^Your post and Deus's are the complete opposite of each other except for the one constant that the Sonic stages are good.
Mixed-Werehog impressions aside, while it may not exactly be worth to own, personally, it might be worth a rent sometime in the future for curiousity sake.
I honestly don't understand how you can seriously get too much thrill out of the werehog levels, but I guess fans developed some intolerance to bad Sonic gameplay.
Or maybe...just maybe..... They just like the werehog gameplay.
Nah, that's too logical. >_>
From what I'm seeing here it seems like Unleashed is half-good half-bad. I'll have to reserve judgement until I play it for myself. I probably won't be able to get it yet, but it's definitely on my wish list.
I suppose I'll also have to wait to find out if there is a Japanese voice language option like the leaked opening posted earlier in the thread. I'm still not too keen on hearing the 4Kids voice actors, regardless of whether they sound better or not. o.o
^Your post and Deus's are the complete opposite of each other except for the one constant that the Sonic stages are good.
Mixed-Werehog impressions aside, while it may not exactly be worth to own, personally, it might be worth a rent sometime in the future for curiousity sake.
I honestly don't understand how you can seriously get too much thrill out of the werehog levels, but I guess fans developed some intolerance to bad Sonic gameplay.
Or maybe...just maybe..... They just like the werehog gameplay.
Nah, that's too logical. >_>
After playing for a while, the later Werehog levels aren't as annoying, regardless of me spending about 15 minutes on one stupid little part of the China level. This game is definitely a lot more "forgiving" than Sonic 06, so it isn't as frustrating for some weird reason.
I suppose I'll also have to wait to find out if there is a Japanese voice language option like the leaked opening posted earlier in the thread. I'm still not too keen on hearing the 4Kids voice actors, regardless of whether they sound better or not. o.o
From what I've been told there is a JP-voice language option in the HD versions, but it is absent in the Wii/PS2 ones.
Well, I can certainly confirm that while you have selectable languages in the PS2 version, it doesn't change the voices... only text. It's all 4Kids, but what's really surprising is that it ain't half bad. Cream's not in this one to muck it up, after all. And the humans (especially Pickle) all sound pretty good to my ears.
I guess it depends on how tolerable you are about english dubs in general. I do miss Sonic's occasional Engrish, though... you can't dub that.
Dave Halverson left GameFan magazine at some point and worked on the occasional strategy guide until he could fund Play Magazine years later. In the meantime, GameFan folded and many of the people who worked under Halverson then left, only to re-emerge with Hardcore Gamer.
Nothing is coincidence. Although last I heard, most of them hated Halverson with a burning passion. But they may have inadvertently picked up some bad habits from him, which would explain the glowing review... maybe. It's entirely conceivable that he just really, really likes it.
That short film rocked. Woo hoo! Make more of those...forget lame games Sega. =P
I got my copy for the 360 on the 21st, and to be honest, I'm hooked.
I've read that people have had 'mixed feelings' about the werehog stages, but I'll be one of the first to state that I think they're awesome and a load of fun. The 'repetetiveness' and 'bring gameplay' I read about has not occured whatsoever to me. Maybe since I'm a fan of God Of War and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, I'm a little more inclined to like them, but I felt the platforming was great. The swinging and climbing, walking on thin rails above cities, and the basic but fun beat 'em up gameplay was never boring to me. Even in the hub worlds I found a strange sense of fun to look and see that I was a werehog. His dash and movements weren't nearly as slow as I expected, and the actual character is alot more original and fun than I expected. I'll defend the Werehog stages indefinatley; it was a nice contrast and felt as if I were playing 2 Sonic games in 1.
That being said, the Sonic stages are fantastic. I was a huge fan of Sonic Rush, and the entirely 2D stages were a treat. The shift from 3D to 2D in the gameplay felt seamless and easy, and all of Sonic's maneuvers felt natural and fun. Finally, Sonic Team made a Sonic game in which Sonic was represented correctly. He's fast, he's sarcastic, and he's got a strange sense of power in his speed. The speed burst was an awesome addition to his arsenal.
The level up system was also simple but a very nice addition. I definatley am a fan of it. The hub worlds also never felt like a chore, and there's plenty to explore in each one. The voice acting was not horrendus whatsover; dare I say, it was good. The small cast is another plus, and the addition of Chip was not nearly as horrendus as I thought. In fact, I think he's one of the more easy-to-like characters of the series.
All in all, I'd honestly give this game a 9 out of 10. Not because I'm a Sonic fan, not because I'm in shock that Sonic Team produced a good game, but because I genuinley love this game.
The majority of people -- professional reviewers and fans -- are loving the Sonic areas. There's mixed reactions on everything else -- but we can assume that this is the only time we'll be (hopefully) seeing the Werehog.
