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Sonic Unleashed confirmed News
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by
Oli Welsh
Sega has confirmed the leaks and backed up its lawyers by officially announcing its next major Sonic the Hedgehog title: Sonic Unleashed.
Sonic Unleashed is being developed by Sonic Team, and will be released late this year for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2. It features "classic Sonic 2D gameplay" rendered by the all-new Hedgehog engine, which apparently excels at seamless 3D to 2D camera transitions. Observe them in the official, non-leaked, absolutely watertight video.
The engine's been under development for three years, with the intention of blending a next-generation look with classic Sonic gameplay mechanics. Purists rejoice. We certainly are: it looks lovely.
It wouldn't be a Sonic game without a gimmick of some kind, however, and we're promised a "completely new way to play as Sonic" when darkness sets in - lending more than a little weight to the earlier claims that he would transform into a werewolf. Combat will play a much more important role - in the werewolf sections, we're betting - while Sonic's more traditional high-speed skills will be featured in four new modes.
The plot's pretty simple: Dr Eggman has broken the world apart, and Sonic must travel around the seven broken continents, sticking it back together with Chaos Emerald power.
It all sounds appealingly old-school. Consider us cautiously optimistic, and watch out for more details on Sonic Unleashed in the coming months.
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15 July, 2008 [15]
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Comments: 1-40 of 40 in total
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The Bodybuilder
03/04/08 @ 15:40
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I'm cautiously optimistic too.
But werewolf sonic? I thought that was called "shadow"?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 03/04/08 @ 16:48
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monkie_king
03/04/08 @ 15:48
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'But werewolf sonic? I thought that was called "shaodw"?'
Shaodw the Hedgeohg? |
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Eighthours
03/04/08 @ 15:48
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The werewolf idea is quite honestly the shittest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. Anyone seen the concept art for it? Horrendous beyond belief. With that kind of design sensibility across the project, I'm expecting it to be just as horrible as the other recent games.
I hope I'm wrong... |
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The Bodybuilder
03/04/08 @ 15:49
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No need to say it twice, monkie.
Oh, and shaodw was shadow's south-african cousin. |
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Awesome, so after eleven years they've managed to discover this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBMq9lprfNM
Well done Sega! |
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The werewolf thing is just a disaster waiting to happen if true. I dunno. Am I the only person who wouldn't mind, for example, a PROPER werewolf game? With day/night transitions and the like? Why shoehorn in something like this into the Sonic universe?
Still, going back to the old style Klonoa and Pandemonium used is a step in the correct diraction, because whilst Sonic Adventure (and SA2) we're perfectly acceptible games, the collision detection in them and then subsequently the later god-awful attempts was utterly terrible. If you can't iron out the faults in collision detection in such a way then it's best to keep the directional controls as basic as is humanly possible, hence going back to a 2D plain. But colour me interested at least, it's possible it could be pretty bloody awesome. This werewolf thing however leaves a huge amount of doubt though... |
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HyperShadow
03/04/08 @ 16:06
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Werewolf angle NOT NEEDED! The original Sonic games didn't need a gimmick, this one shouldn't.
Gimmicks have run the Sonic brand into the ground, so a gimmick isn't going to bring it back. |
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convercide
03/04/08 @ 16:24
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I. HAVE. JUST. ORGASMED.THIS. IS. WHAT. I'VE. WANTED. FOR. OVER. TEN. YEARS.
I'm really quite excited. |
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Eighthours
03/04/08 @ 16:43
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I wish they'd change his name back to Dr. Robotnik already - Eggman sounds crap.
Yep, it sounds awful. |
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dirigiblebill
03/04/08 @ 16:44
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It features "classic Sonic 2D gameplay" rendered by the all-new Hedgehog engine, which apparently excels at seamless 3D to 2D camera transitions.
They've finally got it. Took 'em fucking long enough :D EDIT: On the other hand, I note that the stupid rail-grinding has found its way into Unleashed.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 03/04/08 @ 17:53
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FenderMaster
03/04/08 @ 17:01
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ive said it before, and i'll say it again
old school sonic games were platformers first new sonic games are just rollercoaster rides this is not a return to classic sonic gameplay, this is just transposing sonic rush to 3d and adding in a bit of sonic and the secret rings |
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WinterSnowblind
03/04/08 @ 17:57
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Exactly! People seem to miss the fact the old Sonic games were good because of the platform elements and level design. Where did the idea come from that these games should just focus on speed? Sonic Rush and the Rivals game involve almost nothing beyond hold right, and hoping you don't fall down a hole. It really just isn't any fun, and this doesn't look any better.
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I agree - Robotnik is much better, I mean, it's Kintobor backwards, when the good Dr Ovi Kintobor had a little lab accident with a rotten egg he became the evil Dr Ivo Robotnik. Eggman could be a clever little pun, but it's NOT his name and that should be made perfectly clear.
