I don't understand why this game has been getting trashed across the review board. Everyone, PLEASE don't take the critic's word for it on this game, I feel that IGN and the rest of them are being unjustly harsh and biased with their reviews of Sonic Unleashed. At the very least give this game a look to see if it's your cup of tea.

I'll start by saying this title is an innovated new approach to the Sonic franchise. As mentioned the day levels have very traditional sort of "Sonic" feel to them, with minor tweaks and adjustments to improve the flow of the game's transition to 3-D platforming. For example, you can now use L1 and R1 to sidestep during times when Sonic is running at top speed. You'll perform timed button pressing combos to advance through the course and keep the flow of the action moving steadily at some points. These gameplay mechanics that have been implemented vastly improve Sonic's movements and abilities, which finally gives Sonic a smooth, intuitive 3-D experience.

As said before, the daytime stages are only half of what Unleashed has to offer. I won't spoil the storyline for those of you who may care, but at night you become the "Werehog" and obtain a surprisingly deep new combat system. The Werehog has furry arms with claws that stretch like Mr. Fantastic for some unexplained reason, and he moves at a crawling pace. The game then turns into a hack 'n slash style game very reminiscent of God of War's gameplay, even weaving together the same kinds of combos you'd expect to pull off with Kratos. Being a huge God of War fan, I for one enjoyed these areas of the game with much enthuse. Many people have complained that Sonic moves far too slow and clunky as the Werehog which in turn takes away from the overall pacing of the game. There are also some platforming elements sort of similar to God of War or even Prince of Persia, where you shimmy across ledges, climb columns, and swing from poles. Several people have already criticized these parts of the Werehog levels as well, saying it was too unforgiving and became frustrating as you die so many times. First off, I think people who complain about games being too challenging are weak and just can't handle the difficulty. Second, you can't just keep repeating the same formula for a Sonic game after dozens of different incarnations. Sega needed to take the franchise in a fresh, new direction, and I truly think they have succeeded with Unleashed.

I do think many critics have an unfair prejudice against Sonic games now because of previous failed attempts to bring the platformer into the 3rd dimension. So please give this game a chance. It brings more of the traditional Sonic but improved. If you like God of War, which is a game that most gamers have enjoyed by now, then you should at least be somewhat thrilled by what Unleashed has to offer with the Werehog. If you don't like God of War, then you should be hung for treason. Hail ZEUS!

The hedgehog we know and love seems to have a hit in his series again. The Sonic stages now contain the speed we have been waiting for. It seems they took somewhat of the style from Sonic and the Secret Rings, and worked out the glitches so that we now have a responsive and fast-paced sonic gameplay once again. Yet another thing I love about this game is you level up sonic's abilities so that he can have more boost and be faster as himself, and increase all of his other attributes in his werehog form. After you get sonic's speed to max he really blasts through the levels.

Now it surprises me how many people complain about the werehog stages. Sonic's night stages seem to be a lot of fun to me, because it just is a classic smack 'em up brawl. Another thing that is neat is when you level up your combat abilities you learn new moves, so by the end of the game you have many new combos you can fight with that are much more effective.

Apparently people have issues with sun and moon medals as well. I didn't encounter the issue of being short on medals until like sun medal level 7 was needed, and that's because I wasn't really looking for them too much. All you need to do is just keep an eye out for them while you are playing the game.

Basically this is a Sega step in the right direction with Sonic, and an improvement over other Sonic games of late. It also is the fastest I've seen sonic in a game for a while. This is a game any Sonic fan should want to have.

