Unpopular Sonic Opinions

I played the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed and got through just fine. I didn't have any problems 100%ing it, either. But I do have to admit that, years later, when I booted it up again and started a new game, the werehog sections that I previously didn't have a problem with bored me out of my mind, and I stopped.

 

The progression system for the Wii/PS2 version is notoriously less annoying than the PS3/360 version, and the Werehog stages are shorter.

 

Unwiished is easier to complete, handles a few things better (medal collection and hub worlds being the big ones), and none of its pitfalls are nearly as annoying, but it lacks a lot of the "wow" factor from the HD version and the daytime stages aren't nearly as well designed. It's a more consistent package, but a pretty bland one.

 

I recall hearing back in the day that the Wii version's daytime stages were better designed because Dimps helped with those.

 

Yeah, but then Sonic 4 happened and suddenly Dimps became Public Enemy #1 and we can't say anything nice about them anymore /s

 

Unleashed on Wii absolutely did not have better level design. Those stages had long stretches where you ran down a long featureless corridor with nothing happening. Every stage was practically the same with the exception of Holoska where you spent half the stage on a bob sled or grinding. The werehog stages were a lot more bearable in length but was a straight downgrade in overall design and variety. There were barely any platforming segments in those stages.

 

I think it had better level design in some aspects. Arid Sands as a whole is way more tolerable in the SD version since it strips out a ton of the cheap shit crammed into the HD version's day and night stages, not to mention Eggmanland is actually tolerable while still being a challenge. The game is fun to play but compared to its HD brother and the 2 boost games that followed, its lacking in the "cool factor" that's one of the boost gameplay's main appeals. Makes it hard to revisit sometimes when I know I'm about to spend a ton of time watching Sonic run through bland narrow hallways hearing "HRRRRRAH" over and over.

 

The turnaround in opinion on Sonic Unleashed is 90% because of the subsequent games being severely scaled down in terms of scope. Sonic Team haven't really attempted a game on the same level on Unleashed until Frontiers, and even that arguably falls short. There hasn't been anything on par with the opening to Unleashed since. It's a six minute cutscene of pure adrenaline that distills the series down to its coolest and base elements and sets up the basic premise. I know "ambition and passion" have basically become meaningless buzzwords due to how often the Sonic fanbase parrots them, but you can definitely tell that Sonic Team were trying to put their best foot forward after 06.

I don't think anyone is gonna argue against Unleashed being a very rough and unpolished game in many areas and that later games were better put together overall, but after an entire decade of games that have slowly, but surely stripped the franchise down to arguably its most simplistic and blandest elements, it makes a lot of sense that the fanbase would cling to the last game that really felt like it was pushing the envelope for the series and some fans long for something like that again.

Now me personally, I respect a lot of the things Unleashed attempts to do, but it also feels like the rough draft of a much better game. It's basically the Sonic Adventure of the 2010's, a game that attempts many ideas but doesn't always hit the mark on them, but nonetheless developed a cult fanbase due to said ideas. They even both have a sequel that streamlines those ideas and created a very large divide in fans of the former versus the latter. If I wanted to play Unleashed, I'm more than likely going to play the Unleashed Project mod on Generations. The Werehog isn't the worst idea this series has attempted, but its such a pace breaker and it doesn't have anywhere near as much depth for me to ever wanna play it again.

The funny part is that Frontiers is eerily similar to Adventure and Unleashed in being the rough draft of a game. So I have to wonder if the next game after Frontiers will be as stripped down as Adventure 2 or Colors were compared to their predecessors.

 

Id be pretty happy with something scaled down, the only thing I've seen consistent about Sonic Team in their entire history as a developer is that they can't handle larger scale games without a ton of compromises. Scale down with whatever comes after Frontiers, trim away the bloat, make something focused. Maybe that way we don't have to wait 5 more years for another 7/10 game.

 

I'd honestly prefer if Sonic Team kept the scope of their games smaller if it means the experience is much more consistent and less jank, but... well even when they do that, their games are still jank as hell.

 

I've always absolutely loved Unleashed's day stages, and replay them more than any other Sonic game. It's a shame the rest of the game doesn't live up to its standard.

The worst part is, the night music is absolutely fantastic and lives on my chillout playlist. You just never get to hear it in-game.

 

Here's a steaming hot take:

I think I understand Penders' POV. As much as I can, anyway.
If Archie was never supposed to have original characters in the first place, and/or never informed Sega of said characters like they were legally obligated to do every time... and instead his OCs were just sitting there... then it's no wonder he claimed them.

He's been an absolute dick about it every step of the way, and he absolutely should have moved on like any sensible person in that industry would, but for Archie to have fucked up that bad, that far back, for said antics to even be possible? Yeah, Archie absolutely had it coming and honestly, I'm of sound piece of mind knowing the U.S. comics have both survived and are out of their hands.

[Sorry, just wanted to write this down before I forgot about it. Carry on with Unleashed.]

 

Archie acted unambiguously foolishly and deserved what they got. The problem with Penders is not that he wanted to own his work, or even entirely that his lawsuits happened. I personally think most aspects of modern intellectual property laws are a scam that only benefits the rich. The problem with Penders is his personality, that he's a dishonest person with delusions of grandeur. It's caused him to do far more harm to a bunch of people and things people loved for a turnout of literally nothing...with only the promise of something that's probably worse than nothing.

 

Here a take that is hotter than Volxano Valley:

I non-ironically like this song.

 

I stand with you brother. Love the song.

 

Playing Sonic Frontiers AGAIN, but this time on Steam. I must say, it looks 10 times better than on Switch. It's like I'm playing a different game. Anyway, something occurred to me about Knight's design. I don't like it! Giganto, Wyvern, Supreme, they all look so menacing, except for Knight and his Frisbee. I wonder if Supreme was originally meant to be fought on Chaos Island and his Final Horizon form on Ouranos.

Don't get me wrong, I love the boss fights, but it wouldn't have hurt if he looked a little more alien in his design.

 

I wish I could actually play the day stages. I've tried on at least three separate occasions to get into Unleashed. Every time, I pass the day stage tutorial, get to the first night stage, and it just drags on so long that I get bored/frustrated and quit before seeing any more of the game. Last time I tried I passed the 20 minute mark and the stage was still going.

 

I was the same way but I powered through on my quest for platinuming the Sonic series. It ended up being a good experience. It was genuinely fun beginning-to-end on my second full playthrough with the 60fps version on the Series X.

IMO, the biggest issue (outside of the general concept, frame rate, and battle music) is the power-up system. It shouldn’t have been put in place. Once you’re sufficiently leveled and have all the moves, there are some really interesting movement options that come from what are meant to be attacks. You can speedrun the night stages remarkably fast if you get good with certain moves (but it’s such a hassle to level up - you either grind stages or grind Wentos).