Sonic Unleashed Review

Rank @ End

Summary

This was bashed for its Werehog idea and stages, yet most Sonic fans enjoyed the game. Hint: I'm one of those fans.  

Gameplay and Level Design

Remember: upgrade the Werehog's attacks. Then it's no sweat.

The gameplay is split into two sections, day and night. The day stages at the time were a new idea, taking the Boost idea from rush and creating a style that switches between 2D and 3D. When I first played the game I really had a problem with pressing the buttons it asked for certain moves, and sometimes I still have trouble. Dark Gaia--60?--insane. Yet I like it in retrospect because it adds a bit of a challenge even now that the boost has become and over-used gimmick.

I also like that even though boosting through is possible, the game encourages exploration through the sun/moon medals, video tapes, records, and other items. Another likeable thing is the rings gained more of a purpose by helping fuel the boost. The trick system, while complex (^), looked cool. Overall the day stages were pretty fun, and the 2D areas weren't as bottomless-pit filled as in future games (cough, cough, SONICCOLORS). 

The Werehog stages are more complicated, but they serve the exploration idea even better. It is a forced slow down, but there are shortcuts and not every enemy needs beaten. In the beginning the game is a bit tougher in these stages, and longer. But as long as the player upgrades the moves/attacks, the gameplay will become a lot easier and smoother as a reward. Upgrade the attacks and then you can smash the buttons of your choice and defeat the enemies with ease. 

It's the Titans that really cause all the darn trouble. They knock Sonic off his feet and sometimes off buildings. Then the wizard ones power it back up sometimes, too. Using the "doorbell" move helps a lot but it can be difficult. 

The stage desings and hub worlds are awesome. Like with Soleanna in 06, they took real life ideas and it works even better with these choices. Altering the sky and lighting was also great. It was also cool that the Tornado returned. 

 

Story and Characters

The story, as wacky as it may be, is really nice. Sonic befriends Chip and there's a lot of focus on that friendship that can kinda' be expanded on (through...food). The script is pretty nice, not epically cheesy like later games or over-the-top like some games past. It seems just right. Serious moments, funny ones. I kinda' like how Amy was in this, where she was still on the hunt for Sonic but got a little more concerned later in the game. Tails was also in a good spot because he seemed smart and useful (though his introduction is not as good because he needs help...but he was even that way in the Secret Rings, so--)

As much as I love Chip, the mythology kinda' bugs me. There were fantasy-type "god" creatures in games before like Adventure and 06, but I don't know why, this one kinda' bothers me. Maybe it is because Eggman also shattered the earth in Sonic Advance 3, heh. 

This is the first game in a long time not to feature Knuckles or Shadow. In some ways, I would have rather seen them in it and have it be Sonic Adventure 3, but I'm glad they did not through the characters in just for the sake of having them there (cough, cough, Forces, Generations). And I also felt the more Sonic-focused story was worth it (unlike SONICCOLORS). 

Music and Voice Acting

The music is great. There's a lot of variety. The hub worlds are more atmospheric and the stages are faster, wilder beats. Both incorporate instruments based on the locations the worlds were inspired upon. There is also a nice contrast between day and night, and a lot of interesting jazz elements. "Endless Possibilities" has a lot of energy and confidence that really match the game's theme of exploration yet Sonic as a character as well. 

The voice acting is the best. I already like Jason Griffith's Sonic voice, but he does particularly well with this game. The hedgehog sounds a bit more mature but has not lost his attitude. The rougher Werehog voice is also awesome. Only complaint with it is that with one or 2 lines it sounds a bit like Jet the Hawk. Amy Palant has really worked on her voice for Tails, who sounds a lot more boyish. Lisa Ortiz also matured Amy's voice a bit. Chip is cute and adorable sounding. 

Overall the only one who did not quite live up to expectations was Dan Green (Professor Pickle) not because the voice was that bad, just because it sounded a lot like Knuckles to me (more so then Mephiles).     

Visuals and Graphics

UNLEASHED DID IT FIRST

The cutscenses, even the ones of lower quality, have aged GREAT. The entire game looks better than Forces, and the animation is expressive. That first cutscene! Wow. 

When playing through, the graphics are not as good as future games but still pretty good. The combination of cartoonish designs and realistic textures helped it age better, I think.  