The next Sonic game will hopefully take up all of our feelings, and actually give us the game we've truly been waiting for. Though, we'll have to see what this reorganized Sonic Team can offer, and if they'll truly continue to listen.
I've read that people have had 'mixed feelings' about the werehog stages, but I'll be one of the first to state that I think they're awesome and a load of fun. The 'repetetiveness' and 'bring gameplay' I read about has not occured whatsoever to me. Maybe since I'm a fan of God Of War and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, I'm a little more inclined to like them, but I felt the platforming was great. The swinging and climbing, walking on thin rails above cities, and the basic but fun beat 'em up gameplay was never boring to me. Even in the hub worlds I found a strange sense of fun to look and see that I was a werehog. His dash and movements weren't nearly as slow as I expected, and the actual character is alot more original and fun than I expected. I'll defend the Werehog stages indefinatley; it was a nice contrast and felt as if I were playing 2 Sonic games in 1
Thats exactly how I feel. The Werehog levels are really fun and easy to pull off some cool combos. It really does feel like a AAA action title.
It gets even better in the Sonic stages too. I wasn't too good at them, but I realised that you need to side step to move around better, and using the "X" button for homing is taking some time to get used to, but I like it.
Chip is pretty funny, and most importantly, he is not annoying.
The only thing I really don't like is the Tornado stages. They're alright, but they should have left it alone and have it play like Sonic Adventure 1.
Hm, well... I'm still not finished with the game but I can at least dispense some comments about the gameplay (PS2 version, which should be more or less identical to the Wii).
-Day Stages: It mixes 3D Sonic HOLD UP with 2.5D HOLD RIGHT. But it still feels like you're constantly being propelled forward without any need to stop and look around... classic DIMPS. But not classic Sonic, I feel they missed the mark there. The stages are really treated as a bit of a racing game, the controls are utilized mostly to maneuver well while running fast, but Sonic controls terrible when you're trying to slow down and maybe head back real quick to snag an item monitor. Which brings up another quibble: there are no power-ups in this part of the game. Plenty of rings, sure... but Shields and Speed Shoes are non-existent. Though to be honest, they're hardly as necessary anymore thanks to not losing ALL your rings when struck and the Boost gauge. The monitors scattered throughout the stages are really just for the unlockables (art, music, movies etc.). Even 1-ups don't exist, you always start a stage with two lives and only two lives... you have to be able to complete it with just that or you start the level over.
Back to his roots, you say? Hardly. It is nice that, unlike the HD versions, Sonic has his entire repertoire from the start... though for some you won't know it's there until the tutorial shows you (if you're like me and don't have access to the instruction manual). Don't get me wrong, this is loads better than the broken Sonic gameplay we got with Sonic '06... but it still falls short of "the magic touch" this series needs to revitalize itself.
-Night Stages: Heh heh heh. I don't know what to say. It's definitely God of War, even down to the way collected dark gaia energy is added to a meter that unlocks new moves and abilities for Sonic after every level. It isn't Sonic in the slightest... but something else that plays fairly well despite being out of place. It'll get boring quick, sure... the tedious battling with enemy swarms especially. I felt the same way about GoW, though at least that one occasionally threw in tougher enemies that took a bit of strategy to take down. Except for the bosses, if you can button mash, you can pretty much deal with anything the Night stages throw at you.
One thing I liked was the increased focus on platforming: climbing up and around, searching around corners for item monitors and stuff to smash for energy, pedestal hopping... but the pace is slow, and you'll soon tire of it. Any puzzles I've seen so far merely involve simple fetch quests, button stomping and lever pulling. Nothing that hasn't already been done in Tomb Raider or Soul Reaver, and done much better I might add. The controls handle a bit better than the day stages due to Sonic's lack of speed, but sometimes they don't respond the way you want them too. How many jumps did I manage to just stick my landing, only to have Sonic fall back and off the ledge for no apparent reason but bad collision detection?
Overall, I feel that neither of the two distinct gameplay features "got it right" or were interesting and fun all on their own... if only they could have melded the two together and given us, at least, a competent Sonic Adventure entry. It's like the developers heard our cries of more classic style Sonic with the exploring and the platforming intact but couldn't find a way to incorporate it into what they envision as Sonic-style and designed a whole new gimmick so that they can say 'See, we listened! And you're still Sonic!'... only you're not Sonic. You're Kranic, Hog of War.
