The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Sonic Unleashed: wii = awful, 360 = shitrox. AMAZON DEAL OF THE DAY: $20 for 360 ver.
TheSonicRetard
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
SONIC UNLEASHED
Skip the Wii/PS2 version. it's trash.
Play the 360/PS3 version. It's so much better it's unreal.
SONIC UNLEASHED IS AMAZON.COM'S DEAL OF THE DAY. IT'S CURRENTLY MARKED AT $25 FOR THE 360 VERSION, BUT ENTERING UNLEASH5 WILL NET YOU $5 OFF, MAKING THE GAME $20. IT'S WORTH IT.
IMPRESSIONS/MINI REVIEW:
HOLY SHIT
Teaser Trailer
Debut Trailer
High Europe Trailer
Myserious Sightings Trailer
(NEW) E3 2008 Trailer
thanks goes to TSS for these images
SPOILERED BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG AS FUCK
There's also a new trailer which I'm pulling from the Sega FTP right now, and tomorrow people get to play it for the first time.
Reports are that Were-Sonic plays like DKC mixed with Streets of Rage.
EDIT: Fuck, I didn't mean to hit submit
Skip the Wii/PS2 version. it's trash.
Play the 360/PS3 version. It's so much better it's unreal.
SONIC UNLEASHED IS AMAZON.COM'S DEAL OF THE DAY. IT'S CURRENTLY MARKED AT $25 FOR THE 360 VERSION, BUT ENTERING UNLEASH5 WILL NET YOU $5 OFF, MAKING THE GAME $20. IT'S WORTH IT.
IMPRESSIONS/MINI REVIEW:
TheSonicRetard wrote:I've beaten the Wii version, and I'm almost done with the 360 version (one more continent to go). They're completely different games. 100% different. Different daytime AND night time stages. And the 360 version is a lot better. I scored the wii version a 7.5 before I got the 360 version in my review. It was honestly a big disappointment. I'd give the 360 version a full 1.5 points higher.
I installed it before I started playing. It's been very fast. Maybe a second and a half being the longest load time.
One aspect of the game I haven't heard many people talking about is how the levels encourage exploration. The daytime levels I mean. If you're unaware at how the level progression goes, it's a lot like the mario games. Each continent (more like a zone) has a hub world with entrances to actual acts. These hub worlds are different than the towns. When you're in a town, you can't run full speed nor do you have you're normal moves. However, these hub stages are just like the main game, and are riddled with platforms. In order to actually reach the act entrance, you'll normally have to do some wall hopping, some enemy bouncing, some slope running (slopes work like they did in the old games, by the way. All physics based) or what not. These hubs have an hour glass which you can hit to change you from werehog to normal sonic and back.
Now, each act has a different requirement for entrance. As you go through levels, you collect sun and moon medallions. With every 10 sun or moon medallions you get, you raise your sun or moon level. So, act 1 and 2 might require a level 1 sun power, while act 3 requires a level 2 sun power. Once you begin the actual game, several continents open up at the same time, so you don't have to do the levels in order.
Getting the medallions in the first place is fun, especially on the daytime levels. All those complaints about holding right and such? Unfounded - the videos we saw in the trailers were people playing the game perfectly. To get to the top route in windmill isle zone requires some real skill. The 2D portions of the game are much, much more physics based than Sonic rush. Effectively using all the dips and small ramps in the game requires you to boost at the precise moment. I.E. start hitting that boos when you're at the apex of the dip or you won't make the top route. By the way - boosting? It's totally the same thing as spin dashing from Sonic Adventure 1. These additional routes are normally where medallions are hiding.
But beyond that, you'll find areas in acts that you can't reach because you don't have the required skill. Like, you actually don't get the wall jump ability right away, so you might see a bunch of wall jump points early on that you can't reach. The game totally encourages going back to levels you've already played when you get new items, and they open up entirely different, and often huge, sections of the level. Mazuri act 3, for example. If you can get to the top route in the first couple of seconds, the ENTIRE LEVEL is different until you reach the goal ring.
Biggest improvement? The wii version has 3 werehog levels to every 1 sonic level. The 360 version has 3 Daytime acts and 2 night time acts per level. And the levels are a lot better on the 360 version. I've almost unlocked every daytime act in the game. Going through the map and seeing all these stages with 3 sonic acts makes me feel like I'm playing a classic sonic game in 3D. 7 stages x 3 acts each... that's a full classic sonic game.
