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The difference is night and day.


— Tagline

Sonic Unleashed (ソニックワールドアドベンチャー Sonikku Wārudo Adobenchā?, lit. "Sonic World Adventure"), is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team Japan[1] and published by Sega for the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. An alternate version of the game was also developed by Sonic Team and Dimps and published for the PlayStation 2 and Wii.

Sonic Unleashed follows Sonic the Hedgehog as he attempts to restore the world to normal after his nemesis, Dr. Eggman, splits the world's continents into pieces with a powerful new ray weapon and the power of the Chaos Emeralds to harness the power of Dark Gaia, as well as his struggles with his new beast form generated by Dark Gaia's energies, Sonic the Werehog.

The PlayStation 3 version was available to be streamed on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC via the PS Now subscription service, with PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Sony Bravia Smart TV (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 models), Sony Blu-Ray players and Samsung Smart TV support for the service being dropped in 2017. In late November 2018, the Xbox 360 version of the game was made backwards compatible with the Xbox One, although unlike Sonic Generations, it does not support Xbox One X enhanced graphics/features but does support compatibility options for Xbox Series X and Series S since November 15, 2021 such as FPS boost which increases the games framerate from 30 FPS to 60 FPS and auto HDR to make the game visuals have brighter colors and contrasts.

Plot[]

Spoiler warning: Plot, ending details or any kind of information follow.
Sonic dodging Egg Fighter

Sonic dodging an Egg Fighter in the opening cutscene.

At the beginning of the story, Sonic the Hedgehog is confronting his nemesis, Dr. Eggman, aboard his flagship. Eggman then activated the ships defense systems, activating the cannons and bringing forth a horde of Egg Fighters. After seeing the obstacles, Sonic boosted forward and began dodging the batteries fired from the cannons. Bounding across the flagship, Eggman brought forth his Mech and unleashed a flurry of machine gun fire. After running across the ceiling while dodging missiles, Sonic ran through the Flagship's hallway. Eggman fired his Mech's grappling hook-like arm and grabbed Sonic. After being pulled to Eggman in the Mech's grasp, Sonic summoned the Chaos Emeralds from within himself and became Super Sonic in order to stop him, destroying Eggman's mech, Eggman fled in his Egg Mobile and fled from his Flagship. After chasing Eggman through space and destroying half of his fleet, they finally arrived at Eggman's Research Facility and knocking Eggman himself to the ground. As a trap, Eggman pretends to plead for mercy. When Sonic is close enough, he activates the Chaos Energy Cannon, which traps Sonic in the center and begins drawing the Chaos energy out of Sonic and the Emeralds in a fashion that is clearly extremely painful for him.

EarthSonicUnleashed

The earth split open.

After the weapon is charged, Eggman fires a laser at the earth to wake a monster known as Dark Gaia, splitting the planet. The dark energy of the Emeralds is brought out by the ray, transforming Sonic into a monstrous version of himself and rendering the Chaos Emeralds gray and powerless. Eggman then opens an airlock which sucks Sonic and the drained Emeralds out into space and down to earth. While Sonic is saved from a fatal landing due to an unknown energy source, he still ends up taking a heavy fall. After pulling himself out of the dirt, Sonic encounters a winged imp-like creature. Sonic then asks the creature what his name was, and the creature couldn't remember his own name or history (which Sonic thinks he landed on him, causing the memory loss). Sonic agrees to help the creature restore his memory during their journey.

After exploring the city of Apotos, Sonic names the creature Chip and the two run into Tails at night. Tails immediately recognizes Sonic even though he is in his Werehog form and reveals that Professor Pickle of Spagonia University may be able to help them on their adventure. Once they reach Spagonia, they discover Dr. Eggman has kidnapped Professor Pickle for his knowledge on Dark Gaia. After traveling to Mazuri and freeing him, Professor Pickle explains the nature of Dark Gaia and reveals that restoring power to the Chaos Emeralds via the Gaia Temples would help the planet return to normal. Sonic then sets out to the seven Gaia Temples to restore the Emeralds and reassemble the planet. In Spagonia, Sonic and Chip run into Amy at night, who doesn't recognize Sonic in his Werehog form. He later saves Amy from Dark Gaia's influence and she, upon learning her savior's identity, decides to help Sonic and Professor Pickle. All the while, Dr. Eggman makes plans to reassemble Dark Gaia and finish Eggmanland.

During the restoration of the sixth Chaos Emerald and continent, it's revealed that Chip is in fact Light Gaia, the opposite of Dark Gaia, and he lost his memories because, like Dark Gaia, he was prematurely awakened by Eggman's laser when Eggman started the Time of Awakening, where Chip and Dark Gaia was meant to awaken, too early; likewise, Dark Gaia has not yet been fully reborn due to his premature awakening, and Sonic must stop Eggman before Dark Gaia's full powers return to his normal state.

At this point, Sonic travels to the location of the last temple, over which Eggman has built Eggmanland using an extraction of Dark Gaia's power. While Sonic is able to restore the last emerald and defeat Eggman's newest mech, Dark Gaia becomes complete, by draining the dark energy that Sonic had that turned him into Werehog, and knocking Dr. Eggman out of the way to keep the power for himself. Sonic is too weak to move so Chip uses the Gaia Temples to form a body called Gaia Colossus to combat Dark Gaia with, Sonic recovers on the Gaia Colossus and helps Chip fight Dark Gaia. Chip and Sonic hold off the beast, but Dark Gaia manages to drown the planet in darkness, achieving his fully matured form in the process. Sonic then transforms into Super Sonic using the seven Chaos Emeralds and takes Perfect Dark Gaia down with the help of Gaia Colossus, but the battle leaves him too drained of his energy to escape. As the final continent moves back into place, Chip flings Sonic back onto the surface while he remains behind. After Sonic wakes up, Chip's necklace and some parting words are found on the ground. Sonic then picks it up and puts on the necklace as a bracelet to remind them of their adventures together. The game ends as Sonic runs off with Tails, who is in the Tornado, to another adventure.

