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Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Unleashed

Overview
Sonic Unleashed is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...

 and published by Sega for multiple platforms . The game follows Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...

 as he attempts to restore the world to normal after his nemesis, Doctor Eggman
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...

, splits the world into pieces, as well as his struggles with his new beast form, Sonic the Werehog
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...

. Gameplay features two distinct styles, with each being played either during daytime or night-time. Daytime stages incorporate Sonic's traditional platforming
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

 and trademark speed, with a combination of behind-the-back third-person viewpoints and 2D side-scroller platforming; gameplay seamlessly transitions between these two views. Night-time levels see Sonic transform into the Werehog; gameplay slows down to accommodate greater platform play, and involves combat against waves of enemies using the Werehog's brute strength.
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Encyclopedia
Sonic Unleashed is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...

 and published by Sega for multiple platforms . The game follows Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...

 as he attempts to restore the world to normal after his nemesis, Doctor Eggman
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...

, splits the world into pieces, as well as his struggles with his new beast form, Sonic the Werehog
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...

. Gameplay features two distinct styles, with each being played either during daytime or night-time. Daytime stages incorporate Sonic's traditional platforming
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

 and trademark speed, with a combination of behind-the-back third-person viewpoints and 2D side-scroller platforming; gameplay seamlessly transitions between these two views. Night-time levels see Sonic transform into the Werehog; gameplay slows down to accommodate greater platform play, and involves combat against waves of enemies using the Werehog's brute strength.

The game's existence was first brought to light when Sega trademarked the Unleashed name, and shortly after, images and a gameplay video were leaked to the public in March 2008. Public anticipation for the game was high, owing to the video's demonstration of some two-dimensional gameplay, seen as a possible return to Sonic's platforming roots. However, critical reception for the game was mixed, with reviewers praising certain elements, such as the sense of speed in daylight stages and the graphics and audio that make up the environments, and criticizing others, such as the new Werehog game mechanic, as well as several gameplay and design concepts. Many reviewers felt that Unleashed was ultimately not the title that would be able to reinvigorate the series. Sonic Unleashed was de-listed in 2010, following Sega's decision to remove all Sonic titles with average Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

 scores from sale in stores.

Gameplay



Gameplay in Sonic Unleashed focuses on two modes of platforming play: fast-paced levels that take place during daytime, showcasing Sonic's trademark speed as seen in previous games in the series, and slower, night-time levels, during which Sonic's Werehog form emerges, and gameplay switches to an action-based, brawler style of play, in which Sonic battles Gaia enemies (those created by the main enemy in the game, Dark Gaia). Each level takes place on a particular continent, each of which have been modelled on real-world locations (i.e., Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 is 'Apotos', Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 is 'Spagonia', Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 is 'Mazuri', North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 is 'Empire City', Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

 is 'Chun-nan', Antarctica is 'Holoska', Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 is 'Shamar', Eggmanland is a pun on England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

 is 'Adabat'). In sections of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, the player may choose to advance the time of day in order to play as either Sonic or the Werehog; in the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, time is advanced automatically.

Daytime levels focus on Sonic's speed, and to this extent, sees the player control Sonic through fast-moving stages containing both 2D and 3D styles of gameplay. 2D sections are reminiscent of the Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...

-era Sonic games, where the player controls Sonic in a side-scrolling fashion, while 3D sections sees the camera placed behind Sonic, so the player may move in all directions. In addition to moves available in past games, such as wall jumping and the homing attack, new moves are also introduced. For instance, a new side-step feature is available known as the Quick Step, allowing Sonic to dodge left-and-right, and a Speed Drift feature allows Sonic to turn around corners at high speed, without slowing down. The game also affords a gameplay mechanic for speed used in the Sonic Rush
Sonic Rush
is a 2005 platform handheld video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps exclusively for the Nintendo DS as part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released on November 15, 2005 in North America, November 18 in the PAL region, and November 23 in Japan. It is a 2D platform game, but Sonic's...

series in the form of Sonic Boost, which temporarily increases Sonic's speed, as well as allowing him to smash through objects, destroy enemies instantly, or even access different level paths. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, an on-screen "Ring Energy" meter is used to display how much boost is available. The amount of boost remaining may be increased by collecting more rings, and is decreased when the player uses it. In contrast, the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of the game, available boost is represented by bars, which may be increased by performing "Action Chains", destroying multiple enemies in quick succession through the use of homing attacks or by collecting rings.

