Finally finished it after a couple weeks, and BOY, what a ride it’s been.
Unleashed obviously has pacing issues; that’s to be expected when combining two radically different game styles. However, I actually grew to enjoy the Werehog levels, because they actually got better as the game progressed, and I got better with the controls alongside them. Rooftop Run Night Act 1 is a real highlight.
The legends of the Day stages are true: they are some of the best 3D Sonic I’ve played so far. Rooftop Run, Jungle Joyride, Skyscraper Scamper, Windmill Isle… so many great levels packed into one game.
I do take issues with the controls, however. Sonic’s movement is too slippery and (ironically) too fast, making him hard to control across tight platforms. Like the Werehog, I got used to him as the game progressed, but he’s still pretty unwieldy.
As for Eggmanland, it’s well-designed but TOO FUCKING LONG!!! Likewise, the non-Super fight against Dark Gaia is boring as all hell, and if you die, you have re-fight the Egg Dragoon all over again before going back to Dark Gaia. I love the Egg Dragoon, but it gets tedious after awhile.
Speaking of the Egg Dragoon, the bosses are likewise great. All the Dark Gaia-infected ones and each of Eggman’s robots are fast-paced and engaging. I especially like the match against the Egg Lancer, which tests your reaction time and platforming abilities.
The game is marred by frame rate issues, but I’m used to that from my Xbox 360 (it’s almost as old as me) and I never died because of it, so I didn’t mind too much. The story is a decent globetrotting adventure. Chip started out super annoying due to how unfunny and poorly-voices he was, but he REALLY grew on me by the end.
Overall, Sonic Unleashed is heavily flawed, but it’s also a fucking awesome, badass, and action-packed adventure that’s more than worth playing.
Unleashed obviously has pacing issues; that’s to be expected when combining two radically different game styles. However, I actually grew to enjoy the Werehog levels, because they actually got better as the game progressed, and I got better with the controls alongside them. Rooftop Run Night Act 1 is a real highlight.
The legends of the Day stages are true: they are some of the best 3D Sonic I’ve played so far. Rooftop Run, Jungle Joyride, Skyscraper Scamper, Windmill Isle… so many great levels packed into one game.
I do take issues with the controls, however. Sonic’s movement is too slippery and (ironically) too fast, making him hard to control across tight platforms. Like the Werehog, I got used to him as the game progressed, but he’s still pretty unwieldy.
As for Eggmanland, it’s well-designed but TOO FUCKING LONG!!! Likewise, the non-Super fight against Dark Gaia is boring as all hell, and if you die, you have re-fight the Egg Dragoon all over again before going back to Dark Gaia. I love the Egg Dragoon, but it gets tedious after awhile.
Speaking of the Egg Dragoon, the bosses are likewise great. All the Dark Gaia-infected ones and each of Eggman’s robots are fast-paced and engaging. I especially like the match against the Egg Lancer, which tests your reaction time and platforming abilities.
The game is marred by frame rate issues, but I’m used to that from my Xbox 360 (it’s almost as old as me) and I never died because of it, so I didn’t mind too much. The story is a decent globetrotting adventure. Chip started out super annoying due to how unfunny and poorly-voices he was, but he REALLY grew on me by the end.
Overall, Sonic Unleashed is heavily flawed, but it’s also a fucking awesome, badass, and action-packed adventure that’s more than worth playing.