As you may know already, the SD versions don't have the supposedly awful Tornado gameplay between continents, or any semblance of an Adventure Hub. Rather, you explore a 2D map of a region and select your destinations, which usually results in a bit of dialogue with an NPC. The Gaia shrines, I imagine, are left intact though. As I understand it, all of the cutscenes are the 360/PS3 in-game models scenes converted to FMV (like PS2 Resident Evil 4). Was it really that difficult to use the in-game models, even if they were low-poly? I also understand that a stage or two are missing from the SD versions. I thought it was odd that Mazuri continent only had the one boss stage and nothing else. There's really no reason for them not to be able to recreate the stages for SD except perhaps they lacked the time or horsepower to manage it, I doubt it has anything to do with DVD storage space.
Ugh, this got a bit long-winded. Let's see, wrapping things up: Music's nothing special... sounds a bit out-of-place. And I don't make too big a deal about graphics, though sometimes it feels they could've managed better on the PS2.
All in all, not the best Sonic experience but at least it isn't dog-puke a.k.a. Sonic '06. There's always a chance my opinions will change as I near end-game, but I doubt it. I'm actually curious to see what, if anything, is improved in the HD versions. Maybe I'll give those a rental too, sometime.
http://www.hardcoregamer....rticle&id_article=228
A very balanced and fair review IMO
A positive review from a notorious Sonic fanatic...hmm...
Then again, he does mention YMMV and it is a very concise and well-written review. Second opinion seems to like the game too.
I'm just concerned that whenever I'll play this game, I'll feel that it has a lot of charm, yet it is bloated with some unneccesary gaming mechanics from becoming a true classic for the series. This quote from the review stands out:
<<To this day, I'm not sure why Sega deems fit to insert play styles that are most certainly not Sonic into a Sonic game. It comes off looking as if they don't have the utmost faith in the playability of their biggest company mascot, which is just… strange.>>
We'll see...
Hm, well... I'm still not finished with the game but I can at least dispense some comments about the gameplay (PS2 version, which should be more or less identical to the Wii).
-Day Stages: It mixes 3D Sonic HOLD UP with 2.5D HOLD RIGHT. But it still feels like you're constantly being propelled forward without any need to stop and look around... classic DIMPS. But not classic Sonic, I feel they missed the mark there. The stages are really treated as a bit of a racing game, the controls are utilized mostly to maneuver well while running fast, but Sonic controls terrible when you're trying to slow down and maybe head back real quick to snag an item monitor. Which brings up another quibble: there are no power-ups in this part of the game. Plenty of rings, sure... but Shields and Speed Shoes are non-existent. Though to be honest, they're hardly as necessary anymore thanks to not losing ALL your rings when struck and the Boost gauge. The monitors scattered throughout the stages are really just for the unlockables (art, music, movies etc.). Even 1-ups don't exist, you always start a stage with two lives and only two lives... you have to be able to complete it with just that or you start the level over.
Back to his roots, you say? Hardly. It is nice that, unlike the HD versions, Sonic has his entire repertoire from the start... though for some you won't know it's there until the tutorial shows you (if you're like me and don't have access to the instruction manual). Don't get me wrong, this is loads better than the broken Sonic gameplay we got with Sonic '06... but it still falls short of "the magic touch" this series needs to revitalize itself.
-Night Stages: Heh heh heh. I don't know what to say. It's definitely God of War, even down to the way collected dark gaia energy is added to a meter that unlocks new moves and abilities for Sonic after every level. It isn't Sonic in the slightest... but something else that plays fairly well despite being out of place. It'll get boring quick, sure... the tedious battling with enemy swarms especially. I felt the same way about GoW, though at least that one occasionally threw in tougher enemies that took a bit of strategy to take down. Except for the bosses, if you can button mash, you can pretty much deal with anything the Night stages throw at you.
One thing I liked was the increased focus on platforming: climbing up and around, searching around corners for item monitors and stuff to smash for energy, pedestal hopping... but the pace is slow, and you'll soon tire of it. Any puzzles I've seen so far merely involve simple fetch quests, button stomping and lever pulling. Nothing that hasn't already been done in Tomb Raider or Soul Reaver, and done much better I might add. The controls handle a bit better than the day stages due to Sonic's lack of speed, but sometimes they don't respond the way you want them too. How many jumps did I manage to just stick my landing, only to have Sonic fall back and off the ledge for no apparent reason but bad collision detection?
Overall, I feel that neither of the two distinct gameplay features "got it right" or were interesting and fun all on their own... if only they could have melded the two together and given us, at least, a competent Sonic Adventure entry. It's like the developers heard our cries of more classic style Sonic with the exploring and the platforming intact but couldn't find a way to incorporate it into what they envision as Sonic-style and designed a whole new gimmick so that they can say 'See, we listened! And you're still Sonic!'... only you're not Sonic. You're Kranic, Hog of War.