Characters[]

Image Character Biography
Unleashed Sonic Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic is the world's fastest supersonic hedgehog, and values freedom and life by his own rules above everything else. He is kind at heart, but can be short tempered and is quick to throw himself into the middle of trouble without a second thought, remaining steadfast to the end. His personality is a juxtaposition of kindness and ferocity, as on the one hand he does all in his power to snuff out evil, but he also can't look away when somebody else is in trouble.[7]

Sonic hates boredom and being tied down, so much of his time is spent running towards the next danger or adventure.[7]

Werehog Sonic the Werehog As a side effect of Dr. Eggman's latest foibles, Sonic now undergoes an extreme physical transformation whenever the sun goes down, but his heart remains the same. Almost. Sonic the Werehog is still willing to put his life on the line for his friends without any due consideration, but his dedication to helping his new friend regain his memory is in no small part out of guilt that it was most likely his own fall from space that caused the problem in the first place.[8]

As a Werehog, Sonic is not as fast as his usual self, but he makes up for it with ferocious combat techniques. His powerful arms are able to stretch allowing him to attack enemies from a greater distance, and to reach distant ledges, poles and bars with ease.[8]

Chip Chip In a classic scenario of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Chip lost his memory after Sonic's fall from outer space. As he no longer knows who he is or where came from, he decides to join Sonic on his world adventure to try to rediscover his identity.[9]
Pickle, Professor Professor Pickle A well mannered and renowned expert in ancient literature, who will happily share his knowledge over a cucumber sandwich. He will prove to be an invaluable ally and guide to Sonic as he embarks on his latest adventure.[9]
Unleashed eggman Dr. Eggman (a.k.a. Dr. Robotnik) An evil scientific genius who boasts an IQ of 300. By skillfully luring Sonic right into a most devious trap, he was able to successfully awaken Dark Gaia. But will he be equally successful in taking over the world?[9]

Gameplay[]

Sonic Unleashed is a platforming video game, with bits of gameplay taken from past Sonic games. The player takes control of either Sonic or the Werehog, each with their own abilities and levels.

Sonic Unleashed is divided into eight Adventure Fields, all of which being divided into various Acts and a boss. The goal of Sonic Unleashed is to beat all of these Acts. These Acts are designed to make use of each character's abilities and can offer the player various secrets to find.

During gameplay, the player will encounter obstacles and enemies. Also common are the Rings, which serve as the playable character's health, and not having them can cost the player a life. The player will also lose a life if they drown underwater or fall into a bottomless pit. After losing a life, the playable character will respawn at the latest Star Post they touched, or at the start of an Act if they have not touched any Star Post. If the player runs out of lives, they will get a Game Over. Extra lives can be obtained by collecting 1-Ups or by gathering one-hundred Rings.

Character-specific gameplay[]

Sonic[]

Apotos2

Sonic in Windmill Isle, the first stage in the game.

Sonic's gameplay incorporates bits from the gameplay from Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure. Like in either of these games, the player has the ability to "boost" and run at high speeds, defeating every enemy and object in Sonic's way. The Boost is powered by Ring Energy, and thus requires Rings to be used. As the player collects Rings, a Ring Energy Gauge at the bottom left of the HUD will steadily fill up; boosting will empty said gauge, and when it is fully empty, the player will not be allowed to Boost until the Ring Energy Gauge is filled up. Apart from boosting, Sonic can also perform abilities he could use in past games, like jumping, grinding, and sliding.

Sonic's level design in Sonic Unleashed makes use of both 3D sections, which play like those in past 3D games, and 2.5D sections, which play similar to those in past 2D games, especially Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure. In the 2.5D sections, the player can only control Sonic left or right, while in the 3D ones, they can control him freely across the areas. Additionally, each type of sections features gimmicks and movements not present in the other; for instance, in the 3D sections, Sonic can drift around corners and perform the Quick and Grind Step to move from one side to the other with ease.

Werehog[]

PS3 CE N 3

Sonic the Werehog in Cool Edge, the third or fourth stage in the game.

In comparison to the normal Sonic, Sonic the Werehog's gameplay is pretty slow-paced and more focused around fighting and platforming. Also, unlike Sonic, the Werehog's levels are purely 3D, though some sections might feature a 2D-esque camera. The Werehog's strength allows the player to smash enemies and destructible environments, whilst his stretchy arms will allow him to reach high platforms and perform special attacks. Additionally, Rings are used to steadily fill up a Health Gauge and an Unleashed Bar. The Health Gauge empties when the Werehog suffers damage, and the player will lose a life if the gauge is completely empty. The Unleashed Bar, on the other hand, allows the player to enter an "Unleashed Mode," which increases attack strength, decreases vitality loss from enemy attacks, and enables special moves. It replenishes by defeating enemies and destroying objects.

Scoring system[]

Controls[]

Button formation Sonic 1UP (SU) Movement
Xbox 360 PlayStation 3
Left-Analog-Stick Walk/run
Right-Analog-Stick Rotate camera
XboxB Circle Crouch
Hold XboxB + Left-Analog-Stick Hold Circle + Left-Analog-Stick Crawl
XboxA Cross Quick Jump/Spin Attack
Jump > XboxX Jump > Square Homing Attack/Jump Dash
Jump > XboxB Jump > Circle Stomp
XboxX Square Sonic Boost/Air Boost (when Boost Gauge is full)
Run + XboxB Run + Circle Slide
XboxB x2 Circle x2 Foot Sweep
Xbox-Button-LB/Xbox-Button-RB L1/R1 Quick Step left/right
XboxB + Left-Analog-Stick left/right Circle + Left-Analog-Stick left/right Sonic Drift left/right
XboxA while on wall Cross while on wall Wall Jump (2.5D sections)
XboxY near a Ring PSTriangleButton near a Ring Lightspeed Dash
START Pause

