Sonic Unleashed Already Three Years Old
What you see before you is the officially sanctioned trailer for Sega's potential masterpiece, Sonic Unleashed. Hidden amongst the myriad of details in Sega's press release is a morsel that stands out: The game has been in development for the past three years!
Sonic Unleashed is built on a powerful new "Hedgehog Engine", which introduces seamless 3D to classic 2D camera transitions, whilst delivering a rich and expansive world with multiple paths to choose from. Under development for three years, the Hedgehog Engine produces a visually rich next generation look and feel with elements of classic Sonic gameplay mechanics. The Hedgehog engine will help re-define the gameplay experience for Sonic fans and newcomers to the franchise alike.
Could it be that Sega is on track? I mean, really? A Sonic game worth playing? Given a decade ago, I would have been ravenous for this, but, as Amy of Futurama would say: "Fool me seven times, shame on you. Fool me eight or more times, shame on me."
And by my count, this should be close to number eight.
We'll find out as the year carries closer to the Fall 2008 projected release for Sonic Unleashed for the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
Hedgehog Engine In Development For 3 Years, Sonic Unleashed Official [Gemaga]
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Posted to Video Games on 3 April 2008
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: sonic the hedgehog, sonic unleashed, werewolf
Name: Dave
I maintain that this looks really good, preovided the majority of the gameplay is like this trailer and it's not 1/3 that, and 2/3 running around as some other stupid new character (like ANOTHER new hedgehog or something).
I shall be partaking of the 360 version when it's released, I think.
You win for referencing Futurama. What an appropriate line, too! It pretty much summarized 3D sonic games so far perfectly...
Not to be nitpicky, but I think you're confusing "Sonic Unleashed," the upcoming and hopefully good game, with "Sonic Underground," the cheesy 90's cartoon where Sonic was randomly in a rock band... and was voiced by Jaleel White.
Egads.
Jaleel did sonic for most of the u.s. cartoons. Actually i think he did the voice of all three hedgehogs in Underground. ummm, it looks to be more Sonic Adventure like, which is good, but then again, it's also very Secret Rings Linear which is not so good, and at some points was very annoying. i just hope they have the Chao again like the Sonic Chronicles, wheeeee...
Sega has produced such classics, but man do they ever suck at business. They're like a Japanese EA with their revolving door of game designers and reckless branding, but without all the ill-gotten lucre. Fire all the talent, squeeze blood from a hedgehog-shaped stone with quarterly sequels, neglect the other franchises people are clamoring for (NiGHTS, Panzer Dragoon, Space Channel 5), and let's not forget: run your hardware business into the ground by making big promises and not planning ahead (32X was Sega's only backwards-compatible console. Think about it.)
I knew the latest Sonic the Hedgehog (PS3/360) was trash when I got to the Sonic Adventure ripoff level with the whale destroying the dock and I couldn't pass it in three tries. If the game is basically playing itself and you still can't win, that's a bad game.
Lately, the design has been such that Sega seems to think people are desperately after gameplay that involves precisely manipulating an object in 3-D space as it moves at high speeds, and then hitting a dead stop to precisely manipulate an object through some obstacles, all while being scored based on time and/or accuracy. Color me bored, not to mention frustrated. The Genesis games were about neat level design (with multiple paths), dodging or plowing through stupid minions, collecting powerups, and figuring out the boss's pattern. Speed was more or less optional, and we liked it that way, dammit. Now get off my lawn.