Sonic Unleashed Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 28 November, 2008

Poor old hedgehog.

Version tested: Xbox 360

I recently found myself having one of those conversations that always happen when people discover that I make my living sitting around in my pants, playing games. After the obligatory "you lucky sod" outburst, and the slight recoil at the mental image of me in my pants, sweaty joypad in hand, they asked what I was playing at the moment. "The new Sonic game," I replied. "Wow, is Sonic still going?" they asked, before adding "Oh yeah, he was in that Mario game on the Wii."

You really couldn't ask for a more potent example of how far Sonic's stock has fallen. From matching Mario sale-for-sale throughout the '90s, he's now almost forgotten by the outside world, remembered only through supporting roles in Wii games and the charity of his one-time rival. Let's face it, Mario Olympics probably would have flown off the shelves on its own merits. Sonic Olympics? Not so much.

The tragedy is that this slump in fortunes can't be blamed on changing market forces or fickle public tastes. SEGA has simply forgotten how to make the most of its mascot, and while Mario leapt into the modern era with the confident Mario 64, Sonic has been stumbling clumsily through the 3D era, carried along by the dissipating momentum of his glory years.

Which brings us, rather unfortunately, to Sonic Unleashed. This was, as they always are, supposed to be the game that restored the blue hedgehog to fighting form; the game that finally delivered the next-gen Sonic experience we've been waiting for since the last-gen before last. It's not.

'Sonic Unleashed' Screenshot 1

Why hasn't anybody thought of giving a cheery platform hero a dark and violent alter-ego before? Oh.

The plot once again revolves around Eggman and Chaos Emeralds. In the rather impressive CG intro, we see the moustachioed villain fire some new-fangled weapon which uses the power of Sonic's gems to split the planet into fragments, releasing something called Dark Gaia. Apropos of nothing, this process also turns Sonic into a "werehog", all fangs and claws and - for some reason - stretchy rubbery limbs. From there on, it's the usual job of travelling through different zones, beating climactic bosses and fixing each of the planet segments in turn.

Except nothing can ever be that simple. Sonic can now travel the globe, flitting between SEGA-ised facsimiles of real-world countries. Not only do these stereotypical towns act as hubs for the different levels, but they also feature lots of NPCs and side-quests. Complicating matters further, the game is split into day and night. During the sunshine hours, you play as normal Sonic. When the moon rises, you become the werehog. The available levels change accordingly, and make use of the character's different abilities. It's not a question of waiting around, since you can change the time of day on the map screen, in the pause menu or by hitting special hourglasses.

'Sonic Unleashed' Screenshot 2

With its blue skies and rustic charm, the first section is quintessential SEGA.

While Sonic is still all about speed, his hairy alter-ego is slower and more powerful. Werehog levels are therefore little more than crude beat-'em-ups, in which you pummel your way through waves of enemies and use your elastic arms to climb and swing to the next area. Experience can be traded in for more combo moves, but since mashing the strong attack button seems to get you through every encounter, there's not much point memorising the sequences required. The camera is also absolutely awful, frequently forcing you to make blind leaps or lurching around as it tries to keep up with your movements.

The normal Sonic stages, on the other hand, are much the same as every other modern Sonic game - impressive but inconsistent 3D rollercoasters in which you hurtle through pre-rendered loops, grind down rails and run smack into a wall of spikes because the game seems more interested in distracting you with things that go whoosh and whiz than actually coming up with level design that turns Sonic's speed into an asset rather than a hindrance.

Regardless of which sections you're playing, control is a constant issue. Sonic is slippery, all but impossible to control at top speed and inevitably prone to zooming to his death at a moment's notice, while the werehog stages are sluggish and gluey, plagued by repetitive combat and horrifically frustrating platform sections. You're far more likely to lose your lives to an infuriating camera angle or hard-to-judge leap than to any of the dumb enemies standing in your way.

The fact that SEGA's seen fit to turn Sonic into a melee fighter for half the game should give you a good idea of what's gone wrong. It's the same thing, of course, that's been going wrong with Sonic for years. Rather than focusing on what works, SEGA has once again smothered the character in reams of extraneous clutter and gameplay ideas that do nothing to enhance the series' best features.

