Sonic Unleashed has not been received by critics very well, but let just say how WRONG they are. Gameplay, levels, cities, even the menu system, and so much more. We're not talking about Super Mario 64 and SM64 DS different, we're talking SM64 and Super Mario Sunshine different! The only thing these games have in common is the story, music, locations, bosses, and similar gimmicks. Despite having the same name, they are 2 entirely different games. For those who are not familiar, they are 2 different versions of Sonic Unleashed, one on the PS2/Wii and one on the PS3/Xbox 360. Forces comes out literally tomorrow, and I'm ecstatic! And just today I've finished my 10 game Sonic marathon. The normal Sonic stages, on the other hand, are much the same as every other modern Sonic game - impressive but inconsistent 3D rollercoasters in which you hurtle through pre-rendered loops, grind down rails and run smack into a wall of spikes because the game seems more interested in distracting you with things that go whoosh and whiz than actually coming up with level design that turns Sonic's speed into an asset rather than a hindrance.'Sup gamers, CTA here. The camera is also absolutely awful, frequently forcing you to make blind leaps or lurching around as it tries to keep up with your movements. Experience can be traded in for more combo moves, but since mashing the strong attack button seems to get you through every encounter, there's not much point memorising the sequences required. Werehog levels are therefore little more than crude beat-'em-ups, in which you pummel your way through waves of enemies and use your elastic arms to climb and swing to the next area.
While Sonic is still all about speed, his hairy alter-ego is slower and more powerful. With its blue skies and rustic charm, the first section is quintessential SEGA. It's not a question of waiting around, since you can change the time of day on the map screen, in the pause menu or by hitting special hourglasses. The available levels change accordingly, and make use of the character's different abilities. When the moon rises, you become the werehog. During the sunshine hours, you play as normal Sonic. Complicating matters further, the game is split into day and night. Not only do these stereotypical towns act as hubs for the different levels, but they also feature lots of NPCs and side-quests. Sonic can now travel the globe, flitting between SEGA-ised facsimiles of real-world countries. From there on, it's the usual job of travelling through different zones, beating climactic bosses and fixing each of the planet segments in turn.Įxcept nothing can ever be that simple. Apropos of nothing, this process also turns Sonic into a "werehog", all fangs and claws and - for some reason - stretchy rubbery limbs. In the rather impressive CG intro, we see the moustachioed villain fire some new-fangled weapon which uses the power of Sonic's gems to split the planet into fragments, releasing something called Dark Gaia. The plot once again revolves around Eggman and Chaos Emeralds. Why hasn't anybody thought of giving a cheery platform hero a dark and violent alter-ego before? Oh. This was, as they always are, supposed to be the game that restored the blue hedgehog to fighting form the game that finally delivered the next-gen Sonic experience we've been waiting for since the last-gen before last.
Which brings us, rather unfortunately, to Sonic Unleashed.
#SONIC UNLEASHED PS2 REVIEW HOW TO#
SEGA has simply forgotten how to make the most of its mascot, and while Mario leapt into the modern era with the confident Mario 64, Sonic has been stumbling clumsily through the 3D era, carried along by the dissipating momentum of his glory years. The tragedy is that this slump in fortunes can't be blamed on changing market forces or fickle public tastes. Let's face it, Mario Olympics probably would have flown off the shelves on its own merits. From matching Mario sale-for-sale throughout the '90s, he's now almost forgotten by the outside world, remembered only through supporting roles in Wii games and the charity of his one-time rival.
You really couldn't ask for a more potent example of how far Sonic's stock has fallen. "Wow, is Sonic still going?" they asked, before adding "Oh yeah, he was in that Mario game on the Wii." After the obligatory "you lucky sod" outburst, and the slight recoil at the mental image of me in my pants, sweaty joypad in hand, they asked what I was playing at the moment. I recently found myself having one of those conversations that always happen when people discover that I make my living sitting around in my pants, playing games.
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