Okay, time to share my first controversial opinion!
This game is great! A masterpiece even! Yeah, back then, Sonic Unleashed wasn't exactly well received and was even mocked for the thing I will also share my controversial opinion on. But you know what? This game was the first example to teach me to always form my own opinion no matter how opposing every other opinion out there will be.
And for me, this game rocks. In fact, despite Sonic Adventure 2 meaning the most to me, Sonic Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game PERIOD.
Coming after the dawns of darkness known as Sonic 06 and The Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed had a lot to live up to since I almost quit the franchise. And like many others during the game's promotion, I was apprehensive and uncertain of what it was going for. In fact, I'll go ahead and admit that I hated the Werehog because, on paper, it sounded too ridiculous. But I knew that my true judgment would be after I gave the game a play myself, so I did and...
OH, MAN. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
After my first playthrough, I realized that I was an ignorant fool and decided that no matter what, Sonic would be a series that I'll always be a fan of. But anyway, what's there to like about this game?
First, the gameplay. To this day, there has been no other Sonic game to match the speed and exhilaration Unleashed has. It needs to be played to be believed and that's what makes the Day Stages the most fun and thrilling experience I've ever had with Sonic. They also give the game reasonable difficulty since they rely on fast reactions and reflexes. It may not be for everyone, but it's certainly for me.
Also, side note: Eggmanland is the best Final Stage in the series AND one of the best Final Stages in gaming. Yes, it does take an hour to complete for most people, but the challenge it provides is just... brilliant. Call me sadistic, but I LOVE IT.
Then, we have the Night Stages, aka the Werehog. The big old controversy of this game. Now, I do understand why it was disliked. It deviated from the core gameplay Sonic was known for and made you flip-flop between the two styles for the entire game. I do get it! However, I've always been a forgiving person and one to give anything a chance, so after giving the Werehog one, I found it pretty fun! The brawler/beat 'em up gameplay it centered around was already a genre I had relatively decent experience with, so it wasn't a completely alienating thing.
Second, the music. Well, honestly, I don't need to go in-depth about it because we all know that no matter what, the soundtrack is going to slap, and Unleashed's music slaps HARD. The way it utilizes so many different instruments instead of mainly relying on the guitar and represents the various cultures the Stages are based on is nothing short of masterful and beautiful. It's honestly my 3rd favorite Sonic soundtrack, right behind Sonic Adventure 2 which sits behind... uh. Well, I'll mention it another time. ;)
Third, the graphics. Now I may be alone in this considering the fact that this game is 15 YEARS OLD (wow, where has the time gone, I miss my childhood;-;) and it came out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but I think Unleashed has the best art direction, animations, and graphics in the series. Yes, I do think they're that good. The mix of beautiful locales with the cartoony look of the characters just works so well. And for a 7th gen game, it's pretty impressive.
And finally, the story. Holy mother of Gaia, Unleashed's story is perfect. It expertly blends adventure, action, comedy, heart, and tragedy seamlessly, giving what I believe to be Sonic's greatest and most memorable adventure. But the story also hits close to home as Unleashed came out when I was moving out of my first home and Sonic living his life after Chip's sacrifice reminded me of me living my life after leaving my friends and the life I knew.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get cheesy in this.
Honestly, the only flaws this game has are...
1) The fact that you have to collect so many Sun and Moon Medals to unlock the Stages. I mean, what's the point? We have to travel across the entire world to restore it, so the urgency is extremely high. It's just kind of a pacebreaker.
2) The framerate can drop during exciting moments, most notably, the Adabat Day Stage. Dear Gaia, every time I replay that stage, the framerate drop makes me cringe.
3) This last problem isn't actually about the game itself, but rather with the soundtrack. WHY THE HELL IS THE MAIN THEME, ENDLESS POSSIBILITY, NOT INCLUDED IN THE DIGITAL RELEASE OF THE SOUNDTRACK? SERIOUSLY, THAT SONG IS SO ICONIC AND BELOVED, AND YET, IT WASN'T PUT IN FOR THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS. WHY.
Okay, I think I've gone on about this game long enough. To summarize, I love this game. Go play it.