Button formation Werehog 1UP (SU) Movement
Xbox 360 PlayStation 3
Left-Analog-Stick Walk
Right-Analog-Stick Rotate camera
XboxA Cross Jump
XboxA x2 Cross x2 Double Jump
Xbox-Button-LT/Xbox-Button-RT L2/R2 Dash
Xbox-Button-LT/Xbox-Button-RT > XboxA L2/R2 > Cross Dash Jump
Hold Xbox-Button-LB Hold L1 Guard
Hold Xbox-Button-LB + XboxA Hold L1 + Cross Forward roll
XboxX Square Circular attack
XboxY PSTriangleButton Straight attack
XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxY PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Were-Hammer
XboxY XboxX XboxX PSTriangleButton Square Square Double Kick Combo
XboxY XboxY XboxA PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Cross Sho-Hog-Ken
XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX XboxX PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square Square Donkey Kick Combo
XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square Double Axle Combo
XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxY PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Feral Were-Hammer
XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxY > XboxX + Left-Analog-Stick left/right PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square + Left-Analog-Stick left/right Werewheel Rush
XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxA PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Cross Vertical Were-Hammer
XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Knuckle Sandwich Combo
XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square Unleashed Knuckle Sandwich
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxX Square Square Square Square Wild Whirl
XboxX XboxY XboxY Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Rolling Kick Combo
XboxX XboxX XboxA Square Square Cross Sho-Claw-Ken
XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY XboxY Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Egg Scrambler
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY Square Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Wereclap
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxX Square Square Square Square Square Feral Wild Whirl
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxX > tapping XboxY Square Square Square Square > tapping PSTriangleButton Earthshaker
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxA Square Square Square Square Cross Wild Whirl Were-Hammer
XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY XboxX Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Ultimate Wild Combo
XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Unleashed Wild Combo
XboxY XboxY (midair) PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton (midair) Flying Double-Punch
XboxX XboxX (midair) Square Square (midair) Aerial Claw Slash
XboxA (midair) Cross (midair) Diving Bodypress
XboxB near a medium enemy (midair) Circle near a medium enemy (midair) Aerial Piledriver
XboxY XboxY XboxA (midair) PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Cross (midair) Flying Double-Punch Crush
XboxX XboxX XboxA (midair) Square Square Cross (midair) Aerial Claw Slash and Spin
XboxY XboxY XboxY XboxA (midair) PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Cross (midair) Shooting Star Combo
XboxX XboxX XboxX XboxA (midair) Square Square Square Cross (midair) Typhoon Combo
XboxX XboxX XboxY XboxY XboxA (midair) Square Square PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Cross (midair) Crescent Moon Strike
XboxY XboxY XboxX XboxX XboxA (midair) PSTriangleButton PSTriangleButton Square Square Cross (midair) Hurricane Combo
Dash > XboxX Dash > Square Were-Claw Charge
Dash > XboxY Dash > PSTriangleButton Triple Wild Claw
Dash > XboxA XboxY Dash > Cross PSTriangleButton Spinning Needle Attack
Dash > XboxA XboxX Dash > Cross Square Were-Rush
Hold Xbox-Button-LB > Left-Analog-Stick down + XboxY Hold L1 > Left-Analog-Stick down + PSTriangleButton Tricky Tornado Uppercut
Hold Xbox-Button-LB > Left-Analog-Stick down + XboxX Hold L1 > Left-Analog-Stick down + Square Wild Werewhip
Hold XboxY > release XboxY (2 sec) Hold PSTriangleButton > release PSTriangleButton (2 sec) Missile Punch
Hold XboxY > release XboxY (4 sec) Hold PSTriangleButton > release PSTriangleButton (4 sec) Comet Punch
Hold XboxX > release XboxX (2 sec) Hold Square > release Square (2 sec) Were-Tornado
Hold XboxX > release XboxX (4 sec) Hold Square > release Square (4 sec) Were-Cyclone
XboxB near an object/ledge/bar Circle near an object/ledge/bar Grab
XboxX/XboxY on ledge/bar Square/PSTriangleButton on ledge/bar Release grip
XboxB while holding object Circle while holding object Gently set down object
XboxX while holding object Square while holding object Throw object
Xbox-Button-RB R1 Activate Unleashed Mode
START Pause

Characters[]

Playable characters[]

Non-playable characters[]

Enemies[]

Stages[]

Nine stages exist in the game on seven continents, all of which are based on real-world locations.[10] Each stage is placed on a different continent on earth. These locations include:

  • Apotos[11] (Windmill Isle): This level is the first level in the game and serves as the backdrop to most of the tutorials in the game. Its architecture is influenced by Greek Mediterranean architecture, like the real Greek island of Chora, Mykonos Greece. It also looks similar to the Greek city of Santorini.
  • Spagonia[11] (Rooftop Run): A level influenced by western European architecture, seemingly referencing the real Italian city of Siena.
  • Mazuri (Savannah Citadel): An arid savanna level based on the Sahel region of northern Africa, more specifically referencing the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali.[10]
  • Holoska (Cool Edge): An icy location, most likely based on Alaska (due to the name) or, broadly speaking, the indigenous cultures of far northern North America who historically have used igloos for habitation.
  • Chun-nan (Dragon Road): A level inspired by Imperial Chinese architecture. It includes a run along what looks like the Great Wall.[10]
  • Shamar (Arid Sands): A stage designed to resemble a Middle Eastern desert landscape, specifically including the Petra monument in Jordan.
  • Empire City[10] (Skyscraper Scamper) A location based on New York City, United States, where Sonic is shown to run between skyscrapers.[12]
  • Adabat (Jungle Joyride): A level inspired by Angkor, Maldivian, and Southeastern Asian themes. It contains many flowing rivers and high cliffs, and architecturally references Tongkonan houses of Indonesia.
  • Eggmanland (Eggmanland): Eggman's empire, based on an island near the fifth continent. The stage is combination of an amusement park and a factory. It resembles a fusion of Circus Park, Lava Shelter, Hot Shelter and Final Egg.

Levels have been designed so that the two aforementioned modes of 2D and 3D gameplay will be switched between roughly every fifteen to thirty seconds.[10] In addition, the game features a day-and-night system; some parts of the action stages have been specially built so that time will pass, and these can be played as either Sonic or his Werehog form, while others are only built for one specific form, and during these areas, time will not pass. The player is easily able to advance time manually during the areas allowing either form, should they prefer one or the other.

The game also features Town Stages, or "hub-worlds", that are set in the same environments as the action stages[10] and players also are able to walk around the environment freely and speak to townspeople, even gaining items from them.[13] However, this "overworld" can be completely ignored, should the player prefer to simply play through all the stages. Optional side-quests are also available from these stages, for instance, using Tails to fly the Tornado plane; side-quests will be the only time characters other than Sonic will be playable.

Bosses[]

No. Name Level Character
1 Egg Cauldron Tornado Defense Act 1 Sonic
2 Egg Beetle Mazuri Sonic
3 Dark Gaia Phoenix Chun-nan Werehog
4 Egg Devil Ray Spagonia Sonic
5 Dark Moray Holoska Werehog
6 Dark Guardian Shamar Werehog
7 Egg Lancer Adabat Sonic
8 Egg Cauldron Tornado Defense Act 2 Sonic
9 Egg Dragoon Eggmanland Werehog
10 Dark Gaia N/A Sonic
11 Perfect Dark Gaia N/A Super Sonic

Development[]

Background[]

Ever since its debut in 1991, the Sonic the Hedgehog series has been one of Sega's flagship franchises, and its eponymous protagonist became the company's mascot and one of the most recognizeable characters of all time. A variety of games were released for Sega's Mega Drive and Game Gear, but did not see as many releases for the Saturn. Two games, Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) were released for Sega's Dreamcast and helped compensate for the lack of Sonic titles on its predecessor.[14]

In early 2001, after the failure of the Dreamcast, Sega went third-party. In 2003, the first multiplatform Sonic game, Sonic Heroes, was released to mixed reviews. 2005 saw the release of Shadow the Hedgehog, which was negatively received due to the tone contrasting that of previous games. In 2006, the series' reputation plummeted with the release of the highly-anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog (or simply Sonic '06), which was critically panned by fans and the press alike.[14] Other games, like Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic Rivals and Sonic Riders, all released in 2006 too, were not received with much enthusiasm either.