Dark Gaia is creepy in design. I'm kinda' confused on Chip's looks, but he's cute. Yet the temple-transformation thing (kinda' anime-ish, maybe?) makes him pretty beast. Speaking of beast--

The Werehog design is not so bad. Not as sleek Sonic's usual looks, but powerful and tough. Way better than Boom Knuckles, anyway.  

Final Thoughts

• I (...and a lot of people, surprisingly?) would have liked it if Sonic continued to wear the Chip bracelet. As a sign of character development.  
• I guess in Black Knight it would have just gotten hidden under his armor, but WHAT'S COLORS EXCUSE?  
• Unfortunately by 2010 Sega found the antonym of character development and used that instead. 
• I love this game, but Sega would kinda' pluck some bad ideas out if it: 
• Boost to win
• Tails being a coward
• No Crush 40
• No Kncukles/Shadow/Rouge/Cream/etc

• Another idea reused in the future is having the results affect the characters' stance. Here it affects what the character says (as in games past) and the music as well. 
• This is probably the best version of hub worlds in a Sonic game to date. They were fun to explore and all looked very unique. The day/night idea was also nice visually. 
• The idea with the humans was interesting, becuase while most were cartoony and Pixar-like, there were a few that were more anime/almost more realistic, as if to bridge the gap between this game and games past. 
• I like all the different designs and backgrounds for them. 
• Wentos: AKA how to score as may rings as you want. 
• It's cool that there are optional acts and missions, I always prefer options to requirements.  
• Would have loved to see more "extra"/easter egg scenes in future games. Oh well.  
• WHOO! GO! FEELIN' GOOD! WHOO! WHOO! GO!
• HERE WE...GO!
• AWOOOOO!
• Egro>Orbot 

Final Ranking: S

It would be better without the Titan enemies, but I'm willing to overlook that. This game is really fun to play, has great audio and visuals, and a cool script/story that is not too dark but not too silly. This very well may be the best modern Sonic game. 

:)

Best Tails VA

Tails has had the most voice actors in the entire series. He would often be voiced by a young boy, and then their voice would change...Tails has almost been voiced by girls as many times as by guys...

Since there are so many for Tails, I'm ranking them all at once (games and cartoons).

Best to Worst

1 Christopher Welch (AoStH)

Tails' first voice actor remains the best in my opinion. He sounds young but not babyish, and is able to show affection and admiration for his "big bro" very well. Though this version of the character was about 4-5, I think the voice would have fit the games fine.

2 Colleen O' Shaughnessey (Boom, games since 2014, Sonic movie cameo)

Shaughnessey does an admirable job of making Tails sound cute, smart, youthful, and boyish at the same time. This "Tails" combination is something that others have struggled with.

3 Kate Higgins (games 2010-2013)

Higgins gave Tails a boyish voice and was able make poorly written lines comical. However her lower pitch makes Tails sound older, and I don't get as much of an emotional bond with Sonic as with the others.

4 Amy Palant (Sonic X, games 2005-2010)

Her voice for Tails is adorable, though it can be kind of annoying in some cases. She does a good job of making Tails sound smart, and (after a few years of speaking too high) she was able to improve and make him sound more like a boy. Had it been that way the whole time, Palant would be in third.


5 William Corkery (2003-2004)

While cute and friendly, Corkery's Tails is simply too young sounding (which is somewhat ironic because his voice actor was actually 8 at the time). His sound effects in Sonic Heroes can get annoying.

6 Chris Turner (AoStH-Christmas Blast)

Turner sounds similar to Welch--a good choice--but he's not as quite as likable. His Tails acts the appropriate age, but lacks some of Tails' personalty traits.

7  Bradley Pierce (Sat Am)

Pierce has the same problem as Corkery of sounding too young for the role. But it's even more bothersome when this version of Tails is supposed to be ten.

8  Corey Bringas (1999-2000)

His version of Tails is fair. He matches Tails' age nicely, but at points seems...immature? It's not really his voice but his acting, I guess.

9 Conner Bringas (2001)

The lines sound more awkward and unnatural from Connor Bringas than most of Tails' other voices.

10 Lainie Frasier (OVA)

Tails has probably never sounded more annoying. High, her version of Tails is babyish, or maybe sick.

So the best all-time voice for Tails was Christopher Welch. Being a young boy when voicing the lines, it's understandable why he'd (likely) never reprise the role.

