No, I'm not biased... Much that is.
Excuse me? 3.5? I dunno man... I'm -pretty sure- it deserves more than -that-.
Whoever reviewed this game must've been pretty angry at the time or something. Or maybe he/she/it had PMS or something. Whatever, on to the review. This is a review for the 360 version of the game, as it's the only version I own.
Graphics:
The graphics are just so amazing. Just what you'd expect from a Sonic game. Because Sonic games, since the beginning (Sonic 1), have always had such wonderful graphics. Sonic games are well known for their graphics too. Locations, themes, stuff like that. From the textures used, to lighting effects and reflective surfaces. I guess it's what they put in the hedghog-engine. Heck, look at the effing water in stages like Adabat (Jungle Joyride), or the whole ice-y thing going on in Holoska (Cool Edge), the water in Holoska is just WOAH as well. All the little details they put in are just so awesome as well. I mean seriously, they put detail on -almost everything-. Like in Apotos (Windmill Isle), you can see signs on the walls and stuff that actually -make sense- (That is, if you took the time to stand and look). They even got actual menu items there and stuff. Every cobble stone on those paths looks so real, you feel as if you'd trip if you weren't paying attention to their beauty. Their detail. I swear, I look at even just a screen shot, and I start to see FMV-grade graphics from the PS1 era, namely from games like FF9 or even FF10, even if it was PS2 era.
I swear, I'd rather look at even just a -screen shot- of this game than a really good HD grade video of a game like GTA IV (or the actual game itself) or whatever other game out there with supposedly -amazing/great- graphics.
I give graphics a 9.5.
Sound:
Mmmmm~ Sounds~ Sonic games are also well known for their music and sound. Who doesn't feel all warm and glow-y inside when they hear the Green Hill Zone theme or a remix/remake of it? Well, given that the remix/remake in question is actually in game, that is.
Sadly, Sonic Unleashed (and probably, some of the other more recent Sonic games), didn't really have that much of an awesome sound track. But then again, I'm a sucker for rock, which is why I loved it more when Crush 40/Jun Senoue did music for Sonic games back then. (Sonic Adventure1/2/Heroes in particular. Especially loved Crush's version of His World and All Hail Shadow. Because seriously, I heard the Zebrahead version and stuff, they weren't in the same league.)
I can probably name a handful of songs in this game that I actually liked. Probably on two hands.
Lemme see... Ah yes. I ofcourse love the theme song of the game, Endless Possibilities, by Bowling for Soup. I also love the Cool Edge (day) and Rooftop Run (day) songs. I liked a majority of the night time versions of almost every stage as well. Even the night time versions of the town stages. Especially loved the night song for Empire City. Too catchy.
I'll give the sound... An 8.5. Which is pretty high, mind you.
Gameplay and Controls:
Aaahhhh yes~ Gameplay. What would a Sonic game be without gameplay? Well, certainly not a Sonic game. That's for sure.
Good thing this game has decent/above decent gameplay. From the speed-demon day stages to the knee-cap-busting night stages. It's pretty solid in both areas.
I must say, though, Sonic has some control issues somewhat. Not that the controls are unresponsive or anything, but that it's a bit hard given his speed. (But then again, I have flexible fingers, I can boost and duck at the same time to go under stuff in stages like Windmill Isle, pretty useful.)
Yes, I said it. Given his incredible speed, it is indeed -a bit- hard to control him. Though I know, alot of you will just say "Then learn to control it better". But I must say, that's not a pretty good defense, if you'll tell me that.
Anyway, back to gameplay.
Let's take fully 3d areas of a stage for example, no not the straight aways that involve side stepping or drifting, I'm talking about parts like... Parts like in Chun Nan, the part where you gotta walk around on rotating platforms. He doesn't turn on the spot. Instead, he walks a bit to change to the direction you wanted him to face to. It may seem realistic, but it's not very helpful. Actually, that's not really realistic at all. Even a real person can turn around a full 360 degrees without moving out of his/her place. This problem also applies to the werehog, which kinda makes his platforming parts a bit frustrating. There are also some upgrades for Sonic that sorta break things a bit. Upgrades such as the one that allows you to use boost in midair. I find it a bit misplaced/useless. Why's that, you may wonder. Well, suppose I don't wanna boost, suppose I wanna just use the default air dash/homing dash I had back when I didn't have the upgrade. It's very situational actually. But I find better control if I had the normal homing dash instead of the air boost. They could've atleast made it a different button.