The night-time levels feature slower, action-oriented gameplay, in which Sonic transforms into the Werehog, a beast form that has great strength and stretchable arms. Gameplay here sees the player use a variety of melee and combo attacks to defeat a large number of enemies, collect items and move items around to advance through the level, and use his stretchable arms to cling to distant objects; simple puzzle elements are also featured. Collecting rings in these segments replenishes the Werehog's health, while a special move, Unleashed Mode, allows the Werehog to channel his anger into increasing the power of his attacks for a short time. Night-time levels have been adjusted in the Wii version to allow greater use of the Wii Remote, where players may control the arms of the Werehog by using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in order to grab onto objects and move forward in the levels. The Wii version of the game also expands upon the ratio of night-time levels to daytime, with more than three times as many night-time levels (twenty-five in all). After night-time levels are completed, Dark Gaia Points are gained, allowing access to bonus moves.

In addition to these two gameplay types, Sonic Unleashed also features hub-worlds, in which the player may reveal, as well as advance the story of the game. Hub-worlds operate differently depending on the version of the game being played; the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature fully interactive, explorable 3D hub-worlds, where townspeople may be interacted with and sidequests may be undertaken, in order to gain experience or unlock items, such as artwork, videos and music tracks. In contrast, the PlayStation 2 and Wii version features a menu-based map system, where players simply click the appropriate area to talk to the townspeople and find information. Within both day and night-time levels are medals that Sonic may collect, two types of which exist: Sun and Moon. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, collecting these medals allows the player to level up Sonic's Sun and Moon stats, and these must be increased to reach new stages in the game, with a certain number of Sun medals for Hedgehog levels, and a certain number of Moon medals for Werehog levels. Because only the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature playable hub-worlds, this is also the only version in which Sun and Moon medals may be found by exploring the towns, talking to the citizens, and completing side-quests.

Plot


Sonic Unleashed begins with a cold open
Cold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...

ing that sees Sonic confronting his nemesis, Doctor Eggman
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...

, bounding around a fleet of spaceships. After defeating several of his robots, Eggman himself confronts Sonic in his own robot and traps Sonic in his grip. But Sonic transforms into Super Sonic and breaks free of his grip. After a brief chase through the airships, Sonic corners Eggman. However, Eggman manages to trap him using a powerful new ray weapon which drains the power of the Chaos Emeralds, causing them to turn black and useless. He then uses the Emeralds' energy to fire an enormous laser and unleash a powerful beast, Dark Gaia, from the center of the planet, which has devastating consequences, shattering the planet into pieces. In addition, the ray and drained Chaos Emeralds have the unforeseen side-effect of transforming Sonic into a "Werehog"
Therianthropy
Therianthropy refers to the metamorphosis of humans into other animals. Therianthropes are said to change forms via shapeshifting. Therianthropes have long existed in mythology, appearing in ancient cave drawings such as the Sorcerer at Les Trois Frères....

 — a beast form with greater strength and abilities — at night. Eggman then ejects Sonic into space, who then lands safely onto the planet below. After landing along with the Emeralds, Sonic encounters a friendly creature who appears to suffer amnesia. Assuming he has caused it with his fall, Sonic decides to assist him in his quest to find out who he is, and the creature becomes a guide for the player; Sonic soon gives him the nickname Chip. Sonic's quest begins, and with the help of some old friends, such as Amy
Amy
Amy is a given name, sometimes short for Amelia or Amanda. In French, the name is spelled "Aimée", which means beloved. In ancient Irish it has been translated as "little it".- Notable people with the given name Amy :*Amy Acker, American actress...

 and Tails, he attempts to solve the crisis by traveling the world's continents, finding shrines that will fix the Emeralds, in order to return the world, and himself, to normal.

