User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 809 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 54 out of 809
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Jul 11, 2022
    10
    INCREDIBLE Graphics, Great Gameplay, Impressive story and all very fun, the game has indescribable good music and many side missions to enjoy the post-finished game, without a doubt, one of the best sonic games.

    10/10
  2. Jul 13, 2022
    10
    Sonic Unleashed is the best Sonic game to date. The gameplay in the daytime stages is amazing, the music is incredible, the animation is great, the environments are beautiful, and the story is solid. The sense of speed in the daytime stages is incredible, it really feels like you're truly moving at Sonic's speed. No other Sonic game has captured that feeling as well as Unleashed did,Sonic Unleashed is the best Sonic game to date. The gameplay in the daytime stages is amazing, the music is incredible, the animation is great, the environments are beautiful, and the story is solid. The sense of speed in the daytime stages is incredible, it really feels like you're truly moving at Sonic's speed. No other Sonic game has captured that feeling as well as Unleashed did, Generations comes the closest. You can boost to gain speed, but the challenge comes in maintaining that high speed. Once you memorize and get good at the stages by replaying them you can blast through them without slowing down, which a lot of Sonic games force you to do in some areas. It's fun to try to get an S rank, and you really feel like you've gotten better at the game after practicing the stages. There are many pathways you can go through in the daytime stages, and it's satisfying when you learn the best ones. The DLC levels add even more challenges and manage to be hard but still fun once you learn them. The Werehog gameplay isn't as great as the daytime gameplay, but the Werehog gameplay is still fun. You can utilize tons of combos for the best results in the Werehog stages. For example, some enemies can block your attacks, but you can break their block with a specific combo. There's an attack you can learn that can serve both as an attack and as a method to manuever through the stage quicker. There's a combo you can use in mid-air to cover more distance after jumping, which you can use to do some shortcuts. The Werehog platforming sections are fun, even though they can be a bit frustrating at some points. The Werehog stages tend to drag on at points, but it's a problem I can look over considering the quality of the rest of the game. If you go for S ranks, you'll be playing more of the daytime stages than nighttime stages. The boss fights are also great, both the daytime and nighttime ones. I especially liked the Egg Dragoon boss fight. The tension between Eggman and Sonic is shown really well in the fight, it really seemed like Eggman wanted to kill Sonic during that fight. The game has the best presentation out of any Sonic game. The animation is great, especially in the CGI cutscenes. Every character is more expressive than they've ever been, especially Sonic. Each location you visit in the game is based off of a real world location, and they do a great job at making these environments beautiful. For example, there's a country you visit called Apotos, which is based off of real world Greece. Every country has its own people, food, culture, and environment. The game does a great job at showing this off. You can buy different foods and souvenirs from all the countries. The game also does a great job at building its world. You can see how different people are connected, and some will even travel to other countries throughout the game. Almost every NPC has their own mini story you can follow throughout the game, which is really nice. The graphics look cutting edge for 2008, and still look amazing today. The story also is great. It isn't as great as Sonic Adventure 2's, but it's still a good story. Sonic and Chip's friendship develops well throughout the story. I don't want to go into too much of the story's details for those who have not played the game, but Sonic's character is portrayed greatly in the story. The voice acting in the game is great, especially Sonic and Eggman's. The soundtrack is top-notch and is probably the best Sonic soundtrack yet. If you're able to overlook its issues, Sonic Unleashed is an amazing experience that's worth trying out. Expand
  3. Jul 20, 2022
    10
    I went out of my way to play this game, expecting the best sonic game ever made, and somehow I got better than that, words cannot describe how much I loved this game
  4. Aug 21, 2022
    9
    One of my favorite sonic games, I enjoyed the gameplay and story of this a lot, and the music is amazing too. One thing this Sonic Unleashed does that is missing in the recent sonic game is the amazing cinematics, this game's cutscenes are phenomenal and make me miss the CGI cutscenes that have been missing in sonic games for years, but the game is not perfect. The biggest problem withOne of my favorite sonic games, I enjoyed the gameplay and story of this a lot, and the music is amazing too. One thing this Sonic Unleashed does that is missing in the recent sonic game is the amazing cinematics, this game's cutscenes are phenomenal and make me miss the CGI cutscenes that have been missing in sonic games for years, but the game is not perfect. The biggest problem with unleashed is not the weredog, but the framerate and the medal collecting. Due to performance issues I'd recommend playing on Xbox 360 because the framerate is more consistent than the PS3 Version. Expand
