Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Unleashed, also known as Sonic World Adventure in Japan, is an video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the third Sonic game with the rating of E+10 (fourth, counting SEGA Superstars) developed by Sonic Team Japan and published by Sega for multiple platforms. The game follows Sonic the Hedgehog as he attempts to restore the world to normal after his nemesis, Doctor Eggman, splits the world's continents into pieces with a powerful new ray weapon and the power of the Chaos Emeralds, as well as his struggles with his new beast form generated by the corrupted Emeralds, Sonic the Werehog. Whilst incorporating Sonic's traditional platforming and trademark speed, the gameplay style for this game is notably different, focusing on 2D side-scrolling platform gameplay rendered with 3D visuals, as well as behind-the-back, third-person stages; gameplay seamlessly transitions between these two styles.

Gameplay


Gameplay primarily consists of two modes: 2D side-scrolling platform gameplay, rendered with 3D visuals (as found in the Sonic Rush and Sonic Rivals series), with seamless shifts to behind-the-back, third-person stages. Concepts returning from past games include Sonic's trademark high-speed gameplay, as well as improved lock-on for automatically targeting and hitting enemies. Sliding across the ground also returns, and a new feature, Speed Drift allows Sonic to slide around a corner at high speed. Players will also be able to perform a new side-step maneuver known as Quick Step, allowing Sonic to instantly dodge obstacles to the left or right. As the player goes through the game, and Sonic gains more experience points, Sonic is able to upgrade to gain new abilities.

An on-screen Ring Energy meter can be filled by collecting rings, which is used to activate a temporary speed increase known as Sonic Boost, during which time the camera uses a fish-eye effect and motion blur; hitting enemies and obstacles will reduce the meter. Action Chaining allows the player to collect energy more quickly, by collecting rings faster or by stringing together sets of actions, including button input sequences, some of which will be in midair. Repeated action chains will allow the player to perform special moves or access different routes in the level. Shield pick-ups from previous games will make a return, protecting Sonic from various hazards.

During night sections of the game, Sonic transforms to his alternate Werehog form, and gameplay shifts from fast-paced action to a slower, more platform-oriented style of gameplay. The Werehog form allows Sonic a great deal of strength, and gameplay involves smashing enemies and destructible environments, whilst his stretchy arms will allow him to reach high platforms and perform special attacks. The Ring Energy meter changes to two bars, Unleashed and Vitality; the Vitality bar acts as a health bar and replenishes by collecting rings, whilst the Unleashed bar activates with a button to increase attack strength, decrease vitality loss from enemy attacks, and enables special moves, and replenishes by defeating enemies, and defeating enemies.

Levels
Nine levels exist in the game on seven continents, all of which are based on real-world locations. Each stage is place on a different continent on Earth. These locations include:


 * Apotos (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 Mykonos.
 * Mazuri (Savannah Citadel): The sandy, desert-like level inspired by Africa . This is present in the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 versions as a hub world, day, and night stages, on the Wii and PS2 version it is only playable for the boss Egg Beetle and as a map page.
 * Spagonia (Rooftop Run): A level influenced by western European architecture.
 * Holoska (Cool Edge): An icy location, probably based on Antarctica or the North and South Poles.
 * Chun-Nan (Dragon Road): A level inspired by China. It includes a run along what looks like the Great Wall.
 * Shamar (Arid Sands): A stage designed to resemble a Middle Eastern desert landscape.
 * Empire City (Skyscraper Scamper): A location based on New York City where Sonic is shown to run between skyscrapers. This stage is not available on the Wii and PS2 version, it's with [wikipedia:New York City Police Department|NYPD].
 * Adabat (Jungle Joyride): A level inspired by Angkor and Southeastern Asia themes. It contains many flowing rivers and high cliffs.
 * Eggmanland: Eggman's empire, based on an island near the fifth continent. The stage is combination of an amusement park and a factory.

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, whilst no stage will last for more than five minutes. 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 will easily be able to advance time manually during the areas allowing either form, should they prefer one or the other.

The game will also feature town stages, or "hub-worlds", that are set in the same environments as the action stages, and players will be able to walk around the environment freely and speak to townspeople, even gaining items from them. However, this "overworld" can be completely ignored, should the player prefer to simply play through all the stages. Optional side-quests will also be 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.

