Sega Site Leaks Sonic Unleashed

[Logan Frederick]

Sega Site Leaks Sonic Unleashed

A Sega website loophole has offered details on a surprise Sonic title.

An opening on Sega's file transfer protocol (FTP) site allowed Sega Magazine [http://www.sega-magazin.de/segaon/] to discover secret plans for Sonic: Unleashed, the next iteration in the bombastic blue hedgehog's series.

The title Sonic: Unleashed is unconfirmed, but is derived from a trademark filed by Sega last month. Sega's FTP server held a series of screenshots and one vague in-game trailer. Not only is the famous Sonic Team working on the title, but development teams in Japan, North America and Europe are all pooling their resources to raise the production budget for this game. Graphically, the game plays in a three-dimensional world with limited three-dimensional movement. Sonic will still stick to side-scrolling rails for a large chunk of his adventure.

At one point, press information presumably found via the FTP leak was posted on the SegaON website before being retracted. Word that Sonic could morph into Wolf Sonic and play through twelve stages as Sonic, Knuckles and Tails has been removed in less than 48 hours.

A brief story summary stated: "Sonic the Hedgehog returns for a full-blown, action-packed adventure through the desolate and unpredictable World of Mubuz, a world dictated by an evil Dragon Lord, Immarius. Upon entering Muboz, Sonic fights an evil power which turns all the inhabitants into dangerous beasts."

More information on Sonic: Unleashed is expected to be announced at Sega's Gamer Day in May. It will reportedly be released this November, in time for the holidays.

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[REDPill357]

How is it a surprise that they're still milking the hedgehog for money?

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I will be surprised if it manages to not suck.

 

[Broken Blade]

As Yahtzee would probably say, this is one franchise that could be put to bed. And then smothered to death. Is it just me, or do Sonic games continue to get worse in the face of Mario suffering only minor degradation over time?

Please note that I am not a fanboy, and am basing my question on reviews I've heard of the games.

 

[WNxSajuukCor]

I think that the ideals of Sonic have been lost to those trying to "reinvent" the IP. Sonic was about speed (could categorize that into racing I suppose) and platforming more-so than Zelda-esqe fantasy. It feels like the devs have been trying too much to be like other IPs out there that Sonic has been deluded into the Action Adventure game type where they feel the need to refine it and continue down that road.

Of course I save all opinions of a game until I can see it and demo/play it, but otherwise that's how I feel about this franchise now.

 

[Mstrswrd]

Actually, the trailer reminded me of the old, 2D Sonic games, or games like Sonic Rush, or something. 3D characters and backrounds, but the movement is 2D. The music was much more classic Sonic, not today's Sonic music (which is usually a highlight of the game nowadays). The gameplay seemed to be classic Sonic, basically Speed, speed, speed, and a little bit of mostly high-speed platforming. Just a tiny bit. The leaked trailer has given me high-hopes, but, in the words of a blogger who showed me the trailer, "My brain says no, but my inner fanboy says yes... I think I need abuse counceling." He might have said therapy instead of counceling.

 

[Zera]

Well this looks interesting to be honest, and Sega has announced about a year ago that they have realized Sonic games' quality isn't exactly the greatest. That statement lead to Bioware developing Sonic's rpg and now this 2.5D action platformer. If it is like the Rush series on the DS, this could turn out to be the break Sonic desparately needs.

 

[NotPigeon]

I'm just hoping they put enough time into it to have it play well and not suffer from camera problems.

 

[Divinegon]

What I find amazing is that they finally seemed to have understood something people generally have noticed: There is no issue with making a 3D game Sonic. Just don't give it 3D movement.
That is why Sonic Rush worked. It had the 3D look, but the movement stuck to two planes, horizontal (Which was mostly to the right) and vertical. And if that worked why not just refine it over on to a console game like they seem to be doing now?

Another thing I finally feel happy for is that this is the first console game (Discarding the Genesis generation) where I finally get a sense of true speed in the game.

I keep my hopes up, people can't be dumb enough to not get the point sooner or later.

Re-PS: Removing my previous statement that was in this PS since it was so idiotic and with very much lacking of attention from my part, I apologize.

 

[Terramax]

Please note that I am not a fanboy, and am basing my question on reviews I've heard of the games.

Problem is Sonic is all about speed, which causes so many problems when transfering to 3D, which Mario can survive better for being, lets say, a more laid back experience.

 

[Arbre]

I'm surprised there's still something to unleash about Sonic, considering the tangent they've took since a while.
The problem with Sonic thus far:

- The charadesign becomes more and more cool. Which means it sucks more and more, as it looks more agressive and gum like. Good Sonic [http://news.filefront.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/sonic-classic.jpg]. Bleh [http://videogames.techfresh.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/sonic1.jpg].
- It wasn't about speed only, originally.
- Too many parasiting side characters.
- He haz no mustache.

