Sonic Unleashed

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 382 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 284 out of 382
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 382
  3. Negative: 28 out of 382
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  1. krazeeKidd102
    Apr 20, 2011
    7
    When I first saw gameplay footage for this game (aka. the daytime stages), I rushed to get an HD console.

    The daytime stages, although platforming-devoid and linear, are so thrilling and fun, complete with gorgeous environments, ear-climaxing music, and a ton of cinematic camera angles, switching from the 3D to 2.5D perspectives. It's everything that made Sonic Adventure famous back    When I first saw gameplay footage for this game (aka. the daytime stages), I rushed to get an HD console.

    The daytime stages, although platforming-devoid and linear, are so thrilling and fun, complete with gorgeous environments, ear-climaxing music, and a ton of cinematic camera angles, switching from the 3D to 2.5D perspectives. It's everything that made Sonic Adventure famous back then, except on complete overdrive. Although the controls were a bit unresponsive, it was a thrilling part of the game that impressed nearly every person I showed.

    Then, *sigh*, we get to the Werehog stages. Why is there a Werehog? Don't Know. However, while it's not as bad as people made it out to be, it certainly is a below-average combat experience. Think God of War, except a hell of a lot easier with an annoying combat music (that comes on EVERY TIME you encounter an enemy). It tries to be cool by being completely different from the daytime stages, but it just comes off as completely flow-breaking and unneccessary.

    Nevertheless, I enjoyed the game despite that. The hub worlds feel like they have been done right, and they're a hell of a lot better than the ones in Sonic 06 and Sonic Adventure. While people have been annoyed with the mandatory medal collecting, it honestly never bothered me until I got to the Adabat daytime stage, and even then, I only had to play a few of the optional stages to easily collect the medals I need (the majority of them being in the Werehog Stages).

    There are a few other setbacks like the frame rate (although I heard that the Xbox 360 version had less framerate problems), but other than that, this is generally a good game. Not great, but simply good. My suggestion is to download the demo and try out the first daytime stage to get a good glimpse at the gold mine of speed and excitement, then look at the Werehog Stages. If you're still cautious, then I suggest renting it.
    Overall Rating: 7.5/10    … Expand
  2. OldManInternetz
    Dec 7, 2011
    7
    I strongly believe that Sonic Unleashed does not deserve a 54/100 if the 'average' score on Metacritic these days for games is an 80. This game does indeed have its flaws, such as the nighttime levels being quite tedious, however the day time levels are so good that this game stayed enjoyable for me for quite a long time.

    I've been playing Sonic Generations recently and I've noticed that    I strongly believe that Sonic Unleashed does not deserve a 54/100 if the 'average' score on Metacritic these days for games is an 80. This game does indeed have its flaws, such as the nighttime levels being quite tedious, however the day time levels are so good that this game stayed enjoyable for me for quite a long time.

    I've been playing Sonic Generations recently and I've noticed that the daytime levels in Unleashed are generally *much* better than Generation's, purely because they are much more fun and feel a lot more fast-paced and satisfying to beat.