Sonic Unleashed is a fantastic contribution to the Sonic the Hedgehog series. This is one game that has shown me that Sonic is still alive and well, and that the franchise still has much going for it. After seeing Sonic and the Secret Rings, with its heavy rock soundtrack, its choppy graphics, and poorly planned camera angles, I was afraid that Sonic had fallen to rise no more. Sonic Unleashed proved me wrong. After playing this game, I would have to say it is my third favorite Sonic title, after Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic and Knuckles.
This title shows care in its craftsmanship, from the storyline, to the quality cutscenes, to the stunning levels, to the intuitive controls, the charming orchestral music, and the great sound effects. As opposed to some, I actually enjoy the nighttime levels, where Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like creature (a Werehog; this phenomenon is Robotnik's doing). Here, the player is charged with fighting off 'Dark Gaia' monsters using a series of button combinations in fun, non-bloody combat. Many would disagree, but to me it seems an amusing and clever innovation to the series. I would much rather see breaks with tradition of this nature, than see Hedgehogs pick up pistols or hear heavy metal vocals blasting in the background (if you know what I mean). Furthermore, this is not an irreversible change, either, for at the end of the game, Sonic is cured of his curious condition.
Of course, the high-speed daytime levels are the best, and capture most the spirit of Sonic the Hedgehog. Really, they are beyond compare. The speed is exhilarating, with the graphics losing no character at all as the velocity rises. The 'Homing Attack' allows for easy attacks on the Robots, the 'Ring Energy' allows more speed with every ring collected, and the 'Side Step' function allows Sonic to dodge enemies quickly while rushing forward. The Boss Battles are particularily stunning. All the while, gameplay merges seamlessly between 3D and 2D ----once again, an excellent innovation.
Now, as with every game, there are frustrating moments. Some challenges that are presented to the player are rather difficult. In the nighttime levels, one often must walk Sonic across narrow beams, where failure means to plummet to the bottom of a deep chasm. In the daytime levels, it can sometimes be quite difficult to swing from poles in succession, or run at high speeds across water and ice. In some cases, it can be hard to find the next level as one searches for it in the hub worlds. Having to find a certain number of sun or moon medals to advance the story can be tedious. But all in all, Sonic Unleashed proved to be challenging, yet playable at the same time.
In closing here, I will say this: I hope that Sonic Unleashed forebodes what is to come. I believe that SEGA has learned its lessons, and have put them to good use in the new game Sonic and the Black Knight (the far-superior sequel to Sonic and the Secret Rings).

Ryan Robledo
Author of the Aelnathan:

I picked up this game the beginning of september. I got it because Ive always loved Sonic Games but I was very cautious because everyone is criticising this game. Im here to say "STOP CRITICISING THIS GAME!!!!!!!" Its a great game!!!!! So far, Im not really to into the story but its still very fun to just sit back & watch the amazing cut-scenes. But, gameplay is definitely Awesome!!! Its so fun, during the Day Time Stages you got an extremely fast running hedgehog with fun & amazing graphics for a Sonic Game. & then during the Night Time Stages you get to play as The BADASS Werehog!!! If you enjoy playing God of War & prince of persia which are my favorite games!!!!! Then u can honestly look at the Werehog gameplay as those types of games but instead of being "The god of war" or "The prince of persia" you get to be Sonic The Werehog. Theres puzzles, tons of enemies, big boss battles, great graphics, a solid story, & Very Fun Gameplay!!!!! & Trophies Which are fun/challenging to achieve. What more can u possibly ask for? Especially from a Sonic Game that came out in 2008. I MOST DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS GAME!!!!! OH! By the way, its only like $20!!! really people???? Stop wasting time & get this game!!!!!! Its worth it!!!!!! Alrighty than, Ive said enough. Hope my review helped you out, enjoy the rest of your lifes.

Let me start out by saying this game is fun - if you go into it expecting something different then your old genesis Sonic Game. Well Kinda.

The basic gist of this game is that there are three main types of game
Night
Day
World

Night gaming is akin to Star Fox Adventures and lego star wars - beat up baddies, solve a few puzzles, progress to the next mild puzzle.

World game is a very dumbed down world that Sonic Adventure 1 had. Less to do, and more claustrophobic.

The day game is where this shines. Perhaps, in this reviewers humble opinion, is the best sonic experience since the game went 3-d. Levels have an incredible amount of speed, and change between a 2-d and 3-d style very well. In all honesty it's the pinnacle of Sonic Gaming.

This game is great for kids, the night time levels would be a lot of fun, and the colors are great. The humor and the plot would be a lot more appreciative to a young kid than a college student.