Conception and Hedgehog Engine[]

As early as 2005, Sonic Team had conceived a new installment for the Sonic Adventure series,[15] initially given the working name Sonic World Adventure, but development for the game started to kick off after the release of Sonic '06. Deciding to learn from their mistakes, Sega gave the developers of this new title no schedule for release.[14] The game was internally developed by Sonic Team,[1] and Yoshihisa Hashimoto, previously a big fan of the franchise, served as director. Sonic Team was in turn split into two halves: one would make the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 release of the game, while the other would co-develop a Wii/PlayStation 2 release alongside Dimps.[11]

The team spent three years of development working on a 3D engine that would allow for much better graphics than those from previous games, particularly Sonic '06. Particle effects, colors, and animation speed were prioritized above all else. The new engine was dubbed the "Hedgehog Engine" and would be used for the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game.[14]

Gameplay[]

SonicUnleashedConcept1

An early sketch of what would become Sonic the Werehog, one of the major parts of the gameplay of Sonic Unleashed.

During the writing of the story, Hashimoto realized that it would be useless to have so many ideas for the project and thus decided to make Sonic the sole playable character. This led to multiple arguments with his fellows, but the decision was eventually accepted. However, Hashimoto tried to go further than that to not disappoint fans and especially younger players; while making some sketches with the game's art director, Sachiko Kawamura, he wanted to "implement a stimulating element". And based on that, they wanted to make Sonic "a little wilder than usual". He added that they worked to give him a "special ability" emerging from the note that, if Sonic uses his legs and runs fast, it would be fun to have someone use their hands for a powerful and light action. Thus, they came up with the idea of the Werehog to contrast with the normal Sonic, although they knew that such concept may collide with mixed reception from fans early in development.[14][16] The gameplay was then divided into two: Sonic's stages, which would feature high-speed gameplay, and the Werehog's, which would introduce fighting mechanics and platforming. It was then decided to change the game's name to Sonic Unleashed to support the Werehog feature,[14][17] though in Japan, the title would still be called Sonic World Adventure.

One of the main objections that the producer Yoshihisa Hashimoto had alongside the development of the game were ways to avoid having the game "on-rails" like in the past titles, but still maintaining an interactive feel while presenting vigorousness and sense of speed. This intention lead to eclectic actions; the implementation of moves such as the Quick Step, the Drift, the Stomp, and the Boost (the latter carried out from Sonic Rush); and additions of objects that change paths depending on the correctness of the button input (which would become the Real-Time Interactions).[18] The Quick Step idea was drawn from the fact that usually, the player moves in a 3D gameplay using the Left-Analog-Stick, but since it is analogue, it limits the user's move to linear directions, so it would be difficult to let them run non-stop within a complicated 3D environment by the Left-Analog-Stick alone. Thereby, a system that allows Sonic to move quickly and avoid the obstacles was needed and that was when the technique was brought.[19] Another concept that Hashimoto sought for was to make "more than two Rings make little difference in the game play", and so, the "Ring Energy" concept was created, in which the collection of Rings is awarded with the ability to use the Boost for longer.[19] Additionally, due to Sonic being much faster than he was in previous titles, each action stage was conceptualized to be as long as 10 to 20 kilometers.[19]

Art direction[]

Unleashed dev 009

The light reflection on Sonic in different Town Stages, and Sonic's mouth placement.

In term of model design, the art director, Kawamura, looked at redesigning the Sonic character model, aiming to create the "ideal" Sonic that fans around the world would recognize. She tried to find a balance between the modern design of Sonic and his classic appearance in the original titles. One of the many noticeable changes to the Sonic model was the placement of his mouth, which appeared on the side of his face when used in cutscenes to resemble the look of the original model art for the character, rather than the center as had become the norm in previous 3D games, though the "usual sub characters" were excluded from that change. As for the design of the levels, each was based on a real life locale, stemming from the idea of "what if Sonic were in the real world?" Even though its cues were taken from reality, the game still strove to be more cartoony than the previous effort, with human designs gaining a caricaturist look to them drawn by Gurihiru.[18]

Promotional[]

MiniUnleashCar

A Smart Car promoting Sonic Unleashed in the streets of Britain before its release.

The title was first brought to public attention when the Sonic Unleashed name was trademarked by Sega on March 12, 2008.[20] Screenshots of cut scenes, artwork, and a video were leaked ten days later;[21] the title was then officially confirmed by Sega on April 3 with a small selection of screenshots and an updated video.

Initially, it was stated that Sonic Unleashed was to be intended solely as a single-player experience, and would not offer any multiplayer or online modes.[13] This was then cast into doubt when references to online modes were alluded to around E3 2008, but a later interview re-iterated that Sonic Unleashed would have no online modes at all. A demo was available on the PlayStation Store and on Xbox Live near the game's full release.

Cast[]

Role English voice actor Japanese voice actor
Sonic the Hedgehog Jason Griffith Jun'ichi Kanemaru
Sonic the Werehog Tomokazu Seki
Chip Tony Salerno Ryōko Shiraishi
Amy Rose Lisa Ortiz Taeko Kawata
Miles "Tails" Prower Amy Palant Ryō Hirohashi
Professor Pickle Dan Green Chō
Dr. Eggman Mike Pollock Chikao Ōtsuka
SA-55 Christopher Collet Mitsuo Iwata
Additional voices N/A Tamotsu Nishiwaki
Yoshiyuki Kaneko
Noboru Yamaguchi
Eisuke Asakura
Etsuko Kato
Go Shinomiya
Tomo Adachi
Miho Hino

Soundtrack[]

Planetarypieces

The cover of Planetary Pieces.

The soundtrack of Sonic Unleashed was released as the album Planetary Pieces. The game's theme song is "Endless Possibility" sung by Jaret Reddick. The themes of the various continents are developed with the culture of each region in mind. Each stage features instruments that are synonymous to the real-world area that the levels are based on, with the exception of Eggmanland, which uses synthesizers to emulate the industrial theme. The ending theme, "Dear My Friend," is about the brief but touching friendship between Sonic and Chip. The game's orchestral theme, "The World Adventure" plays during the title screen and the credits, and is used as a leitmotif throughout the game. Most of the soundtrack was composed by Tomoya Ohtani, who had previously composed the soundtracks of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Rush Adventure. The orchestral tracks were performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Adaptations[]

Archie Comics[]

Archie Comics stated that they had plans for an adaption of Sonic Unleashed,[22] and made one a few months later. The adaption was simply titled "Sonic Unleashed" and featured the scene where Super Sonic changes into the Werehog, but with some minor changes, such as the Gaia Manuscripts never being mentioned and Chip being nowhere to be seen. Following the reboot of the series that occurred at the end of the Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide crossover, the new continuity quickly introduced an adaptation of Sonic Unleashed to the main storyline as opposed to the non-canon previous adapt. Again a number of changes took place:

A Japanese magazine has also released a manga adaption of Sonic Unleashed. This manga was the first sighting of Chip. Close to the game's release, Sega revealed a trailer for an upcoming short animated film tilted Sonic: Night of the Werehog. The film, starring Sonic and Chip, has no dialogue, except for two instances where Sonic says "whoa" and "oops." The film is about 10 minutes long and was released in November 2008 alongside the game.