Take, for example, the non-player characters. Conversing with these brings up pointless banter, except for the handful of characters you must talk to in order to advance the story. You have no idea which these characters will be, so each time you enter a new area you have to go around triggering mindless speech bubbles in search of the one that you need. Collecting sun and moon medals from around the world opens up more levels, but once again you're given no clue as to which ones have opened. Given that each area can be explored twice - during the day and night - simply working out where you're supposed to go next is a real slog.

It's possible - likely, even - that your stilted progress will come to a standstill when you discover you need to go back and replay the same levels over and over again until you've found enough trinkets to open up the relevant area. Toss in some boss fights that rely on long-winded grinding of enemy health bars or insultingly simple quick-time events and you've got a game where even the basics of the genre are made unappealing.

'Sonic Unleashed' Screenshot 3

Why can't they just make a downloadable Sonic game that looks and plays like this?

It keeps piling on the tasks though. You can replay levels as time trials or survival battles, to earn hotdogs which you can feed to Chip, your all-new irritating sidekick. You can buy souvenirs from each country you visit, and swap these for gameplay hints. You can collect books of concept art and music tracks, but must then buy a bookshelf or find a record player before you can use them. You're given a camera and told to find people "acting suspiciously", so you can take their photo and trigger a battle scene to exorcise them of Dark Gaia. There are lots of distractions, but thanks to the game's obtuse design you're never entirely sure what's optional and what's essential.

Structurally speaking, it's just a mess. It's as if SEGA no longer feels confident that Sonic will connect with today's gamers so it's included a bit of everything. Desperation shrouds the whole project in thick, choking waves. It's a platform game, a fighting game and an adventure game, yet none of these elements feels fully developed. There's no logical progression, no direction to the action, just the thankless task of blundering around the same areas trying to guess what the game wants you to do next.

'Sonic Unleashed' Screenshot 4

The music is very nice. So it's not all bad.

The result is a lumpy splurge of half-developed ideas, flung together with no apparent throughline for the player to follow. There are occasional flickers of the old magic, most notably in the earlier Sonic levels where the balance between speed and exploration is more welcoming, but these moments only serve to make the later frustrations harder to endure.

Admittedly, Sonic Unleashed is marginally better than the execrable 2006 effort, but that's incredibly faint praise and only useful as a benchmark to the most blinkered fan. Compared to Mario Galaxy or Ratchet & Clank - heck, even compared to Crash Bandicoot, another platforming mascot mired in mediocrity - Sonic Unleashed is an obviously poor effort from a series that is still hopelessly lost in the modern gaming landscape.

4 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (96) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #1 3 years ago

    Quick note for Wii fans - we'll be reviewing that version of Sonic separately very soon.

  • ManicDrunkMonk #2 3 years ago

    What a surprise! I thought this would be the turning point for Sonic!

    /sarcasm

  • Hunam #3 3 years ago

    My SEGA friend will not be pleased.

  • Vin #4 3 years ago

    Useless, Sega.

  • Artemus #5 3 years ago

    Sonic how far you've fallen.

  • monkeylite #6 3 years ago

    Not surprising.

  • carrotcake #7 3 years ago

    I ordered the ps2 version because it's only 15 quid on amazon and play.com

  • Agent_Llama #8 3 years ago

    What on earth are they doing to the franchise? Will they ever learn? /sigh

  • Shakey_Jake33 #9 3 years ago

    With the PS2 version being based on the Wii version (which is supposed to be superior, slightly, to the HD versions), £15 to give it a go isn't so bad.

  • ZeroAX #10 3 years ago

    goody. disappointed once more

  • Xerx3s #11 3 years ago

    Ah yes, this ws actually supposed to be good. Oh well. It could be worse. It could be mario.

  • Shakey_Jake33 #12 3 years ago

    I think this is really the last straw for most of us, which as a Sonic nut since the original game, is painful. The previous game angered me, this game just has me not caring anymore.

  • Ryze #13 3 years ago

    Amazing Sega. Bravo.

    /clap.....clap......clap.....

  • convercide #14 3 years ago

    Well I'm used to the shit Sonic games by now. Now SEGA, if you ever read this, remake Sonic 3 & Knuckles in HD or with amazing 3D visuals but keeps the 'king gameplay 2D with multiple routes that don't feel forced. Thanks.