I don't know why they released the wii/ps2 version. the wii version and the 360 version are 100% different. Entirely different. Completely different games. The only thing that's shared is the story and low-resolution versions of the 360 textures. Every level is different - even the werehog levels (which are much better in the 360 version), and the number of levels is staggeringly different. A lot of the stupid control issues with the wii version are gone. You don't have to double tap the analog stick to run, you don't have to hold X to climb poles, etc.
One problem I've noticed, however, is that the framerate drops noticeably in some areas. I noticed it a lot in Holoska's hub. It's not game breaking and it's rarely more than a second, but it is noticeable.
I think everyone bought into that "the wii will be the best version" hype for no reason. I don't even know why all these sites said it'd be the best version - the Sonic Team daytime levels blow Dimps levels away.
I love the later werehog levels. They're just what I wanted - tons and tons of platforming.
I think this game as a whole might represent how Sega will position itself in the modern gaming era. I can't remember which interview it was, but some big sega developer mentioned that Sega did their best when they were working on their own hardware because it was a source of pride. We see that pride again, only instead of developing for their own hardware, they've developed a middleware.
If you don't care for my opinion, whatever. The only reason I'm posting this is because someone IMed me asking me to post my impressions. I do think this game is being judged very harshly. A lot of the reviews are saying "this game isn't what we thought a sonic game should be, so 6/10" which is a shame since the game isn't allowed to stand on it's own merits. For the record, the 360 version of the werehog levels are actually well made and fun. But the low scores are to be expected after Sonic 2k6. If you think this game sucks based off the reviews, oh well. I've had fun and that's all I really care about.
EDIT: Oh, and Empire City? Totally lives up to Stardust Speedway's lineage. SO fast.Hey TSR is here,
So far from what I've played I can agree with you. I'm only on the 3rd continent at the moment (360 only) and it's fun. The werehog is not as bad as it is made out to be, and Sonic's levels are great.
I did not get to play the Wii version, but from what my friend showed me of the Windmill stage it looked pretty good.
The wii version is disappointing all around. Yeah, it's daytime stages technically don't have anything wrong with them, but they also don't have a lot of what's right with the 360 version. They're very bare. A lot of empty running forward with NOTHING on the screen - no rings, enemies, pits, etc.
Here, I have a good video to show you how much improved the 360 version is compared to the wii version:
Windmill Isle Act 2
Wii
360
Another big difference between the wii version and the 360 version is the additional day time acts. In the wii version, not every level has 3 acts (most don't, in fact, and rarely have more than 1) and the additional acts in the wii version are similar to Sonic and the Secret Rings. I.E. "don't collect any rings in this 45 second stage."
The 360 version has full levels for acts 2 and 3. Normal levels, without any kind of strange limitation (although there was one act that hada chao collecting mission objective. Acts 2 and 3 usually are a lot more difficult than act 1, usually with a level gimmick - either entirely in 2D or with some really intensive 3D platforming. For example, Chun-nan act 2 is entirely side scrolling (with it's gimmick being that the floor is made of water), while Chun-nan act 3 is entirely in 3D (with it's gimmick being that the level is filled with those rotating platforms we saw in the trailer). And these acts are just as long as the normal act.
Speaking of level length - the daytime stages are longer in the 360 version. In the wii version, they're normally around 3-4 minutes long, while in the 360 version they're usually around 6-7 minutes long.TheSonicRetard wrote: »the Sonic Team daytime levels blow Dimps levels away.
After comparing Rush and Rush Adventure (Rush = Dimps and Rush Adventure = Sonic Team, Right?), I don't doubt this at all.
So... is it safe to totally skip over the Wii version and go straight for the 360/PS3 version?
Sonic team made the game engine for both Rush and Rush Adventure, and Dimps made the level layouts for both games.
The wii version of Sonic Unleashed features far worse level design than either Sonic Rush or Sonic Rush Adventure. Dimps obviously was rushed for time, as evident by the lack of levels (Empire City and Mazuri are entirely absent in the wii version, by the way). The 360 version, however, easily bests Rush Adventure. There are very little bottomless pits in this game. It's very fair. For example, in Chun-nan act 2, the entire bottom of the level is made of water, but that doesn't mean you die if you fall from anywhere above. You can actually run on water, so falling doesn't equal death.
