Sonic Unleashed is the latest entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of platformers. It combines 2D and 3D gameplay, as well as conventional Sonic "speed levels" and slower paced Werehog sections.
Overview
After Sonic the Hedgehog tried to re-invent the Sonic Adventure formula and fell flat on its face, Sega decided to take a step back and think more carefully about the next game in the franchise. Borrowing the more successful elements from Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic Rush, Sonic Unleashed frequently shifts between a classic side-scrolling perspective and a behind-the-back 3D perspective in an attempt to provide the best of both worlds. Gameplay is split up in to two basic styles: during the day, players race around stages utilizing a Sonic-Rush-style boost maneuver as Sonic the Hedgehog, collecting rings and smashing through anything that gets in his way. At night, Sonic undergoes a transformation in to the monstrous Werehog, who's strength lends a more God of War-styled experience with lots of hand-to-hand combat and acrobatic platforming.
Plot
It seemed like another routine assault on Doctor Eggman's latest orbital space station: a showdown with a couple hundred robots, and a fight to the death with the Doctor himself in a giant mechanized suit of armor. As Sonic transforms in to his Super Sonic state to finish the job, Eggman flees the scene, retreating to his final stronghold. Routine, right?When Super Sonic catches up with the fearful Doctor, Eggman suddenly slumps to his knees and begs the hedgehog to spare him. He swears to change, to reform and stop trying to take over the world. Sonic is a little taken aback at the whole situation; Eggman has never asked for mercy before. This was, unfortunately, exactly the reaction Doctor Eggman was looking for. Before Sonic can react, Eggman pushes a button mounted on a nearby console. Large metal prongs raise out of the floor, and suddenly, Super Sonic finds himself trapped. As the machine whirrs to life, Sonic is paralyzed and the seven Chaos Emeralds are forcibly extracted from him, de-energizing his Super Sonic form. Laughly madly, Eggman pushes another button on the console, triggering his stronghold's true function: A massive laser cannon. With the power of the Chaos Emeralds, the cannon fires directly at the planet below, piericing it straight to the core. As the planet shatters in to fragments from the force of the blow, a mysterious, etheral creature raises from the depths. Luring Sonic here and releasing whatever was trapped inside the planet was part of Eggman's plan all along.
Sonic himself is not doing too good, though. Having never been forced out of Super Sonic like that before, his body tranforms in a different way; he grows massive claws, sharp teeth and long, shaggy hair. Before Sonic can truly come to his senses as to what is happening, Eggman gleefully ejects him out of the airlock to the ruined planet below, confident that he has finally won the day. As the transformed Sonic plummets to his death from space, he is struck by a strange being that slows his descent enough to save his life. Now in the country of Apatos, Sonic must solve the mystery of his transformation, figure out what the being was that struck him, and re-unite the planet once again!
Locations
- Apotos (based on Greece)
- Spagonia (based on Europe)
- Chun-Nan (based on China)
- Abadat (based on Thailand)
- Holoska (based on the Arctic)
- Empire City (based on America)
- Mazuri (based on Africa)
- Shamar (based on Egypt)
Hedgehog Engine
Purported to be in development since 2005, Sonic Unleashed's "Hedgehog Engine" is a multi-purpose engine developed by Sega as an alternative to engines like Unreal Engine 3, idTech5 and The Source Engine. The big feature that separates the Hedgehog Engine from the others is its ability to render Global Illumination. Global Illumination is the act of colored light reflecting off other objects in order to give an environment warmer, more natural lighting. Reportedly, calculating Global Illumination data for one level in Sonic Unleashed would take a rendering farm of 100 PCs an average of 2-3 days.Trivia
- Early builds of the game called all the levels in the game based on their real-world equivilants. For example, Apotos was listed as Mynokos, Greece.
- The Daytime versions of levels in the Wii version were made by Dimps, the company responsible for the Sonic Rush and Sonic Advance games.
| Game Name | Sonic Unleashed |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
|
| Themes | |
| Original US Release |
Nov. 18, 2008
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
Q4 2008 know the real date? |
| Aliases | |
| ESRB |
ESRB: E10+
|
| PEGI |
PEGI: 7+
|
- Warewolf
- Warehog
- Warerabbit
- Wareware
- Warioware
| Platform | User Reviews | Avg. Score |
|---|---|---|
| All Reviews | 1 review |
|
| Xbox 360 | 1 review |
|
| Add your own user review | ||
New Releases: Nov 17 - Nov 23!There are definitely some games in here that people will buy. I can name at least four!
Sonic Unleashed Held Back, Only in Japan?The latest Sonic game is now a 2009 release in Japan. Whither the North American version?
Here's a New Tropical Sonic LevelCheck out a trailer for the latest Sonic game to feature green plants and clear blue water.
![]() |
Sonic Unleashed Adabat Trailer Remember Sonic Adventure stage one? This new level looks a lot like that. |
-
JeaniHidenweeni
354 points -
Creciente
86 points -
Kowalski
72 points -
Xelloss
56 points -
BlazeHedgehog
42 points -
Lies
40 points -
StarFoxA
37 points -
AK_the_Twilight
33 points -
lolwot
32 points -
FullMetal_Mac
21 points
-
BlazeHedgehog
I have beaten Sonic Unleashed. Thoughts? -
CapnCloudchaser
Is Sonic more than just speed? -
Rezzolution
Blogasaurus Rex! -
kadosho
Sonic Unleashed - one more time
-
Willy105
15 posts -
HandsomeDead
14 posts -
Snail
7 posts -
CapnCloudchaser
7 posts -
JonathanMoore
7 posts -
get2sammyb
5 posts -
Godzilla_Sushi
4 posts -
Linkyshinks
4 posts -
Kush
4 posts -
DrewBruschi
3 posts