After six of the seven continents are returned to normal, Chip is able to regain his memory; he is in fact Dark Gaia's opposite, Light Gaia. For millions of years, the two of them had been in a cycle since the beginning of time where Dark Gaia would break the planet apart, and Light Gaia would put it back together. Chip was released along with Dark Gaia, but because both of them were released prematurely, he lost his memory, and Dark Gaia was broken apart. They are able to place the last Chaos Emerald in the shrine on the final continent at Eggman's new empire, "Eggmanland", but are interrupted by him; Sonic then defeats Eggman who is using a robot that utilizes Dark Gaia's power. During the battle, the three sink into the core of the Earth and encounter Dark Gaia. Eggman orders a now-whole Dark Gaia to destroy Sonic, but it turns on him, and absorbs the power that turned Sonic into a Werehog, curing Sonic of the lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...

. and uses that power to become Semi-Perfect Dark Gaia. Dark Gaia then attacks a defenseless Sonic and Chip, but Chip protects them both and calls all of the Gaia temples together and forms the Gaia Colossus, and begins to fight Dark Gaia. The Gaia Colussus seemingly defeats Dark Gaia, but Dark Gaia is not finished with them or the Earth yet, and consumes the entire world in darkness, becoming Perfect Dark Gaia in the process. Chip then gives the restored Chaos Emeralds to Sonic, allowing him to turn into Super Sonic and defeat it; Dark Gaia then sinks back into the planet, but the battle takes its toll on Super Sonic. Chip saves an exhausted Sonic by throwing him to the surface, before returning himself to the inside of the planet; he leaves behind his necklace and some parting words, and Sonic places the necklace on his hand as a bracelet to remind him of their adventure together. The game ends as Sonic speeds off with Tails, who flies alongside him on the coastline in the Tornado plane.

Development


Sonic Team began development of the game in 2006, after having begun work on the core technology, the Hedgehog Engine, in 2005. The title was first brought to public attention when the Sonic Unleashed name was trademarked by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...

 on March 12, 2008. Screenshots of cut scenes, artwork, and a video were leaked ten days later, with the title then officially confirmed by Sega on April 3, 2008 with a small selection of screenshots and an updated video. The game was developed internally by Sonic Team in Japan. It was originally intended to be the third installment of the Sonic Adventure series and subsequently, at an early development stage, had the working title Sonic World Adventure, complete with work-in-progress logo. However, the development team began to introduce enough new innovations to separate it from the Sonic Adventure titles, and so a new title, Sonic Unleashed, was decided upon. It was then later revealed that the game's name in Japan would in fact remain Sonic World Adventure for its release there.

Sonic Team decided early on in the development process to reduce the number of characters present in the game, as well as to make Sonic the only playable character; this decision was taken to get more quality out of fewer characters. While it felt that these ideas combined with traditional Sonic gameplay was a good beginning, it also had to consider how to introduce newer gamers unfamiliar with the Sonic franchise to the series, and so the concept of the Werehog was born. Director Yoshihisa Hashimoto felt from the outset that there would be both praise and criticism, but hoped that long-term Sonic fans would understand and empathise with the ideas and direction the team had taken.