As for the best in the games, it's Colleen O' Shaughnessey, which is suiting because she's the current voice for Tails.

Sonic 06 is better than Colors (Part 9)

Sonic 06 is generally regarded at "the worst Sonic game." Meanwhile Colors is supposedly "one of the best." Well I hated Colors and liked 06 just fine. And I have reasons for it, too.

Part 9: The Voice Acting

Where to start? Ugh, I guess I'll explain a little background on each of these groups beforehand.

Background History (fill free to skip this)

1. So the "4kids" actors that are present in 06 originally started out on the show, Sonic X. There were some "shady" dealings were the 4kids actors replaced the "originals" (sometimes called the "transitional") because Sega "wanted Sonic to sound the same" (all this was on Sega's behalf, though, not the actors themselves). 
2. So even though this group had been voicing the characters for about 2-3 years (Sonic X) a lot of people were still attached to the "originals" and regarded this new group with hostility. 
3. The 4kids actors had all improved their voice work since starting in "Chaos Control Freaks," but it wouldn't be until around the time of Sonic Unleashed that they gained real respect. Fans finally warmed up to the cast and praised their work. 
4. And by the time of Sonic Colors, Sega...REPLACED THEM ALL. Except Eggman. There were rumors about this, too, but mainly it just seemed like Sega was trying to gather a more "recognizable" cast (Roger Craig Smith, for example). Although some welcomed the change, many fans were now angry the 4kids had been replaced as they had finally "gotten good." 
5. This "current" cast would last for along time. At this point, however, most have been switched out with notable exceptions being the voices of Sonic, Eggman, Amy, and Shadow. 

General Opinion (Just sayin')

I usually favor the 4kids voice actors because I think most of them matched their characters perfectly. I have to admit the old cast was finally getting good around Heroes (just before they were replaced), but generally they seem overrated. On the other hand, I dislike almost everyone who started in 2010. I especially despite Smith's work. By the time of Forces I think most of them have gotten better, though.
So this won't all be relevant, as Colors has a small cast and it was their first game, but I just wanted to acknowledge it I guess.

Back to 06 vs Colors

Voices vs Voices

It sound be noted that I'm going off their roles in these games specifically.

06 Sonic vs Colors Sonic (Jason Griffith vs Roger Craig Smith)

"It sounds like [getting captured every five seconds] isn't that easy..."

Jason Griffith doesn't deliver the clarity we get in Unleashed or SATBK, but he does a decent job.

• Some lines that stand out as pretty good: "My, that's a pretty snazzy performance, there"; "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog"; "That was Incredible"; and "Alright, lets have some fun Solaris."

These lines show enthusiasm and Sonic's attitude. There are some lines are flat (like "Smile" and "No Problem") but Griffith stays in character. No major shifts or sounding like other characters (that he was voicing).

"Baldy nosehair? That's the [worst] thing I heard all day!" 

Roger Craig Smith's take on Sonic is horrible. In Colors, it makes me cringe. I know this is also largely reliant on script--I find it hard to imagine the other voice actors handling it well, either--but it just isn't right. Sonic sounds like a egotistic jerk!

• A one or two lines turn out well--sarcastic ones like "Oh, I gave it to him pretty good" and "Just say your going to destroy us and stop embarrassing yourself." 
• Any serious moments end up with the opposite effect. Pathetic: "Tails, buddy, you alright?" I don't feel like he's concerned for his friend at all! 
• Other lines are plain crap, such as "It says somebody ordered an extra large clobbering topped with everything!" Ugh he ends up saying the word clobbering three times and it seems to get worse each attempt. 
• Smith also pronounces words oddly (I'm assuming on purpose) such as "negative" like "nAgative"  and "Eggman" like "Aggman." 
• I guess that means he'd call Eggman Nega "Aggman nAga" ha 

To make matters worse, when "going back" to this after getting used to Roger Craig Smith's "better"  Sonic-voice, (maybe an Episode of Sonic Boom) you can tell in Colors he tried to make his voice...less mature? Likely to match his predecessors. If that was his goal, it failed terribly.

Sound Effects: I'm not a huge fan of the dying "W-Whao!" in 06 but the "Bwuah!" noise that Sonic makes when he falls in Colors is the worst sound Sonic has ever made. Also, as neither actor was at the top of their game here, Sonic's laugh is creepy. In Colors this happens a few times. As for Griffith, I know he usually does a good "Sonic laugh" but that ending scene with Elise...

