Sonic Unleashed

Oh come on, Sandopolis Zone Act 2 takes a while for most people to complete, and you know it.

 

About 50% of the time I play that level, I time over. Usually because I get lost, though. But it is really long, and I've never had a problem with it. Not in S3K anyway, because the backgrounds change to mix stuff up. Going through 3 acts in Sonic 1 is just dull, Most of Sonic 2 had a good balance. The only level that was maybe too long in Unleashed Wii was Eggmanland Night, and it didn't help that it had about 6 acts.

Whilst I'm here, throwing this in: Werehog is better, WiiS2 couldn't possibly be improved on for what it is. That's not saying it was worth buying, though. Probably said this already, but there you go.

 

I like Sandopolis Zone, personally. I don't know why it gets as much hate as it does.

3 Acts in Sonic 1 isn't that bad, but it's mainly due to the acts themselves being so damn short.

 

Its not like you can't boost right afterward though. You DIE many a time as a result mis-timing the Homing Attack.

Same here. Whenever I time over, its usually right after I finally get to the boss.

 

I agree completely. That thing is virtually unusable in platforming areas that aren't clearly designed for it (I.e. areas that expressly tell you to press the button) because you overshoot so damn often. And the first instinct when there's a jump just out of reach is to use the boost, but that's no help ...

And having the boost and homing attack be the same button is incredibly dumb when you consider how many other options they had, but all the problems could have been prevented if the freaking homing reticule wasn't so poorly designed.

 

EDIT: Wait, we're talking WiiS2? Oh, well, nevermind, I don't have much experience with that one.

 

I don't know about anybody else, but I was talking about the Xbox360 version.

 

In that case, I just have to register that the only problem I've had with the Air Boost is its poor control mapping. And suppressing the instint to use the Homing Attack to reach platforms.

 

I personally never had a problem with the Air Boost.

 

More of a problem is what happens when Sonic, moving at maximum speed either by air or on foot, collides with something immovable. He flies off to the side, almost totally out of control, and it's quite galling when that "something immovable" is a twelve-year-old Pixar pedestrian. (*glares at Arid Sands Day*)

This is, of course, the downside to having momentum physics in a 3D environment. It wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't put such immovable "objects" in the middle of the road in the first place.

 

I remember that yesterday, I watched why IGN hated Sonic Unleashed. In the video, the guy said that the controls were wonky or something. As he was playing at Apotos, it seems that the reviewer intentionally jumped over a jump booster or w/e those things are called.

 

I've been replaying the 360 version of this game. It's pretty fun. I'm mainly doing this so I can have a profile that has an act select consisting of nothing but levels. None of this random mission crap that bogs down the menus.

 

You're able to beat the game without air boost and light dash, as for stomp you need it to access cool edge day 1, while the wall jump I'm not sure if it's the patch or not but, you're able to jump as high to make it into the act without the ability, but there is a barrier that will only disappear when you gain it, nothing special but eh.

 

I remember that. My one thought while I watched that review was that Hilary Goldstein must've been drunk.

Friends don't let friends drink and play Sonic games.

 

You know just today I tried playing a bunch of levels in Unleashed to see how it plays without ever using the Boost or Homing Attack.

I managed to defeat most enemies using only the slide attack or jumping on them. Surprisingly, a few enemy chains could be crossed just by jumping on them normally, like one in Spagonia. Otherwise I wound up having to use the homing attack to cross larger gaps.

The only time I ever had to use the Boost was to break a few otherwise impassable barriers or cross a large body of water (like Chun-Nan or Holoska).

Aside from those, the game actually plays pretty well without boosting or homing. They're really mostly used for reaching hidden pathways and getting higher rankings. I almost wish they'd make another game like Unleashed with the boosting and homing intentionally left out, with the levels designed accordingly. They could easily replace the Boost with the usual Spin Attack/Spin Dash.

 

It is really fucking hard to cross that one in Spagonia without Homing, though.

 

Interesting, as mid-way through unearthing the game and playing it again, I started forgoing the boost for just standard running around and exploration shenanigans. And you know what? I had so much fun. I mean, I used the boost here and there, but it was truly interesting to play the game without it, as you move at a great pace where you can see everything, react, and follow through perfectly without it being too easy. Like you said - design the levels right and this is truly, truly fun.

However, I kept the homing attack. I've never, ever had a problem with it's existence. Although there were a number instances were I tried not using it, but the hop-skip-jump style of Sonic's jumping mechanics made smaller jumps useless, and I generally got punched in the face for it. Slide was pretty fun, too. I like it, but it needs to slow down faster. I use the stomp to stop myself, not to hit the ground and slide somewhat uncontrollably into a wall or off a cliff.

Either way, I'm really starting to detest the ranking system in Sonic Unleashed. It was fun in SA2, but this one seems so focused on boosts, that exploration runs feel like wastes of time when you see that crumbling E rank. But the music makes me feel all better. :specialed:

Oh, and I'm sure this is known, but the way the game plays not only shifts from 2D to 3D, but also a pseudo 2D in the 3D sections. They're most prevalent in the chase scenes(usually with the three robots or the Interceptor). However, most long stretches make use of this pseudo 3D as Sonic speeds up and slows down awkwardly and any attempt to stop and move in another direction cause the entire orientation to go nuts as the camera desperately tries to move in a way to get Sonic 'back on track'. Luckily, they tend to phase out rather quickly, and there is some serious exploration to be done, even though it's more 'I can't believe they let me go this way' and there really isn't anything practical to be found, outside of a few medals strewn about.

Fun note: You can lose up to 3 lives in a single death if you are unlucky enough to die when 'Time up!' appears on your screen on levels that count down. One for dying, one for losing time, but because you died you warp back to the checkpoint, but time is up so you lose a life for being out of time... again! Usually, you only lose two in these scenarios.

 

There are places where your controller inputs are taken based on their relation to some part of the level rather than your camera angle. Pushing up causes Sonic to go "downstream" regardless of what direction the camera is pointed. It's just another sign of the bass akwards logic this game was designed with.

 

It was designed under the assumption that overanalytical, nitpicky Sonic fans wouldn't stop to experiment with every little detail of the gameplay whether or not it has any correlation to the quality or fun factor of the game in part or whole, that is.

...So yeah, I guess that logic's fairly flawed. =P

 

I was looking for Sunmedals, and since I find them tucked in corners, I have serious doubts that I'm being over-analytical and trying to nitpick, I'm just trying to complete the game. But as the rest of my post pointed out, I had more fun without the boost and exploring instead of speed speed speeding through the levels. But in the end, yes, the logic is flawed.

I can't believe that in the end, though, I find myself having far, far more fun with the Werehog than the Hedgehog. I actually caught myself cringing when I realized I had to actually play as Sonic to find some Moon medals - you speed by so fast with no way of backtracking, you have to kill yourself or restart. Great design there, folks.