Sonic also has hardly any traction, leading to multiple/unforced/unintended deaths, which can get quite frustrating. His air boost thing also leads to that problem alot. Also, something a bit minor on Sonic's controls/handling. the replacing of his homing attack button. It may be just a minor change, but it still doesn't feel right. I'm more used to his homing attack being the same as his jump button, it just seems more natural. I'm sure alot of you would agree with that. Now onto werehog controls.
Werehog's controls are pretty good when you're fighting, though I hardly shield, it sorta feels useless. Comboing is fun at the start, but after a logn while you just resort to using the strongest move you have over and over again, so that you can finish the level as fast as possible, in order to get a high score, which sorta imbalances it.
Getting knocked down or into the air is pretty bad too, since you won't be able to recover from it unless you hit a solid object. Which is pretty bad, since you could be sent flying off a ledge and you can't do a thing about it.
I pretty much felt like they should've just copied/simulated KH1/2's battle system a bit more.
Also jumping feels a bit weird. He jumps too low. His double jump almost feels like it's not worth pulling off.
Missing a cue to grab onto a ledge/pole/thingy sticking out of a wall is pretty bad punishment as well. If you just miss it once, just once, youc an't get another cue to grab onto it even though you're within distance or height of hte grabbable thing in question. Again, leading to lots of deaths. Example would be like if you -double jump- to get to a pole, then you press the attack button. Given his delay in the air, he's still at the same level/height as before he attack, and yet, the green cursor doesn't appear, enabling you to grab on. Get what I mean? The things that are wrong with the werehog controls can be a major pain on stages like Cool Edge (night). Where obstacles/grabbable objects break after a while.
Onto more general things, such as the death holes, or bottomless pits.
They're all over. And placed in awkward places too. But luckily, many places in a stage has unlimited 1-up icons floating nearby, to give you mroe chances. I guess Sonic Team/SEGA/Whoever was in charge of the game, knew that this kind of thing was going to happen frequently, thereby placing said 1-ups near by.
Now let's talk about level design/stage layout~! Oh boy!
For the most part, stage layout/level design is pretty solid. But there are oddly placed obstacles, and some horrible designs in some parts of some levels. An example would be Rooftop Run (day), somewhere near the beginning, there's a place where you jump to a higher ledge, and there are spikes on the ground. While you aren't moving that fast to begin with, it still sort of breaks the momentum you had prior to the spike trap. But there's a shortcut you can take to bypass that part of the stage, but it's so -well hidden-, that you probably wouldn't even know it existed. Mostly because you're speeding by in boost mode so fast you wouldn't bother to even think "Oh look, flower pots. And everyone knows those are breakable. I bet they're hiding a shortcut or item or medal or something! O:". I think it's agreeable that the sides of the screen are hard to make out while boosting, because of the blur effect. So it's kinda hard not to miss things like that. But then again, this is only one example, and I don't think I'd mention any more of it.But like I said, for the most part, level design is pretty solid. I also sorta like the idea of medals beign needed to access other stages. Think of it this way; you get medals in stages, the better you are, or the better you do, the more medals you can attain in said stages. Now, think of that as training for the coming stages. Because seriously, you'll need it. The game's difficulty jumps a bit after the 3rd/4th stage (I think it gets significantly harder in Shamar, day and night). With that, you'll also be able to gain experience, which you'll need if you wanna survive better in the night time stages, or go faster/have more boost in the day time stages.So basically, medals prove how good you are, or how trained you are for coming stages.
Anyway, aside from a few bad bumps here and there, and a few issues with controls. It's all pretty good.
I'll give it a 8.0. Because I believe that it is actually manageable, while still being able to be fun, without being too much of a game breaker, if at all.
That averages out at about...
8.5.
Well now, Sonic~ Look who got an 8.5~
*looks up* Hmmm, seems I wrote that much already. Hmm... What else can I squeeze in here...
Nope, nothing more~ I guess that's all.
Well, I tried being as unbiased as I can be. Hopefully, it turned out that way too.
And yes, I am indeed a Sonic fan. A fan boy, if you must, if you will. But not one of those "Omg ur hayteeng Sawnuks gaems I flames yew lolz". Please no. I'm more... Civilised than they.
Well, 'til my next review. Bye.