But now... that Sonic Unleashed actually looks promising. I was wondering what kind of game they could make to revive Sonic, and my ideas always swinged between lots of 2D platforming in a 3D environment and mario kartesque 3D races in open plains or closed tracks.

It may not get more than 7-8 out of 10, but from what I saw in the trailer, it surely has the good ingredients:

- Rail platform game, switching for short 3D sequences. Makes a far better platform experience.
- A delightful tripy and upbeat music, in the spirit of the old games.
- Charadesign which is closer to the old one, and therefore cuter.
- Great decors.
- Great camera placement thus far.
- Simpler levels. The Advance episodes were fine and all, but the levels... I just couldn't memorize them.
- Plenty of blue skies.

That said, it's still a bit too speedy sometimes, I hope there won't be too many accidental bumps, but that's the principle of the game, which still required some by the book learning. It has always been a tad more hardcore.
This formula, I think, also looks very MP friendly.

 

[Sigenrecht]

Well, I don't think it comes down to 'milking' it, because icons like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario are franachises; however, unlike the Mario series, Sonic has only started being wailed on with a cold metal protrusion, but it can be said that the mascot has been losing some of his charm. I believe most of the original appeal was in fast-paced, some could even say 'hardcore' headstomping that unfortunately has been going out of style as of late to be replaced by what I call 'Jack Thompson meat', or a mind-numbingly large amounts of shooters.

What always appealed to me about the blue anthropomorphic hero is that, along with actually saying something now and again other than noncommital grunts and screaming, he can actually hold a decent (if not compelling... and occasionally confusing) storyline and not be such a redundant sellout you want to beat him to death with his own... plunger. Now, I am all for the '3-D graphics with all the original 2-D gameplay' (i.e. the New Super Mario Bros. approach), it's just after the Gameboy Advance era of the game I pray that it doesn't do the 'EA thing' and sell the same thing over. And over. However, it was the sidescrolling that made people fall in love with the series, and it was always apparent that kind of fast-paced gameplay that also seperated it from other sidescrollers like Super Mario, Metroid, etc. was never meant to be adapted into 3-D without sucking.

As long as Sega doesn't manage to screw the pooch, I think this game is actually not going to be that bad. Just my two cents.

 

[windfish]

This indeed gives me hope. I also agree with the general feeling above that the farther Sonic games get from high-speed platforming with a simple plot and quick rewards, the worse they get. The last 3D sonic game I played was SA2Battle. After that I started reading reviews first. You know the problem with SA2Battle? A full two-thirds of the game sucked because you weren't Sonic. Sure the Tails levels were OK, if a little bit like playing a TPS on God Mode. The Knuckles levels would have been fun- if you got to DO anything other than a scavenger hunt. Granted, I played this game like 5 years ago, so my memory might be a little shakey. Make it Sonic only, Maybe let Tails Join. Knuckles only as a bonus. Screw the cat. Punch the keys for godsakes. (sorry). We like some of the older characters just fine, stop adding BAD new ones.

I really liked Sonic Advance. I even didn't mind the Amy levels - they let you play through the sonic stages in a more Mario-like fashion.

I like the original storylines: Dr. Robotnik turns forest creatures into evil robots. Stop him. You are a friendly, fast blue hedgehog. Go.

This new trailer and announcement gets me real excited, though. A fresh villian is nice, as long as they don't try to make it an adventure game. It looks like they're doing it like Street Fighter IV - 3D graphics, 2D gameplay - sort of like they should have done 11 years ago. Good for Sonic Team.

PS: Another proof Nintendo loves to re-use ideas: A wolf? Why a wolf? ...

Nintendo's not making this game. Sega is. It's entirely possible that it'll be a Wii exclusive, but the designers at Nintendo aren't going to be making any decisions like that. If they are doing a "wolf" thing (which I highly doubt - wasn't that just a rumor? It sounds like a joke), then it's entirely Sonic Team ripping off Zelda.

 

[Arbre]

Another problem with Sonic, while Nintendo adressed it with power-ups and suits, is that Sonic doesn't acquire much new functions, and those different functions are found in other characters.
I'd rather have Knuckles give Sonic the gloves, Tails give Sonic some wings or just help him from time to time as you could summon him (like before), etc.
The other characters are not really Yoshis or Kongs. They don't have such drastically different abilities enough to feel like you're experiencing a whole different gameplay.
The franchise really needs to concentrate on Sonic.