For older audiences, the game will really shine on the day stages (no pun intended!), and the night stages will prove just mildly annoying, if not overly drawn out.

This ins't a bad turn for the Sonic series, by any means. Certainly there have been much worse games, and certainly none of them have nailed the speed factor quite like this one.

If you can get on the psn network, try out the demo. You'll really get a sense for what the day scenes are like. I got hooked on it. Makes it worth going through the night stages, just to get some more of the fun daytime levels.

Thanks developers for putting a lot of work into this game. It shows in the levels, though you really need to work on the world - a lot!

I grew up with Sonic and have been a fan since the original Sonic on Sega Genesis and Game Gear. Throughout the years after the Sega Genesis games, Sonic has many ups and downs.more downs then up. So our newest attempt is Sonic Unleashed.

Before I purchased this game I looked at every video and review possible because I was hesitant, seeing as how every other 3D Sonic game faired, I was more frightened then intrigued. I was a fan of the Sonic parts in Sonic Adventures 1 & 2, but hated the other characters in those games. After I purchased the game I can tell you that its definitely a better game.

My favorite things about this game that its a solid platform game. When your Sonic, your going through beautifully designed levels at a fast speed, or some with big challenge that look like a grown up version of the original Sonic series. It does feel scripted at times like you can only go front, but its too fun that I can honestly say who cares.

As far as the Werehog goes, when I first played with him I was ready to trade my game in. As the story goes and levels opened up, I actually didn't mind. He has more puzzles and challenges and is actually fun to play. WAYYYYYYY Better then the stupid characters from S.A. 1 & 2. Trust me I rather be Werehog then have to sit through fishing or searching for Emeralds.

The only things I didn't like. The towns and how you have to talk to people made no sense and was dumb, this isn't Final Fantasy so there's no need for it. I for one never read anything they said. Annoying songs and constant baddies with Werehog. Playing with Tails.THATS RIGHT. They kept stripping his character down until we get this, airplane chase repetitive levels??? are you series. Tails flies why does he need a plane?

All in all its a good game, lots of fun and definitely lots of replay value, and there aren't many platforms out there anymore because everything is dumb shooters.*sigh* how the times have changed!

I'm an old school fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I grew up playing his games on the Sega Master System and Megadrive, and always preferred him to Mario. Sonic 3 is, and always will be my favourite game of all time. When I first saw Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast, I was absolutely blown away. But then Sonic Adventure 2 was a bit of a let down (for me personally, I know a lot of people consider it the best of the 3D Sonic titles), and the Sonic games since have truly defined mixed bag - some great ones on Handhelds (the Advance and Rush series), and console titles ranging from mediocre to awful (for my money, the low point of the series was Sonic Heroes. I even preferred 06 to that piece of rubbish). I've tended to stay away from a lot of the spin offs (haven't even touched Secret Rings or any of the Riders sub series), but I usually get some enjoyment out of even the mediocre Sonic games such as Shadow and 06.

Sonic Unleashed however, isn't one of those mediocre Sonic games - in fact, I can honestly say this is the best Sonic has been since the days of 16 bit. I had high hopes for this game, was a little wary about the whole Werehog concept, but on the whole, Sonic Team really nailed it with this one.

First of all, they got the mix of speed and platforming spot on. The daytime stages are very much reminiscent of the original games, with multiple paths through the levels, and an exhilarating sense of speed.

Second, the graphics for the PS3 version are stunning. Bright, colourful and highly detailed, with a great blend of classic Sonic style with real-world elements. And the music ranks up there with the best - no cringe worthy themes, just awesome, lively music that captures the feel of each environment perfectly. The Spagonia day music is truly memorable and is right up there with Icecap Zone from Sonic 3 as some of the greatest in Sonic's history.

Third - The story is just right. It doesn't become too intrusive, but sets things up nicely, and is helped along with some great CG clips and competent voice acting. Nothing too melodramatic like in Shadow or 06, just light and cheerful. Probably the best part is there are very few annoying side characters. I actually think Chip is one of the best characters to come along in the series, his voice acting is done well, and he adds a nice touch of humour. Tails and Amy have small supporting roles, and there's no useless, lame supporting characters like Rouge the Bat, Big the Cat and E123 Omega, some of the worst offenders from previous entries.