  • wingzerosys #15 3 years ago

    Wtf EG? This is a step in the right direction for Sonic, the day time levels rock, then again you gave L4D a 9 or 10, that game is an overated PoS.

  • wingzerosys #16 3 years ago

    Sorry 4 double post.

    I'd probably give this a 7 at the moment, it's not perfect but it ain't no where near as bad as 06 and it's a bit better than Secret Rings (which imo was decent), so a 4 is definitely too low. There's no lame ass side quests for humans, no Shadow levels or vehicles, definitely no guns and the only other character you play as is Werehog, who isn't too bad.

    They've removed the lame treasure hunting stages, shooting stages and what not, so far it's got a better story and I haven't seen the Sonic gang yet (other than tails).

  • skankmustard #17 3 years ago

    The blue hedgehog has a special place in my heart, Sonic 1 & 2 were the games that took me away from my Atari ST and got me into console gaming. But since the Dreamcast every game for home consoles has got worse and worse, to the point where I don't count the new Sonic games as actual Sonic games, they are more like straight to DVD spin offs from much loved movie franchises. I hope this game fails so the good memory of proper Sonic games can be untarnished.

  • Eraysor #18 3 years ago

    I would pay £40 for a new Sonic game made in the Mega Drive style, just like what Capcom have done with Mega Man 9. For the moment, we will have to be content with this utter shite until they finally realise what to do. Sonic Adventure was good, but it's been a constant supply of epic fail since then. All the characters we need are Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, and they should leave the gameplay entirely in 2D. I wouldn't care if it was 2D graphics either.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 01:42

  • Futaba #19 3 years ago

    This game needs to be exorcised of Dark Gaia!

    ...I'll get my coat...

  • Sid-Nice #20 3 years ago

    The Sonic franchise is becoming like Jennifer Lopez; each comeback is worse than before, nice arse though even if it is blue and spiky.

  • Progguitarist #21 3 years ago

    Couldnt they just do a Mirrors Edge thingy where you have to speed your way through crazy levels with multiple routes and all that jazz?

    /weeps for Sonic

  • 3william56 #22 3 years ago

    How hard can it be? Even some of the speedier and jumpier LBP levels work like a good Sonic game (Meercat kingdom could be easily reskinned to make a Pinball Sonic level - anyone up to the challenge?). I'm sure someone somewhere will be putting together a LittleBigSonic.

    Poor old Sonic. A million robotnik traps and bots couldn't bend a single spike, but no-one can outrun death by committe/focus group development. Rest in peace, blue guy.

  • squarepusher #23 3 years ago

    not quite as good as galaxy then

    don't depair the wii games will be awesome

    honest

  • spookyzombie #24 3 years ago

    Harsh scoring yet again as this game is quite good fun. Yet another week where DW rates a game the lowest on the net.

  • drumbaby #25 3 years ago

    Sonic's always been dire.

  • Freek #26 3 years ago

    How many times have people complained about the stupid gimmicks and lame side characters??? And Sega still doesn't freaking get it?

  • Zomoniac #27 3 years ago

    Once again a review talking bollocks from someone who has never played Sonic Adventure. Remember that? It threw in loads of extra characters with frogs and hammers and lasers and stuff, it had hub worlds with talking NPCs, and it was a Sonic game in 3D. And it was absolutely fucking awesome. New Sonic games are not shit because of extra characters or lack of focus (although I do think it's gone a touch too far) or the third dimension, they're shit because the gameplay is broken and the level design is crap. That is all.

  • bad09 #28 3 years ago

    Damn you Sega I knew you would mess it up again!

    / takes Sonic of his wanted list

  • menage #29 3 years ago

    I could make a better Sonic game involving a ball of blue clay and a couple of toothpicks.

  • toy_brain #30 3 years ago

    "Oh and take the thing away from Sonic Team, they obviously don't have a clue what they're doing. "

    Done.
    At least with the DS and GBA games, which have been consistently good-to-very good, developed by DIMPS, and stick fairly close to the old Megadrive Formula.
    Actually the last Sonic Advance game was a slight low-point for DIMPS, it's platforming sections were far too easy and "hold right to win"-ish, with the only real challenge coming from the vehicle minigame sections. It was still a solid 7/10 mind, just not as satisfying as their first DS outing.

