Sonic Unleashed

When someone mentions Sonic, what kind of game comes to mind? You probably remember those lightning-fast platformers where your brain and your thumbs could barely keep up with the action onscreen — and in the case of Sonic Unleashed, you’d be half right.

Unleashed is split into two different types of gameplay: daytime levels, in which you play as Sonic the Hedgehog, and nighttime levels, where you become his full moon–influenced alter ego, Sonic the Werehog. Yes, really. When the sun is up, we’re treated to the classic Sonic gameplay that we know and love. Speedy, multiple-pathed levels fl ip seamlessly between 2D sidescrolling and 3D all-out running sequences that recall the dizzying fun of the original classics while showboating some slick new gameplay tidbits (like QTEs that determine which path you take) and lovely vistas.

But when the sun goes down, the problems begin. When you’re the Werehog, the game devolves into a plodding hackand- slash that’s jarringly different from its daylight counterpart. The nighttime levels are lengthy ordeals filled with poorly executed platforming elements and long, boring, button-mashing fights with hordes of enemies. The ability to grab ledges helps, but you have such a small window of opportunity to do so that it often leads to frustrating tumbles off cliffs. (You also have two different buttons for jumping and grabbing — take that, intuitiveness!)

These two hugely disjointed styles make for a significantly pace-challenged experience. The enjoyable levels are over far too quickly, while the not-so-fun levels seem to drag on forever. The uneven pace isn’t helped by the massive amount of backtracking that’s necessary to collect Sun and Moon Medals required to open new stages.

Sonic Unleashed is a game that feels schizophrenic in its execution. Unfortunately, you deal with the fun, easy-going personality for less than half the time.

On Xbox 360

6.5

The daylight levels get your adrenaline pumping…
…but the nighttime levels drain it right back out.
Waaay too much backtracking.
Why not release this as two different games?

COMMENTS:

>When you’re the Werehog, the game devolves into a plodding hackand- slash that’s jarringly different from its daylight counterpart.

Hi thar. We're OXM and we don't like change. That's what you guys are basically saying here.

>The nighttime levels are lengthy ordeals filled with poorly executed platforming elements and long, boring, button-mashing fights with hordes of enemies. The ability to grab ledges helps, but you have such a small window of opportunity to do so that it often leads to frustrating tumbles off cliffs.

Lengthy levels? Sure they're longer than the day stages but they are in no means anything extremely long. The more respect you pay to Werehog's stats the better he becomes, the less time it'll take to do the levels, and well, IF YOU SUCK at the game it'll take awhile and I'm willing to place money you're just speaking out of butthurt that the levels took too long cuz you sucked at the levels.

Or that, like everyone else, you don't like change.

Oh, and...a small window of opportunity to grab onto ledges or anything else? You mean the entire ONE SECOND the radar comes onscreen for you to do it? Honestly, this isn't even something worth complaining about. You praise the day stages for being fast yet on the 'slower' stages you bash it for having given you anything nearly as "quick" as the "qte"s in the day stages.

I call that this was all for moot.

>(You also have two different buttons for jumping and grabbing — take that, intuitiveness!)

That's not even a realistic thing to bitch about, honestly, many platforming-esque games have two separate buttons, Christ. Everybody knows many games have ONE button only for jumping and nothing much else.

>These two hugely disjointed styles make for a significantly pace-challenged experience. The enjoyable levels are over far too quickly, while the not-so-fun levels seem to drag on forever.

If you try to rush the level, it is over QUICKLY. But I found that many of the levels took at LEAST 6 minutes of high-speed action to get to the end, and THEN maybe I'd get a "B" or higher rating on the level. This is nearly the amount of time it took to do just one act on the old Genesis titles, so why are you guys even complaining that the levels are "over too quickly"? Oh that's right, because everyone wants to nitpick at EVERY LITTLE THING that Sonic games give nowadays.

It seems to force the idea that the Werehog levels are simply "not fun" by calling them that and not just simply "the slower paced" levels and I call BS on that.

I've been losing trust in you guys' abilities to rate/review games decently, but more and more I barely see anything talked about on the story, the extras you can do/use (like the Time Trials...NO mention of that whatsoever)...and this goes for many games. But of course for the games that are selling well and are big end titles like Left 4 Dead, you guys will actually go into much more detail and effort to write something, but pass off something like this as crap.

I absolutely disagree on the 1st con you stated about the Werehog stages draining your adrenaline. Remember the Custom Soundtrack facet of the 360? Put some Disturbed tunes to those stages and THAT can help you ejoy the battles at least immensely.

Honestly, this review is convoluted right to the bitter end. You may lose a fan out of me.

The sheer fact you guys rated this an entire .5 above Sonic '06 shows you guys are becoming more retarded by the day.

Spartan 117:

OXM SAYS:

Posted on: Dec 04, 2008

Sonic Unleashed

WORDS BY: Taylor Cocke

On Xbox 360

COMMENTS:

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Spartan 117:

OXM SAYS:

Posted on: Dec 04, 2008

Sonic Unleashed

WORDS BY: Taylor Cocke

On Xbox 360

COMMENTS:

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