  5. Aug 26, 2022
    8
    SONIC BECOMES A WOLF AND IT MAKES NO SENSE BUT WHO CARES THIS GAME IS FUN PLS PLAY
    pls
  6. Sep 2, 2022
    10
    Sonic Unleashed Is By Far MY FAVORITE SONIC GAME AND THE REASON WHY I LOVE SONIC!!! Ok So Our story starts With The Evil Dr.Eggman In Space With Many Ships And Robots But Then our Blue Boy Sonic Comes And DESTROYS THEM ALL Fast,Sick,And Cool All Animated As If It Was a Pixar Movie. But Then Eggman Captures Sonic And Sonic Has Other Option But to Turn In To SUPER SONIC He AbsolutelySonic Unleashed Is By Far MY FAVORITE SONIC GAME AND THE REASON WHY I LOVE SONIC!!! Ok So Our story starts With The Evil Dr.Eggman In Space With Many Ships And Robots But Then our Blue Boy Sonic Comes And DESTROYS THEM ALL Fast,Sick,And Cool All Animated As If It Was a Pixar Movie. But Then Eggman Captures Sonic And Sonic Has Other Option But to Turn In To SUPER SONIC He Absolutely Eviscerates All Of Eggmans Work. Eggman Beggs For Mercy, So Sonic Sonic Starts Trash Talking To Eggy BUT Dr.Eggman Tricks Sonic And Starts To Shoot Him So Hard With A Lazer That It Defeats Super Sonic. The Lazer Then Uses Sonics Power To BLOW UP THE EARTH TO 7 PARTS. Then Sonic Turns In To THE Werehog. Eggman Does a Joke Then Sonic Fall To Earth.Sonic Lands On The Earth To Find A Weird Chihuahua Looking Thing. The Thing Wakes Up And Is Scared Of Sonic At First But Then Warms Up To Him. The Sun Fully Rises And The He Switches Back To The Hedgehog.The Game Begins As Sonic Races Around The Globe To Meet New People,Eat Foods,Get Achivements,And Defeat Dark Gaia. Sonic Controls LiKE Generations,Colors When You Get Rings And Or Defeat Enemies, Press The X And Go FASTER THAN ANY SONIC GAME BEFORE OR AFTER THIS ONE!. The Werehog Is Slower And More Combat Oriented,With Combos Only He Can Do. You Can Upgrade Sonic With EXP That You Find By Smashing Robots. Overall This Game I s Frickin Amazing. Buy it on Xbox Series For The FPS Boost Because The 360 Version Has Alot Of Slowdown During The Last Half Of The Game. 10/10 Expand
  7. Sep 8, 2022
    9
    The game is great! fast paced (expect the hub worlds, metal collecting and Werehog) As Sonic you go through fast paced levels dodging obstacles testing your reacting time or muscle memory which adds a lot of re-playability but enough of that now onto the cons. 1st off the Werehog it depends on if you don't mind too waste a half hour on a level mainly because the look for metals theThe game is great! fast paced (expect the hub worlds, metal collecting and Werehog) As Sonic you go through fast paced levels dodging obstacles testing your reacting time or muscle memory which adds a lot of re-playability but enough of that now onto the cons. 1st off the Werehog it depends on if you don't mind too waste a half hour on a level mainly because the look for metals the combat is pretty solid but that's really all i have to say for this game Expand
  8. Dec 13, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sonic Unleashed is a masterpiece, say what you want about the werehog night stages, idc, they are amazing. People usually say they are bad bc they are long and hard. Well the levels are only long when you don't know what your doing, once you get used to them, they're easy enough. The day stages are the best boosting stages in the series with its absolutely amazing level design, the soundtrack is fire and the story is amazing. The opening cutscene really empowers the player and makes them want to play those amazing game, and the super sonic transformation in this game is absolutely amazing. All in all, this game is great. The graphics are also great for a 2008 game. The only critical comment I can make is that some of the medals you have to collect in this game are in stupid places. Another thing that is so good about this game is how all the places you go to are based off of real life locations, Apotos, (the first place you visit when you start the game) Is based of Greece and is a spitting image of it, Spagonia is based off of England, Italy and France, with a dash of Spain in it, Empire city is based of New York etc. It was such a great idea that really worked. This game has the best story in the series and it shows Sonic in a new light that we hadn't seen in the series before and less like the usual cocky hedgehog he is. He has more of a developed personality and is willing to die at the end of the game (but ofc he is saved). He is a true hero in this game. This is the best Sonic game to date. Expand
  9. Jan 6, 2023
    10
    I think that this game Didn't get a fair chance and got treated harshly by most of the people Super underrated + i believe that it did age to be liked by the community From my prospective its the best sonic game