Plot
Sonic Unleashed begins describing the end of an untold story which sees Sonic confronting his nemesis, Doctor Eggman, bounding around a fleet of spaceships, and transforming to Super Sonic - Sonic transformed using the power of the Chaos Emeralds - in order to stop him, destroying Eggman`s mech and knocking Eggman himself to the ground. As a trap, Eggman pretends to plea for mercy. When Sonic is close enough, he activates his laser, 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 Sonic. After the laser is charged, Eggman fires it 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, landing on top of a flying dog-like creature whom Sonic names Chip. The resulting impact causes Chip to lose his memory (which Sonic thinks is his fault). Sonic then goes across the seven broken continents to restore the Emeralds, help Chip with his amnesia, and reseal Dark Gaia. Due to a recent leak of a guide, it has been proven 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; 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. Dark Gaia becomes complete, yet Sonic and Chip defeat Final Dark Gaia, with Chip being left behind in the center of the earth, while Chip throws Sonic back up to the surface of earth. Chip's necklace is found on the ground after Sonic wakes up. Sonic then picks it up and puts on the necklace as a bracelet.

Characters
While these characters have been confirmed to appear in the game, Sonic is the only playable character during the main action stages. However, optional mini-games are available, during which time another character will be used in order to complete them. Tails will also be able to control the Tornado plane in missions similar to that of Sonic Adventure and that is played in the PS3 and XBOX 360 version.


 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Super Sonic
 * Sonic the Werehog
 * Chip/Light Gaia
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Doctor Eggman
 * Amy Rose
 * Dark Gaia
 * Professor Pickle

Development
The development of Sonic Unleashed was announced in April 2008. Unleashed was originally intended to be the third installment of the Sonic Adventure series and subsequently, at an early development stage, had the working title Sonic World Adventure, complete with work-in-progress logo. However, the development team began to introduce enough new innovations to separate it from the Sonic Adventure titles, and so a new title, Sonic Unleashed, was decided upon. It was then later revealed that the game's name in Japan would in fact remain Sonic World Adventure for its release there.

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

The game is currently being developed internally by Sonic Team. It will be a multiplatform release on the Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3,and the Xbox 360. There are two development "silos" that work on two separate builds of the game: one for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version, and one for the Wii and PlayStation 2 version. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will run on Sega's "Hedgehog Engine", which has been in production for three years and will produce a frame rate of 30 frames per second. The Wii and PlayStation 2 versions will not take advantage of the Hedgehog Engine, instead using a modified version of an existing, internal Sega engine.

The Wii version of the game will be developed specifically to take advantage of its controller's capabilities, with notable differences in gameplay. The game will use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk option; whilst character movement and basic actions will be assigned to buttons, certain actions will benefit from physical movements. It will support the GameCube controller, and also the option of using the Classic Controller. The levels, whilst sharing the same styles, themes and motifs as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, will be different to those shared between the Wii and the PlayStation 2 versions, and Dimps will only be involved with design of the daytime stages for these versions.

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

Music
The game's theme song is Endless Possibility by Jaret Reddick. The song seems to take Sonic's point of view as to the events of what happens within the game.

The ending theme is "My Dear Friend", about the brief but touching relationship between Sonic and Chip.

Other media
Archie Comics recently stated that they had plans for an adaption of Sonic Unleashed.

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 one instance where Sonic says "oops." The film is about 10 minutes long and was released in November 2008 alongside the game.

Trivia

 * This is the first game that Eggman is actually seen eating.
 * The photographs from Sonic: Night of the Werehog appear in the game, in the first scene at Eggmanland.
 * Knuckles and Shadow were planned to appear in the game, but they never made it. This is the first time in their Main Series reputations that they have not been somehow playable. However, Shadow was mentioned in a Side-Quest entitled "Brenda Blurb", beginning in Chun-Nan. One of the questions she asks mentions what creature was revealed when Eggman shot Earth with his laser (mentioned below), Shadow The Hedgehog being one of the three(and one of the two incorrect) answers to choose from.
 * In the opening movie, a SEGA Dreamcast 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 PS3 and 360 versions, 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.
 * In the PS3 and 360 versions, in the daytime Mazuri hub, two giant elephants can be spotted. However at night, two zebras can be spotted.
 * This game marks the first appearance of SA-55 "Ergo" the robot.
 * This is the second game that Eggman succeeds in his plans; the first game being Sonic Riders.
 * This game was originally was going to the 3rd Sonic Adventure.
 * This is the only Sonic game with the smallest voice & character cast.
 * The Musical Score for this game is similar to that of "Super Mario Galaxy".
 * This is the 3rd Sonic game in the whole series where Sonic`s speed (MPH) is shown; the first 2 being Sonic Chaos & Sonic & Tails.
 * This is the only Sonic game where Sonic crawls.