We wear our hearts on our sleeves here at 61 Frames Per Second. You may have noticed certain predilections that dominate our mutual attentions, loves and desires that may, when considered under the right conditions, call our journalistic integrity into question. We all love Mega Man. We yearn for the creations of a long dead corporation once known as Squaresoft. We burn incense at an 8 and 16-bit altar, muttering somber devotionals to the arcane arts of platforming, of acquiring power-ups from felled foes, while clutching frayed totems depicting our saints as well as our sinners. Some of us, and I won’t say who, like Bionic Commando too much. But there are other icons of gaming’s pantheon that I find us continuously, and inexplicably, returning to again and again. Why is it that 61FPS, as a collective, torrid consciousness, keeps discussing Sonic the Hedgehog? Especially considering the regular topic of discussion is how crap Sonic has become as a franchise?
I suppose the answer is two fold. Once upon a time, Sonic the Hedgehog games were truly special. The original quintet of platformers, including Sonics 1 through 3, Sonic and Knuckles, and Sonic CD, were a legitimate paradigm shift for their genre and endure as eminently playable games today. But Sonic is also the poster child for brand dilution through over-saturation. Abused mascots like Mega Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot have nothing on good old Sonic; ten console titles in the main series, close to twenty spin-offs, and fifteen handheld titles, and all of them are, at best, inoffensively forgettable and, at worst, downright bad. To make matters much worse, the core Sonic series (the games Sega positions as flagship titles) has never successfully made the leap to three-dimensions. The Sonic Adventures, Sonic Heroes, and Sonic the Hedgehog ’06 failed as attempts at translating the Genesis titles’ frenetic platforming but further watered down the formula by not allowing Sonic to carry the games on his own (read: shitty friends.) It’s no wonder we’re fascinated by Sonic: he’s the fastest train wreck alive.
Hope, however, springs eternal, as evidenced by the very positive reactions to the early footage of Sonic Unleashed that leaked its way onto the internet last spring. Unleashed, unaccompanied by marketing speak proclaiming a return to former glory, actually did look like a return to former glory, with gorgeously rendered 2D running and platforming, and tighter full 3D segments that recalled the mildly-well-received Sonic and the Secret Rings instead of Shadow the Hedgehog. Concerns flared following the game’s proper announcement when it was revealed that Sonic Unleashed would also feature Sonic as a werewolf engaged in brawler combat. Also, as good as the run-and-jump portions looked, I was wondering just how much control you would have over Sonic as he bolted through these new levels. After all, when you weren’t trying vainly to not accidentally fall off the world in Sonic’s previous 3D outings, you were pretty much just pressing right.
After getting to play an early build of Sonic Unleashed yesterday, I can confidently say that this fresh hope for the series is well-placed. Far from being an automatic, press-right-to-win affair, Unleashed’s platforming levels are possibly the most playable in Sonic history. You have to actively manage the game from the outset, carefully timing jumps, slides, and, oddly enough, racing game-style power slides to keep moving through the levels. The enhanced control during Sonic’s sprints is aided by level design that finally cracks the code of Sonic in 3D: when the game shifts from 2D to behind Sonic, the levels are often bound on each side (fewer accidental deaths) and, when they’re not, the camera actually manages to follow the platforming to keep you from plummeting down an empty pit. I was legitimately impressed by how much agency you actually had in the game and found myself wanting badly to play more. It was also encouraging to hear that you will be playing as Sonic “99%” of the time in Unleashed. Good to know. Unfortunately, I did not get to actually play the *ugh* “werehog” brawling portions of the game but got to see one level played in front of me and, though the jury is still out, they looked pretty fun. It won’t be replacing Devil May Cry on the shelf or anything, but still, it ain’t fishing with Big the Cat.
Who knows? Come December, we may start talking about Sonic again with a smile on our faces. An un-ironic one. I swear.
Related links:
Do You Hold Any Hope For Sonic Unleashed?
Trailer Review: Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed Wii: Should Dimps be trying harder?
Sonic the Hedgehog: I'm Just Not that Into You
A Long-Scorned Sonic Fanfic Writer Seeks Redemption