The daytime levels are wonderful, but even the much criticised Werehog levels aren't bad. I can definitely see where the comparisons to God of War come from, no it's not as good as GoW (and to be honest what could be?) but it's far from a deal breaker. In fact, they're still fun.

The little hub world quests are a nice distraction, and there's plenty of hidden content to discover and unlock, as well as trophies to earn. One minor annoyance is having to find so many Sun/Moon medals to unlock extra stages, but this adds to the longevity of the game and it's really a minor nitpick.

Overall, I highly recommend Sonic Unleashed. You can tell the new Sonic Team that made it respected the roots of Sonic and it shows. If you loved the old Sonic games, chances are you'll love this. Ignore the bad reviews from the gaming press, and you'll enjoy the best Sonic has been in 10 years.

I will start simply with this game is awesome! It has a great story, great gameplay, graphics are absolutely gorgeous and the soundtrack is incredible! It is very clear to me that people who did not enjoy this game simply didn't spend enough time playing it, and I can see that. Honestly the very first time I played it I found it to present quite the learning curve, however it was not an impossible one. It has one of those curves where it is just difficult enough to make the game a nice long challenge, but also difficult enough that mastering the game feels truly rewarding, and I find that is what makes this game brilliant. Not the best for pick-up-and play but in the long run it will outshine anything.

To go into details.
The story really was top-notch and felt perfect for a Sonic game. It had just enough edge to give you that "Holy crap Eggman is getting serious and we actually have a world to save" but it also did a very nice job of keeping some aspects nice and cartooney-feeling and lightening the mood with some nice slapstick and jokes thrown in. This format overall gives the game a (forgive the use of the word) 'epic' feel and you really do feel like it is an adventure to stop Eggman, but it is enjoyable and fun along the way. Everything is paced nicely, and there are plenty of cut scenes to reward the player along the way and tell the story in a good length. Not too long, not too short. I have replayed this game multiple times and trying to get through as quick as possible (and knowing the quickest route on each level mind you) the game at its base level still took me a good six - seven hours to complete.

As far as gameplay goes, this title really nails it. Like I stated above, if you only are willing to invest a couple hours of time to beat the story once, you probably will not enjoy this game a whole lot as it is simply too large and complex to master in that amount of time. However it simply grows in entertainment the more and more you play it. To this day I still find little tricks and shortcuts to improve my playthrough of the levels. The levels are very well designed and once you master a level it is almost like playing through a movie with how the levels are laid out. Sonic runs through the level flawlessly (assuming you have spent sufficient time mastering said level) and it is truly beautiful watching him run through the game's environments without a snag. The game's switch to the new boost style of gameplay is also very fun as you can literally run at the speed of sound and whizz right by enemies and obstacles.
Although it sounds like I am only a fan of the day stages, do not be fooled. Despite what you might hear, the night stages are a very nice change up from the day levels. As much as I love the day levels, it is always good to take a break and do some good old beat-em-up platforming. I would say for me personally, the Wherehog took a good 10 hours to get to a point where I was able to zip through the levels at a good pace. I will say that the first time through some levels you WILL experience taking over an hour to complete them. However the game's taboo level, Eggmanland, which did take me 57 minutes to complete the first time, I eventualy shaved down to just 13 minutes, which says A LOT about this game having replayabilty. In each level there are multiple different ways to go about getting to the goal, and it is always a great feeling finding a new route. Once you master the controls of the night sections, they really do become a blast to play through and I find myself switching between day and night levels constantly when I remember some little trick I might be able to use. The night levels are very fun despite what you may hear, you just have to take a little time and actually play the twenty dollar game you just spent money on.