    With any luck there is a 3rd game in the works.....

  • GeezaTap #31 3 years ago

    The music is good?

    As good as 'MAKE BELIEVE REBORN!?'

    The public need to know.

  • Darren #32 3 years ago

    Ouch... so apparently as bad as the last game then... how disappointing. The other reviews I've read implied that bar the tedious Werehog levels, this was a return to the form of the earlier games and, indeed, is the best Sonic game in years. As such I'm very surprised it got 4/10 but having not played it yet I can't comment on whether that's a fair score or not... obviously.

    I really enjoyed Sonic and the Secret Rings on the Wii though, that was a decent Sonic game, mainly because it was a 2D game running in 3D and so felt more controllable and managable than the awful Xbox 360/PS3 Sonic games with their atrocious hyperactive cameras and twitchy controls... oh and those deplorable loading times.

  • Darren #33 3 years ago

    So do you think there's a chance that the Wii version of Unleashed might be good as was the case with the last game?

  • saku_luk #34 3 years ago

    sigh, sticking to DS Sonic games....why can't they make sonic for PSN and Live?! a classic sonic HD remake, just like bionic commando ~_~ ....

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #35 3 years ago

    Hi guys,
    If anyone would like me to send them a copy of the game in return for a "consumer" review on these very forums, drop me a PM with your format of choice.

    Cheers,
    Martin

  • cyacomini #36 3 years ago

    Mr SEGA can stick his Hedgehog up his arse - sideways.

    I swear I will never (ever!) buy another Sonic game, not even for the Wii.

    Unless of course it says "Sonic CD 2" on the title screen...

  • awb83 #37 3 years ago

    I think Sega should make a 2.5D Sonic game based on the Sonic games of yesteryear.

  • cyacomini #38 3 years ago

    awb83

    They did already - Sonic Blast for the Mega Drive and Saturn

    [link url=http://uk.y outube.com/watch?v=2GxX2yLUHdo
    ]http://uk.y outube.com/watch?v=2GxX2yLUHdo
    [/link]

    It was garbage.

  • muscleblade #39 3 years ago

    I had hopes for this. Dont bother me that it turned out to be mediocre as there is too many amazing games to play at the moment. I have high hopes for POP next week. Lets hope the PS3 version can hold up against the 360 version this time. Ass Creed was terrible on the PS3 compared to the 360.

  • SpyroViper #40 3 years ago

    Why can't they just listen to what fans are left of Sonic and MAKE A SONIC GAME THAT GOES BACK TO IT'S ROOTS! Seriously, someone at Sega needs to replay Sonic 1 and 2 and think ok, these were succesful what are we doing wrong.. I'll tell you what you are doing wrong Sega.. MAKING STUPID WEREHOG LEVELS!! Forget Stupid 'other' characters. Jsut make a simple 2.5D Sonic and Tails game that has speed, fun factor and simple bosses.

    If Capcom can Bring Mega Man back to it's roots, so can you.

  • Quint2020 #41 3 years ago

    Anybody who expected anything else is an idiot.

    This was doomed as soon as they said "Werehog", SEGA suck for ruining this franchise.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 09:09

  • trav #42 3 years ago

    I do love you Sonic, but why do you keep hurting me like this?

  • siro #43 3 years ago

    Thought this would be more along the lines of the more than decent Sonic Adventure titles.

  • SeesThroughAll #44 3 years ago

    Oh well... I'll be saving money for the good games then.

  • Tzetrik #45 3 years ago

    /flicks over to UKresistance

  • cyacomini #46 3 years ago

    * starts to sing... (ah the good ol days!)

    10 -10 Y' can go again!
    9 - 9 Don't fall behind!
    8 - 8 Say, don't be late!
    7 - 7 Destination heaven!
    6 - 5 So, stay alive!
    4 - 3 Now its You and Me!
    2 - 1 We're gonna have fun
    Say Blast Off Blast Hey!!

    Excalibar - It's not that far
    What do yeh make - Hey! Give & Take
    Goin' Home - Time Zone
    Check out Egg - He's never alone
    Leather'n Lace - Getting in place
    What to y' get - Say - Fast Jet
    Doom Room - Cosmic zoom
    Heads up Jake - It's SONIC BOOM!!!