Tails (Amy Palant vs Kate Higgins)

Amy Palant does a cute Tails. For whatever reason, she seems to make Tails have an even younger/higher voice than in Riders or Sonic X. She does a better job than the previous two voice actors, but the sound effects for Tails in this game are very annoying. The entire game, Tails' voice is either adorable or annoying. Usually the latter. He's 8, not 5...

I hate to admit it, but Kate Higgins probably did a better job (comparing these games specifically). Tails sounds young and cute but boyish, too. Higgins handles the humor well "Uh, I find that hard to believe..."; "[Eggman's] cruelty knows no bounds."; etc. She doesn't make Tails sound as smart as Plant, but 06 didn't show that side of him much.   

Eggman (Mike Pollock vs himself)

Despite the 4 year difference, Pollock sounds mostly the same. 06 is a bit more serious, Colors a bit more comical. Voice acting alone--it's a draw.

Other Main Characters

06

• Jason Griffith did a fantastic job as Shadow. There are quotes that turn out great from this game: "I determine my own destiny"; "Ha! There's no strength in numbers"; "I will fight like I always have"; even "Don't touch it" and "Let's get MOVING." 
• Although his "It's No Use" and "Not Now" could get irritating, Silver sounded youthful and confident. 
• Mephlies had creepy, heavy voice that fit him perfectly. 
• Sega seemed pretty proud of Lacy Chabert ("Elise") at the time. They considered her a "celebrity" voice actor. She does a good job in the cutscences but the sound effects (in the levels where Sonic carries Elise) are higher pitched and annoying. 

Colors

• Orbot (voice wise--his actions were kinda' sassy) was a slap in the face compared to the robot we saw in Unleashed. I'm not sure what accent that is, but I don't like. 
• We got to hear different takes on Cubot's voice, but they were all stupid. The worst part is his "real" voice is worse than the other ones. It's scratchy and...you know, now that I think about it, neither of those two sound very robotic.     

Supporting and Background roles.

06

• I think the 4kids cast did a good job matching their (Rouge, Blaze, Amy, etc) personalities overall. 
• The only one I really dislike is Omega's (Omega's robotic voice was usually low, not high). 
• There were some human voice-bits, such as "hey" in the hub worlds and crowds in cutscenes--not too bothersome. 

Colors

• The Colors equivalent is Yacker and the other wisps. Kinda' annoying but not too bad, really. 
• What really sucks is the "DRILL" "ROCKET" and all the other worthless wisp announcements. What is the point of that? What could possibly be good about that?! It's unnecessary, extremely loud, repetitive, annoying, and did I say REPETITIVE I MEANT TORTURE. 
• But what's worse? "GAME OVER." What the Fxck?! Having "ha-ha you lost" written over the screen with sad music is bad enough. But having that same awful voice say in an almost happy, drawn out: "gAme OVer" just makes me want to kill my Wii. And thanks to Generations, I found out this voice is none other than good ol' Roger Craig Smith. 

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGH 

Random Thoughts

• Sonic Colors was the "current" cast's first game, so it explains why they weren't as good. Eggman, however, stayed the same. 
• Notably, Tails' voice was later replaced for Sonic Boom.
• As for 06, this was their 4th game, but their first "main" one. I have to wonder if they had certain instructions on "how to sound" because a lot of them tweaked their voice slightly and sounded different before/past this game.

Conclusion

• Roger Craig Smith sucks. Especially in 2010-11, yikes. How could anyone praise that "performance?" Seriously, someone explain why they think he's good. To me he always sounds bored instead of carefree, cringe-y instead of funny, and a jerk instead of a hero. Griffith does a better Sonic. 
• Ignoring the fact that 06 has a larger cast (making it harder to compete with), I'd have to say 28% of Colors is good/acceptable (2/7) and 83% of 06 is good/acceptable (10/12). So clearly, the voice acting in 2006 was simply better than it was in 2010. It wasn't the best, but it's better than Colors.  
• As mentioned, Higgins and Pollock did an alright job--but it just doesn't outweigh the good that came out of 06.
• lol you don't hear that often, do you?  
• ...And if I were judging Free Riders (first game to feature the rest of the "2010" cast), the 4kids cast would blow them away for sure. 

Join us next time for the last major reason that Sonic 06 is better than Colors!