As you may know already, the SD versions don't have the supposedly awful Tornado gameplay between continents, or any semblance of an Adventure Hub. Rather, you explore a 2D map of a region and select your destinations, which usually results in a bit of dialogue with an NPC. The Gaia shrines, I imagine, are left intact though. As I understand it, all of the cutscenes are the 360/PS3 in-game models scenes converted to FMV (like PS2 Resident Evil 4). Was it really that difficult to use the in-game models, even if they were low-poly? I also understand that a stage or two are missing from the SD versions. I thought it was odd that Mazuri continent only had the one boss stage and nothing else. There's really no reason for them not to be able to recreate the stages for SD except perhaps they lacked the time or horsepower to manage it, I doubt it has anything to do with DVD storage space.
Ugh, this got a bit long-winded. Let's see, wrapping things up: Music's nothing special... sounds a bit out-of-place. And I don't make too big a deal about graphics, though sometimes it feels they could've managed better on the PS2.
All in all, not the best Sonic experience but at least it isn't dog-puke a.k.a. Sonic '06. There's always a chance my opinions will change as I near end-game, but I doubt it. I'm actually curious to see what, if anything, is improved in the HD versions. Maybe I'll give those a rental too, sometime.
I'm sure you'd be surprised with the HD version.
Regarding the Daytime stages, you say you always start with 2 lives? Does that include if you got extra lives in previous levels? I currently have 15 lives, and once this level is done, I plan to play Apotos about 20 more times to simply stock up with 20 more lives for future levels.
So far, from playing all the way to Empire City, I've only had one experience with Tails on the plane, so it really isn't a problem at all. Just that one experience was annoying, but now that it's gone, the game isn't too bad. In the HD version, once you get a world map, you can go to it anytime and choose to either go to the village/town/capital/whatever, or head straight into a level, so it isn't too much of an annoyance to get to a level. I rarely interact with townspeople -- it doesn't seem as forced as some people make it out to be.
Sounds like the Wii/PS2 owners got the end of the stick, though I'm not surprised.
BTW: Sonic's Empire City stage is one of the greatest Sonic levels ever, imo. If you don't care for spoilers, here's the full-stage, with a guy getting an S-rank.
[After watching the S rank video]
I love how the level seems really long even though it takes less than 4 minutes to complete. That, and it looks amazing in its entirety.
I love videos where people actually know what they're doing.
I do not like the jumping at all. It's more like a hop.
I also spent like 45 minutes on a werehog level.
Plus it is odd that homing attack is NOT pushing A twice o.o
Also no spin dash 
I actually just noticed that there wasn't a spin dash, but thinking back to any 3-D Sonic game, I can't think of every really using it. I only used it on 2-D games to get up a ramp easily, but that was it.
I've been able to get a good amount of play time in today. Another thing I have noticed, is that the Werehog levels get funner the more you level up combos. Very enjoyable to lay some serious smackdown.
Also no spin dash
"3!"
.
.
.
"2!"
.
.
.
"1!"
.
. < (push "Boost" button here)
.
"GO!"
It's there... but not really. It's just a shadow of its former self.
(again, PS2 version is all I've got to go by... might not be the same for HD)
I've been playing for over a day now, and I feel a bit fed up with this game now. I've been finding it really difficult, in fact I have never seen so many game over screens in a Sonic game before. I spent around 30 lives just before trying to finish one of Sonic's unloackable 2d stages before i gave up in frustration. It's not so much that I suck, but the design of the game as usual. All the 2d only stages i've played so far are ridiculously difficult. They all seem to be suspended over a bottomless pit, and Sonic's jumping ability feels a bit stiff in this game, so judging your landing is half the battle.
The werehog is nothing more than button masher boredom. Sure there's tons of moves, but there doesn't seem to be any point in memorizing more than a couple. What makes the repetive gameplay worse is that the same music plays everytime you get into a fight, you hardly get to hear the actual level music play. It sounds like a Lupin the 3rd theme song.
And there's way too much backtracking. Currently i am unable to move on because I am told I need 32 sun medals to unlock Sonic's Adabat stage (which should be the last thing before Eggman Land i guess...). 32 is just ridiculous, so far i've only needed to fetch another 4 or so to unlock a level, but when i saw 32 i thought it was some sick joke. I have 88 sun medals, i've endured enough thanks!
What version are you playing?
Yes, it makes a difference.
Playing the Xbox 360 version.
I've been playing for over a day now, and I feel a bit fed up with this game now. I've been finding it really difficult, in fact I have never seen so many game over screens in a Sonic game before. I spent around 30 lives just before trying to finish one of Sonic's unloackable 2d stages before i gave up in frustration. It's not so much that I suck, but the design of the game as usual. All the 2d only stages i've played so far are ridiculously difficult. They all seem to be suspended over a bottomless pit, and Sonic's jumping ability feels a bit stiff in this game, so judging your landing is half the battle.