    And it's the only sonic game that can be considered as a AAA sonic game It has great gameplay great game design Bosses levels and cutscene's are great Most of the people hated
    I think that this game Didn't get a fair chance and got treated harshly by most of the people Super underrated + i believe that it did age to be liked by the community From my prospective its the best sonic game

    And it's the only sonic game that can be considered as a AAA sonic game It has great gameplay great game design Bosses levels and cutscene's are great Most of the people hated the werehog but I think it has a good mechanic and a fun gameplay And I think people hated it cuz they were used to a short, fast levels/gameplay
    Expand
  10. Oct 31, 2022
    10
    I love Sonic Unleashed this game is amazing, it had amazing graphics, amazing soundtrack, amazing physics, amazing enviorment this game had everything
  11. Nov 11, 2022
    10
    La verdad que poniéndome a pensar con Sonic Unsleashed y no entiendo porque la prensa tiene tanto odio con Sonic.
    Es un juegazo con todas las letras, la verdad que seria un digno merecedor de un 8 en Nota, pero a la gente no le gustó el lobo. Que asco la prensa
  12. Nov 16, 2022
    10
    Sonic Unleasehd is one of the BEST SONIC Games ever. I hope if they make one day a Sonic Unleashed Remaster it should be the same game but in 4K and 60fps and extra content. This game is just amazing! The Story 10/10 the Gameplay of Sonic great, the Werehog was oke but it was fun too. But at the end amazing game
  13. Nov 7, 2022
    10
    Excelente juego de Sonic, la banda sonora, jugabilidad y esos hermosos gráficos para ser un juego del 2008, simplemente uno de los mejores juegos de Sonic
  14. Nov 13, 2022
    10
    Just , Beautiful , i played this game not many times , but it did everything right , day gameplay, night gameplay, it's a TOP 5 Sonic game
  15. Nov 8, 2022
    10
    Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good
  16. Nov 8, 2022
    10
    The game is perfect it is a different gameplay but fun and gives to explore more good enough with a great story of all sonic
  17. Nov 10, 2022
    9
    This is one of the most unexpectedly amusing games I've ever encountered. Many consider the game as a bad one, but honestly the game can be enjoyable once you get used to it
  18. Nov 11, 2022
    10
    Es una lástima que la prensa se fuera contra este juego en su momento, era muy divertido de jugar, ofrecía un buen nivel de reto, la dificultad hacía que fuera tan rejugable, el apartado visual es hermoso, y el soundtrack perfecto.

    Incluso las fases nocturnas tienen lo suyo, si bien rompen el ritmo veloz de Sonic, el diseño de nivel y el hecho de tener varios combos a tu disposición lo
    Es una lástima que la prensa se fuera contra este juego en su momento, era muy divertido de jugar, ofrecía un buen nivel de reto, la dificultad hacía que fuera tan rejugable, el apartado visual es hermoso, y el soundtrack perfecto.

    Incluso las fases nocturnas tienen lo suyo, si bien rompen el ritmo veloz de Sonic, el diseño de nivel y el hecho de tener varios combos a tu disposición lo hacen igual de entretenido.
    Expand
  19. Nov 13, 2022
    9
    Man... after beating this game, I don't even know where to start, Sonic Unleashed in my opinion is the 3rd best sonic game (Sonic Generations 2nd, Sonic Frontiers 1st) basically 99% of this game is perfect, it surprises you every time you play, microscopic and well thought out details, the characters can have different dialogs based on their actions, if you pamper Chip he will be happierMan... after beating this game, I don't even know where to start, Sonic Unleashed in my opinion is the 3rd best sonic game (Sonic Generations 2nd, Sonic Frontiers 1st) basically 99% of this game is perfect, it surprises you every time you play, microscopic and well thought out details, the characters can have different dialogs based on their actions, if you pamper Chip he will be happier and more talkative, there are millions of things to do before and after beating the game , EXP leveling system and everything else, in short: The game is very interactive. The soundtrack of this game is something magical, one of the best in the ENTIRE franchise, with sounds that fit very well. The graphics are so advanced that the game has serious problems with FPS drops, the werehog is supposed to be scary or something like that but he's very cute with the fur very well done, and his gameplay is like a God of War only that a little broken (in the bad sense) but still playing its part, it's a lot of fun to crush the bones of enemies. this game is beautiful Expand
  20. Nov 14, 2022
    10
    The greatest sonic game of all time. A masterpiece of sound, visuals, gameplay, atmosphere and world building. Cinematic but arcadey at the same time. A true adventure.
  21. Jun 9, 2023
    9
    This is my perfect Sonic game. And yes, before you bring it up, I really enjoy the Werehog levels, sometimes just as much as the Hedgehog levels! Rooftop Run Act 1 and Windmill Isle Act 2 are ones I really like, just to name a few.

    Also I love speedrunning Eggmanland. My current best time for that is 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
  22. Nov 16, 2022
    10
    I gotta admit, this game is fantastic! Fun day stages, fun soundtrack, cool fights and impressive cg opening cutscene!
  23. Nov 18, 2022
    9
    I livelli nella notte non sono eccezionali, ma i livelli di giorno sono pura arte.
  24. Nov 19, 2022
    10
    This is the greatest sonic game of all time. Consistently amazing boost levels, werehog is amazing, story is stellar, best visuals in a sonic game, and overall just a phenomenal game
  25. Dec 11, 2022
    9
    Exelente juego

    Sus dos tipos de jugabilidad son divertidos y subir de nivel vale la pena

    El mayor problema son las medallas lunares y solares pero fuera de eso es un juego casi perfecto
  26. Jan 21, 2023
    10
    My absolute most favorite game of all time. That's all I gotta say, really.
  27. Apr 3, 2023
    10
    Good! Great! Awesome! Outstanding! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing!
  28. Apr 6, 2023
    10
    Underrated game, idk why people hate it but I'm glad to see it has a high fan score
  29. Apr 11, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best game in the series werehog 8.10 level design one shots Any game in the franchise EVEN Better than sonic generations Expand
  30. Apr 13, 2023
    9
    Unleashed is a great sonic game and personally I don’t think the werehog is that bad but the level can be a bit too long but the day levels are excellent the story is great the cinematic cutscenes look beautiful but another thing I dislike if the fact you are forced to collect sun and moon medals
  31. May 4, 2023
    10
    the game was the best thing I could ever ask for it always got my hopes up I will never stop playing this game best s tier for me didn't deserve a meh rating
  32. Jun 1, 2023
    10
    Sonic Unleashed is a masterpiece, rushing through the day stages with Sonic feels great, doing all the fancy combos with the Werehog is extremely satisfying, history is great and has a lot of charm, overall a great experience from beginning to end
  33. Jun 27, 2023
    10
    This game is amazing The critics are stupid go watch the IGN review I don't need to tell you anything else
  34. Jul 5, 2023
    10
    If you can, play on a Series X/S or Xenia. Uncapped framerates really do help out this game.
  35. Jun 30, 2023
    10
    I love this game and always did as to why I love it the soundtrack of this game is the best they did an amazing job. The level design for both daytime and nighttime stages. I really love the fast paced gameplay for the daytime stages and their quite long as well even though you're boosting through them like crazy. I don't know what's the fuss but the nighttime stages they aren't bad ofI love this game and always did as to why I love it the soundtrack of this game is the best they did an amazing job. The level design for both daytime and nighttime stages. I really love the fast paced gameplay for the daytime stages and their quite long as well even though you're boosting through them like crazy. I don't know what's the fuss but the nighttime stages they aren't bad of course I prefer the daytime ones but there's nothing bad about the nighttime stages. The story is quite good as well nothing to hype about but it's good I also love how they tie the chaos emeralds to the story. And these are only the few of the many reasons why I love this game so much like for example how good they base the locations in the game compared to the real life location. So yeah this is my rating of the game I love this game and always will Expand
  36. Jul 18, 2023
    10
    One off the best sonic games have a lot off new features and has the best graphics
  37. Jul 31, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. El mejor juego de la saga en mi opinión ♥️, bellísimo, el juego en si está muy bien, no te aburres (bueno, al menos yo no me aburrí en ningún momento) Ademas los nieveles con el erizo lobo son muy entretenidos, el jefe final, es el que si me costó mas completar, pero me encanta todo, 9/10. Expand
  38. Aug 6, 2023
    9
    Day levels review:
    Take Guitar Hero, Need for Speed and Classic Sonic, and put them all in a blender. The result is what might seem like a mess, but is one of the industry's finest work. The concept is very unique, and the originality pays off very well, as the execution is stellar. A sense of spectacle carries these levels. And as if there wasn't enough adrenaline, the game allows you to
    Day levels review:
    Take Guitar Hero, Need for Speed and Classic Sonic, and put them all in a blender. The result is what might seem like a mess, but is one of the industry's finest work. The concept is very unique, and the originality pays off very well, as the execution is stellar. A sense of spectacle carries these levels. And as if there wasn't enough adrenaline, the game allows you to "boost": unstoppably running at a huge speed, obliterating everything on your way. And while that may seem like a click-to-win button, it's actually not. The challenge is to manage that speed, to avoid falling in pits or going the wrong way. Being that fast, the game doesn't want you to think for too long, nor does it slow you down with intricate platforming: Instead, it testes your reflexes, and does so with such commitment that it becomes the highlight of these levels. Overall, 9.5/10. It's not a perfect score because there are occasional very annoying frame drops.

    Night:
    Now these levels are a less interesting to talk about because quite frankly, they're just okay. You play as Sonic, but for some reason he's a "Werehog" with stretchy hands? The idea is quite strange, yes. The execution, on the other hand, is far less unique: Most of the levels consist in combat sections, where you beat up all sorts of weird glowing monsters, alongside platforming sections that are actually pretty solid. The combat is itself is also quite solid: it's responsive, visually satisfying and the combos are great. You unlock more combos the more you play, which helps adapting to the increasing difficulty. The biggest issue is the repetitiveness of it. It's everywhere, so much so that it gets very boring. Another issue is the lack of strategy: teach your cat to click on buttons and it'll beat the level for you. Of course, I'll give credit where it's due: there are combos, and they're satisfying to learn and use, but that's still no strategy because all the combos have the same outcome. The other big part of these levels is the platforming, and it's solid. It makes a huge use of your weird, stretchy arms, in a decent way. There are a few puzzles, and there's not much to talk about because they're just alright, serviceable at best.
    Overall, night levels are good. Just good, nothing more nothing less, a 7.5/10.

    (9.5+7.5)/2=8.5

    Presentation: Graphics:
    Unleashed is arguably one of the best looking games on old gen consoles. In fact, its visuals still hold up very well among modern games. After releasing the mess that is Sonic 2006, Sonic Team made a brand new game engine, The Hedgehog Engine, that was specifically made to imitate CGI animation, and it paid off. It's still being used in other Sonic and SEGA games nowadays. The shadows and lighting are incredible. There is a great sense of spectacle in day levels, and a great atmosphere in night levels. The graphics are somewhere between realistic and cartoonish, which is a balance all Sonic games should aim for. My favourite levels in terms of visuals are Act 2 of Apotos and Act 1 of Chun-Nan. If I had to complain about something, it would be the blurry textures (you don't notice them very often because you're either going too fast to see every texture or it's too dark to see them, but they're very obvious in cutscenes), and the frame drops. Yeah, this game looks so good that the 360 and (especially) the PS3 can't handle it apparently. There are going to be moments where the framerate drops horrendously, luckily however there are very few of these moments. One last thing: The opening cinematic is GORGEOUS, it looks absolutely stunning, I'm not even going to waste my time describing it, just watch it yourself.
    Graphics get a well deserved 9/10. Music: It's a Sonic The Hedgehog soundtrack we're talking about, of course it's going to be great. You know the deal already, day levels are energetic, night ones are jazzy, hub ones fit the theme of the town, and they're all great, no exceptions. Unfortunately Sonic has abandoned his rock n roll roots in favour of more simple music that you'd actually expect from a video game. This isn't a bad thing, because it's well executed, but we just kind of miss those crazy guitar riffs from Jun Senoue. It's a shame his band Crush 40 didn't compose the game's theme song, "Endless Possibilities" (for some reason it's made by the band that did the Phineas and Ferb theme?). My personal highlights are Spagonia (Night) and Dark Phoenix.
    Sound design is great as well, Sega's sound team, as always, definitely knows what's up.
    The music and sound design get a solid 9/10. Story:
    I skipped most of the cutscenes so I'm not too sure, but it's relatively cartoonish, and it suddenly gets pretty epic and serious by the end which is a change I appreciated.

    Total: (9+9)/2=9

    Overall? a very mixed experience, a love it or hate it game. Fortunately, I loved it. It's pretty cheap nowadays, so I highly recommend you give it a shot.
    Expand
  39. Aug 7, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me gusto el juego lo quería pero ahora lo tengo y me gusto tengo la versión de xbox 360 y de la de wii Expand
  40. Aug 13, 2023
    8
    Its 2023. And in my personal opinion, this game is still one of the best games to blow some steam off or to just reminisce on the older sonics. This game has surpassed boundaries for its time. The were-hog stages are an interesting concept though. And I will admit, they took way too long to complete. Something felt off with the enemy too, almost as if they did not want to fight. You alsoIts 2023. And in my personal opinion, this game is still one of the best games to blow some steam off or to just reminisce on the older sonics. This game has surpassed boundaries for its time. The were-hog stages are an interesting concept though. And I will admit, they took way too long to complete. Something felt off with the enemy too, almost as if they did not want to fight. You also had a set combo list to your arsenal. Either you use em' or you don't. You do eventually unlock new moves but then its all the same again. Finding all the day and night medals were a pain too. Yet with all these setbacks, I think SEGA struck pure gold with every other aspect of the game. The story isn't as bad as these critics say it is, the music is outstanding and the hub lobbies are pieces of art. You feel unstoppable while dashing through obstacles and enemies. Again, the medals were a pain to get but lets say you aren't actively hunting them. The day stages are nothing short of a destructive joyride. Unfortunately though, SEGA completely wasted that final boss fight. I saw so much potential with that, especially with super sonic. Overall, this game does have its ups and downs and it was an absolute blast for me. Expand
  41. Aug 14, 2023
    10
    Não tenho nem muito o que comentar, é 10 na lata, zerei mais de 4 vezes e em 3 plataformas diferentes, simplesmente a masterpiece da era moderna do ouriço, musicas fenomenais, fases marcantes e personagens memoráveis, historia simples porém interessante e mesmo as fases do werehog são muito legais e diversifica bastante a gameplay, é GOTY
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 50
  2. Negative: 10 out of 50
  1. As much as I disliked lumbering through levels as Sonic’s hulky Werehog, I disliked hunting through the hub worlds looking for coins even more. Sega, if you really want to fix Sonic, the first thing you should do is stop trying to fix him.
  2. 50
    Ultimately, this simply isn't the fresh start Sonic fans were so desperately hoping for...but at least it's not as execrable as the last two efforts.
  3. Sonic Unleashed is a glorious return to true console form for Sonic.