There's some very good 2D platforming in this game, easily on par with the classic sonic games. Shamar acts 1 and 2 feature some truly awesome 2D sections. There was this one section of Shamar that was straight out of Greenhill Zone. You have to jump from these giant stone piston which are surrounded by spikes. It's just like the middle section of Greenhill Zone act 2.
Jumping is also different in this game than in any other 3D sonic. The long floaty jumps from previous games are gone - sonic has a lot of weight and drops quickly, like in the old games. Speaking of control, sonic finally has a full circle of movement. In previous 3D games, sonic didn't move in a full circle, but rather moved very rigidly. It made precise movement difficult. While precise movement still isn't perfect here, it's still done well.I have a couple questions about the 360 version for TSR:
1) How's the bottomless pit situation?
Not bad. There are some pits, but far less than in even Sonic Rush Adventure, which had minimal pits. I feel comfortable hurling myself into free space in this game because level design encourages it. In fact, if you throw yourself into space you're more likely to hit either a trick ring to get you to a higher spot or land on a lower section of the level. The level design is much improved.
That said, there was one big portion that had a pit that took 4 of my lives. Holoska Daytime act 1 - there's a sledding bit where you sled through these big sonic 2-style ice tubes, and you have to hit a speed pad to make a jump. Well, it's easy to hug the wall and miss the pad. It was a glaring odd spot in a game that generally has great level design.2) How glitchy is it?
This is the biggest improvement between Unleashed and previous games. Even on the wii, the game is rock solid. The glitches we're used to are completely gone. No running into walls, no falling through floors. The game is very very polished - more so than any sonic game since Sonic & Knuckles. This is part of the reason why I'm baffled at the low scores for the 360 version - it's at the very least very solid. It's a well made game. I saw one review give this game lower than Sonic 2k6. Based on glitches ALONE, this game is way above Sonic 2k6, and it's level design shames every 3D sonic before (the 360 version, at least. The wii version isn't that great with level design).3) Does combat in the Sonic sections still require multiple hits per enemy, or has it moved back to the classic one hit per enemy style?
Nope! Every enemy in the game can be killed via one bop on the head. Speaking of bops on the head, the homing attack is finally fixed (no more shooting into nothingness) and the regular spin works again. Also, remember those enemies in the trailer that you could run into with the boost? Those are pretty much the only ones you can boost into, and they're designed to be boosted into. The idea is that you run into them to throw them into the air to kill other enemies.4) Are there meaningful branching paths?
God yes. I explained above that the game encourages exploration in the daytime levels. There will usually be about 13 or 14 branching paths per level. with a few of them changing up the entire level. Like I said, the opening branch in Mazuri act 2 completely changes the level until the goal ring.
More over, you're expected to go through all these branching paths. They're not random. These branching paths are where medallions are hiding, and medallions unlock later acts.5) Do environments change and progress as you move through them (like many Sonic Adventure stages did, Speed Highway, Ice Cap, etc) or do they remain relatively static in style from beginning to end, like Heroes and big sections of 2k6?
The levels are way more animated than in Sonic Adventure. Both in terms of background animation and level design. There's a ton of classic crumbling bridges, moving platforms, and what not.I sort of wonder how the game controls with the constant switching between over the shoulder and 2D platformer. Seems like you'd get confused about which direction you're supposed to be pressing with the camera shifting suddenly like it does
And how are the controls, because going at that speed they'd have to be really responsive but not too sensitive either
I said this to my friend when I was playing the wii version - this game is better than any other 3D sonic game because of 2 big reasons - the camera and the controls. You're comments are exactly what I'm talking about - we haven't had a sonic game that was good because of the camera and controls since... ever. The camera, with regards to sonic, has always, at best, been described in terms of "it's not so bad" and the controls as "well they're manageable."
I'll make a bold statement here - the controls in the 360 version are perfect. When the game switches from 3D to 2D, the controls adapt in a way that just makes sense. There's enough momentum in Sonic that you never slow down as you transition from pressing up to pressing right. And the camera is not just behaved, but great. The best parts of the game are awesome because of the camera.
This goes back to the polish I was talking about earlier. There is just a level of polish that we haven't seen before. The camera isn't possible, it's good. The controls aren't manageable, they're fluid.
Note that I'm talking about the 360 version. The wii version controls like shit, especially with the werehog levels. The number of changes in the werehog controls between the wii version and 360 version are staggering. For example, to run in the wii version, you have to double tap the analog stick. Now, you're gonna be running a lot as the werehog and there are a couple of big platforming jumps you need to make while running. So double tapping becomes tiresome. By comparison, you just hold RT in the 360 version to run.
