Part 2 of 2 for my old Sonic game revisit this year is Sonic Unleashed, and this is quite an interesting one. At launch, I had actually played the Wii version of this game, only to find that the Standard Definition Wii/PS2 version of the game wasn't just a port. It was actually a fully different version of the game from its HD PS3/360 counterpart. I wouldn't find out this until later, when I also found out that the HD version not only had 2 stages the SD version didn't, but the more advanced hardware was better able showcase Sonic's speed, leading to far more exhilarating day stages from what we got in the Wii version.
I never did get a chance to play it growing up though, despite getting a PS3 at Christmas of 2009, so this has always been kind of a what if. What if I had played this version? Would it have been better than the rather bland experience I found on Wii?
The answer in short is yes, the HD version of Sonic Unleashed is superior in most ways, and there are quite a few differences too. First off, it has a hub world structure as opposed to the Wii version's more simple menu select. This had its ups and downs as while the hubs gave the world a bit more depth, they were rather annoying to get through. To get to the stage select you have to load into the hub and then load into the stage select. Same thing on the way out. Why we weren't just able to go directly to the stage select after the first time or directly back out to the World Map is beyond me.
The stages themselves though? So much better. I actually actively enjoyed the Werehog stages alongside Day Sonic's. The combat is so much better when you're using button presses and not terrible Wii waggle controls. The design for them too was better than expected. Once you really level up Werehog Sonic and get some of the more advanced combos, this part of the game actually starts to really shine. This game got a lot of flack for its night stages, but to be honest, it really didn't deserve it. They're not stellar sure, but they were still fun.
The Day stages, which first introduced Sonic's Boost style of gameplay, are where the game really shines. Having played the other Boost games, this one surprisingly stands out as the best. The levels are longer, filled with more interesting routes, and challenges, and felt exhilarating to complete and master. While Colors and Generations are far from bad, I feel like we lost some of the challenge this game has in its stages.
Overall, I had a blast playing the levels, even replaying for the stupid medals. This game isn't perfect though, and while I thought it was overly criticized at launch, some of those criticisms ring true. Those medals I just mentioned? An absolute pain in the ass to gather to progress through the game, especially given the hub structure which has medals in those areas as well. It was a bummer when I had to grind my progress to a halt to go searching for these things.
The framerate too should have been way better. Even just in the villages and stage select areas, the performance was awful. This would unfortunately pop up in the levels too, especially Sonic's Day stages. The sense of speed is awesome, but it's so often muddied by horrible frame drops when the screen gets too busy.
I do wish too that the game as a whole controlled better. It's not too bad, especially once you get used to both styles but there's still some jank. It feels like Sonic loses aim at times while boosting leading to some unfair deaths while Werehog Sonic has some platforming inconsistencies that prevent you from grabbing a ledge or landing on a platform like you should be able to.
Finally, the last stretch is just awful. Without spoiling anything, the last level is atrocious, ramping up the difficulty through cheap means while 2 of the 3 final bosses are absolutely annoying. It's an unfortunate sour note to end what was otherwise a very enjoyable experience.
All in all, I'm glad I finally played this version of Unleashed. I had a lot more fun than I anticipated and can finally knock this off my bucket list. If you have access to one of these old consoles or an Xbox Series X where you can play it with backwards compatibility in beautiful 60 fps, I recommend it. It's a good time, and one of Sonic's stronger efforts in a rocky period for the blue blur.
I never did get a chance to play it growing up though, despite getting a PS3 at Christmas of 2009, so this has always been kind of a what if. What if I had played this version? Would it have been better than the rather bland experience I found on Wii?
The answer in short is yes, the HD version of Sonic Unleashed is superior in most ways, and there are quite a few differences too. First off, it has a hub world structure as opposed to the Wii version's more simple menu select. This had its ups and downs as while the hubs gave the world a bit more depth, they were rather annoying to get through. To get to the stage select you have to load into the hub and then load into the stage select. Same thing on the way out. Why we weren't just able to go directly to the stage select after the first time or directly back out to the World Map is beyond me.
The stages themselves though? So much better. I actually actively enjoyed the Werehog stages alongside Day Sonic's. The combat is so much better when you're using button presses and not terrible Wii waggle controls. The design for them too was better than expected. Once you really level up Werehog Sonic and get some of the more advanced combos, this part of the game actually starts to really shine. This game got a lot of flack for its night stages, but to be honest, it really didn't deserve it. They're not stellar sure, but they were still fun.
The Day stages, which first introduced Sonic's Boost style of gameplay, are where the game really shines. Having played the other Boost games, this one surprisingly stands out as the best. The levels are longer, filled with more interesting routes, and challenges, and felt exhilarating to complete and master. While Colors and Generations are far from bad, I feel like we lost some of the challenge this game has in its stages.
Overall, I had a blast playing the levels, even replaying for the stupid medals. This game isn't perfect though, and while I thought it was overly criticized at launch, some of those criticisms ring true. Those medals I just mentioned? An absolute pain in the ass to gather to progress through the game, especially given the hub structure which has medals in those areas as well. It was a bummer when I had to grind my progress to a halt to go searching for these things.
The framerate too should have been way better. Even just in the villages and stage select areas, the performance was awful. This would unfortunately pop up in the levels too, especially Sonic's Day stages. The sense of speed is awesome, but it's so often muddied by horrible frame drops when the screen gets too busy.
I do wish too that the game as a whole controlled better. It's not too bad, especially once you get used to both styles but there's still some jank. It feels like Sonic loses aim at times while boosting leading to some unfair deaths while Werehog Sonic has some platforming inconsistencies that prevent you from grabbing a ledge or landing on a platform like you should be able to.
Finally, the last stretch is just awful. Without spoiling anything, the last level is atrocious, ramping up the difficulty through cheap means while 2 of the 3 final bosses are absolutely annoying. It's an unfortunate sour note to end what was otherwise a very enjoyable experience.
All in all, I'm glad I finally played this version of Unleashed. I had a lot more fun than I anticipated and can finally knock this off my bucket list. If you have access to one of these old consoles or an Xbox Series X where you can play it with backwards compatibility in beautiful 60 fps, I recommend it. It's a good time, and one of Sonic's stronger efforts in a rocky period for the blue blur.