Trophies/Achievements[]

These are the trophies and achievements for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360versions of Sonic Unleashed.

Icon Name Description Requirement Trophy Class Gamescore
AcePilot Ace Pilot Pull off some flawless flying Finish Tornado Defense Act 1 with 100% Health.
PSN Trophy Silver
20
Airdevil2 Airdevil Improve your Air Boost! Use the Air Boost for the first time
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
AlmostThere2 Almost There Save the fifth continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
Basherr Basher Get your Werehog level up Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 5.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
BFFsa BFF's Become better friends with Chip Feed Chip a lot of food.
PSN Trophy Silver
20
BlueMeteor Blue Meteor Dash through the white walls at top speed Finish Windmill Isle Act 2 in under 2'35".
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
BlueStreaky Blue Streak Create an unbeatable Hedgehog Max out Sonic The Hedgehog's stats.
PSN Trophy Silver
30
ComboKingg Combo King Work on your combos Accumulate 10,000 total Combos
PSN Trophy Silver
20
Crasherh Crasher Get your Werehog level up even higher! Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 15.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
CreatureOfTheNightt Creature of the Night Get a high score with Sonic the Werehog Get an S-Rank for the first time with Sonic the Werehog
PSN Trophy Bronze
15
DayTrippery Day Tripper Race through all stages Complete all daytime Stages.
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
ExoticToppingsy Exotic Toppings Eat all the hot dogs in Mazuri. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Mazuri.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
TROP040 First Time Customer Buy something from Wentos. Buy a product from the Traveling Salesman Wentos Shop.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
FriedClamRollji Fried Clam Roll Eat all the hot dogs in Adabat. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Adabat.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
FullMoonr Full Moon Collect all of the Moon Medals.
PSN Trophy Silver
50
GetOnTheExorciseBandewagon Get on the Exorcise Bandwagon Drive dark spirits away Exorcise all the possessed townspeople
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
GettingTheHangOfThiyngs Getting the Hang of Things Get a high score with Sonic the Hedgehog Get an S-Rank for the first time with Sonic the Hedgehog.
PSN Trophy Bronze
15
GyroWithRelishy Gyro with Relish Eat all the hot dogs in Apotos. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Apotos.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
HalfMoon Half Moon Collect half of the Moon Medals
PSN Trophy Silver
30
HardBoiled Hard Boiled Eat all the hot dogs in Eggmanland. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Eggmanland.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
HardDay'sNight Hard Day's Night Blast through all stages Complete all nighttime stages.
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
HedgeHunk Hedgehunk Talk with people in the pursuit of love Complete all missions for Louie Montaine and Ana.
PSN Trophy Bronze
5
HelpingHand Helping Hand Help someone in need Complete all missions for a townsperson.
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
HungryHungryHedgehog Hungry Hungry Hedgehog Eat everything in the world Buy all the world's food, including one of each hotdog and Wentos' special food.
PSN Trophy Silver
30
HyperDrive Hyperdrive Improve your Lightspeed Dash! Light Speed Dash for the first time.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
IAin'tAfraidOfNoGhost I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost Someone is dealing with spectral troubles Help Marcantonio in Spagonia and Adabat.
PSN Trophy Bronze
5
IcedHotdog Iced Hotdog Eat all the hot dogs in Holoska. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Holoska.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
KebabOnABun Kebab on a Bun Eat all the hot dogs in Shamar. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Shamar.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
KetchupAndMustard Ketchup and Mustard Eat all the hot dogs in Empire City. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Empire City.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
KnockoutBrawler Knockout Brawler Smash, smash, and smash some more Defeat 1,000 enemies.
PSN Trophy Silver
20
Lay The Smackdown Lay the Smackdown Improve your Stomp! Use Stomp for the first time
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
LookingBetter Looking Better Save the second continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
OhYouShouldn'tHave Oh, You Shouldn't Have! Give a souvenir to the Professor.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
OneMoreToGo One More to Go Save the sixth continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
PartlyCloudy Partly Cloudy Collect half of the Sun Medals
PSN Trophy Silver
30
Picking-up-the-pieces-ps3-trophy-21298.jpg Picking Up The Pieces Save the fourth continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
TROP032 Pig in a Blanket Eat all the hot dogs in Spagonia. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Spagonia.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
PowerOverwhelming Power Overwhelming Create an unbeatable Werehog Max out Sonic The Werehog's stats
PSN Trophy Silver
30
RingLeader Ring Leader Gather Rings from all over the world Accumulate 5,000 Rings.
PSN Trophy Silver
20
TROP034 Sausage Fried Rice Eat all the hot dogs in Chun-nan. Clear all Don Fachio missions in Chun-nan.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
Smasher Smasher Get your Werehog level up some more! Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 10.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
TROP025 Social Butterfly Talk to people around the world Speak with all 100 townspeople, including each Hotdog vendor.
PSN Trophy Silver
30
SpeedingTicket Speeding Ticket Become the fastest thing alive Complete Arid Sands Act 1 in under 2'50".
PSN Trophy Silver
20
StillAJigsawPuzzle Still a Jigsaw Puzzle Save the third continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
StillBroken Still Broken Save the first continent.
PSN Trophy Bronze
25
Sunny Sunny Collect all of the Sun Medals.
PSN Trophy Silver
50
That'sEnoughSeriously That's Enough, Seriously Give every souvenir to the Professor.
PSN Trophy Bronze
20
Thrasher Thrasher Get your Werehog level way up there! Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 20.
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
WallCrawler Wall Crawler Improve your Wall Jump! Wall jump for the first time
PSN Trophy Bronze
10
WorldSavior World Savior Complete the game.
PSN Trophy Gold
100
OneHundredclear 100% Clear This is the platinum trophy and is unlocked automatically when all of the other trophies have been unlocked. (PS3 only)
PSN Trophy Platinum
N/A

Downloadable content[]

In 2008, when the game was released to public, the game seemed to not have any downloadable content planned to release for it, evidenced by the back cover of both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 cases that do not mention that the game supports downloadable content (although it was not even corrected later in the best-seller prints).