In terms of technology, Hashimoto remarked that the visual style was born out of desire to see a global illumination
Global illumination
Global illumination is a general name for a group of algorithms used in 3D computer graphics that are meant to add more realistic lighting to 3D scenes...

 solution used for the game's lighting — that is, light reflecting from one object in the scene onto others. To this extent, development on the renderer for this process began, and the final solution allowed the developers to use distributed rendering over hundreds of computers to calculate lighting for each ten- to twenty-kilometer action stage in around two or three days. Characters, enemies and objects are then lit at run-time with Sonic Team's "Light Field" technology to blend them in with the surrounding pre-calculated lighting. Because the game was being developed for two levels of hardware capability depending on the target platform, two development "silos" were set up to work on two separate builds of the game: one for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version utilizing the Hedgehog Engine, and one for the PlayStation 2 and Wii version, which instead utilizes a modified version of an existing, internal Sega engine.

As well as the unique motion-based gameplay mechanics, the Wii version of the game also supports the GameCube controller, and also the option of using the Classic Controller. The daytime levels for the Wii were altered to accommodate the motion control-based drift mechanic, while night-time levels include a mostly behind-the-back view and different platforming styles and combat mechanics. Developer Dimps, who had past involvement in the Sonic franchise, was involved in the design of the daytime areas for these versions. In addition, overall, the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions have fewer daytime levels than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts.

Initially, it was stated that Unleashed was to be intended solely as a single-player experience, and would not offer any multiplayer or online modes. This was cast into doubt when references to online modes were alluded to around E3 2008, but later interviews re-iterated that Unleashed would have no online modes at all. However, downloadable content, including additional levels, would remain a possibility after the game's release. A demo version was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 8, 2008 and on the US and EU PlayStation Stores on December 18 and 24, 2008, respectively. The demo does not contain any of the Werehog stages. On March 12, 2009 Sega released Sonic Unleasheds first downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, consisting of four Chun-nan daytime stages and two night stages in addition to two new missions. Since then, more downloadable levels have been added: Spagonia, Holoska, Mazuri, Apotos, Shamar, Empire city and Adabat.

Speaking after the game's release, Sonic Team member and Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic and the Black Knight
is a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...

director Tetsu Katano remarked that although he did not feel the Werehog concept was a mistake, time and resources were a limiting factor in the game's production. He also remarked that the Werehog may reappear in future games, or possibly in a sequel to Sonic Unleashed, should one be made.

Game developer Gameloft
Gameloft
Gameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....

 announced in May 2009 that it had secured a licensing agreement with Sega Europe Ltd. to produce mobile phone versions of Sega properties, and that its first title would be a version of Sonic Unleashed for mobile phone platforms. It was released in June 2009 in Europe, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

A remake of the Rooftop Run stage appears in the console and PC versions of Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations
is a 2011 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, produced by Sonic Team for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo 3DS...

, along with the Egg Dragoon serving as the penultimate boss of those versions. However, the boss will be fought by normal Sonic, instead of the Werehog like in this game.

Reception



Initial anticipation when the first media for Unleashed was revealed was high, as the demonstration videos hinted at a possible return of Sonic to his traditional platforming roots, especially because of the series' declining quality in recent years, and a number of poorly received titles in the franchise that preceded it, such as the 2006 game, Sonic the Hedgehog. However, critical reception to Unleashed was mixed and average, with Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

 aggregate scores of 60 and 54 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions respectively, and 66 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions. The added element of motion controls for the Werehog sections, as well as text-based hub worlds and better Werehog level design and camera system, were reasons cited for the higher review scores for the Wii version of the game, though a few review websites, such as 1UP, gave the Wii version a lower score than its 360 and PS3 counterparts. Nevertheless, the game was a commercial success and sold 2.45 million units combined making it Sega's third best selling game during their last fiscal year period of 2008.

Positive elements of Sonic Unleashed remarked upon by reviews include the environments, such as the "postcard-perfect architecture", and the graphics, with stages looking "absolutely gorgeous" and being "very pretty and lovingly animated", with one reviewer comparing them to a playable Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...

 film. Praise was given to the technical competence of Sega's new Hedgehog Engine as a whole on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, with "bright cartoonish graphics that fly by without a stutter"; however, some complaints were raised about frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...

 reduction when large numbers of enemies appeared during the Werehog sections. Although the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions do not use the Hedgehog Engine, graphics for these platforms were still praised for their high quality, with the title being nominated for Best Graphics Technology for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. The soundtrack to the game was also praised as being an improvement on more recent installments in the series; use of an orchestral score, rather than rock as in more recent games, was appreciated.

