Sonic Unleashed

 Wii
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 256 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 153 out of 256
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 256
  3. Negative: 38 out of 256
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  1. JRcade
    Nov 14, 2010
    5
    Overall it really wasn't a bad game but it wasn't a good one. The last minute port decision did not help it, and neither did the 3:1 Night:Day. The controls were precise to Dimps credit. I really can't say much to it's praise though. It was a step in the right direction. Hopefully they'll follow it.
  2. LolLimewire
    Nov 12, 2016
    5
    This game is above avarage, but suffers from the poorly implemented controls, wich makes night zones so much tedious and exhausting. Great soundtrack, though it becames repetitive in night zones because of their lenght.
  3. Untitled94
    Dec 15, 2016
    7
    This version was the very slightly better version of the PS2 version. The difference is the sound and picture is a little bit better on here than on the PS2 one. It has to be the second best way to play Sonic Unleashed. Number 1 would be the Xbox 360 version...have I said version yet?
  4. limmik
    Dec 6, 2011
    7
    I agree that the werehog sections are very boring and pointless but i enjoyed the sonic levels very much.Graphics are fine,gameplay much better than the past sonic games and the game has little to no bugs,considering the past sonic games which they had many bugs.A good game and is a must for sonic funs
  5. Nero97
    Jan 9, 2012
    5
    when you are playing with Sonic, the game is OK. But when you transform into a wolf, it's boring compared to sonic gameplay in the day time. The game isn't that fun, but is a little bit enjoyable, but there are way better sonic games out there.
  6. AndreasB.
    Dec 6, 2008
    5
    I'm crying for the good parts of this game. I am playing these %§/&%§ ice world warehog stages for the 20th time or so now and I am just frustrated by the controls. Especially the "grab!" action does not work reliably, and so doesn't accelerating (if it fails, you almost certainly die because your jump will be too short). The result? Imprecise controls that make it I'm crying for the good parts of this game. I am playing these %§/&%§ ice world warehog stages for the 20th time or so now and I am just frustrated by the controls. Especially the "grab!" action does not work reliably, and so doesn't accelerating (if it fails, you almost certainly die because your jump will be too short). The result? Imprecise controls that make it more of a coincidence if you pass a level or not. Sonic Team, why, just why? This game could have been so good.… Expand
  7. GuyNoir
    May 8, 2009
    7
    I'll be honest, I love the sonic games, but the night stages are frightfully generic and dull and the day stages are loaded with glitches. The 2D segments, however, are a blast of fun to play. Unfortunaely, there are so few of them that it's just not worth it. Now, if sega made a game of only those...
  8. TomC
    Jun 26, 2009
    5
    The worst part about this game is the fact that the sonic sections are by far the greatest 3d sonic ever. This is just another kick to the balls when compared to the horrible werhog sections. They are montonous that I didnt even bother completing this game. Sega let there fans down once again.
  9. JohnSmith
    Aug 28, 2009
    7
    It wasn't that bad. You got basic sonic platforming. just with a slight twist. Sonic has certiantly gotten faster, but his Werewolf/hog form is much slower. some simple platforming can be an issue, but it's still the clssic sonic underneath.
  10. JS
    Dec 15, 2008
    5
    Sorry, I have to disagree with most reviewers on this one. I am a huge fan of the original Genesis Sonics, as well as the DS ones, but this is still nothing like them, even in the daylight episodes. The problem with the daylight episodes is it feels like you're playing a racing games with no opponents. The enemies are similar. The best part of the daytime levels is when the camera Sorry, I have to disagree with most reviewers on this one. I am a huge fan of the original Genesis Sonics, as well as the DS ones, but this is still nothing like them, even in the daylight episodes. The problem with the daylight episodes is it feels like you're playing a racing games with no opponents. The enemies are similar. The best part of the daytime levels is when the camera switches to the side, and you get a 3d/2d style view. If the game were designed mostly using this camera angle instead, and with more interesting levels (like the 2d Sonic levels), it would be what most fans want. I think the reviewers would have been more critical of the daylight levels had it not been for the horrible night, werehog, levels. The daytime levels are great in comparison. Anyway, in short, the daytime levels get boring quickly (except when the camera angle switches to a more 2d side view), the night time levels suck, and you can't cut through the terrible cut-scenes, which pop up constantly. I do not recommend buying this game. Rent it, play it for a few hours, then go back to the better Sonics on the DS.… Expand
  11. ManoelQ
    Dec 6, 2008
    7
    The graphics are great for Wii, the hedgehog stages are great. And the same happens with the werehog stages as well. However, what makes this game a regular one is that it destroys the characteristics of Sonic: he was made to run, not to punch. If Dimps weren't lazy and dumb, they could make three acts for a day stage that this game would get 10 anywhere.
  12. SuperLeo
    May 3, 2013
    6
    There are really fun levels and really cool music themes and cool bosses to beat. The goal is to get all the chaos animals and beat Dark Gaia. He is massive. The disappointing part of the game was that it was hard to find out how to go to the next level.
  13. jakethesnack
    Oct 24, 2013
    7
    I couldn't really decide to give this game a 6 or a 7 but I eventually chose 7 since it's a Sonic game. The game is really good on the Sonic stages but by the time it goes to the Werehog stages it becomes ok.
  14. JudgeMathew
    Nov 2, 2013
    5
    Playing through Sonic Unleashed can be a complete joy to anybody that enjoys platform games. The issue is the sort of platforming which is present in Sonic Unleashed...it's not what a Sonic platform video game should be, in fact...it's the complete opposite. While the Wii version offers more interesting and fun controls than other versions, Sonic Unleashed is too slow and lacking actualPlaying through Sonic Unleashed can be a complete joy to anybody that enjoys platform games. The issue is the sort of platforming which is present in Sonic Unleashed...it's not what a Sonic platform video game should be, in fact...it's the complete opposite. While the Wii version offers more interesting and fun controls than other versions, Sonic Unleashed is too slow and lacking actual Sonic game-play to be a great Sonic game.… Expand
  15. VidyaBum
    May 6, 2015
    7
    Unwiished is surprisingly great to play yet every critic towards the wolfhog part is true.

