I usually get intimidated by longer, story-based games, so booting this up for the first time this summer was a pretty big deal for me. And even more wild was seeing the title screen appear in all of its glory. What a moment. It was just surreal that I was actually playing the game after owning it for 12+ years! This was also my first 3D Sonic Game AND my first Sonic game period (not including spin-offs) which is honestly pretty shocking. As for which version to tackle, I decided to play the Wii version because A, it’s the only version I own and B, Sonic “Unwiished” has kind of gained a cult following, so it made me even more interested to try it out.
So as for the game itself, I was treated to a pretty chaotic rollercoaster. It begins with a slew of short tutorial levels that start out fine, but become increasingly tedious due to the unfortunate load times. Like seriously, those loading screens were probably longer than the tutorial levels themselves. And then, multiple cutscenes emerged following this, so in the first 2-3 hours, I had really only played 1 hour of gameplay. However, once you pass the poor pacing in the beginning, you’re introduced to the daytime stages, and these were such a blast. I think Sonic’s controls can get just a bit slippery with the nunchuck, but with practice, the levels become SO MUCH FUN. Speeding through areas like Rooftop Run and Dragon Road made me start to really enjoy the game and nearly every daytime level matched this thrill. I also appreciated the smaller levels that came after beating each day stage. They invite you to play small segments of the level again and offer surprisingly fun challenges that I always looked forward to. The day time stages overall were probably the most fun part of the game.
However, for the infamous nighttime or werehog stages, I found myself mixed. I actually watched my brother play these levels when we were kids, so I was weirdly nostalgic for them beforehand. But as for playing them now, I had three major problems. First, the levels were way too long, making them feel really drawn out. Either make Sonic a bit faster or shorten the levels! Second, the daytime to nighttime level ratio is egregiously uneven. The game is probably 33% daytime gameplay and 67% nighttime gameplay because although day and night have the same amount of levels, the daytime ones are MUCH shorter. So adding more daytime levels and removing a few night-time would’ve definitely helped even out the gameplay. And finally, the levels themselves were usually really frustrating. The platforming was often too precise and resulted in unfair deaths, and each time that happened, I really just wanted to walk away from the game. I will admit though that shaking the Wii remotes and bashing enemies’ heads in is fun at times. But the fun level design and enemy fights weren’t enough to overcome the unforgiving platforming and constant level restarts.
And now, here’s a collection of additional aspects I liked:
1. The story is relatively enjoyable and I found Chip to be especially charming. He's honestly just such a fun character and learning about his lost memories had me surprisingly invested. And I was actually sad to see him leave at the end :(
2. The music is seriously amazing and two of my favorites were the day versions of Rooftop Run and the Windmill Isle. I also enjoyed the simplistic menu layout when jumping from different areas and talking to townspeople. And I really appreciated the secret rooms that you could check out after obtaining medals. I only explored them toward the end of the game, but they were fun challenges and made finishing the game more enjoyable. Also, not having to track down medals to progress through the game was a huuuge plus.
3. I also have to make a small comment on the daytime Eggmanland stage. I could not for the life of me beat this damn stage, and it got to the point where the level was negatively affecting my view of the overall game. I seriously struggled that much. But once I realized how to properly navigate the stage, I was surprised at how much I started to really enjoy it. Can’t deny how miserable I was before getting to that realization though lol. But it was so satisfying and overall helped me get much better at controlling daytime Sonic. I’ll always remember Eggmanland.
4. And lastly, I looooved the boss fights. Each boss was actually an imposing threat and the battles felt big! I especially loved the final fight with Dark Gaia and how it’s split into multiple segments. Honestly did not expect that. And the fight was the perfect blend of challenge and reward. I died a handful of times, but each time felt warranted, and overcoming each obstacle was so fulfilling. Once I finally punctured the last eye of Dark Gaia, I felt so triumphant, and then a bit sad that I had officially finished the game to the end.
So, with all of that said, I still really enjoyed my time with Sonic Unleashed. The werehog stages definitely had their share of missteps, but the daytime levels and specifically the final boss are reasons to give this game an honest try. The game also absolutely warrants the $50 price tag at the time. It’s a surprisingly lengthy and abundant playthrough, and there’s plenty of opportunity to go back and replay the many fun levels. Sonic Unleashed is flawed, but my experience with it was truly fun and memorable. And as unpolished as it is, I’ll still likely come back to the game to play some daytime levels. I’m happy I finally got around to playing this charming game. Now onto Sonic Colors!
