Xboxist

Sonic Unleashed Review

Do you remember the good old days of everyone's favorite blue streak that speeds by? Then you know exactly which speedy hedgehog I am referring too. At the very end of 2008 we were given another Sonic the Hedgehog game called Sonic Unleashed, and this time the hedgehog has received a new transformation ability with the "Werehog" feature. So kick on your speed shoes and grab a chili dog for this review of Sonic Unleashed!

In every great Sonic game there must be a world-destroying plot that involves either changing animals into robots or the timeless favorite of destroying the world itself. Enter Dr. Robotnik also known as "Eggman", who is the main villain of every "Sonic" game known to gamers from the late 80's until now. This time Sonic is fighting solo against the fierce "Eggman" on his space station when suddenly the Earth is split in pieces and Sonic is molecularly transformed into a monster. In Robotnik fashion she launches Sonic back to earth head first which slams our hedgehog unconscious into the ground, however a new furry sidekick lays right next to him named "Chip". The little guy has no memory and it is up to Sonic not only to save the planet but to help the little guy seek his memories back and stop Dark Gaia from destroying the world. By the way, the world in this new Sonic adventure is roughly the size of Chaos from Sonic Adventures, and maybe even bigger. This all sounds simple right?

Speed has always been the main key to a real sonic game, however though the years the developers have inexplicably abandoned the idea. In Sonic Unleashed they have brought back the speed we originally loved along with some better features. During the day you are regular sonic and have to perform your main duties of kicking butt while breaking the sound barrier. The new controls will take some getting used to, but when you finally get adjusted it will be a thrill ride you can not forget. Using the X button in previous games would be your homing feature for rings or hitting enemies and now it is your speed boost button, which feeds off of your ring energy. That is correct -- you can make sonic go even faster with a nice sonic blue aura surrounding him at the same time when bashing enemies. You will also have to use the LB and RB bumpers to quick slide or quick jump through the levels from the numerous objects. During the course paying attention to hidden objects while going so fast takes skills because the medals you collect will unlock other missions so you can progress through the story.

When the sun sets it is time to unleash the beast within! Thanks to the molecular hijinks discussed above, night transforms you into a WereHog: a brawler with the ability to stretch your arms and perform new moves. Your strength increases and your fighting skills change to more of the street fighter fashion with massive combos and grabs. You become slower; however it does not make you any less powerful. If you initiate a grab you will have to act fast because the "Quick Time Action" buttons will flash within seconds to perform an incredible finishing take down. This mode of the game goes in terms of exploration; where you have to break into houses or lift heavy objects or even tight rope/shimmy to progress through the level. To make sonic run faster you will have to hit either left or right trigger to make him go on all fours for a slight speed run. You are given a health meter which can be replenished by absorbing the rings. You can unleash the Werehog fury mode where he gets super abilities to take down his opponents much faster.

This game features a "role playing game" element when you reach the end of each level you get the ever famous grade of your performance and the addition of upgrading both sonic forms. Giving regular Sonic more ring energy and speed or WereHog Sonic more strength, fury, combat, and health. The "werehog" has a lot more attributes then regular sonic so be prepared to do a lot of upgrading on the nighttime side.

Later on you will run into "Tails" who will give you the world map ability so you can pick your destination much faster also change the area from night to day or vice versa at will. Your love interest will make an appearance in the game as well. However, "Amy" is kind of useless in the game. You will have the option next to the missions in
the form of an hour glass as well so you do have the choice at the moment to play either version. However do not forget to progress you will need to play both forms. Interacting with the natives around the world is a bit less annoying and they also give you items' to buy either for your health like food or collections to give to other "NPC's" (non playable characters) that will give you hints about "Chips" past or to defeat the Dark Gaia monster.

Collecting the Moon and Sun medals is the key to accomplishing your goals in the game and after successfully collecting the right amount of medals the Earth will start pulling itself back together. The chaos emeralds relate in this game since the beginning where you used them to go Super Sonic but in doing so the emeralds powers were drained by "Eggman" and in turn you will have to restore their power since it was your fault in the first place....I'm just saying. So definitely be prepared to do a lot of back tracking collecting items or leveling up your character to get ready for the finally show down with Dark Gaia.

The problems with Sonic Unleashed affect more of the dialogue aspect and the cheesy side kicks character where you really want to kick them. I would insist you change the voices to Japanese because they sound less campy and aggravating; besides the subtitles will stay to help you out if you miss anything. The camera angles of the game will frustrate you slightly but not enough to want to chuck the game. The searching aspect during the "Werehog" and Regular Sonic modes will in fact frustrate you to the point of kicking your TV. Timing and paying attention has to be your greatest ability because that is where the challenge lays.

We have come to the final break-down part of the review. Despite its various flaws, Sonic Unleashed sports the number one thing we all loved about Sonic the Hedgehog, and that is fun. Between the fast-paced speed trials and the ability to transform into a hulk of a hog, we found ourselves smiling with glee. The best part about this game is that you only play as Sonic and no one else which was rapidly becoming redundant in past Sonic games. The main problems are that it can be a chore sitting through the game's dialogue, and the steep difficulty will sometimes make you frustrated. Finally, the clunky camera angles return to make navigating the 3D world a bit tricky at times. In the end, though, this game is pure fun and it has the challenge that has been missed in recent years. Thanks to the Sonic team for doing Sonic justice once again. I give Sonic Unleashed 4 speed boosts out of 5.