On 12 March 2009, the first DLC pack was released for the Xbox 360, with "Chun-nan Adventure pack" name on it; the expansion includes four new daytime stages and two new Nighttime stages for the said country. A frame rate patch was also included to fix frame rate issues on areas and levels in the game such as the hub-worlds and Adabat. The package cost $3.13 USD to download for the Xbox 360 and $1.99 USD on the PlayStation 3, while the frame rate patch comes free. On 26 March 2009, an additional expansion was released called the "Spagonia Adventure Pack". Just like the pack before it, it contains four new daytime stages and two new nighttime stages. Later, a "Holoska Adventure Pack" and a "Mazuri Adventure Pack" were released on 9 April 2009 and 30 April 2009 respectively, also containing four daytime stages and two nighttime stages. On 21 May 2009, another DLC Pack was released including extra levels for Apotos and Shamar, including five daytime levels and four nighttime levels between the both of them. In 11 June 2009, yet another DLC pack was released that included extra levels for Empire City, and Adabat, including five daytime levels and four nighttime levels between the both of them, and it was also said to be the last DLC content for Sonic Unleashed. On 2 April 2009 the "Chun-nan Adventure Pack" was released for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network, with all other DLC from the Xbox 360 Version were released to PSN later on.

Reception[]

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
Metacritic 60% (X360)[23]
54% (PS3)[24]
Review scores
Publication Score
Eurogamer 4/10 (X360)[25]
Game Informer 6/10 (X360)
GameSpot 3.5/10 (X360)[26]
IGN 4.5/10[27]
VideoGamer 6/10 (X360)[28]

Initial anticipation when the first media for Sonic Unleashed was revealed was high, as the demonstration videos hinted at a possible return of Sonic to his traditional platforming roots, especially after the decrease in the series' popularity and critical success after Sonic's transition to three-dimensional gameplay and a number of poorly received titles in the franchise that preceded it, such as the 2006 games Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis. However, critical reception to Sonic Unleashed was mixed, with Metacritic aggregate scores of 54% and 60% for the PlayStation 3[24] and Xbox 360[23] versions, respectively. GameSpot gave the game a 3.5 out of 10.[26] The added element of motion controls for the Werehog sections, as well as text-based hub worlds and better Werehog level design and camera system, were reasons cited for the higher review scores for the Wii version of the game, though a few review websites, such as 1Up.com, gave the Wii version a lower score than its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts.

Positive elements of Unleashed remarked upon by reviews include the environments, such as the "postcard-perfect architecture" and the graphics, with stages looking "absolutely gorgeous" and being "very pretty and lovingly animated", with one reviewer comparing them to a playable Pixar film. Praise was given to the technical competence of SEGA's new Hedgehog Engine as a whole on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, with "bright cartoonish graphics that fly by without. The soundtrack to the game was also praised as being an improvement on more recent installments in the series; use of an orchestral score, rather than rock as in more recent games, was appreciated.

An overwhelmingly negative reaction was given by critics to the Werehog concept and corresponding night-time sections, which contributed greatly to the lower-than-expected review scores. Complaints stemmed from the game's change of speed, from high-speed daytime sections to the slower, night-time sections; the "pace-breaking combat levels" were described as "plodding," as well as "lethargic" and "combat-heavy." Further to the change of pace, the new style of gameplay that accompanies the night-time levels was widely criticized, involving "frustrating" platform elements and combat described as not "terribly interesting" and "boring," some reviewers felt that the Werehog as a concept did not mix well with the daylight areas and traditional Sonic gameplay; GamePro's review described them as "dreadfully out-of-place", while IGN stated that they have "nothing to do with Sonic whatsoever," feeling that the Werehog was "being slapped on" to the Sonic experience.

In stark contrast to the Werehog sections, many reviewers found the daytime stages to be enjoyable, especially the "exhilarating" sense of speed they provide; with "the most satisfying gameplay of any Sonic title in years," the game "perfectly captures the feel of classic Sonic." Many also enjoyed the mixture of, and transition between, 2D and 3D sections. Indeed, many reviewers remarked that they would have appreciated the game more had it comprised solely of, and expanded upon, the daytime stages. However, GameSpot's reviews argued that the controls were "unresponsive" in the daytime levels and that most of them were "horribly designed."[26]

Aside from the Werehog levels, further aspects of the game were criticized, contributing to the mixed review scores. The quests that players must undertake in hub-towns were described as "inane" and "tedious," where "figuring out what happens next involves aimlessly wandering through towns and speaking to citizens, only to discover that most of them don't know what we're looking for." The story and overall tone of the game, including the new character Chip, were criticized, some remarking that it was too juvenile, or comparable to that of a Saturday morning cartoon. Most reviewers also felt that the English voice acting for characters was poor. Some fans however feel that this is one of Jason Griffith's best roles as Sonic in a long time.

Despite the initial lukewarm-to-negative reception from critics, Sonic Unleashed has sold 2.45 million copies worldwide as of Sega's 2009 fiscal year before selling over 5 million copies as of 2012, making it one of the highest selling Sonic games of all time.[29] The game has garnered over the years and gained a cult classic-like status among Sonic fans, a sentiment that would later be reflected in IGN's 2022 staff picks of the best Sonic games in the series, with Sonic Unleashed ranking at number 10.[30][31]

Trivia[]

  • Sonic Unleashed was originally going to be titled Sonic Adventure 3, until the team decided to make this game more focused on Sonic.
  • This is the penultimate main series Sonic game to feature the 4Kids Entertainment voice cast (except for Mike Pollock).
  • Sonic Unleashed is the third Sonic game to receive a rating of E10+ from the ESRB.
  • The game's art direction and cut-scenes are widely inspired by animations of the Pixar Animation Studios, which explains why the humans have a cartoony appearance in contrast to the anime-styled or realistic looks from the previous games.
  • A PC port of the game was planned but later scrapped for unknown reasons. However, some ported files can be found in the PC version of Sonic Generations, such as button hints at loading screens, images of purchasable goodies, Sonic and Werehog life icons, and an uncompleted renderer which is capable of rendering directional shadows.
SonicUnleashedLenticular

Unused lenticular covers.