In terms of graphics. WOW. This game came out in 2008 and it STILL looks amazing to play today. The game's signature 'Hedgehog' engine displays the game's environments in the utmost beauty, and you really do feel like you are running through Greece, Italy, the Big Apple, Africa, Alaska, Thailand, China, and the Middle East on a mission to save the world. The art style was perfect for a Sonic game as well, with the environments being near photo realistic while the characters themselves have a nice cartooney approach which gives Unleashed a charm that no other game (Sonic or not) I have ever played has. Although the frame rate does have a dip here and there, I never felt a noticeable enough drop to affect my gameplay experience. However, this small inconvenience was actually patched in a DLC later on I believe so it is not really relevant anyways.

Finally we reach the soundtrack, and Unleashed does not fail to deliver. The game's main theme "Endless Possibility" has a great feel to it that really fits this game well. It is a nice rock theme that isn't too heavy, but isn't your typical pop junk of modern days either. For the rest of the game's tracks, they do an amazing job of working with the game's graphics engine to completely immerse you in your surroundings. This reason alone has led me to clock over 100 hours in this game, a surprising amount of it coming from simply running around in the town levels listening to the music and looking at the pretty scenery, taking a vacation to Greece in my own living room. During the main game play segments the music does excellent work at getting your foot tapping and wanting to pull off moves in sync with the beat. You just might find yourself going "WHOOHOO" along with Sonic on more than one occasion as you run along the lovely Grecian coastline.The music also does a very nice job of conveying emotion and the game's opening cinematic (which also looks gorgeous and like it is straight out of a movie) will leave you with goosebumps from the grand scale it portrays, while the game's ending (which is also pre-rendered to a lovely effect) just might leave you in tears when coupled with the music during the cut scene and the game's ending song, "Dear my Friend".

Some other misc. things I wanted to address mainly deal with misconceptions about this game.

Night stages - As stated above, they are long, they are difficult. However they really do add to the game's value and are a blast to play if you actually take some time to play the game you just spent hard-earned money on.

Medal Collecting - Yes, this game does have mandatory medal collecting. However I have beaten it four times through now and there was only one occasion where I didn't have enough medals to unlock the final stage, However it was a very small amount, and I simply played a couple of the second stages of each zone (yes don't even have to play through these to beat the game) to get enough, taking maybe an extra 15 minutes.

Town stages - Yeah, you have to spend a grand total of 20 seconds walking through town and chatting with folks the first time you get to a new area when you just want to get to the next level. After that you don't even have to visit the town as all the stages can be accessed from the world map. However, if you are looking to actually get your money's worth you will find that the town stages are actually very fun to walk around in and look at all of the lovely little details that they contain. Talking with the townspeople can also be quite a treat, as they say some very funny things, and just might give you a few nice perks along the way!

Difficulty - This game is hard, I won't deny it. In fact, if you don't have the patience to spend a good 15 hours with this game, you really won't enjoy it and would probably be better off not playing it and giving it a bad review. That said, this game's difficulty level I find HIGHLY satisfying. It was hard enough to keep me from beating it straight through on my first try, but I honestly never felt like I was being cheated in any way. If you are looking to 100% this game however, you are in for QUITE the ride. It took me around 2 months to collect everything and get all S ranks in this game, and I played it daily. Honestly though I am very happy that it did take me that long, because I felt like I was on an adventure the whole time.

Overall, I really can't put into words how much I love this game. I'll just say that if I ever have to be exiled to a desert island for some strange reason, I'm either going to be bringing my PS3 and Sonic Unleashed with me, or die trying.

Easily the best Sonic game (rather, best video game altogether) to date. As the boxart implies, there are 2 ways to play. Both are essential to the story.
Lots of folks will tell you its nighttime stages ruin the game, but they actually grow on you. This is the longest Sonic game by a good margin and requires more than just stage completion to continue. It also features an upgrade system to enhance gameplay experience later in the game.
To top it off, the only glitches in the game must be found. The graphics engine in it features a nice series of motion blurs and pulses, and every bit is justified greatly. The easiest "glitch" to use is more of a design flaw with which the player uses the drift maneuver to gain additional speed (which does require a bit of practice).