    I would certainly recommend this game to younger gamers. It's not perfect, but is certainly worth the low price.    … Expand
  3. SonicAndMegaMan
    Feb 19, 2014
    7
    When sonic 06 destroyed my enthusiasm and interest in the sonic series sonic unleashed brought it back. with the best graphics 3d sonic had ever had. a solid plot line and enjoyment for oncegoing through the hub worlds. the speed levels are a 10/10 but the warehog lvs are beat em up heavy and are long and tedious but that shouldnt stop u from getting this sega sonic team classic
  4. kratos1997
    Mar 14, 2014
    7
    While the sonic sections are high paced and fun to play the werehog just feels slow and a bit boring to me after a while and just saying sega why go off of God of War sonic doesn't need that?
  5. diogomendes
    Jul 5, 2014
    7
    There are some things that are pretty awesome like combat system and speed, others are boring story and dialogues. This is not one of the best Sega's game.
  6. SpiderPlayer
    Jun 19, 2015
    7
    The game is good, has a good gameplay, a graphic not as impressive, a soundtrack to that good, but the Sonic racing part, it would be theoretically the main game, stands out well unless the phases of Sonic the Werehog .
  7. Ragnamaxima
    May 24, 2016
    7
    First of all, the day stages are fantastic and some of the best in the entire series and i actually found the night stages to be quite fun because of the variety of combos and platforming segments, they are not great, but they are not bad either, and the soundtrack is awesome. However, the game has some serious technical issues, mainly with the unstable framerate. The sun and moon medalFirst of all, the day stages are fantastic and some of the best in the entire series and i actually found the night stages to be quite fun because of the variety of combos and platforming segments, they are not great, but they are not bad either, and the soundtrack is awesome. However, the game has some serious technical issues, mainly with the unstable framerate. The sun and moon medal hunting is a completely unnecessary addition which is only present to make the game longer. And lastly we have the last two boss fights which are terrible and some of the worst in the series. But overall, this game is good, if you can look past the flaws previously mentioned, you will have a good tim… Expand
  8. Untitled94
    Dec 15, 2016
    7
    Well in comparison, this is the worst, or a better way to put it, least favorite way to play Sonic Unleashed. It would be the best if it wasn't for that darn frame rate. At times, it's the best out of all the versions, but it doesn't stay locked there. Sometimes it'll drop to what seems like 20 frames. It's just not as pleasing to the eye. It's not a bad way to play it, but I wouldWell in comparison, this is the worst, or a better way to put it, least favorite way to play Sonic Unleashed. It would be the best if it wasn't for that darn frame rate. At times, it's the best out of all the versions, but it doesn't stay locked there. Sometimes it'll drop to what seems like 20 frames. It's just not as pleasing to the eye. It's not a bad way to play it, but I would recommend the Xbox 360 version, which I rarely ever say about multi-platform games.… Expand
  9. Alvokun
    Oct 28, 2017
    7
    This game belongs to the large group of disappointing Sonic games. I remember gameplay being quite annoying, especially the camera. It was also a bit confusing regarding how to progress in the story (which was not particularly good either); I was never able to finish it, though I played quite a lot. However, being rigorous, I think Sonic Unleashed is still a decent game: it has variety ofThis game belongs to the large group of disappointing Sonic games. I remember gameplay being quite annoying, especially the camera. It was also a bit confusing regarding how to progress in the story (which was not particularly good either); I was never able to finish it, though I played quite a lot. However, being rigorous, I think Sonic Unleashed is still a decent game: it has variety of levels and abilities, you can play as Sonic the Werewolf too (which is quite nice, in my opinion)... It really can be enjoyable, if and when you accept its many flaws.… Expand
  10. Domdom21br
    Aug 31, 2021
    7
    É bom e tals, os gráficos são até que bem feitos mas é difícil de controlar o personagem e o jogo fica bastante repetitivo e chato... As medalhas não deveriam ser obrigatórias mas são e é irritante ter que ir pegar e o pior de tudo...a câmera... é inacreditável como a câmera é horrível, na última fase o Sonic não gruda nos cabos e isso atrapalha demais... Ah e mais uma coisa, no PS3 essaÉ bom e tals, os gráficos são até que bem feitos mas é difícil de controlar o personagem e o jogo fica bastante repetitivo e chato... As medalhas não deveriam ser obrigatórias mas são e é irritante ter que ir pegar e o pior de tudo...a câmera... é inacreditável como a câmera é horrível, na última fase o Sonic não gruda nos cabos e isso atrapalha demais... Ah e mais uma coisa, no PS3 essa desgraça cai o fps do nada velho, pelo amor de deus....ah é, a trilha sonora é até que legal, e as artes das fases também… Expand
  11. MarkD
    Jan 5, 2009
    6
    The Warehog bits maybe arn't as bad as some reviewers have said but it's glaringly obvious that they pale in comparison to the brilliant Sonic bits. Why then do the Warehog bits and the even more tedius RPG bits make up more then half the game Sega? I must stress though that Sonic bits are a genuine return to form and for the the first time in years i'm hopefull for future The Warehog bits maybe arn't as bad as some reviewers have said but it's glaringly obvious that they pale in comparison to the brilliant Sonic bits. Why then do the Warehog bits and the even more tedius RPG bits make up more then half the game Sega? I must stress though that Sonic bits are a genuine return to form and for the the first time in years i'm hopefull for future Sonic games.… Expand
  12. Zeph
    Apr 28, 2011
    6
    Its hard to imagine how this was a "good" Sonic game back in 2008. I loved Sonic Unleased on the PS2, I thought it was simple, and easy to navigate. This game... is broken. Its hard to ignore the fact that the controls are extremely touchy, depth perception is difficult to master, and an unfriendly camera makes the experience a mess. Compounding on that... framerate drops are present inIts hard to imagine how this was a "good" Sonic game back in 2008. I loved Sonic Unleased on the PS2, I thought it was simple, and easy to navigate. This game... is broken. Its hard to ignore the fact that the controls are extremely touchy, depth perception is difficult to master, and an unfriendly camera makes the experience a mess. Compounding on that... framerate drops are present in cutscenes and night scenes. The Werehog is a love it or hate it relationship. I am honestly not a huge fan of it, but I can deal with it. It however is frustrating that you spend as little as 1 or 2 minutes on a day stage and spend as little as 6 to 7 minutes on a night. It is a jarring change in pace. If you see this game marked down... leave it now that it is 2011. Sonic Unleashed on the PS3 is Okay. It is not the most spectacular experience of Sonic you have available today.… Expand