  • The cover artwork was originally going to use lenticular printing to have Sonic turn into the Werehog. For unknown reasons, the idea was scrapped and the two were split in half instead.[32]
  • In previous years, it was rumoured that the lead actor Jason Griffith was sick during his recording sessions and recent confirmed in a 2023 panel.
  • Between the HD games, the PlayStation 3 version runs faster at 60fps rather than a capped 30fps, but still retains the same frame rate dips as the Xbox 360. However several instances run much smoother on PlayStation 3, such as The daytime Windmill Isle and Cool Edge stages and the Tornado Defense stage. Certain special effects such as Sonic's speed dust particles are also enhanced on PlayStation 3, though miscellaneous details such as windmills in the distance are missing. Character models are very slightly enriched on the PlayStation 3, while the Xbox 360 employs smoother shading. The transition between day and night was also changed to be a silent screen showing the Sun and Moon medals for the PlayStation 3 version rather than Sonic's transformation. Between the SD games, the Wii version is generally regarded as graphically superior, as the PlayStation 2 version has fewer polygons and dimmer lighting. However the PlayStation 2 version has far more responsive controls than the Wii, as the Wii version suffers from 8 directional movement (a common issue with Sonic’s GameCube and Wii ports), basic punches with the werehog also requires you to hop between two buttons, while PS2 only requires one button.
    • With the FPS Boost support for the Xbox Series X/S, the framerate for the Xbox 360 version is now a capped 60fps when enabled.
  • Sonic's model in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game is made up of 19,887 visible polygons, or "tris", which made it the most high-definition model of Sonic until Sonic Forces.
  • When booting up the PlayStation 3 version of this game, some of Sonic's sprites from Sonic the Hedgehog are used before the Sega motto loads up. This happens again in Sonic Generations.
  • The trophy/achievement, "I ain't afraid of no ghosts," is a reference to the Ghostbusters' theme song.
  • This is the first Sonic game where Sonic can collect at least 1,000 or more rings in a stage (daytime), as other games' ring cap limit is 999.
  • Though it is the first 3D game to use the Boost, it is actually the third main game in the series to use it overall; following Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure.
  • In the opening cinematic, a Dreamcast console can be spotted when Eggman pushes the button to fire the laser. It is seen again later when the Egg Dragoon is defeated. In the cutscene where Sonic loses his Werehog transformation, a Dreamcast can be seen to the left of Eggman. The Dreamcast also makes an appearance in the scene after the Egg Dragoon is defeated; when Eggman is seen attempting to command Dark Gaia to destroy Sonic, the Dreamcast, along with a controller and a game case (with Dr. Eggman's 2D art for Sonic Rush as the cover) can be seen to the right of Eggman.
  • In the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, in the nighttime Spagonia HUB to the right in a small lane, a person in the shower can be heard whistling the theme from the teaser trailer.
  • This is the first game in the main series to be known by a different name in Japan, where it goes by the name Sonic World Adventure. The next is Sonic Generations, which was given subtitles based on the consoles it was released on.
  • This is the first Sonic game from the main console series since Sonic Adventure not to have Crush 40 perform the theme song.
  • This is the first main series game to not feature Knuckles the Echidna since Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and the first console game to not feature Shadow the Hedgehog since Sonic Adventure 2.
    • It's worth noting that they were planned to appear in the game, but were later scrapped.
  • There are some level segments that are not used in the game's final version, though they can still be accessed in the Xbox 360 version of the game with glitches. These areas were later recycled as levels for the DLC Adventure Packs. A number of changes were also made in these areas, which can be seen by people not owning the DLC and using the Werehog's combo trick to access them:
    • Jungle Joyride Act 1 (Night): After the Goal Ring in Jungle Joyride's main Night stage, there is a sealed door. By using the wall-walking glitch, it is possible to cross through this door. There is a large, unused, empty chamber within. If accessed from the ghost mission instead of the main level, the door will be open, and there will be objects inside. There is a tree which can be knocked down and used as a bridge, floating platforms, and switches that raise the water level. The platforms and the kill zone raise, but the room's unique water level puzzle is clearly unfinished- the water graphics remain in place. At the top of the room, there is a door. Beyond the door is an ornately detailed chamber containing the original Goal Ring.
    • Arid Sands Act 1 (Night): After the Goal Ring in Arid Sands' main Night stage, there is a sealed door. By jumping onto it from a well-positioned water barrel and using the uppercut, followed by the midair PSTriangleButtonPSTriangleButtonCross/XboxYXboxYXboxA combo, the player can fall into an unused canyon area. It's empty, but the player can open the sealed door from the other side. The player must bring water barrels to the bottom of the chasm, stack them, and perform an uppercut-grab to go on. There is a huge chunk of level which is empty. Inside it is, among other things, two pillars the player can knock down which don't appear elsewhere. Eventually, they will reach a pit, which cannot be crossed without objects to bridge the gap. Beyond it is a fairly large stretch of level that leads up to the Gaia Temple.
    • The Nighttime levels of Skyscraper Scamper and Dragon Road also contain such areas. The former also has a javelin throwing gameplay gimmick for the Werehog, which was never finished entirely and therefore does not function properly. This gameplay gimmick was never recycled for the area's corresponding Adventure Pack DLC either, and was left unfinished. It can be found in the mission called 'Play It Cool'.
  • Tails, Amy and Professor Pickle do not seem to have been affected by Dark Gaia. The Professor even remarks that he knows his assistant is affected by Dark Gaia, and that he must do something to help him.
  • The manual incorrectly states that the L2/R2 // Xbox-Button-LT/Xbox-Button-RT are not used in the day stages, but they are used to perform the Sonic Drift.
    • It is also stated in the day stages section of the manual that if Sonic doesn't reach the goal within 10 minutes, he'll lose a life. This isn't true in the game itself, meaning the player can take as much time as needed to clear a day stage. This is a reference to the classic Sonic games and also Sonic the Hedgehog 4, where the player has to finish each act within ten minutes.
  • One cutscene contains a reference to the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog CD. The cutscene plays after the first exorcism of the game. During the cutscene, Sonic (in his Werehog form) is seen carefully putting Amy on the ground after having saved her, with her eyes closed, then quickly leaving by swinging across buildings when she opens her eyes and turns to look at him. Much like how in the ending of Sonic CD, he put Amy on the ground, and then, while her eyes were still closed, he carefully backed away and then ran off just as she opened her eyes.
  • In the Xbox 360 version, after Perfect Dark Gaia is defeated and the earth is returning to normal, Chip says "Sonic, You must live." while the subtitles say "Sonic, You have to live.".
  • This is the only Sonic game where Sonic never loses the Chaos Emeralds throughout the game.
  • On the official website, the rating in the trailer showed is E10+ but the audio is the "E for everyone" rating clip.
  • In the Android and iOS versions of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, there is a mission called "Sonic Unleashed" where the player plays as Sonic to destroy wolf-like robots, referencing Sonic's Werehog form.
  • In the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 version, there are two trophies/achievements named after songs from the British band The Beatles.
  • This is the final main series Sonic game on the PlayStation 2, as well as the last Sonic game to be released on a 6th generation console.
  • This is the second game to have a different level entrance screen than the rest of the Sonic games. The first was Sonic Adventure.
  • In the demo version of Sonic Unleashed on the Xbox 360, the game will read Sonic World Adventure, the Japanese title and list a Japanese URL.
  • For some reason, when Eggman split the earth open, none of the oceans and water fell into the core.
  • Dr. Eggman's artwork for this game has the same pose as his artwork in Sonic Channel.
  • If the player looks around "BONNY'S KITCHEN" in the Empire City HUB closely enough, there is a magazine named "WORLD TREASURE" on the cover that appears to be Shamar.
  • The trophy/achievement "Pig in a blanket" is a reference to a traditional European snack of the same name, consisting of sausage wrapped in bacon.
  • In the cutscene "A New Journey" when Sonic looks around after the fall, if one looks at the Chaos Emeralds in the shot, they will see the purple emerald has still got its color.
  • As of December 2009, Sonic Unleashed was labeled as an "Xbox 360 Platinum Hit" and has the "Xbox 360 Family Games" label after selling over three million copies. It was labeled as an “Xbox 360 Classics” title in PAL regions. Although Sonic Unleashed did not sell well enough to become a "PS3 Greatest Hits" title in the NTSC region, it sold enough copies in the PAL region to become a "PS3 Essentials" title.
  • The daytime level theme for Savannah Citadel has a similar melody to the opening of the end credits medley for Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit).
  • This game shared a few things in common with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess:
    • Both the main characters turned into a wolf-like being in numerous points in their respective game (Link becomes a wolf when he's in the Twilight Realm and Sonic becomes a Werehog at night)
    • Both main characters were accompanied by a small flying supporting character who is important to the storyline (Midna for Link and Chip for Sonic).
    • Both games have a character who suffered amnesia (Ilia and Chip)
    • Both games have a major antagonist alongside the series overall antagonist (Zant/Ganondorf and Dark Gaia/Eggman). The difference being that Zant is the penultimate boss before Ganondorf while Dark Gaia is the final boss after Eggman.
  • This game contains one of the highest polygon counts for a Sonic model in the entire series, with the said model reaching 19,887 tries, 19,887 faces and 10,389 verts.[33]

