Sonic Unleashed
Category: PlayStation 2 Game
Console: PlayStation 2 (Download Emulator)
Publisher: Sega
Series: Sonic the Hedgehog
Genre: Adventure / Platform
Mode: Single-player
Region: US
Views: 385,947
Downloads: 124,492
Released: November 18, 2008
File Size: 2.3 GB
Rating: 4.4/5 (118 votes)
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2008 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. An installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it follows Sonic as he attempts to restore the world after his nemesis Doctor Eggman shatters it with a powerful laser to unleash an ancient evil known as Dark Gaia, while struggling with his new "Werehog" form, a werewolf-like affliction. Gameplay features two distinct styles: daytime stages incorporate Sonic's traditional platforming and trademark speed, while night-time stages see Sonic transform into the Werehog and engage in slower combat against waves of enemies using the Werehog's brute strength.
The game's development began in 2005, after the creation of its game engine, the Hedgehog Engine. It was initially conceived as a sequel to Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), but developer Sonic Team began to introduce enough new innovations that separated it from previous games, and it was renamed Sonic World Adventure in domestic markets.
The Werehog gameplay was conceived to help introduce newer gamers unfamiliar with the Sonic franchise to the series and is what influenced the use of Unleashed as a subtitle for western markets. The game's existence was first brought to light when Sega trademarked the Unleashed name in March 2008, and shortly after, images and a gameplay video were leaked.
Three versions of the game were developed: one by Sonic Team for high definition consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, one by Sonic Team and Dimps for standard definition consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and Wii, and one by Gameloft for mobile phones. The game was released worldwide in 2008.
Public anticipation for Sonic Unleashed was high, as video game journalists saw it as a possible return to Sonic's platforming roots. While it was commercially successful, selling 2.45 million units, initial critical reception was mixed. Reviewers praised certain elements, such as the sense of speed in daylight stages and the graphics and audio that make up the environments, but criticized others, such as the Werehog game mechanic.
As well as several gameplay and design concepts, many felt Unleashed was not the game to reinvigorate the series, the PlayStation 3 version was added to PlayStation Now in March 2017, while the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible for Xbox One in November 2018, and extended to the Xbox Series X/S while receiving a performance boost on November 15, 2021. And unofficial port of the game for Microsoft Windows and Linux was released on March 1, 2025.
