While it could have done a bit better, it's still worth checking out.
- Sonic's rides are addictively fun and fast
- Attractive graphical engine
- Great production values
- Good cutscenes and voice acting
Negative
- Night time levels can be dull and needless frustration
- Talking to people is ultra boring
- Timed missions make the game feel rushed
Sonic's new adventure on the PS2 can't be said that it's not a good one. It's just that the Sonic Unleashed would have been a better game if only the daytime levels were there. No, there are the nighttime levels which Sonic undergoes a change and becomes the Werehog, which is not a great fit for a sonic game.
The opening of Sonic Unleashed is impressive and starts before the title screen appears. If you're unfamiliar with Sonic, he's a big, fast running hedgehog. In this particular event, Sonic is trying to save the world from evil Dr. Eggman, once again. This time Sonic fails and he is turned in the Werehog, letting the awakening of an evil entity from the planet. The opening is long enough to explain the beginning even if you never played a sonic game. Later after the title screen, the cutscene will trigger at the beginning which shows Sonic falling from the skies in Werehog form. He meets a thing which later calls Chip since the little thing lost its memory. And this thing is annoying.
When the sun rises, Sonic is at his usual state. But at night he undergoes a transformation and it's that of the Werehog. The game is divided into 2 parts, day and night, high speed races and Werehog fights. The main reason why Sonic takes this adventure other than help Chip regain his memory is that he must fix the planet has Eggman's attack.
You earn medals when completing missions under conditions. The first part of the gameplay shown in the game is the best part of it. Sonic high side runs are simply fantastic, both high speed and exciting. When running, the race doesn't last very long and along the way Sonic has to jump, hit enemies or slide his way to find the circle thing that ends the event. Collecting rings along the way in these races can make Sonic goes even faster by pressing O when you have enough to do so.
The other side of gameplay is played at night. This isn't a bad part of it, but the Werehog is so slow that sonic fans will feel totally bored in this part. Werehog parts are timed as well and forces you to hurry up rather than explore. But unlike the morning events, you don't have a limited time to beat. To get medals here, you can get enough rings or beat the time and other things to get the medals. This part is largely more frustrating to play, the combat can be fun if you aren't a high speed fan, because the combat isn't complicated and at times fun. Though this is the part of gameplay where the frustrations are. Some jumping and grabbing things sequences can be insanely frustrating. Fortunately the Werehog can stretch his arms to grab to things. You will have 2 lives if you either lose or fall. If you lose them both you have to start from the beginning of the stage.
Other problem is the camera. But this is somehow found in both. Nighttime stages the camera is strictly fixed and sometimes far, but it does give you a good view of the battle. Daytime, when running at high speed camera is behind Sonic. There are some 2D views which are really good, but when Sonic hits a wall or something that makes him stop, to go running again can be a pain since you turn the camera and this can lead to aimless wandering.
By earning medals you can enter special rooms found in the sacred shrines found around the world. To find the shrine you must take a really boring side of the game, talking to people. When clicking to a place to go, and enter you won't here them talking. Instead you get a comic like scene where you can sometimes learn useless information. And this happens a lot through the game.
Otherwise the cutscenes are great. Even the daytime levels look fantastic, better than the nighttime. Nighttimes are dark of course but certainly not as good as the daytime ones. And the production values are high. Voice acting is what you should expect from a sonic game, good. And the music is great.
You won't encounter the same enemies at day and night. In daytime levels you will sometimes encounter robots that you don't defeat; instead you use them as a bouncing bag or reach high places and avoid losing speed. The nighttime levels feature different kind of enemies. These enemies appear in the night parts only and they are creatures from the evil entity. The Werehog uses the square and O button to use his hands and triangle to use a more powerful attack.
The level design and character designs are really interesting. Sonic and the Werehog are well detailed. Enemies design is more seen in the nighttime stages where you fight enemies in an area in which you have to defeat all of them to move on. Level design is more excellent in daytimes.
As I mentioned before, all missions are timed, making daytimes a hurry, and nighttimes a frustration since you did a mission for nothing if you don't get a medal. Unfortunately there are more nighttime levels than daytime. Fans will have to struggle to a little of Werehog levels whether they like it or not.
The graphics engine is impressive for a PS2 game. The environments shine at daytime which look really something. Even at night the environments are big and certainly not lacking.
Sonic Unleashed isn't a bad game; undoubtedly Sonic's team has tried something new with the Werehog. And don't give me wrong, the Werehog levels aren't all dull and unexciting to play. It's just that the Werehog is too slow compared to Sonic. And not a great fit for fans. While the game has interesting ideas which are well executed, I personally can't argue that this is a good game to play.
Daytime levels are really impressive and fun to play. Nighttimes aren't bad but less fun to play. You could say half of the game is really entertaining and the other half less entertaining. Though the Werehog isn't the only thing that doesn't fit this game, doesn't mean that fans won't have a good time. If you never liked Sonic, this game might change you're mind with its high speed races. It's just too bad that Sonic Unleashed had to have these minor problems here and there and the satisfying daytime gameplay can't make it up for it all.
Graphics = 8.4
Looks really good. The environments are interesting thanks to the great level design everywhere. Enemy design is excellent and Sonic is well designed.
Sound = 8.2
The music is better in the morning, but mostly great music. Voice acting is the great, just like sonic and co. should sound.
Presentation = 8.3
Great looking cutscenes and superb production values. Loads and saves a bit too much and too many times. The opening video is a must watch to get in the story.
Gameplay = 7.8
You could say that the daytime stages are better than the night ones. Thrilling sense of speed by Sonic and the Werehog is incredibly slow. But the combat system of the Werehog isn't bad. The game is more enjoyable in those high speed races.
Camera = 7.4
Can be painful when you're stuck when running since you lose your bearings and when with the Werehog, the camera is fixed making some jumps difficult and annoying.
Story = 6.4
A bit boring. Sonic and Chip aren't great partners since chip is annoying. Basically you need to fix the world. And you'll meet some familiar faces from the sonic universe. The story is dumped away by those lame activities which you talk to people, it's boring and a waste of time, but the story isn't half bad.
Difficulty = Easy
It's not a difficult game, it's just frustrating.
OVERALL SCORE = 7.7 / 10
Sonic Unleashed is a good game, but with all its potential it could have done some more things to be even better. But this game is worth a rental, especially if you don't have a PS3, a 360 or a Wii, since the PS2 era is coming to a close, Sonic unleashed is a worth while, interesting game.