Videos[]

Trailers[]

Commercials[]

References[]

[1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Unleash the Beast". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future US) (29): 37. "With Sonic Unleashed being developed internally by Sonic Team (no matter what you might heard elsewhere about the game being spread across American and European development teams)"
  2. Sarkar, Samit (April 3, 2008). Sega confirms Sonic Unleashed: I’m trying really hard not to use a pun here. Destructoid. Retrieved on November 24, 2022. "Sega: Along with seamless 3D to classic 2D camera transitions, the game is built on a powerful, new proprietary "Hedgehog Engine," which introduces impressive lighting abilities and new technology tailor made for Sonic’s new speed capabilities."
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sonic Unleashed. GameSpot UK. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011.
  4. Thorson, Tor (December 8, 2008). Shippin' Out Dec. 7-13: Persona 4, POP PC. GameSpot.
  5. Sonic Unleashed. PlayStation.
  6. Sonic Unleashed. Xbox Marketplace.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360) United States instruction booklet, pg. 4.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360) United States instruction booklet, pg. 6.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360) United States instruction booklet, pg. 8.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Sonic Unleashed 28–31. Imagine Publishing (July 2008). Archived from the original on September 13, 2008.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Torres, Ricardo (May 16, 2008). Sonic Unleashed Interview 1 (Flash). GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved on August 17, 2022.
  12. "Effe langs bij Sega in Tokio" (in Dutch). Power Unlimited (HUB) 175. July 2008. "Zo liet men een level in China zien waarbij de blauwe egel over een sport van Chinese muur rende, maar ook een level in New York waar. Sonic voomamelijk door de lucht ploeterde tussen wolkenkrabbers [For example, a level in China was shown where the blue hedgehog ran over a rung of the Great Wall of China, but also a level in New York where. Sonic mainly plodded through the air between skyscrapers]"
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Sonic Unleashed". Nintendo Power (Future Publishing): 67–69. August 2008.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "History". The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Les Editions Pix'n Love. September 6, 2013. ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9.
  15. Robinson, Andy (9 April 2008). Sonic Unleashed "has no relation" to Sonic 360/PS3. Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved on April 13, 2008.
  16. Sterling, Jim (December 2, 2008). Destructoid interview: Sonic Unleashed. Destructoid. Retrieved on August 21, 2016.
  17. ArchangelUK (June 10, 2008). Sonic World Adventure. Sega Blog. Sega. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. Retrieved on June 13, 2008.
  18. 18.0 18.1 SEGA_SonicUnleashed (December 2, 2008). Blog by SEGA_SonicUnleashed-IGN. IGN. Retrieved on August 21, 2016.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Sonic Unleashed Dev Diary #2- Yoshihisa Hashimoto. Sega Blog. Sega (October 31, 2008). Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved on June 3, 2017.
  20. McWhertor, Michael (March 12, 2008). Sonic Unleashed Trademarked By Sega. Kotaku. Retrieved on March 12, 2008.
  21. SEGA ON (March 22, 2008). Leak: Erste Sonic Unleashed Screens?. Retrieved on March 22, 2008.
  22. "Sonic-Grams". Sonic X (Archie Comics) (33). June 9, 2008.
  23. 23.0 23.1 Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on November 30, 2008.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Sonic Unleashed for PlayStation 3 Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on December 15, 2008.
  25. Whitehead, Dan (November 28, 2008). Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on January 25, 2010.
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 McShea, Tom (December 6, 2008). Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Review. GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved on December 9, 2008.
  27. Casamassina, Matt (December 3, 2008). Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Review. IGN. Retrieved on December 12, 2008.
  28. Orry, Tom (November 8, 2008). Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Review. VideoGamer.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2008.
  29. Oliver, Tristan (May 18, 2009). Sonic Unleashed Sega’s 3rd Best Seller. TSSZ News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  30. The 10 Best Sonic Games. IGN (July 15, 2022). Retrieved on August 8, 2022.
  31. Appendix of consolidated Financial Statements Year Ended March 31, 2009. SegaSammy (May 13, 2009). Retrieved on August 8, 2022.
  32. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Jemp8nUs3/
  33. Collins, Andy (April 22, 2017). Sonic The Hedgehog - Low Poly (Evolution of Characters in Games) - Episode 2. YouTube. A+Start. Retrieved on September 20, 2022. "Andy Collins: As polarizing as this game can be, it's actually got one of the most well made Sonic models in the entire series. It's made of a staggering 19,887 tries, making it the highest polygon count Sonic model to this day. No other Sonic model even comes close to this amount of tries."

External links[]

Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3)

Main article · Script · Credits · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery
Sonic the Hedgehog console mainline games

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