  13. Stealthgear
    Sep 3, 2022
    6
    The high points are graphics, real time animation, and story presentation. The control of Sonic seems better than Generations. The Unleashed combat, button mashing hordes of robots indiscriminately, is average. The Unleashed design is similar to a PS2 era Prince of Persia type game. There are places where the level design or controls make you fail, typical of most 3d Sonic games that areThe high points are graphics, real time animation, and story presentation. The control of Sonic seems better than Generations. The Unleashed combat, button mashing hordes of robots indiscriminately, is average. The Unleashed design is similar to a PS2 era Prince of Persia type game. There are places where the level design or controls make you fail, typical of most 3d Sonic games that are rushed. Quick Time Event stages were not much fun but looked great. This is an almost good game. It’s not a buy.… Expand
  14. Maciel
    Dec 26, 2015
    6
    Sonic Unleashed might be one of the most polemic sonic games out there. It receives undeserved hate as well as undeserved "love", seeing that some people consider it one of the best entries of the franchise. It is not, but it's not a bad game. Every time this game gives two steps in the right direction, it gives one backwards, having both amazing moments and mediocre or bad ones. TheSonic Unleashed might be one of the most polemic sonic games out there. It receives undeserved hate as well as undeserved "love", seeing that some people consider it one of the best entries of the franchise. It is not, but it's not a bad game. Every time this game gives two steps in the right direction, it gives one backwards, having both amazing moments and mediocre or bad ones. The biggest problem with this game, in my opinion, is not the warehog, but the dynamic in general. It starts with sonic being sonic and kicking everyone's ass, in a gorgeous cutscene. After being captured by eggman and transformed in the warehog, he's thrown in Earth. With sonic out of the scene, eggman blows everything and starts his attempt to awake Dark Gaia. Sonic meets Chip, who's lost his memory and identity. After a short tutorial, Sonic goes like "yo let's find out what's your name!!" and they try it for 15 minutes and that's it, no more about this until near the end of the game. Sonic finds Tails and meets the professor of Spagonia University, which is probably the less charismatic character i've ever seen, and then starts his journey of recovering the power of the chaos emeralds. There's no problem of a game having a simple plot, and that's what most of Sonic Unleashed is, but the game simply throws on the air every other plot element introduced in the beginning, like chip's lost memory or why the hell sonic transformed into a werewolf. I'm not saying story is an essential topic of a sonic game, but when it's awfully structured is very hard to feel attached to any character or to maintain a good dynamic, unless the gameplay is superb and saves the game even with a **** story, which it's not the case, most of the times, in Unleashed. The game gets boring most of the time because of this lack of a good dynamic, together with a boring set of secondary character in the cities and a mediocre gameplay in the night sessions. The great antithesis of this game is the night x day stages (that's where most of the two steps forward and one back thing appears). The day stages are incredible, and i dare to say they are the best i've seen in the sonic franchise so far, being well designed and challenging. The night stages, however, are boring, but not bad. They have the minimum needed to be considered acceptable (they are not good, either), which make them boring, but "ok". The boss battles are a good step forward, being the day bosses the best ones. I would say Sonic Unleashed is the closest of the most flawed version of an ideal sonic game, which is not something so good to say, but it is something... While i got very frustrated with the lack of a good dynamic in most of it, i was impressed with the day stages. There are other positive points too: some cutscenes are very beautiful and well made, the environment in most of the stages is gorgeous and the replay is satisfactory.
    Overall, i would say this game is a decent step in the right direction for the future of the franchise, specially because of the day-time stages, but the flaws are so evident that it's hard not to feel bored and frustrated with some lack of effort to make it more enjoyable. SPOILERS AHEAD: Its plot attempted to talk about more complex questions putting Chip as Light Gaia and Sonic in this day x night (dark x light) duality, but you only get to see this being seriously discussed in a short speech made by the professor at the end. I won't, again, say that i care much about the story in a sonic game, but it's complicated to make such attempts and not discuss them properly because it makes the characters, and pretty much everything, just... dull. END OF SPOILERS. For the sake of the insane experience that is playing the day stages, i would say "go buy this game", but don't expect to enjoy it for most of the time. It deserves its credits, but lacks the quality of a good game.    … Expand
  15. EpicLadySponge
    Nov 30, 2017
    6
    Don't get me wrong on the score. I totally love Sonic Unleashed at what it tries to do. I basically love everything that relates to the daytime stages where you play as Sonic the Hedgehog, which aren't that very long compared to his Werehog alter ego. I would love to give the game the score it deserves had the Werehog not take over literally more than 50% of an average walkthrough for aDon't get me wrong on the score. I totally love Sonic Unleashed at what it tries to do. I basically love everything that relates to the daytime stages where you play as Sonic the Hedgehog, which aren't that very long compared to his Werehog alter ego. I would love to give the game the score it deserves had the Werehog not take over literally more than 50% of an average walkthrough for a casual gamer all in such. Many people are very divided on this game and I'm fine with that. Some people may like the Werehog while others don't and I'm fine with that. The problem with Sonic Unleashed that can easily be avoidable due to people's different perspectives when playing the game is that Sonic the Werehog gets too much playtime in a game that otherwise focuses more on speed. Sure I love the combat system for this game but it feels awkward to have such a thing in a Sonic game and it eventually becomes stale as you progress through the game. Even if the Werehog is much of a critical issue, I can't seem to find a way to replace it with something else without affecting the game's plot since the Werehog is served as another important plot element in the franchise.