    This needs two critics actually: Sonic Unwiished: -Gotta learn the levels by heart to get your S ranks -It's fun -It's really fun -It's fast, colourful, different, with good control, good music, good visuals(in HD version it's AWESOME visuals, games that came out five years after still    Unwiished is surprisingly great to play yet every critic towards the wolfhog part is true.

    This needs two critics actually:

    Sonic Unwiished:
    -Gotta learn the levels by heart to get your S ranks
    -It's fun
    -It's really fun
    -It's fast, colourful, different, with good control, good music, good visuals(in HD version it's AWESOME visuals, games that came out five years after still looked no better than Unleashed HD)
    -It's exhilarating to go through the levels at that speed, with your reflexes and memory constantly tested, lots of branching pathways and a simple yet all-around fun boost mechanic

    -It's a little bit too "gotta memorise this to win"
    -It's a railway game where you just boost and the game directs you
    -Little too "videogame-y" for a modern game, the mechanics in this could've existed back in SNES days almost, you'd think a modern 3D game could do slightly better than that
    -Bosses are ok but even more videogamey and not that interesting, complex or realistic, they're just sort of there

    Wolfhog Unwiished:
    -Eh
    -Meh
    -Ugh
    -Eh for the generally boring combat
    -Meh for levels that are too slow, and thus far too long in comparison with the much more fun daytime running levels
    -Ugh for the clunky, uninteresting wolfhog platforming where you get auto-grab ledges, your running speed is slow and slippery, your walking speed is Sonic the Snailhog, and it's just generally a very slow, boring, extremely skippable part of the game.

    Combat is a poor God of War ripoff, the challenge is mostly weak, you'll usually just rinse and repeat the same 2 or 3 combos throughout the entire game (left right left, left right strong), the powerups aren't worth the sidequests or just the effort, it generally is an acceptable game but you just will never play it except to get it done with so you can go back to the daytime stages. The combat is not nearly as bad as the ridiculously slow platforming that can completely make you wanna quit the game, but both together comprise the majority of the time you'll spend on Sonic Unwiished/Unleashed.

    On the side note, the few characters, story and world this game introduces happen to do the job just fine. A few cliches, taken lightly, a few quirks, and a decent plot make for a mundane but agreeable story. I played through all of it and hated none, though I'll hardly recall this in years from now.

    The control is fine in the daytime stages and apart from the platforming in wolfhog form, Super Sonic was a huge pain to control. You don't play him long though.

    Music is very nice as usual, visuals are quite nice for a wii game and as a whole, I find the entire game to be an extremely good memory.

    It's probably because I played all Sonics in a marathon, and after the slow, painful descent from the great Sonic Adventure to sh*tty Adventure 2, mildly sh*tty Heroes, really sh*tty Shadow and Sonic 06, having a game that was competently made with no glitches, good control and fun level design, even if it was a pretty simplistic game design, was already a godsend.

    But besides the fact that this is an overall competent game, I think I just like Unwiished for being a fresh new thing. 06 was such an unmitigated disaster that we got an entire introspection by Sonic Team to redo Sonic. Even if he boost mechanic was gimmicky and led to simple game design, it was new, it was fresh, it was revolutionary even, and it started a new age of Sonic that greatly improved with the latter Boost games, Colours and Generations.

    The slight shame is that Sonic Team did not just introspect the gameplay, they introspected on their writing capabilities too. And the verdict was quite cruel: they could never write a good story(ever, there isn't one Sonic story that isn't stupid or outright jarring out of all the previous games, when they had a story anyway), so they decided to go with the most classic, unoriginal ripoff story. Made me think of Zelda even, go around the world, find the stones/pendants(in this case Emeralds) and move on to the next Temple.

    Still, i'll remember Unleashed as one of the few 3D Sonic games that I'd gladly replay, even if only partly. It goes into the good 3D sonic games with problems, along with Adventure and Heroes. It's much more competent than these but also a lot more bland.    … Expand
  16. SonicFan29
    Nov 11, 2014
    5
    This is a generally underwhelming game, but I did enjoy it. Certainly not the best Sonic game, but I'll explain some of its details.