So as for the game itself, I was treated to a pretty chaotic rollercoaster. It begins with a slew of short tutorial levels that start out fine, but become increasingly tedious due to the unfortunate load times. Like seriously, those loading screens were probably longer than the tutorial levels themselves. And then, multiple cutscenes emerged following this, so in the first 2-3 hours, I had really only played 1 hour of gameplay. However, once you pass the poor pacing in the beginning, you’re introduced to the daytime stages, and these were such a blast. I think Sonic’s controls can get just a bit slippery with the nunchuck, but with practice, the levels become SO MUCH FUN. Speeding through areas like Rooftop Run and Dragon Road made me start to really enjoy the game and nearly every daytime level matched this thrill. I also appreciated the smaller levels that came after beating each day stage. They invite you to play small segments of the level again and offer surprisingly fun challenges that I always looked forward to. The day time stages overall were probably the most fun part of the game.
However, for the infamous nighttime or werehog stages, I found myself mixed. I actually watched my brother play these levels when we were kids, so I was weirdly nostalgic for them beforehand. But as for playing them now, I had three major problems. First, the levels were way too long, making them feel really drawn out. Either make Sonic a bit faster or shorten the levels! Second, the daytime to nighttime level ratio is egregiously uneven. The game is probably 33% daytime gameplay and 67% nighttime gameplay because although day and night have the same amount of levels, the daytime ones are MUCH shorter. So adding more daytime levels and removing a few night-time would’ve definitely helped even out the gameplay. And finally, the levels themselves were usually really frustrating. The platforming was often too precise and resulted in unfair deaths, and each time that happened, I really just wanted to walk away from the game. I will admit though that shaking the Wii remotes and bashing enemies’ heads in is fun at times. But the fun level design and enemy fights weren’t enough to overcome the unforgiving platforming and constant level restarts.
And now, here’s a collection of additional aspects I liked:
1. The story is relatively enjoyable and I found Chip to be especially charming. He's honestly just such a fun character and learning about his lost memories had me surprisingly invested. And I was actually sad to see him leave at the end :(
2. The music is seriously amazing and two of my favorites were the day versions of Rooftop Run and the Windmill Isle. I also enjoyed the simplistic menu layout when jumping from different areas and talking to townspeople. And I really appreciated the secret rooms that you could check out after obtaining medals. I only explored them toward the end of the game, but they were fun challenges and made finishing the game more enjoyable. Also, not having to track down medals to progress through the game was a huuuge plus.
3. I also have to make a small comment on the daytime Eggmanland stage. I could not for the life of me beat this damn stage, and it got to the point where the level was negatively affecting my view of the overall game. I seriously struggled that much. But once I realized how to properly navigate the stage, I was surprised at how much I started to really enjoy it. Can’t deny how miserable I was before getting to that realization though lol. But it was so satisfying and overall helped me get much better at controlling daytime Sonic. I’ll always remember Eggmanland.
4. And lastly, I looooved the boss fights. Each boss was actually an imposing threat and the battles felt big! I especially loved the final fight with Dark Gaia and how it’s split into multiple segments. Honestly did not expect that. And the fight was the perfect blend of challenge and reward. I died a handful of times, but each time felt warranted, and overcoming each obstacle was so fulfilling. Once I finally punctured the last eye of Dark Gaia, I felt so triumphant, and then a bit sad that I had officially finished the game to the end.
So, with all of that said, I still really enjoyed my time with Sonic Unleashed. The werehog stages definitely had their share of missteps, but the daytime levels and specifically the final boss are reasons to give this game an honest try. The game also absolutely warrants the $50 price tag at the time. It’s a surprisingly lengthy and abundant playthrough, and there’s plenty of opportunity to go back and replay the many fun levels. Sonic Unleashed is flawed, but my experience with it was truly fun and memorable. And as unpolished as it is, I’ll still likely come back to the game to play some daytime levels. I’m happy I finally got around to playing this charming game. Now onto Sonic Colors!