See you on the next game review I write!
This game is great! A masterpiece even! Yeah, back then, Sonic Unleashed wasn't exactly well received and was even mocked for the thing I will also share my controversial opinion on. But you know what? This game was the first example to teach me to always form my own opinion no matter how opposing every other opinion out there will be.
And for me, this game rocks. In fact, despite Sonic Adventure 2 meaning the most to me, Sonic Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game PERIOD.
Coming after the dawns of darkness known as Sonic 06 and The Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed had a lot to live up to since I almost quit the franchise. And like many others during the game's promotion, I was apprehensive and uncertain of what it was going for. In fact, I'll go ahead and admit that I hated the Werehog because, on paper, it sounded too ridiculous. But I knew that my true judgment would be after I gave the game a play myself, so I did and...
OH, MAN. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
After my first playthrough, I realized that I was an ignorant fool and decided that no matter what, Sonic would be a series that I'll always be a fan of. But anyway, what's there to like about this game?
First, the gameplay. To this day, there has been no other Sonic game to match the speed and exhilaration Unleashed has. It needs to be played to be believed and that's what makes the Day Stages the most fun and thrilling experience I've ever had with Sonic. They also give the game reasonable difficulty since they rely on fast reactions and reflexes. It may not be for everyone, but it's certainly for me.
Also, side note: Eggmanland is the best Final Stage in the series AND one of the best Final Stages in gaming. Yes, it does take an hour to complete for most people, but the challenge it provides is just... brilliant. Call me sadistic, but I LOVE IT.
Then, we have the Night Stages, aka the Werehog. The big old controversy of this game. Now, I do understand why it was disliked. It deviated from the core gameplay Sonic was known for and made you flip-flop between the two styles for the entire game. I do get it! However, I've always been a forgiving person and one to give anything a chance, so after giving the Werehog one, I found it pretty fun! The brawler/beat 'em up gameplay it centered around was already a genre I had relatively decent experience with, so it wasn't a completely alienating thing.
Second, the music. Well, honestly, I don't need to go in-depth about it because we all know that no matter what, the soundtrack is going to slap, and Unleashed's music slaps HARD. The way it utilizes so many different instruments instead of mainly relying on the guitar and represents the various cultures the Stages are based on is nothing short of masterful and beautiful. It's honestly my 3rd favorite Sonic soundtrack, right behind Sonic Adventure 2 which sits behind... uh. Well, I'll mention it another time. ;)
Third, the graphics. Now I may be alone in this considering the fact that this game is 15 YEARS OLD (wow, where has the time gone, I miss my childhood;-;) and it came out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but I think Unleashed has the best art direction, animations, and graphics in the series. Yes, I do think they're that good. The mix of beautiful locales with the cartoony look of the characters just works so well. And for a 7th gen game, it's pretty impressive.
And finally, the story. Holy mother of Gaia, Unleashed's story is perfect. It expertly blends adventure, action, comedy, heart, and tragedy seamlessly, giving what I believe to be Sonic's greatest and most memorable adventure. But the story also hits close to home as Unleashed came out when I was moving out of my first home and Sonic living his life after Chip's sacrifice reminded me of me living my life after leaving my friends and the life I knew.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get cheesy in this.
Honestly, the only flaws this game has are...
1) The fact that you have to collect so many Sun and Moon Medals to unlock the Stages. I mean, what's the point? We have to travel across the entire world to restore it, so the urgency is extremely high. It's just kind of a pacebreaker.
2) The framerate can drop during exciting moments, most notably, the Adabat Day Stage. Dear Gaia, every time I replay that stage, the framerate drop makes me cringe.
3) This last problem isn't actually about the game itself, but rather with the soundtrack. WHY THE HELL IS THE MAIN THEME, ENDLESS POSSIBILITY, NOT INCLUDED IN THE DIGITAL RELEASE OF THE SOUNDTRACK? SERIOUSLY, THAT SONG IS SO ICONIC AND BELOVED, AND YET, IT WASN'T PUT IN FOR THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS. WHY.
Okay, I think I've gone on about this game long enough. To summarize, I love this game. Go play it.
See you on the next game review I write!