You can't pick up stuff in the wii version, nor can you do the finishers. Both are mapped to B in the 360 version. This is a good example of how the werehog stages are different, in fact - there are platforming parts in the 360 version revolving around you grabbing enemies and jumping from one to the other.
There is NO camera control in the wii version. The camera is great, but in the 360 version, you can use the r-stick to pan left, right, up, and down. It doesn't rotate the camera, just moves it.
The wii version has some awful motion controls. You have to hold a button to grab onto poles and such. Neither of these are problems in the 360 version.
Double jumping is also different in the wii version vs the 360 version. The 360 version gives you move mobility when you double jump, while the wii version kind of stops you from moving forward and simply makes you jumps straight up in the air.
OOOh, and a big improvement about the 3D parts in both games. Remember how in Secret Rings, the camera wouldn't turn around? Not present here. Turn around, and you'll face the screen. Move downward towards the camera and it'll turn 180 degrees around. It's great.This is probably an invitation for disaster, but how's the tone/plot? Does it follow the sort of style we saw in that Werehog cartoon or is it closer to 2k6?
I'm not getting it anyway, most likely, because there is no Sonic game on earth worth $60. But it's nice to see the possibility of the series resuming an upward tread.
The plot is cute. Thats the best way to describe it. It's not childish like NiGHTS plot, as in I don't feel embarrassed if someone saw me playing it. Nor is it brooding and melodramatic like Sonic 2k6s. Don't worry, there is no furry on female action. Nor is the plot video-gamey like Sonic Adventure 1. It really doesn't feel like any previous sonic's plot.
I'd say the plot is a lot like what we saw in the CGI animation sega released. It really is saturday morning cartoon stuff. Chip is really cute - I like the way he offers everyone he meets chocolate. It never really takes itself seriously, nor does it cram down your throat the whole "THIS IS FUNNY LAUGH GOD DAMMIT" style humor that often falls flat on its face. There are a lot of visual puns, and Robotnik has a side kick that is just like the hissing dog that used to follow around dick dastardly from those old hanna barbera cartoons.
The actual plot has only Robotnik as the villain. Dark Gaia? It has no personality - it's completely under Robotniks control. It's not a new character. In fact,The final boss is all Robotnik.
At best, the story has made me laugh (in a good way) and at worst, it's not embarassing.
Oh my, and I haven't commented on the best part about this game - the soundtrack. Out of this world soundtrack. I have absolutely no complaints about the sountrack. The music has been stuck in my head for days.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that - the game is $50 for the 360 version as well. Not $60.Wow, those comparison videos of the same level for the two versions were exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. I'm really surprised to hear that there's such a difference between the two games, and that the HD version's better (the level certainly looked a lot more fun in the 360 version). Especially since all the online reviews are saying that the Wii version's better and that it, not the 360 version, has the better balance between day and night stages.
Oh, and in case anyone's interested, I was at Fry's Electronics earlier today, and both the Wii and 360 versions of t his were $49.99. Certainly better than $60 for the 360 version.
You do wind up with more than 1 daytime act per level in the wii version by the end, but the level progression is much worse. It's more rigid. And even then, the additional daytime acts are extremely short on the wii version, and usually have a secret rings sytle mission objective (don't break any pots in this level littered with them, for example). By contrast, the 360 version has extra levels where all that's required is that you get to the end of the zone. Just speed through and reach the goal. And every level has 3 acts.
The biggest problem with the wii version (other than completely omitting Empire City and Mazuri, as well as about 50% of the daytime stages) is how it's paced. Like I said, it's more rigid, with a "play this level, then this one, then this one" style structure. And, unfortunately, that structure is almost always "one sonic levels, 3 werehog levels."
Now, this isn't to say the werehog is bad. Quite the contrary - on the 360, he is a lot of fun. But the wii version has a BROKEN werehog, who traverses more boring levels. He is gimped - he controls different and is lacking a lot of the moves, and the level design on the wii version focuses more on fighting than platforming. By contrast, the 360 version is far more platformer based. If you liked the secret of levels in Mario Sunshine, you'd probably dig the werehog level design, as it's similar. Lots of double jumping then grabbing a pole to swing to a ledge and stuff.
