Zeus
05-16-2008, 01:02 PM
IGN recently got the chance to see Xbox 360 version of Sonic Unleashed in action and revealed that the game will be single player only. They say that the games new graphics are based on the “Hedgehog Engine” and that it has been in development for the last 3 years. In the Wii version Sonic is controlled by using a Wii remote and nunchuk combination. Sega will also be "enabling full use of the GameCube controller and is currently looking into adding support for the classic controller, too."
SEGA is promising more revelations at a later date, but we did catch a few glimpses of some interesting additions. In certain areas, Sonic wall-jumps back and forth, as he did in Secret Rings. At least once, we saw the character crash through a rooftop and free fall (in a controllable sequence) down a long corridor. And there's more to come. The publisher says that the game features a fully cooked overworld with villages and side quests. If you'd rather just zip through traditional levels, you can ignore the overworld altogether, but it'll be there for those who want it. Meanwhile, there will also be boss characters, none of which were shown in the demo. And you will on occasion be able to play as a character other than Sonic, although the focus of the game will definitely be on the Hedgehog. Finally, the title runs on a day and night system -- some levels take place in the day and others at night. Although SEGA revealed this truth and showed two daylight levels, it would not say anything about the nighttime stages when quizzed, so apparently there's some secrets to be revealed in that regard.
We're definitely psyched about what we saw and can't wait to get our hands on a 360, PS3 or Wii controller to try everything out for ourselves. The biggest concern we had with the latest demo relates to framerate fluidity. Unleashed definitely chugged in certain spots (and at others, the game actually froze for a few seconds as the level loaded in new geometry and textures). Clearly it's unfinished and improvements will be made, but Sonic Team is gunning for an end product that runs at 30 frames per second, not 60 frames. This is disappointing given that Unleashed, like all Sonic games, is so thoroughly engulfed in character speed and for these game types the coveted 60 frames mark is always ideal
News Source: <a href="http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1973/Sonic-Unleashed/p1/" target=_blank">previews.teamxbox</a> and <a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/874/874202p1.html" target=_blank">xbox360.ign.com</a>
SEGA is promising more revelations at a later date, but we did catch a few glimpses of some interesting additions. In certain areas, Sonic wall-jumps back and forth, as he did in Secret Rings. At least once, we saw the character crash through a rooftop and free fall (in a controllable sequence) down a long corridor. And there's more to come. The publisher says that the game features a fully cooked overworld with villages and side quests. If you'd rather just zip through traditional levels, you can ignore the overworld altogether, but it'll be there for those who want it. Meanwhile, there will also be boss characters, none of which were shown in the demo. And you will on occasion be able to play as a character other than Sonic, although the focus of the game will definitely be on the Hedgehog. Finally, the title runs on a day and night system -- some levels take place in the day and others at night. Although SEGA revealed this truth and showed two daylight levels, it would not say anything about the nighttime stages when quizzed, so apparently there's some secrets to be revealed in that regard.
We're definitely psyched about what we saw and can't wait to get our hands on a 360, PS3 or Wii controller to try everything out for ourselves. The biggest concern we had with the latest demo relates to framerate fluidity. Unleashed definitely chugged in certain spots (and at others, the game actually froze for a few seconds as the level loaded in new geometry and textures). Clearly it's unfinished and improvements will be made, but Sonic Team is gunning for an end product that runs at 30 frames per second, not 60 frames. This is disappointing given that Unleashed, like all Sonic games, is so thoroughly engulfed in character speed and for these game types the coveted 60 frames mark is always ideal
News Source: <a href="http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1973/Sonic-Unleashed/p1/" target=_blank">previews.teamxbox</a> and <a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/874/874202p1.html" target=_blank">xbox360.ign.com</a>