Ultimately, the only flaw this game does have is its lack of character involvement. Tails is supposed to be Sonic's best bud, not newcomer Chip. They went way too far with that. Don't get me wrong, I like him, but he's more of an obstacle than anything else outside of his comic relief.
The character interactions other than that are perfect. Sonic annoys Eggman while taking fights only somewhat seriously, Amy is compulsive and faithful to Sonic, Tails is a braniac WITH allying resources, Pickle (newcomer) is a great cross between reliable information and comic relief, and Eggman isn't just some crackpot engineer (without surrendering his comic stupidity. I mean, he's as threatening as ever without losing his edge on comedy).

If you want it in a nutshell, this game is the opposite of Sonic 06 regarding physics, character interaction, and character usefulness. Most characters in Sonic Unleashed are useless, but their interactions are great. The gameplay is more complete than any other video game I've ever played, and the story's particular length is every bit justified by how explorable it all is. If there'll ever be a better video game in existence, it'll only differ from this one by lacking the werehog stages and featuring a few more characters and making them useful.

Remember, this is MY opinion!
(Skip to the end for an overall rating)

I truthfully enjoyed this game, and there's a lot to love. Granted that nothing is perfect, but this game certainly comes close. (IN MY OPINION!!)
just so you know, my first sonic game(first GAME for that matter) was SONIC UNLEASHED for WII. the only thing I like about the wii version is what it shares with the ps3 version; the story.

First off, the story. (Skip this paragraph if you don't care about story) The plot is original and creative, and it gives a good excuse to introduce a new gameplay. The voice acting is great (except for tails). Sonic sounds friendly and cocky, without sounding obnoxious. People complained that Sonic sounds too old, "like he's now 20 years old", but isn't it now sonic's 20th anniversary ofliving? As for Tails, he sounds like a little girl. HIS voice actor is a girl. WHY SEGA??! WHY?!! Tails is a BOY, his voice actor should be a BOY!.. *sigh*. Amy doesn't sound terrible, but she doesn't sound 12 years old. The actors that play the townspeople just grunt or sigh or gasp, so there isn't much to comment on. The entire character Chip is great, he's usually the source of the humor in the game when he does goofy stuff in the background of video clips, but in the actual gameplay, he talks WAY too much and is really annoying when he pops up even if you don't touch a hint ring. I give the story a 9.5/10

Next, the graphics. The entire game is a gorgeous picture. The difference between the two versions (wii vs ps3) is so great that I wonder how SEGA could release the wii version when its graphics cower in the shadow of the ps3 version. 10/10

third, the sound (music & gameplay sound effects). The gameplay sound effects are great, they sound like they should, and don't distract you from the what you're doing. the music is also great. Each area is based off of a place in the real world. so level music has a great variety. 10/10

Last, and most important, the gameplay. The hub worlds make the game seem more like an adventure, and the innovation put into the townspeople shows how much effort SEGA put into the game. You need to play through these hub worlds to move on in the story, and access new levels.You get graded on how well you complete the levels.The day stages feature 2d and 3d platforming as well as quick time events and a racing style get-to-the-goal gameplay, these stages are fast paced and require lots of practice to get a good grade. The night stages have platforming and a beat-em-up style gameplay. Both Sonic the hedgehog and the werehog can be upgraded. This in itself adds a lot of replay value, as does the items, which need to be collected in the levels and the hub worlds. There are also the plane levels, which are all quick time events; pressing the right buttons in time to destroy the enemies and the missiles they fire. Unfortunately, nothing's perfect. There were incredible difficulty spikes throughout the game, and there sun and moon medals which are like items, but NEED to be collected to access future levels in the game. I didn't find these to be a problem, as I made it a priority to collect them throughout each level. There are also certain levels that irritate me for their own reason, like Arid sands (day) act 1, which drove me mad with all the things to run into, cool edge (day) with the sled mechanic, and Eggmanland in general. Though, overall, I loved the gameplay (Better that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 &Knuckles!) and I give it a 9.2/10

Over all, this is my favorite sonic game EVER!! and I give it a 9.7/10 for great story, amazing sound, and really good (but really hard) Gameplay!