The 360 version is way more balanced in level progression, too. Aside from there flat out being more sonic levels in general (the game is 60% sonic, 40% werehog compared to the 30% sonic, 70% werehog in the wii version), they're placed better. The game is more open, and you'll often have many acts open at once. During the normal playthrough, I've only encountered 1 nighttime act 2 that was required to play. For the most part, I've been playing 3 or so daytime levels and then playing 1 werehog level. It really is like the exact opposite.
Sonic Unleashed, also known as Sonic World Adventure in Japan, is an upcoming video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The name was trademarked by Sega on March 12, 2008. Screenshots of cut scenes, artwork, and a video were leaked ten days later; the title was then officially confirmed by Sega on April 3, 2008 with a small selection of screenshots and an updated video.
The gameplay style is markedly different when compared to recent games. It will focus on 2D side-scrolling platform gameplay, rendered with 3D visuals, as well as behind-the-back, third-person stages. Gameplay will seamlessly transition between these two styles.
HOLY SHIT
Teaser Trailer
Debut Trailer
High Europe Trailer
Myserious Sightings Trailer
(NEW) E3 2008 Trailer
thanks goes to TSS for these images
SPOILERED BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG AS FUCK
There's also a new trailer which I'm pulling from the Sega FTP right now, and tomorrow people get to play it for the first time.
Reports are that Were-Sonic plays like DKC mixed with Streets of Rage.
EDIT: Fuck, I didn't mean to hit submit
TheSonicRetard on
0
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
Isn't it E3? Isn't that thread months old and dozens of pages back?
Too bad the Werewolf bits seem like a complete and utter drag on the gameplay that nobody wants.
I'm also pleased that it appears that Sonic is back to beating on Robotnik.
I really get the feeling that most people who say that classic Sonic games are all about speed never actually played the series.
Music
graphics
SPEED!
Werehog? :x
Part of me really want to be excited about this game, but the wiser part of my is telling me to dont hold my breath. Fool me once and all that.
If you pay attention to the bottom right video, then you'll see some platforming. I think they're just showing off the speed seeing how they just show 10 seconds of werehog compare to 2 minutes of mach speed.
Personally I love the art direction of this sonic game. Everything is so bright and colorful and Sonicy. Even Sonic looks pleasantly good unwerehoged.
God damn it the more I watch this trailer the more I really want to play it.
Please god in heaven, let this game be good!
I see very little platforming of any substance.
Just what I wanted in my Sonic game
Le sigh
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
Um, 'kay.
I dunno, the speed-based QTEs could be fun, but I just can't get it up for this game.
I called it before, and I'm calling it again.
None of this more human shape crap, or the original goofy looking redesign for Sonic Adventure.
Well hopefully the combat is executed well.
Even Robotnick looks more true to his classic form, and Sonic have more of his original, sarcastic, attitude.
Too bad about the werehog. Honestly the only reason why the added the werehog is so they can introduce more classic platforming, but why couldnt they just bring in Knuckles for that?
I see it now, it was all inside of me
There's possibility
EDIT:
Even if this game won't be much fun to play, it'll be fun to watch as you hold the right button.
My prediction is that it will have really mediocre gameplay but all of it will look really fun.
My thoughts exactly. I'm immensely glad that they're going back to that.
No platforming my ass. That looks like something out of Mario Galaxy.
I said little, not none.
Most of the trailer wasn't platforming.
The speed parts looked fantastic though!
Are those comparison shots or are they all from Wii? The ones that seem to be magazine scans look pretty crappy.
top is wii/ps2, bottom is 360/ps3
The Wii/PS2 screens look like pretty bad magazine scans. I can accept that it's going to look worse, but Sonic's color is all wrong.
They pretty clearly are bad magazine scans, with all the artifacts/noise and the solid, detail-less coloring on Sonic.
"so...that looked awesome...and then sonic turned into a werewolf"
I don't really like how slow and non-fun the combat looked. But then again, I never really liked beat-em sidescrollers.
They're like a pizze chef throwing shredded duck and rabbit onto the pizza wihle you're like but the pizza isn't properly cooked.
And at 1:45ish in the trailer, there it was - the bane of 3D Sonic's existance.
Picking up an object, and slowly walking to the other side of the room, ignoring all enemies, to put the object on a box, and open a door.
That one scene just killed my excitement. I'm so sick of doing that in every Sonic game since Adventure.