The werehog is nothing more than button masher boredom. Sure there's tons of moves, but there doesn't seem to be any point in memorizing more than a couple. What makes the repetive gameplay worse is that the same music plays everytime you get into a fight, you hardly get to hear the actual level music play. It sounds like a Lupin the 3rd theme song.
And there's way too much backtracking. Currently i am unable to move on because I am told I need 32 sun medals to unlock Sonic's Adabat stage (which should be the last thing before Eggman Land i guess...). 32 is just ridiculous, so far i've only needed to fetch another 4 or so to unlock a level, but when i saw 32 i thought it was some sick joke. I have 88 sun medals, i've endured enough thanks!
Are you sure that's the right door maybe it's a glitch.
I just got the game for the Xbox 360. It was, and is pure awesomeness!
The day stages give me a classic feel vibe, and the werehog levels are more than just tolerable; they're great!
Also, Professor Pickle is my new hero!
But anyone gone through that Eggmanland stage? That was sooo hard!
I've been playing for over a day now, and I feel a bit fed up with this game now. I've been finding it really difficult, in fact I have never seen so many game over screens in a Sonic game before. I spent around 30 lives just before trying to finish one of Sonic's unloackable 2d stages before i gave up in frustration. It's not so much that I suck, but the design of the game as usual. All the 2d only stages i've played so far are ridiculously difficult. They all seem to be suspended over a bottomless pit, and Sonic's jumping ability feels a bit stiff in this game, so judging your landing is half the battle.
The werehog is nothing more than button masher boredom. Sure there's tons of moves, but there doesn't seem to be any point in memorizing more than a couple. What makes the repetive gameplay worse is that the same music plays everytime you get into a fight, you hardly get to hear the actual level music play. It sounds like a Lupin the 3rd theme song.
And there's way too much backtracking. Currently i am unable to move on because I am told I need 32 sun medals to unlock Sonic's Adabat stage (which should be the last thing before Eggman Land i guess...). 32 is just ridiculous, so far i've only needed to fetch another 4 or so to unlock a level, but when i saw 32 i thought it was some sick joke. I have 88 sun medals, i've endured enough thanks!
Yeah, that's where I'm at exactly now ... except I have to find 15 medals. 
I'm so tired of Sonic Team forcing everyone into this hunting gimmick crap. That's why I hated Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Heroes, and anything else that made you want to hunt for stuff. It's not Sonic, at all, and it never will be. If the medals were decorated all over the levels just for unlocking external levels that don't have anything to do with the main ones, then I wouldn't mind.
Oh well, two more levels.
So... you have to find the medals inside the levels in HD?
SD Sonic Unleashed all medals are awarded when you complete a stage. For the Day stages, you earn medals according to the rank you get. S ranks gets you all 3 medals for that stage, A gets you only two, and B nets you just the one. Anything less gets you nothing. You can replay the stage to improve your rank and net the missing medals.
Night stages is as follows: One for beating it under a certain time, one for amount of rings collected exceeding a certain predetermined amount, and one for exceeding a predetermined amount of Dark Gaia energy collected. Except for the last few stages I've passed, I'm always missing out on the fastest time medal.
Tutorial stages for either mode gets you one for completion. Easiest medals ever, they often require no more than a 30 second investment to net their one medal. There's also the challenge stages (collect 100 rings, don't get hit, don't break anything) that also give you 1 medal. I've never had any problem with not being able to access the "next" stage because of lack of medals. There are, however, those extra doors inside the shrines I've yet to open that require certain amounts of medals. I'll get back to those if necessary, but I'm just taking care of the stages the game directly tells me I should do (usually by the NEW! tag in Stage Select).
I had a sizeable post on the ups and downs of the SD version, but Yuku had a little fun at my expense and threw it away; Psx had the most accurate review I've seen thus far. These are just some of the points I want to emphasise:
There's not a single legitimate reason why Empire City and most of Mazuri were not included; this is someone's arbitrary decision to punish Wii and PS2 owners. Perhaps this is to balance the copious amounts of disaster for 360 and PS3 owners received with Sonic '06.
Day stages are entertaining in their own right. The likelihood of one's enjoyment is probably most readily measured by the enjoyment of Sonic Rush. The gameplay is essentially in the same vein. If you're not fond of high speed and just holding right/up, this will get tiresome.
Night stages are not nearly as bad as one might expect. The combat is repetitive, but oddly not insufferable.
The Wii version's controls: oh the pain. The GameCube controller lacks the right amount of precision for split-second actions. The Wiimote had me shaking my wrist so much I had given my triceps a more intense workout than I'd get in Wii Fit.
