While, naturally, this has already been posted on other news sites, it’s helpful to list what we know about this game now.
The aforementioned infamous Nintendo Power issue which introduced us to this game also included an in-depth look at how it’s shaping up. To break it down, the game revolves around the various features:
It’s a sequel to Sonic and the Secret Rings, continuing what may become known as the ‘Storybook’ series.
Sonic will possess a variety of sword-based moves.
The sword talks to him, instructing him on how to become a knight. Apparently it is also possible to smite innocent villagers, although this is frowned upon by the game.
Jun Senoue is composing the game’s music, and will be working on a sort of Celtic themed soundtrack.
Yet another special gauge (just like in SATSR) will be a part of the gameplay, allowing Sonic to build up energy for use in combo attacks.
Just like Secret Rings, the story involves a warped story world; in this case, King Arthur has apparently become evil and Sonic must stop him.
Unlike Secret Rings, some of Sonic’s friends are playable.
While many people (myself included) don’t have incredibly high hopes for the title, it appears to, nonetheless, possess decent graphics and some upgrades to the SATSR engine. We will have to wait for actual gameplay videos to be sure, although the story is shaping up to be pretty strange.
If it continues as it is now, it should shape up to be a strange version of SATSR, replacing the Arabian motif with slashing enemies to pieces, and the occasional character change… I would predict that it should be easier control, as well.
-Stumbles onto the blog looking rather tired and worn out.-
Yes, I know. I haven’t been posting much. Sorry guys, but I’ve just been pretty busy lately! Anyway, I was checking out one of my favorite gaming blogs, Joystiq.com, and thought it would be a nice idea to post a link to their view on Sonic Unleashed. All together, they seemed fairly up-beat about it and said “Even with rough shadows and unfinished lighting physics, the game looks gorgeous.” for the version they saw at E3. They also warn that they hope it controls as good as it looks, so here’s hoping for that too. An interesting bit is they say that Sonic’s Warewolf form looks like it’ll be fun for those who love good old fashion platforming. Follow the link below for their full perspective on the game.
Everybody’s looking forward to Sonic Unleashed–after all, it’s the newest Sonic game coming out to the mainstream media!
Or is it?
I direct your eyes to this:
Yeah. That’s right. It’s Sonic! With a sword. No, this is not a sick joke; believe me, I wish it was.
More credence is led to its authenticity through this post on C3 news, which shows the following picture:
Showing a glowing sword and a silhouette of Sonic.
The game is rumored to be a sequel to Secret Rings, assuming that Eggman is not the main villain and that the game is to follow another “fairly-tale” approach to the story. No more details have been revealed thus far.
No official confirmation has been made of this game, though there is a strong possibility that it is legitimate.
Sonic Unleashed has been getting quite a lot of attention lately, between two trailers and multiple interviews that have been surfacing over the past month or so. However, we shouldn’t forget Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the BioWare RPG slated for release in September, despite the relative quiet around the game.
The always-fabulous SSUK brings us new shots of the Nintendo DS game, showing more of the moves system, the Chao Garden and maps; pics below the cut.
Sonic Unleashed, the newest upcoming multi-platform installment of the popular Sonic the Hedgehogseries, may just reveal one of the most controversial marketing decisions yet when it comes to the distribution of the new game.
As mentioned in an earlier report, there will be two main versions of the new game–one for the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3, and one for the Wii & PlayStation 2. The two versions were to differ in a few ways, the most significant being that it was to have completely different level design.
However, according to an exclusive Unleashed preview by Crispy Gamer, the PlayStation 2 & Wii versions of the game will only have 7 levels, compared to the 9 levels that will be intact in the 360 & PS3 versions.
What does this mean for people who don’t want to miss out on both versions of Unleashed? Will they be forced to buy both versions of the game in order to fully experience the game in its entirety? Or will they be forced to miss out on two whole levels if they decide to purchase the more interactive version of the game for the Wii? It’s strange to try and predict the reasoning behind this move, other than to try and get more sales despite the game being on multiple platforms. The game looks good, no doubt about it–but will it really be worth the extra money to get two extra levels?
In addition to this information, the preview appears to stress that the graphics in the Wii & PS2 version are far worse than those in the 360 & PS3 versions. It is confirmed that there will be other characters–Tails, Shadow, and Amy Rose, to name a few–but Sonic will be the only playable character. It also points out that there will, unfortunately, be no more beastiality scenes in the game this time around. What a pity!
Overall, this leaves many confused, and even more with mixed feelings. Hopefully as more information is revealed on Unleashed, some real concrete judgement can be made. Until then, at least we can hold solace in the fact that Sonic is the only playable character. That’s cool, right?
Let’s face it - there are a lot of bad Sonic fan games out there. Some of them are bad on purpose, but sadly many of them are not. Every so often though, someone will make a fan game or a hack that plays good, has a fun environment, uses good programming skills, and has nice graphics. I think I maybe have stumbled upon such a thing in the 3D Fangames department (for once).
Check past the break for more info and my thoughts.
Sonic Unleashed. The newest, possibly most promising looking Sonic game of recent times. With the release of the High Europe trailer, available for download on SEGA’s press FTP (600MB of full HD glory!), many views are changing about the game; some people believe it to be too linear and “on-rails,” while others believe it to be one of the best Sonic games to come out in the past 5 years. Even though, you know it hasn’t come out quite yet.
What seems to be on the down-low, though, is how many versions of the game there are, and how they differ. I’ll cover the facts right now:
There will be two core versions of the game. You have the 360 & PS3 versions, which have rich graphics and are the games showcased in the trailers available so far. They look very crisp, very speedy, and visually pleasing as a whole. Nice and solid, with quick level design and some alternate paths to keep you on your toes. Spiffy.
The game will also come out for, in addition to 360 & PS3, the Wii & PS2. Yes, you read right, the PlayStation 2. While we once thought this console had reached its slow, inevitable death, the decision was made to release a different version on the dying console and mirror it with the Wii version. The Wii version is reported to have completely different level design, but the same story and music. In addition, while the graphics are not as pretty, they still look quite solid. Check past the break for comparison screen shots!
With the recent launch of the new Sonic Chronicles website, some new interesting tidbits have been revealed. Namely, the return of the famed Richard Jacquesas composer for the newest BioWare RPG, Sonic Chronicles.
Through navigating the innovative flash site layout, one can trek through two recreations of maps in the game–Green Hill Zone, and Central City. While listeners will recognize the former area’s music as a light remix of the original Green Hill theme, the latter area’s music takes an unexpected, but refreshing choice–the music from Panic Puppet Zone, of Sonic 3D for Saturn fame.
While normally this would be a cause for celebration (after all, who doesn’t like a bit of nostalgia?), the results of the DS conversion are… less then stellar. In fact, the song appears to use many sounds from the PSG chip, commonly used by the original Game Boy and included in the hardware specs to maintain back compatibility. And man, let me tell you, I’ve heard much better quality music from the DS than this trash. Sonic Rush, anyone?
What kind of light does this shine on the future of Chronicles? Will the game be redeemed through its story and gameplay, or will the quality of the music represent the game as a whole? Only time will tell.
In response to Nintendo of Europe’s release schedule issued earlier this month, several third-party developers have come forward to clarify their listings, including Sega. In that list, Sonic Unleashed is shown to have a release on the Nintendo DS and a Beijing 2008 appearance on the Wii. However, Sega confirmed that these two entries were incorrect—fans wishing to play what is essentially “Sonic Rush 3″ will need a home console, and Wii owners will just have to pretend that Mario counts as a Beijing Olympics athlete.
