Demo Impressions: Sonic Unleashed
December 19, 2008 by Andrew Webster
Filed under Gaming
Like most recent Sonic the Hedgehog games, the recently released Sonic Unleashed was expected to reboot the franchise and bring it back to its roots. And while I’ve yet to play the full version, Sega put a demo of the game on the PlayStation Network this week so I decided to get a taste of how the game turned out.
The first thing you’ll notice when starting the demo is the incredible sense of speed. Sonic moves at an astounding clip, so much so that it can actually be disorienting. When the game is in its over the shoulder, third-person camera mode, the hedgehog can be difficult to control. Thankfully these sections are pretty much on rails, though you do have some freedom with left to right movement. But where the game really gets interesting, and harkens back to the classic Sonic titles that are so fondly remembered, is when it switches to a 2D, side-scrolling perspective.
Things still move incredibly fast, and the sense of scale is stunning as you find yourself jumping at incredible heights. When things go smoothly, it feels great, though at times the game does feel a little automated. But to keep Sonic moving quickly and fluidly, properly timed slides, jumps, and attacks are necessary on your part. This suggests that more difficult levels may require some memorization in order to successfully complete them.
There a few unfortunate sections that slow things down, such as an awkward platforming segment that exemplifies how poorly Sonic controls at slow speeds. The developers also made a strange decision with how to deal with long jumps, as these events are accompanied by a quick time event. In order to successfully make the jump you have to press three random buttons within a certain amount of time. It just feels really out of place. Unfortunately the demo doesn’t include the notorious were-hog segments, which was the most maligned addition to the game. But what is included does a great job of selling the game as a return to form, in terms of both look and feel. Then again, that’s what demos are for