    Go Go, Sonic Warrior - Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    Your hour is never at hand,
    You've got the power to save the land
    Take a little chance - Slip on thru,
    Y' gotta survive no matter what you do
    You gotta do for you

    Go Go, Sonic Warrior - Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    The power is in your mind
    To shake the planets and conquer time

    Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    Deep in Space and Time
    Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    Forever in your mind
    Nothing can survive, the will to stay alive
    cause if you try, you can do anything!

    Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    Always takes a chance
    Go Go, Sonic Warrior
    Never says he can't
    Nothing can survive, the will to stay alive
    cause if you try, you can do anything!
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 09:19

  • Gearskin #47 3 years ago

    There is NO WAY this is worse than Secret Rings. No way. I played two Sonic levels last night and two Werehog levels. The speed stuff was excellent, with vastly superior control. The Werehog levels were less good, but far from bad.

    Best console outing for Sonic since the Adventure games on the Dreamcast.

  • SeesThroughAll #48 3 years ago

    So close, and yet so far.... It must have really been the Werehog that ruined everything.

  • SixFootHalfling #49 3 years ago

    Its Doctor Robotnik, NOT this eggman shit
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 09:33

  • metalangel #50 3 years ago

    Gah! Sega, play Mirror's Edge and Crackdown before making any more platform games. Cheers!

  • cyacomini #51 3 years ago

    Can you feel the sunshine? (Sonic R)

    [link url=http://uk.y outube.com/watch?v=oY9m2sHQwLs
    ]http://uk.y outube.com/watch?v=oY9m2sHQwLs
    [/link]

  • JaysonG #52 3 years ago

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo :-(

    I don't believe you EG this had to be good.

    Why Sega! Why!!!

  • rudedudejude #53 3 years ago

    EG, can you not arrange some sort of Q & A with the SEGA guys?

    Something like the Shake Dimension graphics bit with sonic gameplay is what we need!

    Do SEGA really not have a clue? How can they continue to make money on churning out the like of this shit and sonic riders crap. I've never even known anyone own any of this rubbish.

    That Sonic Adventures song is fucking ace, used to love that intro.
    Edited by 2 at 28/11/08 @ 09:40

  • andromeda #54 3 years ago

    not a happy day over at UK:R

  • chrisjm #55 3 years ago

    is this a 4 in comparison to say banjo kazooie's crazy score or a 4 in comparison to gears of war fair score.

    edit, i notice gamerankings have an average of 66.7%....
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 10:01

  • andromeda #56 3 years ago

    oh well , move on , nothing to see here.

    Here's a thought, with the EG game of the year awards comin up, i recall the last line of the GTAIV review
    " it will take something miraculous to rob it of game of the year status"

    got me thinking, has that miracle happened yet? any contenders?

    \thinks that he should probably have asked this in the forums :s

  • Triggerhappytel #57 3 years ago

    Kill him off Sega, kill him off.

    And make Kazuma Kiryu your mascot :)

  • VicViper #58 3 years ago

    'Sega, Come here a second' *clouts Sega on the back of the head*
    'What where you thinking? well explain yourself?'

    Apparently I have heard that someone was asking the developers why they had to have the werehog bits and this is allegedlly what was the answer:

    "If we made a game exaclty like the old games we would have to make levels totalling in the distance of around 1000km (rough estimate), given that sonic can run a just below mach 2(maybe I might have that confused) and is about a 1m tall, of unqiue level design. So it is more cost/time/effort effective to put in hubs and the Action (crapy) sections than to do a correct sonic game."

    The develeoper was said to be unhappy that they had to do the crapy bits, how this didn't stop the DS games I can't understand.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 10:11

  • Amicus #59 3 years ago

    How hard can it be? Why don't they just reboot the whole franchise and remake the first game in 3D. FFS, Sega and Sony, how the once mighty have fallen.

  • robg #60 3 years ago

    yet none of these elements feels fully developed

    Yes! None is singular!

    Now you're my favourite, Dan.

  • varsas #61 3 years ago

    cyacomini
    28-Nov-08 09:36:02

    Can you feel the sunshine? (Sonic R)

    http://uk. youtube.com/watch?v=oY9m2sHQwLsr


    I loved that game! :)

  • VicViper #62 3 years ago

    metalangel
    Gah! Sega, play Mirror's Edge and Crackdown before making any more platform games. Cheers!

    Woah theres a thought, imagine a first person sonic game ala mirrors edge...

  • kinky_mong #63 3 years ago

    wingzerosys: Wtf EG? This is a step in the right direction for Sonic, the day time levels rock, then again you gave L4D a 9 or 10, that game is an overated PoS.

    WAAAHAAAHAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever read! However you are clearly blind to quality so I won't bust your chops too much.

  • Ren_senshi #64 3 years ago

    I refuse to believe in this review :p i want to try the game for myself.....Im still not letting Sonic go , it was the first game i ever played :D.

  • DFawkes #65 3 years ago

    @Amicus

    +1, and an extra 1 for good measure. They've never been shy about flogging old series' to death, and with the populartiy of New SMB and LBP, I'd have thought they'd jump at the chance of a 3D Sonic, or perhaps Sonic Trilogy.

    Propbably isn't ruined enough by some shit element that doesn't fit in with the series - WTF is with the werehog? Why is he necessary? I'm seriously asking, if anyone knows.

  • YobRenoops #66 3 years ago

    I'll probably still get this but only when it hits £20 on the PS3

  • NinjaWilliams #67 3 years ago

    just play da demo wen its out n make ur own minds up den!

  • Zomoniac #68 3 years ago

    This is better than Sonic and the Secret Rings. So my question is: what the fuck, Eurogamer?

    Sonic and the Secret Rings was worth 2 if you're feeling really generous. So what's your point?

  • patchbox360 #69 3 years ago

    take the money and manpower it took to make this game and use them to make shemue3 damn it!

  • gingerlink #70 3 years ago

    having played this at Leipzig, I thought the sonic levels were very well done, I almost managed a go on the werehog levels before a Sega rep noticed and said I wasn't allowed to go on them (despite it being an option on the demo).

    I think that says something about their confidence in the game.

  • yerawldda #71 3 years ago

    4/10 is probably being generous. i seen i video of it and it was as bad as ever, sonic zipping about at lightspeed and attacking 10 different baddies at the same time! you have no control over it.. all show and no substance. basically its on rails most of the time.

    sickening. they could have done a 2.5D platformer, cell shaded @ 1080p. but instead we get this pish. :(

    they direct this shit at babies, they said so themselve they get good sales from these 3D adventure games. sega used to be my favourite company with the saturn and dreamcast. now they arent even a shadow of their former selves. shameful. they cant even publish good games!
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/08 @ 12:00

  • thefilthandthefury #72 3 years ago

    Why do the 3D Sonic games focus on the speed SO MUCH? Yes, we get it, he's a fast hedgehog - but did any of these people even play the original games? They weren't about hurtling around levels at light-speed so you can barely tell what's going on.

  • DanWhitehead #73 3 years ago

    The review will be up over the weekend, but I can say that the Wii version is vastly superior.

  • Gearskin #74 3 years ago

    I scored the last one a 1/10. It was TERRIBLE, broken in every sense. This isn't. It's so much better than a 4/10.

  • Incarta #75 3 years ago

    How odd. I've heard good things from people who've ACTUALLY PLAYED THE GAME. Here's hoping a demo pops up some time...

  • Nithron #76 3 years ago

    The real shame about the continual degeneration of the Sonic franchise is that, bar the camera, they got the 3D sonic platforming exactly right in Sonic Adventure 2, all those years ago.

    Then, rather than just removing the other gameplay types and making another Sonic game, they kept screwing with the formula until eventually, we have this.

  • Lim-Dul #77 3 years ago

    Werehog? Imagine how a creature like this might have looked in real life! Ha, ha, ha! A hedgehog-sized were-something. Kinda reminds me of the killer rabbit in Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. ;-)

  • Pulsar_t #78 3 years ago

    @DanWhitehead

    8/10 superior? :D

  • Trigga_Tybalt #79 3 years ago

    oh dear...

  • rudedudejude #80 3 years ago

    WOOHOO!

    Wii Purchase for me I think!

    Wii > 360

  • jonsaan #81 3 years ago

    Why does everyone fail to mention the frankly excellent DS games?