Night stage platforming is actually quite good. Occasionally, the controls become a bit dodgy when one fails to grab the ledge/pole/doohickey under improbable circumstances (like being right in front of whatever you have to grab and you still miss), but this is fortunately very rare. It just happens to feel like Legend of Zelda for children.
Quite good AV presentation. Being diametrically opposed to the rock obsession that Sonic games have taken, the NiGHTS-like jazz and orchestral scores are something I find quite refreshing.
The hub worlds were not in the least imposing, and if the HD versions demand that one has to go hunting for medals to unlock continents, then I'd say that the SD version is not the short end of the stick.
If the speed and platforming were melded together rather than stricken apart, this would be a completely terrific game. Instead, Sonic Team apparently felt such insecurity about puzzle platforming that they had to attach a gimmick to it in Sonic's latest attempt to emulate The Legend of Zelda. Even so, this proves that Sonic Team is capable of producing stuff of quality, at least with a competent (e.g. NOT Iizuka) director.
Professor Pickle puts me in mind of Prince Charles in a decade or two from now. I don't know why.
In summation, this game will probably succeed your lowest expectations handily but not your highest expectations. Worth a rent at the least.
Just got the game yesterday for 360, and I've stopped at the Mazuri night level. I'm enjoying the game, but the first Tornado level going to Spagonia was EPIC FAIL for me. After numerous tries, I finally let my brother try it out and he actually beat on the first try. I shook his hand. I guess I'm also still getting used to the controls as well... and I kinda suck at the controls, too.
The daytime levels remind me of a mix of Sonic Rush and Sonic Rivals mixed together. It's just as fast as I had seen in early videos. The nighttime levels took a bit of getting used to for me, but I'm getting the hang of it.
Is there a diffrence between the 360 and ps3 versions?
GameCentral Review : http://www.teletext.co.uk...ures-Reviews/default.aspx
Sonic Unleashed (360)
Review by David Jenkins - It's probably its self-destructive streak that makes Sega so endearing.
But as much as turning Golden Axe into a single player-only game can be laughed off as a corporate in-joke, its refusal to listen to anything anyone's ever said about Sonic cannot.
For anyone that was hoping otherwise, this is just as much a hostage to idiocy as the other 3D Sonic games.
Every year the story is the same: the fans (and critics) tell Sega that Sonic should go back to the old 2D gameplay and ditch all his hanger-on friends.
And every year Sega completely ignores them and serves up another, even worse, version of Sonic Adventure.
This isn't quite as bad as some efforts, but the few times when it does get things right only make the majority of the game even more infuriating.
We're not even going to touch on the plot or we'll just get even angrier, but the basic gameplay is the same as the into-the-screen levels from Sonic Adventure and its successors.
The controls are needlessly overcomplicated (why does the homing attack use two different buttons?) and horribly imprecise but when you're running at full speed it does feel fun.
The OTT motion blur looks great too.
The main platform levels even segue into a 2D view on occasion, as if to show how good a whole game would be in that style if Sega wasn't so stupid.
But it is and instead of just quitting while it's ahead you also have to endure the "werehog" levels.
At this point the game turns into a sort of child-friendly rip-off of God Of War, complete with some of the most frustrating quick time events ever.
As if sharing half the game with the werehog sections isn't bad enough, the game further soils its nest with a collection of inane mini-games.
You also have to wander around the main game hub's town talking to people and picking up new quests and info.
Why Sega persists with such nonsense is completely beyond us. Sonic is about ultra-fast platform action. It is not about hobnobbing with dim townsfolk.
The first impression of the graphics are that they're very good, but slowdown is frequent and everything is rendered in a realistic style.
Why Sega insists on setting Sonic in the real world, instead of using the iconic retro art style, is another of the series' great unanswered questions.
Clearly by now Sega is completely set in its ways, but as ever, Sonic and his fans deserve a lot better.
IN SHORT: Sega holds its annual festival of defilement for Sonic the Hedgehog, in another lame 3D effort.
PROS: The daytime platform levels are quite fun most of the time, particularly the 2D sections.
CONS: The werehog levels though are awful and the mini-games and town hub are even worse. Very slippery controls.
SCORE: 4/10 Out: Now (UK)
-------------------
Oh dear. This has actually suceeded in putting the game off for me.
John you can always still rent the game in the future. I mean, I'm now hearing mixed impressions from both professional reviews and the gaming comunity.
Eurogamer's review(x360 version)
When all is said and done, I predict that this game will get a metacritic score of 60-ish%.