    Everything about this game is eye-appealing candy that eventually goes horribly wrong when the Werehog is given more of the balance than the Hedgehog. In short, the game itself is a mix between excitement and attraction for the daytime stages and disappointment and repetition for the nighttime stages for some of those first-timers out there. It's been a while now and I believe some people got used to the nighttime stages, but I still believe that the Werehog felt out of place in a game that focuses on speed and maybe it could have worked if it was its own thing.    … Expand
  16. Daze072401
    Feb 20, 2019
    6
    Against the SD version; it has significantly higher production values, better hub worlds, and more content, albeit at the cost of an unbearable werehog, bad progression system, and occasionally "fleeting" day-time stages.

    On it's own merit; it's wiser to purchase this game nowadays compared to the SD version, as there are still some things only this game can offer. Still, it's a tough    Against the SD version; it has significantly higher production values, better hub worlds, and more content, albeit at the cost of an unbearable werehog, bad progression system, and occasionally "fleeting" day-time stages.

    On it's own merit; it's wiser to purchase this game nowadays compared to the SD version, as there are still some things only this game can offer. Still, it's a tough sell regardless with Generations providing a more polished experience.    … Expand
  17. LakiView
    Nov 13, 2018
    6
    En mi opinión, el mejor Sonic de la historia: Gráficos increíbles para su época, la música es maravillosa, historia muy buena, durabilidad bastante larga... Entonces, ¿por qué un 6? Simple, SU PÉSIMA OPTIMIZACIÓN. Si bien este es un grandísimo ( y muy infravalorado ) título, lo lastra mucho su pésima optimización: FrameRate MUY inestable ( y en esta versión alcanza los 60 FPS, pero pocasEn mi opinión, el mejor Sonic de la historia: Gráficos increíbles para su época, la música es maravillosa, historia muy buena, durabilidad bastante larga... Entonces, ¿por qué un 6? Simple, SU PÉSIMA OPTIMIZACIÓN. Si bien este es un grandísimo ( y muy infravalorado ) título, lo lastra mucho su pésima optimización: FrameRate MUY inestable ( y en esta versión alcanza los 60 FPS, pero pocas veces ), tiempos de carga cada dos por tres, muchos problemas en la jugabilidad... Cosa qué en la versión de XB360 no pasa nada de esto, aún así es algo disfrutable, pero si quieres disfrutar bien de este juegazo del Sonic Team, cómprate la versión de 360.… Expand
  18. TVenomoth
    Dec 26, 2019
    6
    Sonic Unleashed is a decent game. While the werehog levels were not fun in the slightest and made me want to turn the game off after 5 minutes of playing, the daytime platforming levels were very engaging. The controls, while dated and sometimes unresponsive, were perfectly usable, and the graphics and lightning were very nice. Of course nowadays, the majority of the other sonic titlesSonic Unleashed is a decent game. While the werehog levels were not fun in the slightest and made me want to turn the game off after 5 minutes of playing, the daytime platforming levels were very engaging. The controls, while dated and sometimes unresponsive, were perfectly usable, and the graphics and lightning were very nice. Of course nowadays, the majority of the other sonic titles have surpassed it in terms of quality and actual game-play, however this is a perfectly fine game, with enough positives to get a pass. However, the slightly unreliable controls and monotonous werehog sections did drag it down.… Expand
  19. JimPickens
    Dec 18, 2021
    6
    Sonic Unleashed is a great Sonic game, and a god awful God of War clone with padding up the *ss, a terrible progression system and bosses that range from sleep inducing to aggravating.

    Let's get the good out of the way first shall we? Sonic Unleashed looks amazing, hell the cgi looks better than Forces, and this game came out in 2008... God I feel old. It also sounds great, overused    Sonic Unleashed is a great Sonic game, and a god awful God of War clone with padding up the *ss, a terrible progression system and bosses that range from sleep inducing to aggravating.

    Let's get the good out of the way first shall we? Sonic Unleashed looks amazing, hell the cgi looks better than Forces, and this game came out in 2008... God I feel old. It also sounds great, overused Werehog battle music aside, the games soundtrack is great. Rooftop Run, Super Sonic vs. Perfect Dark Gaia, Chun-nan Night and Endless Possibility the credits theme immediately come to mind but pretty much every track is good.

