Today's game on display from our physical collection is Sonic Unleashed for the Xbox 360!
Sonic Unleashed was a title I was completely torn on when it was first announced. I'll admit the initial teaser trailer—which featured Sonic playing with a ring before seemingly transforming into a monster—was intriguing, but I didn't know for sure how I felt about that mechanic. At the time, I had yet to obtain an Xbox 360, but with the knowledge that I would be starting my first part-time job soon, it was a game I knew I'd be playing eventually. I kept up with the news, which was easy considering I was an active member of the official SEGA forums, and my doubt eventually turned into excitement thanks to the release of the first full gameplay trailer.
Featuring the new theme song "Endless Possibility"—performed by Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup—I was blown away by the newfound speed and visual style, and I simply couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I spent who knows how much time watching that trailer over and over, staring at screenshots that were packed with detail. Coming from the Wii, this felt like a completely new generation of gaming, and I was more than ready to dive in headfirst.
High Speed on a CRT
Then the day finally arrived. I'll never forget seeing Unleashed sitting on Walmart's shelf, and I'll always look back fondly on the memories of coming home and playing the game with my dad. While he generally didn't care about video games—outside of the handful I'd make him play with me as a kid—even he was impressed by how fast everything moved, flat-out saying, "Wow."
Eventually, I hooked up my 360 to our newly purchased 1080p Insignia TV in the living room so I could get the full high-definition experience, though I actually played through the vast majority of the campaign on my standard CRT. In fact, that’s how I spent that year's Thanksgiving holiday right up until the food was ready! It was a great time, though I'd be lying if I said I fully enjoyed every single aspect of the experience.
A fun, yet held back, experience
For me, Sonic Unleashed is at its absolute best during the standard daytime 3D Sonic stages. Just like in previous titles, I found so much joy in perfecting each level and chasing the highest rank. As for everything else, though? I could take it or leave it. Outside of the main stages, the game is littered with smaller 2D platforming sections built around single gimmicks, and Sonic's transformation into a Werehog was ultimately just a series of generic beat-'em-up levels that dragged on for far too long.
The return of a hub world system was a nice idea, but Sonic's movement felt heavily restricted in those spaces; it was painfully obvious the new engine was built for linear speed rather than open exploration. It didn't help that you were forced to hunt for Sun and Moon Medals to advance the story, nor that these hubs were packed with invisible walls blocking what should have been clever hiding spots. These friction points are what ultimately kept me from replayng the campaign after the credits rolled, turning Unleashed into a game I only revisit for select stages.
Two Versions
Strangely enough, Sonic Unleashed also received a PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii version, but those were practically entirely different games. Aside from sharing the same core narrative, the level designs, physics, and progression were completely altered for the older hardware. Naturally, I picked up that version as well—but that's a story for another time!
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