I'd like to see a Sonic game where we revisit some of the old levels though. The older games had some wonderful highlights and would be nice to see them again... if SEGA can manage not to cock it up. |
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FenderMaster
03/04/08 @ 18:10
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@ WinterSnowblind
its the press and the fans, they know the sonic series has gone in the wrong direction, but cant put their finger on just what has changed, so they just say needs more speed/less characters most people also seem to be under the illusion that if its 2D it will have classic sonic gameplay like you said, the series really needs to return to its platforming roots, with great level design, and a proper sense of momentum |
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"classic Sonic 2D gameplay"
Heard that one before... I've been burned to many times. This game official sucks until I play it and am proven wrong. Things Sega need to do though. NO SHITTY NEW CHARACTERS! They always suck. Tails is an annoying twat and they have sucked ever since. Ditch the cheesy rock tracks. And its Dr Robotnik. I don't give a toss what he is called in Japan Dr Eggman sounds bloody stupid. |
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The Bodybuilder
03/04/08 @ 21:39
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>"The original Sonic games didn't need a gimmick, this one shouldn't. "
Like super sonic? Or sonic with tails or knuckles? Those kind of gimmicks (that everyone liked?) Sonic games (other than the original) have all had a gimmick in some shape or form, but they tended to be good (well, it looke good when you're between 5-10 years old).
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 03/04/08 @ 22:43
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What really amazes me, is that the Sonic/Shadow, fast-action platforming in Sonic Adventure 2 was absolutely superb. But for some absurd reason, since then, they've constantly fiddled with it in different ways and every single time it's been bloody shite.
First it was guns, now it's werewolves. What the hell, Sega? Why can't you just produce a whole game using the same mechanics as Sonic Adventure 2? |
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ElephantMonkey
03/04/08 @ 23:37
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Ohh come on! Why the werewolf ?! They should have just gone with Super Sonic sections. Old School all the way!
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FUCKING HELL! Given that the GBA and DS Sonics were shite, why is this going to be good just because it's in 2D. The beauty of Sonic is the level design. Always was. Sonic 1 and 2 had it. Adventure had it, and small sections of Adventure 2 had it. They proved with Adventure that they were capable of making a masterpiece of a 3D Sonic game, as even the odd technical camera glitch couldn't detract from the flawless design of Emerald Coast, Speed Highway, Twinkle Park and the Lost World. Because the levels were so great (and the controls worked, that also helped, unlike the 360 game), even the gimmicky stuff worked. I've played through as all 7 characters at least 10 times and loved all of it.
Ditch Shadow, Rouge, guns, vehicles, load times and any attempt to made badass characters and spend the leftover time on designing better levels, making it faster and fixing the camera. |
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japstersam
04/04/08 @ 09:43
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who knows, could be good.
best thing about old school sonic was just legging it through the level and it then you'd randomly hit somebouncy thing/fall in water/hit a ramp and end up doing a level any 1 out of 100 ways, and when something stopped you you just wanted to get going fast again, but the speed wasnt too insane...this one looks....fast! wearwolves = gay but as long as they dont change the gameplay too much, might be cool. i thought sonic and knuckles was ace.. |
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TexMurphy01
06/04/08 @ 11:12
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You've burned me, Sega, with your shite new characters and shitty soft rock tracks. You expect that I'll come back to you just because you bring out another one?
Yeah, I know, I will be reading the reviews with great interest when they come. |
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As a hardocre fan of the first 3 games, plus Sonic & Knuckles, I'm pessimistic about this game until convinced otherwise. Here's why:
1. Sonic may still speak in this new game... with that horribly annoying voice. 2. There may still be human beings... oh the sacrilege! 3. There may be free-roaming 3D adventure bits... yuk! 4. I can already see some pointless rail-grinding sections.... 5. ... and yet I don't see any of the slower, ingenious platforming gameplay you got in the Scrap Brain Zone, Marble Zone or the other Sonic levels that weren't all about speed. 4. With the 'saving the world' theme, the levels probably won't have that abstract cartoon-like quality of the original games... which I liked 5. Good grief... let's hope none of those other redundant characters make an appearance (yes, not even Tails). 6. Let's hope the music is more like the original and less of that High School Japanese Guitar Rock that cursed the more recent games. So I'm yet to be convinced. EDIT: Oh, and reading some of the above comments about level design in the first Sonic games literally brought a tear to my eye. Nice to know there are some people here who ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND what was so good about the original Sonic games. /sniff, wipes tear away and runs off upstairs to bawl eyes out ;-)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 06/04/08 @ 14:33
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Comments: 1-40 of 40 in total
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