Sonic Unleashed Xbox 360
Metascore
60 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 50
  3. Negative: 10 out of 50
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  1. Play.tm
    48
    It's too fiddly and obtuse to appeal to children, and too generic and tacky to cater towards the discerning taste of a gaming adult. The only possible reason you'd have for wanting this game is because it's cheap.
  2. IGN
    45
    They tossed in one of the dumbest "twists" in the history of gaming. A werehog? Really? Stretchy arms? Did anyone actually believe this was going to be fun? Gone are any elements of speed, replaced with mindless and poorly designed brawling segments with some terrible platforming sections.
  3. Kombo
    45
    If you're a true hardcore Sonic fan, give the game a rental and enjoy the day stages. Otherwise, don't bother.
  4. Extreme Gamer
    45
    Sonic Unleashed had promise, and actually part of the game is pretty decent, but its too bad the entire game wasn't completed with the mindset of "Day" Sonic. Sorry Sonic, gamers pass on this one.
  5. Game Revolution
    42
    The amount of backtracking required in Sonic Unleashed is absolutely inexcusable, and this mandatory medal hunting is the nail in the coffin.
  6. Eurogamer
    40
    Compared to Mario Galaxy or Ratchet & Clank - heck, even compared to Crash Bandicoot, another platforming mascot mired in mediocrity - Sonic Unleashed is an obviously poor effort from a series that is still hopelessly lost in the modern gaming landscape.
  7. Boomtown
    40
    All I can do, and it kills me to say this, is advise you don’t get this game. Simply because it’s a poor game, with a score propped up by a better, more traditional Sonic available to play. Sadly it’s not available to play with enough.
  8. X360 Magazine UK
    40
    Terrible stuff, and what’s more quite predictably so. The problem’s made worse by how much better things would be if its fat was simply trimmed. Oh Sonic, where art thou?
  9. G4 TV
    40
    Oh Sonic, you’ve raced so far to only find yourself where you started. While Sega inches ever closer to finding that magical combination to create their Sonic empire once again, the rest of the game drags down whatever hope gamers had for reliving the better parts of their childhood instead of the parts where they were sorely disappointed.
  10. GameSpot
    35
    Terrible level design, unresponsive controls, and a poor camera are just the beginning of the problems in this awful adventure.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 35
  3. Negative: 5 out of 35
  1. rbee
    8
    First my take, then my 10 year old son's take. We bought an Xbox 360 very, very recently and loaded up on a few essential dad-kid games before leaving the store, unconcerned about reviews or seeing gameplay in action. For me, a few red flags were raised during the opening sequence and later in the game was a bit bored by the nighttime werehog elements but so far have not been troubled by them beyond fact they are different. It is certainly true that I would have passed on the game had I see those elements in action at the gamestore or online, and especially if they were not plastered with the Sonic brand. My son, on the other hand, is still thrilled. In fact, he preferred the slower and what he called "Kingdom Hearty" gameplay as werehog Sonic, and felt more like he was progressing in a game with a character he could build. Speeding through levels hje gets flustered and disinterested, gains and loses coins at random, and has no reason to feel nostalgic. His first exposure to Sonic in game form, beyond images of older Sega titles in magazines, was actually Super Smash Bros (Wii). (His first exposure to Mario was Galaxy, as well.) I feel that this Sonic game is a fantastic balance. The developers have gotten their slaps on the wrist in sales and are making up for things bit by bit to classic gamers by releasing DLC, but I don't think they've put a foot wrong here. Another thing to consider about my review: we live in Japan, and the Japanese release of the game is in both Japanese and English. Perhaps so are other versions. This makes the game particularly exotic to one or both of us, as having the ability to log in under two gamertags with save games in two languages and spice up the experience. It's rather like watching a classic Disney film get remade in a foreign language -- interesting and bizarre and much easier to accept.… Full Review »
  2. DukeJon
    10
    A much better game than the reviews suggest. Loads of secrets and replay value, fantastic graphics and music. If you love sonic you'll love this. Hell, you may even learn to like the Werehog.… Full Review »
  3. SawnikAdventure
    4
    Sonic Unleashed seemed to continue the downward trend of modern Sonic games. OK, I will admit - it's a step forward from 06, but that doesn't automatically mean it's great. What people overlook so damn much is that: 1) The MAJORITY of the game is played as the Werehog, which is absolute CRAP. I can't believe people can be so blind and brand this as 'such a great game' and yet they themselves had a horrible time with this disgusting gameplay style. 2/3 of the game is played as this piece of crap, which automatically makes it a bad game. But no, SEGA had to make it even WORSE! Let's go deeper, shall we? 2) Surprisingly, the incredibly overrated daytime stages are bad as well. At first, you'll be in love with them, because of their insane speed, seemless gameplay and literally effortless fun. But once you decide to play them again... the fun is gone. Why? Because you're constrained in a tight hallway surrounded by invisible walls and doing nothing but plough through everything at breakneck speed with no thinking required. I really don't understand what the hell is so fun about this turdfest. It's WAY too easy and gives nothing for the player to do but RUN. Sounds fun, right? 3) Pace... ugh. Remember the good old days, where simply beating a stage would lead you onto another? Well, Sonic Unleashed throws all of that away and forces you to explore hubworlds, talk to random people, wait through loading screens to access ANOTHER hubworld and as soon as you reach the level gate, you're prompted by this annoying pest known as 'Chip' that you haven't collected enough sun or moon medals. This means that you have to replay the crap you've just played to collect more medals hidden throughout the stages in order to progress. It enhances replay value, but then again, why 'enhance' replay value on something that nobody would enjoy (well, at least the Werehog, anyway)? It's just a stupid gimmick to pad the game out. OK, so, I don't like this game, which is pretty clear. But is there ANYTHING that this game did right? Hell yes. 1) The graphics are stunning, especially in HD. It makes the pain more bearable to see all these pretty landscapes that you wish you could explore but can't because the stupid game won't let you. 2) The music is fantastic. The daytime music is usually more fast and upbeat, featuring some catchy tunes packed with variety. These just give me a feel-good feeling. The nighttime music, on the other hand, is much slower, somewhat orchestral and relaxing. Personally, I prefer the daytime music, but there's no denying that both types of track are just great. 3) While I do NOT like the daytime stages, I can praise it for at least one thing: the technical achievement. Even though ploughing mindlessly through everything is NOT my kind of fun, you've got to admit that it's pretty darn stunning to see Sonic run that fast with incredible graphics to boot. There's not a single slowdown issue while doing any of this, either. There are a few framerate dips, however, espeically in the later stages. So, all in all, I would recommend Sonic Unleashed ONLY to diehard Sonic fans who want to 'check it out'. Otherwise, (send me death threats for saying this, I don't care) Sonic Unleashed is a smelling piece of crap and it should never have been released in such a state.… Full Review »
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