    The Sonic stages in this game are some of the best I've ever played, they can be somewhat disorienting the first go around given just how insanely fast Sonic can go, a consequence of putting so many point into Speed when I'm not even good at these games in the first place I guess. Not accounting for personal skill almost every Sonic stage is great fun, some exceptions do come to mind though, mainly boss stages that I think go on too long and Arid Sands which is just 1 minute of QTE's, but generally they're great. Sonic goes extremely fast here yet never feels hard to control, the game gives you ample time to react to oncoming hazards and rarely, if ever, sikes you out. I also think this is the best Sonic had ever been up to this point, Jason Griffith, the voice actor at the time, is without a doubt far better than he was in Shadow The Hedgehog, 06 or The Secret Rings. It's a real shame Griffith was replaced after The Black Knight I really think he fit Sonic much better than Roger Craig Smith, at least in the mainline games, in Sonic Boom he was amazing. Sonic in general is quite likable here, I understand that's a point of contention for some, many prefer the more rebellious Sonic of old over the more friendly Sonic we've had since Unleashed but I think either is good, especially for Griffith, his voice really suits a more friendly Sonic, Drummond was great for a Sonic with more attitude and Roger is great in Boom where Sonic is more witty. The writing and VA work really do have to work in perfect harmony and I think it does in Unleashed.

    Anyway now that I've been nice, the other 2/3rds of this game f*cking suck. First there's the Werehog stages, Christ almighty the Werehog stages. The Werehog is an ill-conceived ps2-era Action Game where Sonic turns big and fluffy and starts hitting stuff real hard. Think Devil May Cry or God of War. Not only are these stages the very antithesis of Sonic, hell I spent 30 minutes in one stage and got an S-rank... 30 minutes, IN A SONIC GAME, but they also leave me with one major question; Why aren't these made for Knuckles? Ya know, the character who's meant to be "as strong as Sonic is fast"? They gave the edgy character a Third Person Shooter but didn't give the melee fighter character the God of War clone? WHY?! Now I could excuse the slow gameplay and lack of Knuckles here if the gameplay was good... It's not good. The game gives you a whole host of combos and attacks but all the way to Eggmanland, the final stage, you will never have to use anything beyond your basic 3-hit combo, my poor triangle button was jamming after all the mindless button mashing. Not helping the Werehog stages are its attempts at platforming, mainly due to the camera controls, they're downright unbearable. Sometimes it's free to move around, sometimes it's locked in place, during one half of a platforming it'll be in one direction and then it'll pan somewhere and you'll miss a jump because Right is Up now and sometimes the camera will lock itself in such an awkward position that you'll have to make leaps of faith. It all makes the stages just awful, but to make it EVEN worse, are the medals.

    Sun and Moon medals are required collectables and found scattered throughout the stages in the Ps3 and Xbox versions, in the older gen versions they're rewards for finishing stages and I think this method is far superior and really ought to have been what we got in this version too. What makes them so bad is that they're required to finish the story, as if 20-30 minute Werehog stages weren't bad enough, now you have to stop playing and go farm for medals, it's such bad design in for a series made to be fast and exhilarating.

    My final complaint is, Eggmanland. F*ck Eggmanland, all my homies hate Eggmanland. It's long, stressful, cheap and comes out of absolutely nowhere, the boss against Eggman ain't so bad, but then you have to fight Dark Gaia for like 30 minutes and if you fail you have to fight Eggman again. Just farm 99 lives in Spagonia, it makes it way more bearable.

