Nate Lanxon

Nate Lanxon is CNET UK's Senior Editor of News and Features, and covers every aspect of technology for Crave. He also enjoys popular-science books, obscure Japanese animation and plays 'technical metal' on the drums, whatever that is.

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Monday 5 January 2009, 4:12pm

Sonic Unleashed: Worst game of 2008

It seems that the only thing Sega did when it gave Sonic a third dimension to exist in is give me the first and most defining reason to begin despising the useless spiky blue cretin.

I finished 2008 playing Sonic Unleashed, the latest 3D Sonic title to crawl out of the fatigued hands of Sonic Team. After several hours of gameplay, I consider the mouths of Hell's own diseased and rotting bloodhounds too pleasant for Sonic to be chewed up in, for Sonic Unleashed may be one of the worst games I've ever played.

Watch out! He's coming for your hate

GameSpot agreed, giving it just 3.5 out of 10. Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation said, "Sonic doesn't need more games, he needs help -- specifically the kind of help that involves tearfully putting both barrels through his confused, oblivious little face."

And frankly, I agree. I loved Sonic. The old Sonic. I have Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 on my Xbox 360, and I love the nostalgia of two-dimensional game mechanics, side-scrolling leaps over pits of infinite non-space, the incredible 360-degree leg spinning of Japan's foremost double-jointed nocturnal mammal.

However, I despise the unbearable dialogue of Sonic Unleashed. And I do not appreciate the asinine idea that Sonic should mimic Lara Croft's pole-grabbing acrobatics throughout a world that should, for its own good, be destroyed, coupled with control mechanisms so unbearably awful that I genuinely believe it gave me flu.

Sadly, he survives being on fire in this FMV

If you want to love Sonic, buy the original two games from Xbox Live Arcade and revel as the achievement system gives you new reason to become the master of two-dimensional mammal madness.

But if you want to hate Sonic -- I mean truly wish ill fate upon him and all he holds dear -- go and buy Sonic Unleashed.

9 Comments | Post a comment

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Comments on this post

Should I apologise for telling you to borrow it, then? =p

Posted by Pokeh on Mon 5 January, 2009 4:23 PM

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You know, it went down very well with the 5 year old in my life...although I confess it was a horrible experience. Sadly he's too young for GTAIV or Bioshock. Maybe next Xmas?

Posted by Finn's Dad on Tue 6 January, 2009 11:48 AM

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I played sonic unleashed on an example console in a shop not long ago. I dont remember a time when so many childhood memories were destroyed in a "what have you become" scenario. Is this how star wars fans feel when they watch episode I etc?

Posted by Andy on Sat 10 January, 2009 2:35 PM

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The game was half good, half bad in my opinion. The day stages went by really fast and they're a ton of fun. Unfortunately...you have to go through the werehog stages.

Posted by Lee on Sun 11 January, 2009 3:58 AM

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Come on, thats because you bought it for XBOX 360. Go and buy it for Wii, idiot. I love it

Posted by Anonymous on Thu 22 January, 2009 1:06 AM

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I swear, I will never buy a Sonic game again. Is there any way I can get a refund?

Posted by Romeo on Sat 14 March, 2009 6:11 PM

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this game deserves at least a 6.5 out of 10 because of the werehog and its long levels. but OH MY GOD. on the wii version of sonic unleashed you had 3 werehog levels for each sonic level each about 7 minutes long at the least while the sonic levels were only about 3-5 minutes. in the 360 version you can choose if you want more daytime levels. oh and IGN gave the 360 version (best one yet) a 3.5 out of 10 because they sucked at it. Im not even joking about that.

Posted by Jay on Sat 2 May, 2009 5:55 PM

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The 360 version is confusing cause of the shops , soeveniers, and you need STUPID MEDALS TO PROGRESS!!!!!!! But the wii version was too boring for me. All the levels were 2-4 min long, coupled with 3 or 4 werehog levels each 7 min long. The 360 had more action, and better levels. Ign were a bunch of reveiwers stuck in the 90s. The Wii version sucked balls, cause of various reasons , and the final boss wasnt even a challenge. Over all, if you hate all the medal finding, and souenier crap, buy wii. If you want more action, 360 is for you. By the way, the wiis werehog didnt know good moves, and you couldnt do a finisher

Posted by Tyrone Bridges on Thu 11 June, 2009 4:37 AM

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You will never get rid of Sonic.

Posted by Anonymous on Fri 26 June, 2009 1:47 AM

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