Written by: Mark

 

 

 

It goes without saying that previous 3d 'Sonic The Hedgehog' games have been hit and miss affairs to say the least. Gamers and journalists everywhere have always been critical of transforming the game from 2d to 3d as the game seems to lose an enormous amount of it’s playability.

 

This however has not put off Sega in releasing 3d incarnations of the game with Sonic Unleashed being the latest of these releases.

 

This time the game receives a multi-platform release and in this review we take a look at the Nintendo Wii version and see if Sega’s number one gaming character can make the transition to a Nintendo console well, or will it be another 3d Sonic game to miss?

 

 

Looking at the gameplay there are two main things that strike you from very early in the game. Firstly in a very clever strategy the game often flips between 2d and 3d at various points throughout levels. Although this may sound like it could be awkward and off putting it works surprisingly well and gives the game a welcome return to it’s 2d roots which made previous Sonic games such a success.

 

Secondly is the that the game plays at a blisteringly fast speed. This however may give the game a breathtaking feel it also makes it awkward in places as often the game relies on precise button presses to make crucial jumps which can be missed when the game picks up a serious pace. The awkwardness at times is not helped by the camera angle used which often struggles to keep up with the action and again means that you find yourself frustrated at missing crucial jumps or actions needed in order to progress.

 

 

If you overlook these problems what you find is that Sonic Unleashed provides a fair amount of enjoyment and in terms of graphics and sound the game is certainly on a par with the best of what the Wii currently offers.

 

The game itself as previously mentioned flicks between 2d and 3d and plays in a variety of levels ranging from the traditional kind of level designs expected from a Sonic game to the more modern 3d designs.

 

In addition at various times the player in order to progress has to play through the ‘werehog’ levels which sees the main character changed into a kind of werewolf in order to gain superior powers to defeat enemies. These levels however, take up far too much of the overall game and have to be played in order to unlock further levels throughout the game which is a shame really as it is really these levels which let the overall game down in many ways.

 

 

As the game progresses Sonic can become quicker and stronger by charging your unleashed meter which is done by collecting rings and defeating enemies throughout each level. This again sees the game step away from it’s traditional roots and although it can be seen as a welcome addition one has to wonder if it essential as the game starts at enough of a frantic pace without needing to upgrade the characters.