    Sonic Unleashed is 1/3rd a great game and 2/3rds unbearable, I hate to say it but I don't intend to ever go back to this game and I can't recommend it to anybody, unless you played God of War and said "That was great I just wish it sucked".    … Expand
  20. dl_MARFI_lb
    Jun 28, 2022
    6
    Not the worst Sonic game, that I played, but not the best. There are a lot of bugs, which are thankfully not very fatal; absolutely boring modern Sonic levels, bad story (seriously, it feels like they made this storyline in 1980's).
    This game isn't that one, on which you should pay attention.
  21. Yojimbo2015
    Jan 11, 2023
    6
    3D version of the classic Sonic format in which he transforms after dark into a werehog. It looks great but the constantly shifting viewpoint can be disorientating and sudden death syndrome makes it a little too reliant on trial and error.
  22. MartinS
    Oct 6, 2009
    5
    This game is a pretty big disappointment. I actually thought this game was the next Sonic Adventure but I was wrong...for the most part. Don't get me wrong, the day stages are AMAZING! But getting the medals & playing as a "werehog" is what made me hate this game! Sega, please make a tue sonic game! Like *cough* Sonic Adventure 3 *cough*
  23. MarkK.
    Jan 3, 2009
    5
    When it plays like Sonic Rush it's great. But once the Sonic Adventure formula kicks in you wonder why Sonic Team just doesn't accept that 3-D Sonic games simply don't work.
  24. pookie
    Jun 28, 2012
    5
    Not the greatest. Not the worst. For the first time ever since his dreamcast days Sonic stands on his feet. The sonic levels are fantastic. The storyline sort of sucks and the wherehog levels are painful. Good improvement Sonic, but not good enough. Mediocre.
  25. ninja_dolphin
    Feb 3, 2013
    5
    a game of two halves. One is an amazing high speed platformer, the other is a mediocre "god of war for kids" type of game melded together with mindnummingly boring hub worlds. Sonic unleashed has so many design problems outside of the daytime levels its insane here's a few examples the final level is horrible, collecting medals to unlock stages is tedious, extra missions are either badlya game of two halves. One is an amazing high speed platformer, the other is a mediocre "god of war for kids" type of game melded together with mindnummingly boring hub worlds. Sonic unleashed has so many design problems outside of the daytime levels its insane here's a few examples the final level is horrible, collecting medals to unlock stages is tedious, extra missions are either badly designed or repetitive as all hell. I would say it would be worth it for the daytime levels alone but the game is designed in such a mess you would have to play dozens of werehog stages each around 10-20 minutes long in order to unlock a fantastic but short daytime level (lasting about 4-6 minutes) overall not worth it unless you're a huge sonic fan.… Expand
  26. Shrekening
    Feb 25, 2017
    5
    Sorry but this game is more frustrating than it should've been. I love the graphics and it can be fun but it's more of an endurance test with sloppy controls and poor werehog sections. It's also filled with boring hubworlds. The daytime sections can be fun but they have problems and there's too much fluff.
  27. Shadow87645
    Feb 6, 2018
    5
    Sonic Unleashed,The Game that brought the Boost Formula into 3D really delivered on what Sonic is supposed be fast,Sonic Unleashed had my Favorite Daytime Stages in the Entire Series: Spagonia Day,Empire City Day,if the game consited of only Daytime stages this would be my Favorite Sonic Game of all time,But the other-half of the game was downright dumb and uneeded,The Were-hog NightimeSonic Unleashed,The Game that brought the Boost Formula into 3D really delivered on what Sonic is supposed be fast,Sonic Unleashed had my Favorite Daytime Stages in the Entire Series: Spagonia Day,Empire City Day,if the game consited of only Daytime stages this would be my Favorite Sonic Game of all time,But the other-half of the game was downright dumb and uneeded,The Were-hog Nightime Stages were such a bore the only reason I tudged through those slow-paced stages cause i couldn't wait to unlock Sonic Daytime Levels,where i could zoom around and play Sonic how he should be played,The Were-hog was slower and more combat oreinted fighting the Same Dark Gaia beings and Eggmans robot in every stage,If I could compliment the Were-hog on one thing is that the music for it's stages were amazing Shamar Night and Adabat Day are two of my favorite tracks in the game, I think Sonic Unleashed is one of the most beautiful Sonic games i've seen maybe even better looking then Colors and Generations… Expand
  28. Resetto
    Sep 8, 2021
    5
    Half of this game is done very well with the daytime stages being challenging with a great use of the boost mechanic, but those nighttime stages are just painfully long. Like why did you need to have levels be 10 to 30 minutes long? The visuals and soundtrack for this game are incredible. It’s honestly kind of hard to tell this game came out in 2008 if you’re looking at the visuals. Sadly,Half of this game is done very well with the daytime stages being challenging with a great use of the boost mechanic, but those nighttime stages are just painfully long. Like why did you need to have levels be 10 to 30 minutes long? The visuals and soundtrack for this game are incredible. It’s honestly kind of hard to tell this game came out in 2008 if you’re looking at the visuals. Sadly, the 2 most egregious errors of Unleashed are the awful frame rate and the sun and moon medals, which ruin the game more than you think. The part where I grind for the sun and moon medals is very tedious even when I had to deal with the frame rate making the game more difficult somehow. For a positive, the in game and CG cutscenes are actually really good. Overall, this is probably the most polarizing game I have ever played in my life. 5/10… Expand
  29. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    5
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎
  30. SawnikAdventure
    Dec 8, 2011
    4
    Sonic Unleashed seemed to continue the downward trend of modern Sonic games.

    OK, I will admit - it's a step forward from 06, but that doesn't automatically mean it's great. What people overlook so damn much is that: 1) The MAJORITY of the game is played as the Werehog, which is absolute CRAP. I can't believe people can be so blind and brand this as 'such a great game' and yet they    Sonic Unleashed seemed to continue the downward trend of modern Sonic games.