An overwhelmingly negative reaction was given by critics to the Werehog concept and corresponding night-time sections, which contributed greatly to the lower than expected review scores. Some reviewers compared the Werehog sections to God of War. Complaints stemmed from the game's change of speed, from high-speed daytime sections to the slower, night-time sections; the "pace-breaking combat levels" were described as "plodding", as well as "lethargic" and "combat-heavy". Further to the change of pace, the new style of gameplay that accompanies the night-time levels was widely criticized, involving "frustrating" platform elements and combat described as not "terribly interesting" and "boring", with "awkward" action sequences overall. Some reviewers felt that the Werehog as a concept did not mix well with the daylight areas and traditional Sonic gameplay; GamePro's review described them as "dreadfully out-of-place", while IGN stated that they have "nothing to do with Sonic whatsoever", feeling that the Werehog was "being slapped on" to the Sonic experience.

In stark contrast to the Werehog sections, many reviewers found the daytime levels to be enjoyable, especially the "exhilarating" sense of speed they provide; with "the most satisfying gameplay of any Sonic title in years", the game "perfectly [captures] the feel of classic Sonic". Many also enjoyed the mixture of, and transition between, 2D and 3D sections. Indeed, many reviewers remarked that they would have appreciated the game more had it comprised solely of, and expanded upon, the daytime levels. GameSpot's review for the Xbox 360 version however argued that the controls were "unresponsive" in the daytime levels, and that most of them were "horribly designed", instead describing the Wii version as a "vastly superior experience", with its daytime levels praised for better control and design.

Aside from the criticism of Werehog levels, further aspects of the game were criticised, contributing to the mixed review scores. The quests that players must undertake in hub-towns were described as "inane" and "tedious", where "figuring out what happens next involves aimlessly wandering through towns and speaking to citizens, only to discover that most of them don't know what we're looking for". The story and overall tone of the game, including the new character Chip, were criticised, some remarking that it was too juvenile, or comparable to that of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Other media


The game's original soundtrack was released in Japan on January 28, 2009. The three disc soundtrack is entitled Planetary Pieces: Sonic World Adventure Original Soundtrack. The main theme music for the game is entitled "Endless Possibility", and features Jaret Reddick
Jaret Reddick
Jaret Ray Reddick is an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lead songwriter for the Grammy Award-nominated pop punk band Bowling for Soup. He plays a Music Man Axis that has a flag of Texas design on...

 of the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...

. The ending theme music for the game is a slow tempo ballad entitled "Dear My Friend", and features singer songwriter Brent Cash
Brent Cash
Brent Cash is a singer–songwriter from Athens, Georgia.-Music career:His musical career started as a drummer for several bands , all the while recording his own pop music stylings in his apartment or house on a simple four-track...

.

Downloadable packs containing extra levels for this game are available on the PlayStation Network and the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

.

Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...

 has made an adaptation of Sonic Unleashed featuring the opening cutscene and Sonic's transformation into the Werehog. A short 3D animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....

 film was released on November 21, 2008, entitled Sonic: Night of the Werehog, which tells the story of two male ghosts who live in a haunted house taking pictures of scared children in order to woo a female ghost, and their frustration with an unafraid Sonic who enters the house with a very afraid Chip. But soon, it's the ghosts who are afraid when Sonic transforms by the full moon. The film was produced by Sega VE Animation Studio
Marza Animation Planet
is a Japanese based CGI animation studio dedicated to making feature, full length films. Their extensive resume also include CGI Add-in's for television series and video games...

.

On March 25, 2010, a pack of Sonic costumes was released to the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...

 for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 game LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...

. The pack includes Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman and Sonic the Werehog.

External links