  • w00t #82 3 years ago

    2D IS NOT A CRIME

  • metalangel #83 3 years ago

    Sega is capable of far better than the utter shit they have been churning out lately. How about a non-future sequel to Jet Set Radio? Which, now I think about it, is a lot like Mirror's Edge (hot azn chick uses physical prowess to outwit heavily armed cops in huge white city with glorious music)

  • FenderMaster #84 3 years ago

    [link url=http://w ww.kombo.com/article.php?artid=11909
    ]http://ww w.kombo.com/article.php?artid=1...[/link]

    This article gets right to the heart of whats wrong with Sonic Team i.e. they don't remember what made the MegaDrive games good (not the speed), and all the talent left Sonic Team after Sonic Adventure 1

  • spookyzombie #85 3 years ago

    'The review will be up over the weekend, but I can say that the Wii version is vastly superior.'

    About 5% better according to other review scores.

  • gamestester #86 3 years ago

    this review is rubbish.

  • Rdeal #87 3 years ago

    4/10 your joking right?i have played the game and it deserves a 7.5 at least if not more.
    EG reviews are becoming a joke,i think i will give this site a miss from now on

  • cawley1 #88 3 years ago

    Someone at Sega read these comments, FFS - simple, make a 2D platformer with an SF2HD style graphical upgrade and job done.
    You could even just re-release Sonic 2 in this form and it would fly off the shelves (or down the cable!).

    Hopefully this will give UK:Resistance something else to bash apart from LBP, but they are so blinded by Sega it is highly unlikely...

  • Cider-X #89 3 years ago

    Picked this up today, 4/10 seems about right for this game. The review does not mention the horrible frame rate problems when you play as "unleashed Sonic" at night, it is dreadful. Every single battle involving more than 2-3 enemies makes the game crawl, at least on the 360. Will be returning this shite tomorrow.

  • Rodster #90 3 years ago

    I just bought the 360 version for less than half price today thanks to Amazon.com and their Black Friday deals. If it's really as bad as the EG review says, i'll just trade it in and get my money back.

  • wingzerosys #91 3 years ago

    Ok I`m starting to see why it got a 4, the 3d sections in the daytime stages suck, I`ve died over and over due to the camera and other bugs/glitches, Sega could`nt have tested this game before it was released as it plays like crap in places. The Werehog stages aren`t too bad, they play a lot better than the 3d parts in sonic`s stages, if only Sega would scrap the 3d camera view and for the next game use 2.5d platforming, similar to Sonic Rivals on the psp.

    Now for the idiot who said I`ve got bad tastes because I think L4D sucks is plain wrong, there is not that many games I haven`t played this year and I know what is good and bad, L4D is only good for co-op, the story (lack of), the level design, characters and weapons suck and to me it plays like some pc geek created it using the HL2 mod.

  • Quak #92 3 years ago

    Despair and woe once again.

    Ask Sega why they can't make a decent Sonic game with 2D gameplay and HD graphics here.

  • Law07 #93 3 years ago

    Why not do what the guys did for Bionic Commando?

    Bump the originals up to HD and add little small nice touches.

    Keep it 2D and really fast and you've got Sonic back.

    Now I ask, WHAT is so hard to do so?

  • half #94 3 years ago

    I'm so clad that I only included this as a rental in my list. Basically everything mentioned in this review is correct. I only played for about 30 minutes last night and it was obvious that yet again Sonic is awful. The controls are sometimes unresponsive, dodgy camera angles and it sometimes feels as if the game is playing itself. However if they just did a few hours of game play with just the fast day levels I would be much happier. I'll play it because its a rental but I will definitely not be buying it. Makes me want to break out the old Sega mega drive and play the classic Sonic instead. Better still the DS versions are much better.

  • nikobe #95 3 years ago

    I had such high hopes...dashed now, damn it why does everybody but Sonic Team know how to make a sonic game

    Run Fast > Loops and stuff > Collecting shiny things > Fight big boss > Repeat

  • darm #96 3 years ago

    This game is actually a great platformer. It's just painfully hard and features "lives", like back in the old days, so you can struggle with a level for a couple of hours and run out of them and have to start over. This can be maddening.

    Apart from that, I cannot see any lack of polish or anything here. A great game!