Today I report on the current state of Sonic Unleashed. A new video was released about a level… Adabat. It’s a pretty shiny looking island area. And, as one astute forumer commented, the flute line on the night song for it appears to reference Rusty Ruins… from Sonic 3D Blast. Unlike the very fast levels we first saw, this one also features a little more platforming action, and it seems to have some new night level enemies.

It’s clear that, if nothing else, the game looks pretty, and the framerate seems fine in this level. It’s just up to Sonic Team to make sure it keeps up the progress so far… until then, we have plenty of nice videos to watch, at least. That, and…

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The game that many of us have been waiting for is nearing completion, and with it comes yet another game play video. This is one of the few videos which seem to be controlled by an average player rather than a developer or a previously programmed script.

The Video

…The video is a mixed bag; it gives us an idea of what the game will be like, but it also is not being played ‘optimally’, so we can’t immediately conclude what the actual experience is like. However, a few things stand out.

• The game is not entirely ‘hold right’ game play–Sonic must jump over obstacles and, in one case, even avoid spikes. Spikes he would hit if one did just hold the button.
• There is a strange, Omochao-like creature at the end. Its role is unknown, but it seems to be possible as a tutorial element.
• The game either has very easy to get S-ranks, or they’re still developing a ranking set. Sonic appears to see and react to the ranking.
• There are Eggman-like humanoids. A definite shift towards a cartoon-like version of our world?
• Speed and ease changes a lot between segments. This could lead to choppy game play if not properly bothered with.
• Finally, some people have pointed out some frame rate lag. I don’t exactly see it, but it isn’t surprising, considering how fast Sonic is going in places…

This video has split a lot of people over the game’s fate. It’s sure to be interesting to play when it comes out, though. And thanks to Ell678 of the forums for pointing out this video, which, in contrast to a previously linked video, doesn’t have people walking in front of it.

I’ll be following Sonic Unleashed up until it is released. Stay tuned.