those nine hub worlds filled with and these interesting characters who you just don’t want to talk to because it’s a distraction from a better game. Those nine hub worlds which you’re forced to explore at a snails pace. Those nine hub worlds which tell you to fuck off back to levels you've already completed to find more God damn medals. UGH. I love hub worlds and I think Unleashed’s are actually brilliant. But they do not belong in the game and much like the Werehog they account for nothing more than filler.

 

Just what was Sonic Team thinking? It’s as though they went to every effort to ensure that this game was going to be slated. They took some good ideas and executed them pretty adequately, then lumped them all together in a huge pile of crap. They just ruined their own work.

 

One last point before I head off – the story is a total precursor what we eventually got from Colours, Lost World and Generations. Chip attempts to play the role of endearing, cute and funny sidekick and manages to fail at every hurdle, succeeding only in irritating the player. There’s a kind of poorly scripted story on top of all this, with some unfunny jokes playing out too. Dial the story elements back and you're pretty much left with the same sort of thing that future games delivered. The difference really is just who did the writing.

 

 

So in closing? Sonic Unleashed is a bad game. It shouldn't be, but it bloody well is.

[Blacklightning]

Guess I should form my own thoughts now, though not in so many words. Unleashed is a shining standard for how much love and lore you can shove into a Sonic world between levels, something that even the classics prior have never lived up to, much less anything since. It's also the poster child for how executive meddling can make all that love and passion completely pointless by throwing something into the game literally nobody wanted or asked for, against strong insistence to the contrary from every other division they had.

 

Much like Lost World, it's a noble gesture and good concept squandered, but there's still something to be learnt from it. Go to Generations for the gameplay, Unleashed for the climate, I say. =V

[Chaos Incarnate]

I can't agree with everything you have to say about the game, Blue Blood, but overall? Yeah, I think Unleashed holds up pretty bad too. Even when I have something to rave over, like the game's visuals that hold up well by today's standards, soundtrack, and fair number of day stages, a lion's share of moronic design stages bog the game down severely.

 

Sonic Unleashed is a game that works best in small doses, from my experiences with it. It took me nearly a year to complete it after having to get through stupid shit like having X amount of medals to progress throughout the entire thing, and stages that are downright horrendous to get through (Thanks, Shamar Night and Eggmanland!)   If I'm ever in the mood to play Unleashed, it's usually just revisiting a handful of stages I like, and screwing around in the hub worlds so I can take a breather and admire the game's beautiful cultural aesthetic. I've tried doing a full playthrough time and time again after beating it for the first time, but its just....draining. No game should do that to me. If I want to have fun, I shouldn't be rage quitting after completing nearly 2/3rds of it and saying fuck it when I don't have enough stupid medals to get further. 

 

Really, developers? 

 

Guess I should form my own thoughts now, though not in so many words. Unleashed is a shining standard for how much love and lore you can shove into a Sonic world between levels, something that even the classics prior have never lived up to, much less anything since. It's also the poster child for how executive meddling can make all that love and passion completely pointless by throwing something into the game literally nobody wanted or asked for, against strong insistence to the contrary from every other division they had.

 

Much like Lost World, it's a noble gesture and good concept squandered, but there's still something to be learnt from it. Go to Generations for the gameplay, Unleashed for the climate, I say. =V

Oh, and pretty much all of this. Unleashed, despite being generally shit from a gameplay perspective, has this sort of aura exuded from it that just gets me every time. Maybe its the sense of scale, maybe its the varying culture gimmick, or tone that I think is perfect for a Sonic game, but if the best of both games were thrown together, then they'd give birth to a pretty amazing game, if you ask me. The pragmatical cynic in me says it probably won't happen, but eh, never say never. 

[Hunter Hedgehog]

I personally think unleashed needed to be more open like generations, it just felt like a hallway to me even if it was fun. And I LOVE the setting.

[Blacklightning]

I personally think unleashed needed to be more open like generations, it just felt like a hallway to me even if it was fun. And I LOVE the setting.

Generations is more open? In what sense exactly? The hubworld is literally a straight hallway from one level to the next.

[Hunter Hedgehog]

Generations is more open? In what sense exactly? The hubworld is literally a straight hallway from one level to the next.

I mean as in level design. Should have specified, sorry.

In generations there are TONS of alternate paths and in unleashed here is maybe two max per level.

 

[JezMM]

Two max per level is a bit of an overexaggeration but the bottlenecks are certainly way more frequent in Unleashed so I get where you're coming from.  I think Skyscraper Scamper's second section was excellent in turns of alternate paths, but they probably got away with it since they're so grind rail-heavy, not all that much to design etc.

 

My ideal boost gameplay action stage for Sonic would be one that manages to be as technical, challenging and cinematic as Unleashed HD's stages, while having as many paths as Unleashed SD's stages.  Unleashed on Wii and PS2 had SO many branching paths, it's just a shame they were all corridors with hardly any platforming.

 

It would be a hell of a challenge since it'd basically require them to design about quadruple the amount of "content" per stage than Unleashed has, but honestly 7-10 stages of that quality with bosses, missions, and simple bonus acts on the side would suit me just fine for a Sonic game as long as the padding to get the story playthrough to last a good 5-10 hours is all fun stuff.  If they managed a traditional 12-14 stages using a 2 act per environment structure, even better.

[Hunter Hedgehog]

Two max per level is a bit of an overexaggeration but the bottlenecks are certainly way more frequent in Unleashed so I get where you're coming from.  I think Skyscraper Scamper's second section was excellent in turns of alternate paths, but they probably got away with it since they're so grind rail-heavy, not all that much to design etc.

 

My ideal boost gameplay action stage for Sonic would be one that manages to be as technical, challenging and cinematic as Unleashed HD's stages, while having as many paths as Unleashed SD's stages.  Unleashed on Wii and PS2 had SO many branching paths, it's just a shame they were all corridors with hardly any platforming.

 

It would be a hell of a challenge since it'd basically require them to design about quadruple the amount of "content" per stage than Unleashed has, but honestly 7-10 stages of that quality with bosses, missions, and simple bonus acts on the side would suit me just fine for a Sonic game as long as the padding to get the story playthrough to last a good 5-10 hours is all fun stuff.  If they managed a traditional 12-14 stages using a 2 act per environment structure, even better.

Complete agreement here. And yes, that was an exaggeration I realized (played unleashed's more open levels today), sorry.

[Muscles Maximum]

I like Unleashed a lot. I don't like the idea of Sonic The Werehog, but it wasn't too bad to play. And I love the daytime stages.

 

The game felt so complete and it gives such a sense of freedom. Which to me, Colors and even Generations don't give you. I don't really like the way Sonic feels in Colors. And in Generations he feels a bit too tight and almost feels 'robot-y' in a sense. Unleashed is admittedly loose but that feels more natural to me. In Unleashed you could go practically anywhere, where I feel in Generations there looks like there are many places to explore, but they are blocked off by an invisible wall. I could be remembering incorrectly but I just remember Unleashed being closer to the Adventure games, where you could go nearly anywhere with your abilities, even if it meant death.

 

I still think Generations is the better game by a longshot though. I do wish there were less invisible walls and it was slightly looser in it's controls.