Yea I don't think i'm going to buy it, now. I mean...I was hopeful, but no. Sega should not be supported with these half arse attempts at recreating Sonic. I mean...Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 got like 9s and crap across the boards. Sega...should look at what every other main game since SA2 has gotten...seriously.
"half arse attempts"
You really think this game was half assed? Seriously?
People keep complaining about the Werehog stages... but honestly how different is it from the Knuckles/Rouge stages and even to an extent the Tails/Eggman stages? It's basically the same concept-- varying gameplay -- that they've been going with for basically forever. Sure, there were the Genesis days where they made a few games that weren't like this, then theres... like, Sonic Heroes.
Yeah, they said they were going "back to their roots". Guess it didn't turn out that way, other than not being forced to play as a bunch of tagalongs.
If you want a 7th gen S3&K... which I assume is what people were expecting when they heard the phrase "back to their roots", I don't really think that's realistic. They've got an entirely different team and attempting to imitate what S3&K would probably make it seem like a cheap imitation.
Anyways... it's probably not what you were expecting, some sort of miraculous perfect game that everyone will take with open arms. But what you got was a game that is definitely a big step up from where they were at before.
Hm, finished now. Eggmanland was a nightmare, with only my stock 2 lives, to get through. The Punch-Out!!-esque part of the final battle was pretty interesting, but after it was over there was more of that good ol' frustration with Sonic's segment to deal with. S-ranked it, though... so I guess I can't complain (much).
Insult to injury? After the credits rolled, I went back to Apatos to finally explore the Gates more thoroughly. 1-ups. Those medal doors hid 1-ups (and more unlockables)!! Oh the humanity! ;_;
I noticed in the credits that Gurihiru was responsible for the NPC character designs. I thought those eyes looked familar.
Meh... I really have no desire to try to S-rank the Day stages to collect more Moon medals. Is anything big unlocked for 100% collection rate?
EDIT: Gurihiru english blog.
PROS: The daytime platform levels are quite fun most of the time, particularly the 2D sections.
CONS: The werehog levels though are awful and the mini-games and town hub are even worse. Very slippery controls.
SCORE: 4/10 Out: Now (UK)
So.... the pros are what he complained about the most in the article and the cons are what he barely touched on in the review.
I'm just going to rent it first to decide for myself if I want this game or not. Reviews don't tell me whether or not I will enjoy a game. If it sucks, I won't buy it. Easy as that.
Plus, I'm pretty sure Shadow's not in it.... which is reason enough to check out the game. 
But can anyone confirm whether or not he's in it?
Not in it, as far as the SD version is concerned. Just Tails and Amy this round.
Woo! Awesome. And interesting also.
I'm torn, part of me wants to support SEGA with this game for taking a good step in the right direction, even if the Rush gameplay isn't the classic gameplay I love it's still better than the 3D gameplay for every 3D game since SA2. Also I've not heard any problems with glitches and game breaking bugs like with Heroes, Shadow, and StH '06. For these reasons I WANT SEGA to know I approve of making sure the game is finishes and works, and at least carries something that we can all agree is suited to Sonic, and getting it done well, even if it isn't what a lot of us really want.
However, I don't want to support the tacking on of crappy gameplay mechanics like the Werehog. While they've been doing this since SA1, my second favourite Sonic game of all time, at least there we had four characters that fit the bill, Speed Platforming, Racing, Exploration, and Speedy shooting, and a story that worked great for each character, minus Big. The other problem is that had SEGA avoided making the Werehog stages all together we'd have had more polish on the Hedgehog levels, making them more explorable or feature something closer to the classics, or just more levels.
In short, this game seems to be half of what I'd be happy with and half of what should have been thrown out as soon as it was suggested...and the suggester should have been slapped...and them put in charge of making a new Altered Beast maybe...
Anyway, I'd like to at least try it first, but with no demo available and an unsuccessful search of Blockbusters to rent it, there's nothing I can do at the moment.
Still, here's hoping Sonic and the Black Knight succeeds where Unleashed fails.
Yeah, they said they were going "back to their roots". Guess it didn't turn out that way, other than not being forced to play as a bunch of tagalongs.
Actually, in an interview I can't be assed to find, I believe it may have been one of the IGN blogs he did, he specifically said he wasn't trying to go "back to the roots", and didn't want to.
In short, this game seems to be half of what I'd be happy with and half of what should have been thrown out as soon as it was suggested...and the suggester should have been slapped...and them put in charge of making a new Altered Beast maybe...
I rather think that the werehog was good in concept, as was Shadow the Hedgehog. What the developers should have realized was that they were not capable of executing it with any grace.
The werehog stages lacked variety for how long they are. Thats my main complaint. They could have done something better with that.
