Sonic Unleashed PS3 - Framerate issues?

[Leonard]

Hey guys, I wanted to ask you a quick question about the PS3 version of Unleashed and it's framerate issues.

 

As a quick back-story: I've recently gotten myself a used PS3 + used copy of Sonic Unleashed. I've never had a current gen console except for a Wii, so I have pretty much no first-hand experiences with the PS3/X360 era. I've only played newer games either for the Wii or PC versions of recent titles.

 

Which brings me to my question: I was quite confused when I started up Unleashed the first time, since the framerate drops were so immensly noticable. Right from the beginning when I watched the in-game intro cutscenes, completed Apotos Act 1 and got into the hub world; literally none of those segments went without dropping repeadetly. Nothing game breaking for sure, but highly noticable changes from smooth to un-smooth very frequently in small portions.

I reckoned that something like this was normal for a stage like Apotos Act 2 (when you boost through all the furniture and enemies, making the physics go whazoo), but for the hub world as well? Just walking inbetween the houses and snooping around could sometimes trigger it.

The hub-part of Apotos where you access Act 2 is especially guilty of this. I don't see a reason why the game would consistently drop down to what feels below 30 with such simple architecture.

 

So yes, I wanted to ask: is this normal? Is this maybe normal for console gaming in general and are my expectations just skewed by PC gaming? Or should I maybe check if it's because of my used copy that is somehow giving the PS3 problems?

 

I apologize if this question may sound stupid or "PC master race"-ish, but I think I might just be lacking in experience with these consoles. :-/

Oh yes, and I already patched it as well.

 

Thanks guys. Sorry if I'm warming up an old topic here.

[ElectricAngel]

Yeah it's normal for the game. For whatever reason though the PS3 version tends to drop frames more than the 360 version. I don't think it's by much though. I personally don't think it's much of an issue until the final daytime stage, Jungle Joyride. That's when the framerate really becomes killer. But on the plus side if you have the PS3 version, Cool Edge runs at a super smooth 60fps. 

[Leonard]

Aw man, that's a shame. From what I've seen, that's the most beautiful stage of all. :-(

Was it because of this that the PS3/X360 versions of Sonic Unleashed were critically received so poorly?

[JonoD]

It's odd, because I think there are places in the game where the game actually runs at a higher framerate than the X360 does (about 40 fps at times), but with that, comes some instability.

[ElectricAngel]

Nah I don't think so. Most of the hate comes from the Werehog. The framerate really isn't much of an issue anyways. For the most part the game does run smooth except in some cutscenes, a few hubs, Jungle Joyride Day Act 1, and when you crash through many robots/stage assets. From what I know the 360 version is mostly at 30fps and the PS3 version's at 35fps.

[t0ms0nic]

Hoo boy, are you in for a treat in framerate drops when you reach Empire City's HUB and the last few levels!

 

But yeah, Unleashed in general has a huge framerate issue and there are going to be a lot of moments where your input will be delayed or outright ignored, and can especially be the case in the Night levels and their QTE finishers. It's really unoptimized and pretty painful later on... it got to that point where I'd just rather play the Unleashed Day levels via Generations PC with a constant 60fps than play the game itself again.

[ElectricAngel]

You know, I never had any instances where the game didn't read my inputs. Delayed, yes, but only when speedrunning Jungle Joyride Day Act 1. Then again I played the 360 version. No experience with the PS3.

[Biggs]

It's far more jarring in the PS3 version because the framerate drops further. In the 360 version it goes to a maximum of about 30FPS and drops to around 20FPS in really bad spots while on the PS3 version it fluctuates between 20FPS to 60FPS, meaning the potential difference between maximum and minimum framerates on that version is around 40 frames. On the 360, it's around 10.

 

I've completed both versions and it's more jarring on the PS3 version because of this. It doesn't drop any lower or any more frequently, though.

[Amomynous]

That doesn't sound quite normal to me, Sonic Unleashed has pretty bad frame dropping, but I've never noticed any thing of the sort in the in-game cutscenes or the hubs. The problems happen when things get clustered with enemies or environmental features like Adabat's forests, waterfalls and falling pillars.

[RK64]

Yah, for some reason the PS3 version of Unleashed has an unlocked frame rate, so while some parts of the game (like other mentioned, Cool Edge Day, I believe Windmill Isle Act 1-2) run great, others (Eggmanland and Jungle Joyride BOTH day and night) run at horrid frame rates. Fortunately, this is only an issue much latter in the game, as the rest of the game runs great on PS3. Though it is a shame the PS3 version has such frame rate drops ; a higher frame rate for the speed stages REALLY does make them a blast...

[JezMM]

Yeah basically at best PS3 runs at 60FPS, but most of the time it can only handle the same framerate of the 360 version.  Since that framerate is the norm on 360, only the BIG drops are noticable - whereas on PS3 it fluctuates all the time.  It's never any worse than the 360 version, but because it is sometimes better, you notice it.

[ElectricAngel]

In the first cutscene where Werehog and Chip meet I do remember very well there is a framerate drop. It's not that big but it's noticeable. Also when Sonic transforms from Hedgehog to Werehog in the cutscenes there is a bit of a framerate drop.

[Carbo]

The PS3 version runs at an unlocked framerate peaking at 60, meaning it performs to the strongest extend it can and cuts unsustainable frames when there's too much action which slows things down.

Since the Hedgehog Engine is poorly optimized for it, it tends to be really inconsistent on PS3. The 360 version runs at a locked 30, making it more consistent.