Crank

The Crank is a type of gimmick that appears in Sonic Unleashed. They are large hand-powered cranks that are used by the player to move various mechanisms in the environment in order to progress in the game's nighttime Action Stages/Stages.

Description
The cranks are mechanisms embedded into the ground. They have a large circular metal plate on the ground and have an axle sticking up from the center which has a handle attached perpendicularly to it.

The cranks can only be found in the game's nighttime Acts where they are located in relatively open areas. In gameplay, the cranks are used to operate mechanisms that are needed to progress with the Act the player is currently playing in. When moving a crank, it activates a reciprocating motion in the nearby environment that allows the player to progress with the Act, such as making platforms move into a position that allows the player to reach new pathways. Usually, the environments moved by the cranks moves in accordance to the player's usage of the crank, meaning that when the player stops moving the crank, the environment stops moving too.

To utilize a crank in gameplay, the player must stand in front of the crank and grab onto its handle while rotating the following control in a circular motion: