TGS 08: Sonic Unleashed meets us halfway

Comparing Sonic Unleashed to 2006's Sonic The Hedgehog nightmare is an utterly useless endeavor. Yes, Sonic Unleashed (or Sonic World Adventure, as it's known in Japan) is observably the superior game, but this confirmation is worthless when the previous adventure not only failed to raise the bar, but rather buried it somewhere deep within an abandoned mineshaft. The question then isn't whether Sonic Unleashed is better, but whether it's any good.

And ... well, it's not bad.
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In terms of returning to the hedgehog's platforming roots, a goal that Sega has spectacularly failed to achieve numerous times, Sonic Unleashed represents a few hurried steps in the right direction. Speed is, as always, celebrated and glorified during the daytime stages, with Sonic pitter-pattering his way through a thrilling roller coaster of loops, spirals, bumpers and bridges. It's a test of rapid reflexes, with Sonic having to smash through obstacles, slide through openings and eliminate robotic foes at a second's notice. Maybe about two seconds if you consider the PlayStation 3 version's appalling framerate.

It's a shame, because the Xbox 360 version boasts a brisk framerate that compliments the game's arresting and vivid graphics -- blue sky gamers are in for a treat. Also of note is the the series' schizophrenic camera, which has been severely restrained from previous installments, now switching between a side-scrolling view or 'hind the 'hog perspective. It's far less disorienting than before, though still prone to panic if you accidentally veer off the level's main route, thanks to controls which are still just a tad too twitchy.

In keeping with Sonic's classic days, there are now multiple paths through each level. Unfortunately, you're less likely to discover them through exploration than you are to set foot on them by accident. Successfully dodging certain obstacles or correctly inputting the occasional, mid-air button sequence will grant access to alternate routes, which can either yield more rings or a better completion time. We would have preferred more exploration, but at least failure no longer guarantees an instant death.

So, all that and still no mention of that fanged Werehog thing? As you're sure to know by now, nighttime stages see Sonic slow down and turn into a rampaging beast, pummeling foes with his fists and (adorable!) stretchy arms. His surprisingly nimble movement is much more akin to a gorilla than a wolf, at least when it comes to his variety of energetic finishing combos. The QTE coup de grace isn't the only thing the Werehog has in common with God of War -- there's even some light platforming, swinging and, lest we forget, lift-up-the-door button mashing.

To be fair, this part of the game is competently designed, and while it has absolutely no business being in a Sonic game, it seems the most tolerable out of all of Sega's many failed (and still inexplicable) attempts to inject alternate gameplay into the franchise. We'll take a forgettable beat-em-up over emerald hunting any day. But again, we're adjusting our expectations based simply on the horrible decisions we've had to suffer through over the last several years. Why even juxtapose the two opposing styles in the first place?

We can't explain it, but we still feel cautiously optimistic about this one ... if only because we didn't see a single one of Sonic's brain-dead buddies.