In short, this game seems to be half of what I'd be happy with and half of what should have been thrown out as soon as it was suggested...and the suggester should have been slapped...and them put in charge of making a new Altered Beast maybe...
I rather think that the werehog was good in concept, as was Shadow the Hedgehog. What the developers should have realized was that they were not capable of executing it with any grace.
I can't agree I'm afraid. I see both Shadow the Hedgehog and the Werehog as being bad concepts that detract from the core concept that make Sonic games what they are, and then poorly executed. The game play concepts could've been different and still failed, but I feel Omega was a much better concept for guns in Sonic, and trying to mix it with the Speed Platforming, I also feel that using Knuckles for the Werehog gameplay style would have made it easier for fans to digest, but I feel Knuckles shouldn't be a brawler, and preferred his gameplay being a more exploration focused version of Sonic's that was in S&K and SA1.
The other problem is that even if the Werehog stages WERE executed (which can happen with bad concepts) and were as fun as playing as normal (note I'm just assuming they're no fun right now for the sake of argument) it's still an unnecessary gameplay addition that we wouldn't miss were it to disappear from the series.
Well, the Werehog kind of mixes things up a bit. Think about Mario; the only out of ordinary thing he has done is have a water gun.
There is the argument that they should make a good Sonic game before they do something extreme, which is a good point, but at least it is something differant.
I would be lying if I said that I thought the Werehog was and is a good idea. Its just kind of weird to play as a Werehog, but I think they did a pretty good job at making it fun to play as him; at least for me.
Does anyone else think Eggmanland is sincerely one of the most hardest Sonic levels ever? (360/PS3 version).
Psxphile wrote:
Insult to injury? After the credits rolled, I went back to Apatos to finally explore the Gates more thoroughly. 1-ups. Those medal doors hid 1-ups (and more unlockables)!! Oh the humanity! ;_;
Same here, Psx. The Wii playthrough I'd watched had several lives and I was baffled until I went through the Gaia Gates and found 1-ups scattered everywhere.
I'm also going to have to agree with Kio. This game isn't perfect, but then no Sonic game ever has been (excluding Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine). It's unreasonable to start castigating Sonic Team and Sega now after they've taken a step in the right direction. There is clearly room for improvement, but ideally it means that Sonic Team will take into consideration what has been said about this game and start brainstorming on corrective procedures. After SA2, the series took a huge nosedive in 3D platforming and none of the games between then and now (Heroes, Shadow, Sonic '06) were worth the purchase, yet ardent Sonic fans went running madly to buy them. There are still diehards defending Sonic '06, which is admirable in a twisted way.
The Werehog was actually a bit of rare gem: bad in theory, not so much in practise. As I said before, the Zelda-like puzzle platforming and God of War fighting was well-implemented by Sonic Team's standards. For what is ultimately a stupid idea, it didn't turn out to be a series of glitchy, dodgy, laughable events. Like many others, I hold that the platforming should have been adapted into Sonic's daytime stages. Holding out for something on the scale of Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 and Knuckles in 3D is going to leave you waiting for a long time to come.
Psxphile wrote:
Insult to injury? After the credits rolled, I went back to Apatos to finally explore the Gates more thoroughly. 1-ups. Those medal doors hid 1-ups (and more unlockables)!! Oh the humanity! ;_;Same here, Psx. The Wii playthrough I'd watched had several lives and I was baffled until I went through the Gaia Gates and found 1-ups scattered everywhere.
I'm also going to have to agree with Kio. This game isn't perfect, but then no Sonic game ever has been (excluding Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine). It's unreasonable to start castigating Sonic Team and Sega now after they've taken a step in the right direction. There is clearly room for improvement, but ideally it means that Sonic Team will take into consideration what has been said about this game and start brainstorming on corrective procedures. After SA2, the series took a huge nosedive in 3D platforming and none of the games between then and now (Heroes, Shadow, Sonic '06) were worth the purchase, yet ardent Sonic fans went running madly to buy them. There are still diehards defending Sonic '06, which is admirable in a twisted way.
The Werehog was actually a bit of rare gem: bad in theory, not so much in practise. As I said before, the Zelda-like puzzle platforming and God of War fighting was well-implemented by Sonic Team's standards. For what is ultimately a stupid idea, it didn't turn out to be a series of glitchy, dodgy, laughable events. Like many others, I hold that the platforming should have been adapted into Sonic's daytime stages. Holding out for something on the scale of Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 and Knuckles in 3D is going to leave you waiting for a long time to come.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles wasn't perfect? Lies.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles wasn't perfect? Lies.
Special Zones suck hard.
"Special stages are hard" =/= "Special stages suck hard."
Holy #%## Toby, did you just diss S3's Special Stages?
Them's fighting words.