    OK, I will admit - it's a step forward from 06, but that doesn't automatically mean it's great. What people overlook so damn much is that: 1) The MAJORITY of the game is played as the Werehog, which is absolute CRAP. I can't believe people can be so blind and brand this as 'such a great game' and yet they themselves had a horrible time with this disgusting gameplay style. 2/3 of the game is played as this piece of crap, which automatically makes it a bad game. But no, SEGA had to make it even WORSE! Let's go deeper, shall we? 2) Surprisingly, the incredibly overrated daytime stages are bad as well. At first, you'll be in love with them, because of their insane speed, seemless gameplay and literally effortless fun. But once you decide to play them again... the fun is gone. Why? Because you're constrained in a tight hallway surrounded by invisible walls and doing nothing but plough through everything at breakneck speed with no thinking required. I really don't understand what the hell is so fun about this turdfest. It's WAY too easy and gives nothing for the player to do but RUN. Sounds fun, right? 3) Pace... ugh. Remember the good old days, where simply beating a stage would lead you onto another? Well, Sonic Unleashed throws all of that away and forces you to explore hubworlds, talk to random people, wait through loading screens to access ANOTHER hubworld and as soon as you reach the level gate, you're prompted by this annoying pest known as 'Chip' that you haven't collected enough sun or moon medals. This means that you have to replay the crap you've just played to collect more medals hidden throughout the stages in order to progress. It enhances replay value, but then again, why 'enhance' replay value on something that nobody would enjoy (well, at least the Werehog, anyway)? It's just a stupid gimmick to pad the game out.

    OK, so, I don't like this game, which is pretty clear. But is there ANYTHING that this game did right? Hell yes.

    1) The graphics are stunning, especially in HD. It makes the pain more bearable to see all these pretty landscapes that you wish you could explore but can't because the stupid game won't let you. 2) The music is fantastic. The daytime music is usually more fast and upbeat, featuring some catchy tunes packed with variety. These just give me a feel-good feeling. The nighttime music, on the other hand, is much slower, somewhat orchestral and relaxing. Personally, I prefer the daytime music, but there's no denying that both types of track are just great. 3) While I do NOT like the daytime stages, I can praise it for at least one thing: the technical achievement. Even though ploughing mindlessly through everything is NOT my kind of fun, you've got to admit that it's pretty darn stunning to see Sonic run that fast with incredible graphics to boot. There's not a single slowdown issue while doing any of this, either. There are a few framerate dips, however, espeically in the later stages.

