Sonic Unleashed Review
The classic Platformer is Impeded by an out-of-place Adventure Game
One of the foremost wishes of Sonic the Hedgehog fans has been for Sega to make a Sonic game that contains only Sonic himself and the high-speed platforming of the old Sega Genesis games. The franchise’s entries over the past decade have been padded with adventure gameplay considered extraneous by many.
When asked, Sonic Team expressed worry that classic platforming elements alone would not be enough to satisfy a full modern game. Playing the classic platforming parts of Sonic Unleashed and then experiencing the adventure elements presents question of whether Sonic should even try to fulfill a $60 product.
An Old School Action Platformer
Sonic Unleashed is based on the duality of day and night. During the day Sonic is in his normal hedgehog form in which players go through platforming levels resembling classic Sonic games.
Dimps (Sonic Rush on the DS) has designed some superb levels for Sonic Unleashed. Taking Sonic through different parts of the world, each level is blazing fast but also manages to include some smart design and legitimate challenge.
Players will do more than simply press forward to run during these stages. Quick reaction to obstacles and opportunities rewards players with faster paths and more points. Mastering levels gets players a sense of speed and fluidity that enhances the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.
Strangely, playing through Sonic Unleashed’s action platforming segments is reminiscent of the kind of twitch-based gameplay that made the Super NES and Genesis era where Sonic originated. Everything else in Sonic Unleashed however echoes something that while not bad, doesn’t quite feel like it belongs under the name “Sonic.”
A New World Adventure
When day turns to night in Sonic Unleashed, Sonic takes a werewolf form where speed is traded for strength and combat skill. The result is a different game that bears a painfully strong resemblance to Sony’s God of War series.
These stages have players solve puzzles, do some standard platforming, and fight enemies with an expanding list of combos. The way challenges are dealt out, many of Sonic’s combos, the nature of the platforming, and even some aspects of Sonic’s werewolf form itself will look extremely familiar to those who’ve played God of War.
This part of Sonic Unleashed is by no means bad on its own merits. The main allure of Sonic games however is simple, speedy action platforming, which half of this game seems to be the very antithesis of.
Other adventure elements in Unleashed like talking to towns full of people and having to collect secret dials to continue the game also feel very inhibiting to that kind of experience. Newer Sonic fans might still enjoy them, but they’ll probably just annoy fans of the Genesis games.
Bottom Line
For all it’s worth, Sonic Unleashed is actually a well put-together game. The classic Sonic stages are truly fun and embody what made the Genesis games fun. While Sonic Unleashed might’ve been better off without the adventure elements, they’re still decent.
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