    The graphics are rather uninspiring. They aren't all out bad...but they aren't exactly very pretty. Neither solid nor pathetic, I simply didn't enjoy them. The gameplay is quite the mixed box. The Day stages are exhilarating. The sense of speed is    This is a generally underwhelming game, but I did enjoy it. Certainly not the best Sonic game, but I'll explain some of its details.

    The graphics are rather uninspiring. They aren't all out bad...but they aren't exactly very pretty. Neither solid nor pathetic, I simply didn't enjoy them.

    The gameplay is quite the mixed box. The Day stages are exhilarating. The sense of speed is captured perfectly, perhaps better then in any Sonic game ever. However, the Day stages are far and few in between. The Night stages are interesting, but begin getting boring quickly. Coupled with shockingly long stages, I found myself bored many times. The Wiimote controls are also rather disappointing.

    The music is absolutely wonderful. "Endless Possibilities" perfectly captures Sonic and remains one of his be st themes ever. The orchestra music at the end is absolutely stunning and never fails to take my breath away.

    The story is not extremely complex, but it's more detailed the Colors or Generations. The final boss is generally stereotypical, but not horrible.

    While not a good game, this is not horrible. With Sonic, you often most take the good the bad, and this game shows that perfectly.    … Expand
  17. Daze072401
    Apr 1, 2018
    7
    Against the HD version; it's got lesser production values (go figure), worse hubworlds, and two missing stages, but it has a far more bearable werehog, significantly better progression, and "smarter" boost gameplay.

    On it's own merit, it's a solid game that's perfectly fine at a lower price. But with Sonic Colors on the map, there's very little reason to buy this game.
  18. MeTheNinja
    Nov 24, 2017
    7
    This game did so much right, the only thing that it did wrong is the most important thing in a game, the gameplay. The soundtrack is great, the graphics look great for a Wii, the story doesn't take itself too seriously, but its not overly lighthearted like Sonic Colors. But, the GAMEPLAY is TERRIBLE [the werehog]. The werehog controls terrible, and while the daytime is usually good,, butThis game did so much right, the only thing that it did wrong is the most important thing in a game, the gameplay. The soundtrack is great, the graphics look great for a Wii, the story doesn't take itself too seriously, but its not overly lighthearted like Sonic Colors. But, the GAMEPLAY is TERRIBLE [the werehog]. The werehog controls terrible, and while the daytime is usually good,, but it Sonic controls really stiff. It did so much right, but the most important thing wrong.… Expand
  19. FilemonBR
    Aug 31, 2016
    7
    Otimo jogo, mas a versao sd nao chega perto da versao hd, porem foi muito inovador, trazendo uma nova jogabilidade para o sonic que nunca foi visto antes
  20. Sanic8mehfridge
    Apr 27, 2017
    5
    This game is limited compared to the 360 and PS3 versions, as the Wii and PS2 aren't capable of displaying HD resolution quality, beautiful colours and possessing great power, but the night stages have an exclusive plus and it's that the Wii remote and Nun-chuck are used in a way that can immerse the player a little, because when you are attacking, you swing the nun-chuck, as if you areThis game is limited compared to the 360 and PS3 versions, as the Wii and PS2 aren't capable of displaying HD resolution quality, beautiful colours and possessing great power, but the night stages have an exclusive plus and it's that the Wii remote and Nun-chuck are used in a way that can immerse the player a little, because when you are attacking, you swing the nun-chuck, as if you are boxing.
    The controls on the other hand for the day stages are a slightly more of a kerfuffle, as it doesn't feel natural in a gaming environment or natural in general.    … Expand
  21. Westimations
    Oct 25, 2018
    6
    Sonic Unleashed was kind of a "meh" game for me, it wasn't all that enjoyable in my opinion. The story is kind of predictable, the controls are fine, along with some great gameplay, and the presentation is nice, for a 2008 game at least. As a 2018 game, this doesn't stand a chance against games like Super Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
    Story: 5/10
    Gameplay: 8/10    Sonic Unleashed was kind of a "meh" game for me, it wasn't all that enjoyable in my opinion. The story is kind of predictable, the controls are fine, along with some great gameplay, and the presentation is nice, for a 2008 game at least. As a 2018 game, this doesn't stand a chance against games like Super Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
    Story: 5/10
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Presentation: 6/10
    Overall: 6/10    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Wii Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2008
12
#12 Most Shared Wii Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 30
  3. Negative: 2 out of 30
  1. Game Informer
    65
    The Wii version has less annoying traits than the others and still retains all the usual mediocrity. The motion-control elements in the Werehog levels add an extra dimension to the action, and the hub worlds are entirely text-based and aren’t nearly as annoying. If you can stand the diminished graphics, the Wii version actually edges out the PS3 and 360 entries.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    72
    Sonic Unleashed is half great game and half tedious gimmick.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Power
    80
    If you don't mind some fisticuffs mixed into your high-speed thrills, give Sonic Unleashed a shot. [Holiday 2008, p.80]
See all critic reviews »