    So, all in all, I would recommend Sonic Unleashed ONLY to diehard Sonic fans who want to 'check it out'. Otherwise, (send me death threats for saying this, I don't care) Sonic Unleashed is a smelling piece of crap and it should never have been released in such a state.    … Expand
  31. ectobioligist
    Dec 18, 2012
    2
    This game is EXTREMELY overrated. The daytime stages are linear, claustrophobic, and overall boring. The game just holds your hand and just has you keep going, and going, and going, and then occasionally quickstep, drift, and jump to prevent getting hit. This game has you do SO little. In the daytime stages, that is. In the nighttime stages, while they ARE too slow, they actually have youThis game is EXTREMELY overrated. The daytime stages are linear, claustrophobic, and overall boring. The game just holds your hand and just has you keep going, and going, and going, and then occasionally quickstep, drift, and jump to prevent getting hit. This game has you do SO little. In the daytime stages, that is. In the nighttime stages, while they ARE too slow, they actually have you DO something, and their is ACTUAL platforming. But despite these nighttime stages being the best part of this game, they just DON'T belong in a Sonic game. These nighttime stages have you constantly fighting hoards of enemies like a Kratos from God of War. So with the boring, linear, and overall uninspired level design that just holds your hand the whole way through, and the slow, out of place brawling sections, this game is officially my LEAST FAVORITE SONIC GAME. I know Sonic 06 sucked, but at least you DID something in that game, and it was designed LIKE a platformer, (Although they failed) Now that the gameplay is out of the way, let's move on with the story. Sonic crashes Eggman's party once again, and chases the big bad Doctor to his interplanetary space ship. After transforming into Super Sonic with the mystical gems known as the "Chaos Emeralds" and destroying Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik's robots, Eggman begs for forgiveness, leading Sonic into a trap. Eggman drains the power of the Chaos Emeralds, reverting Sonic back into his normal blue self. Eggman uses the Emeralds power for his laser which he uses to crack the world into seven sections. The Earth's core is exposed, and an ancient creature who was trapped in the Earth escapes. This creature is known as "Dark Gaia". Eggman's plan is to harness this creature's power, (Considering how WELL that plan worked before) and rule the world in order to build his Evil utopia, "Eggman land". (Creative name, I know) However, Sonic absorbs Gaia's energy and transforms into a werehog. Yes, a WEREHOG. As in, whenever he sees the moon, he turns into this strong, furry, huge beast with stretchy arms. After falling to the Earth and surviving, he finds out that a little flying fairy dog, thing, has been knocked out. Sonic wonders if he has knocked out this tiny creature, and proceeds to try to wake him up. Startled by Sonic's strange appearance, the strange creature runs away. Sonic tells the creature that there's nothing to worry about, and this creature decides to trust him. Soon, the Sun rises, and Sonic is reverted back to the blue form that we're all familiar with. Sonic says that he will help this creature, and after walking around town for anyone who might know him, Sonic decides to name this tiny thing "Chip". After exploring the town and it's incredibly linear and confined areas, Sonic and Chip find out that in order to restore the continents, they must place the Chaos Emeralds in shrines all around the world. After realizing this, the two find Tails the Fox, Sonic's long time best friend, who tags along for the ride, and travel all around the world searching for these shrines to stop Dr. Eggman's plot, defeat Dark Gaia, and restore the world to it's original state. I can see a LOT of effort and thought put into this story. Although I prefer Sonic storylines to be a bit more simple, a bit of seriousness can never hurt, and there are a few Comedy scenes that balance out the seriousness. Finally, the graphics and visuals. The visuals in this game are STUNNING. The humans aren't realistic, and don't TRY to be realistic, so they feel a bit less out of place with the Giant mutant animals. The stages are beautiful to look at, and the character models are very polished, and this game looks beautiful in HD. But despite the stunning visuals and amazing storyline, the gameplay is just too shallow and too out of place to make this game any fun. Sonic's levels shouldn't be confined, they should be open and free. You should be able to fully EXPLORE the world around you, and not be trapped on ONE path which will occasionally branch out into two or three pathways. The funny thing is, that the HUB WORLDS in this game allow more exploration then the actual levels themselves. In conclusion, this game, while the story had a lot of effort put into it, and the visuals are very pretty to look at, the gameplay, and the level design is just shallow and boring in the daytime stages, and out of place during the Nighttime stages. This is, in my opinion, the WORST Sonic game in terms of level design and gameplay. While the story is a grand step up from games like Sonic 2006, and Shadow The Hedgehog, this game just offers you nothing to do half the time, and the brawling sections in the Nighttime stages can get very repetitive after a while. This is the most overrated, over-hyped, and overly loved game in Sonic history. If you're looking for a Sonic game with some thought put into it, DON'T get Sonic Unleashed. I'd suggest getting Sonic Generations or Colors. I give this game a 2 out of 10.… Expand
  32. mafon2
    Apr 5, 2015
    2
    Is it bad? YES. Does it earn your time? NO. So disappointed. Too much boring unnecessary stuff, too goofy, too childish, too dumb, levels just doesn't feel right. Generations are 10 times better. I wonder: is it possible that Sonic 06 is even worse?
  33. SonicGamer08
    Sep 8, 2021
    0
    Best game ever!!

    Great gameplay
    Amazing graphics
    Awesome mechanics
    Cool story
    etc...
  34. AbRah-3101
    Sep 9, 2021
    0
    I never liked this game that much. it was pretty bad, werehog stages were slow and long annoying.
  35. Abdur86-245
    Sep 9, 2021
    0
    worst game ever made. yuck. i actually felt like vomiting after playing few werehog stages which were disastrous.
  36. UnleashedSucks
    Nov 14, 2022
    0
    Worst **** game i played in my entire life. If someone gave me this when i was a child, i would just **** destroy it. Because the levels are hard as **** terrible **** control, the camera is just completely ****ed up. Worst game i ever played, i will regret the poor money i wasted on this garbage to the rest of my life. If someone would want to buy this piece of **** for the love of god doWorst **** game i played in my entire life. If someone gave me this when i was a child, i would just **** destroy it. Because the levels are hard as **** terrible **** control, the camera is just completely ****ed up. Worst game i ever played, i will regret the poor money i wasted on this garbage to the rest of my life. If someone would want to buy this piece of **** for the love of god do everything but just dont spend money on this mother**** game. I would give everything just to take the hours i spend playing this ****… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2008
19
#19 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 24
  3. Negative: 8 out of 24
  1. Cheat Code Central
    72
    Despite the game’s clumsy story progression and repetitive werehog combat, it manages to be the best Sonic game released in recent memory. This is thanks mostly to the excellent hedgehog levels that evoke memories of classic Sonic titles while still managing to feel fresh and new.
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  2. IGN AU
    60
    Even with no expectations going in, we can't imagine many in our ADHD generation holding patience enough to wade through 20-to-30 minute intervals of repetitive room clearing again and again just to find enough Sun tokens to unlock the next decent racing portion. It just isn't enough fun to warrant the effort.
    Read full review
  3. Gamer 2.0
    77
    To be quite frank, Sonic Unleashed is half great game, and half unnecessarily unleashed. The Sonic levels are extremely fun and bring back the memories of yesteryear, and the night-time levels will leave players wondering why Sonic Team continues to torture their fans by continuing to add pointless things to prolong good gameplay.
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