Sonic Unleashed is gorgeous in 4K

[JonnyDBrit]

Amidst the blue blur's success at the box office, I've been going through a bunch of Sonic content on youtube. The algorithm decides to drop this in my lap, and it is quite something. Sonic Unleashed, emulated in RPCS3, running at 4K (though not entirely smoothly, true to the game I suppose).

It's astonishing how well this game holds up visually, a dozen years later. To save trawling through an admittedly 5 hour video, for the daytime stages - the main highlight of the game - the timestamps are as follows (tweaked in places from the video's own suggestions):
Apotos - 13:18
Mazuri - 57:10
Holaska - 1:11:45
Spagonia - 2:10:40
Chun-nan - 2:17:13
Shamar - 3:03:47
Empire City - 3:49:35
Adabat - 4:23:49

Separately, Eggmanland is at 4:47:29, and the final boss (along with the best stupidest thing in the game) at 5:15:20

While the Unleashed mod for Generations is well praised, it's still nice to see what the original game engine was capable of. And while not directly tied to that engine, man that opening cutscene is still so sweet.

 

[Jadow]

I always loves how the lighting looked even way back in the day, are they still using the Hedgehog Engine?

 

[jacket]

I've been nerding over this for a few days.

 

[Deleted member 7462]

It's time for another AAA Sonic title. Sonic Adventure 3 in 4K, with half on-rails levels and half open-course levels would be great.

 

[IronicSonic]

Currently playing on PS3 and the game is a blast. Thinking about doing a LTTP thread

 

[NotLiquid]

Unleashed was the last time Sonic Team were granted any kind of massive budget for their games and it shows. Game looks timeless in a way not even Generations compares to.

 

[SilverX]

Is that Sonic the Movie Star? I'm a huge fan, guess I'll check out his video games too

 

[AfropunkNyc]

Whats so good about it? looks not as good as sonic generation in 4k.

 

[criteriondog]

Unleashed was the last time Sonic Team were granted any kind of massive budget for their games and it shows. Game looks timeless in a way not even Generations compares to.

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I agree with this. While Generations looks gorgeous, Unleashed feels like the last time we got a larger budget Sonic game with a great CG intro, lots of content and other production values.

 

[Mariolee]

Unleashed was the last time Sonic Team were granted any kind of massive budget for their games and it shows. Game looks timeless in a way not even Generations compares to.

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Is that true? Do we know in fact that Sonic Forces for example had a smaller budget?

Unleashed is certainly the last time I had fun with a 3D Sonic aside from Generations.

Edit: Actually forgot I really liked Sonic Colors. This was all almost ten years ago though.

 

[NaDannMaGoGo]

It's time for another AAA Sonic title. Sonic Adventure 3 in 4K, with half on-rails levels and half open-course levels would be great.

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Oh damn, yes!

Maybe with another Chao Garden, too. Those little buggers in 4k...

 

[SilverX]

Is that true? Do we know in fact that Sonic Forces for example had a smaller budget?

Unleashed is certainly the last time I had fun with a 3D Sonic aside from Generations.

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It had a smaller budget. In fact, most the Sonic boost levels barely last ~2 minutes lol. They tried a bit more with the story scenes, but they were still lacking in production values even being a clear step up from the minimal effort they put in the last few games before it.

 

[Dakkon]

All I want Sega to do for 3D Sonic is to do what they did with Mania and hire into the fan community, this time picking up the people who worked on Utopia.



The game is beautiful, the game plays great, and the design is perfect. It really feels like 2D Sonic adapted to 3D, right down to having multiple paths you can take the level that are significantly different and mastering the level really feeling like you mastered the level and perfected your route and the timing for everything.

6:45 in that video is also just incredible and one of my favorite Sonic moments ever tbh. It's all just so beautiful, and when you're first approaching that area you're just kinda like "wow, that's a cool backdrop" but then as you get close you realize "wait, that's more level".

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Whats so good about it? looks not as good as sonic generation in 4k.

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A lot of it is really in the lighting, which was the big impetus with the hedgehog engine to begin with. It's noticeable that in the Unleash Project's recreation of the stages, things feel comparatively flatter, even where actual object detail may be comparable:

Sonic Generations: Unleashed Project - 8K 60 FPS ULTRA / Max Settings PC - Prologue & OG Rooftop Run

Sonic Generations: Unleashed Project mod running at 7680 x 4320 with the fxpipeline renderer. Recorded and uploaded in 4K, rendered and played in 8K Ultra-HD...

youtu.be

Now as a comparison that's thrown off both by general subjectivity, but also the fact that the Unleashed Project is ultimately a mod, and so what it's working with isn't strictly optimised for what it's recreating. Generations is both generally brighter and poppier in its colour palette - Sonic's shading is noticeably different, I find - than Unleashed, so levels built with that in mind are going to look better with it, vs the recreations

Of course, I could just be wearing rose tinted glasses here, but I think there is a certainly a reason that, despite its mixed assessment as a game, Unleashed's visuals are something oft-remarked upon

 

[Tracker_TD]

For as much as people talk up Unleashed's budget, I could've sworn ST went on record at some point saying it really wasn't much more than the average title at the time.

Anyway, as nice as Unleashed looks - it's mostly now with more powerful hardware to run it, or in screenshots, that it's best appreciated. In terms of the hardware it was made for? It wasn't very pretty in motion. Weirdly optimised too - I don't think culling Sonic's drop shadow during Werehog's utterly crap platforming was a good move just to push pwetty gwaphics at all.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

For as much as people talk up Unleashed's budget, I could've sworn ST went on record at some point saying it really wasn't much more than the average title at the time.

Anyway, as nice as Unleashed looks - it's most now with more powerful hardware to run it, or in screenshots, that it's best appreciated. In terms of the hardware it was made for? It wasn't very pretty in motion. Weirdly optimised too - I don't think culling Sonic's drop shadow during Werehog's utterly crap platforming was a good move just to push pwetty gwaphics at all.

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I feel like calling Unleashed 'optimised' in any sense is being generous

 

[Tracker_TD]

I feel like calling Unleashed 'optimised' in any sense is being generous

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Haha! True, true.

 

[Lant_War]

It's still my favorite 3D Sonic game. It has the Werehog to bring it down, but honestly you only gotta play those levels once to replay the good levels whenever you want, and boy are those good. Graphics-wise it's insane and still the prettiest Sonic game.

 

[Komarkaze]

Is it worth playing on Xbox One X via BC? It's on sale for another day so I've been tempted. This thread might push me over the edge.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Is it worth playing on Xbox One X via BC? It's on sale for another day so I've been tempted. This thread might push me over the edge.

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Would like to know this as well

 

[Malajax]

Is it worth playing on Xbox One X via BC? It's on sale for another day so I've been tempted. This thread might push me over the edge.

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It's an ok game. The day stages are fantastic. They're brilliantly designed and look gorgeous. The night stages are... ok to bad. They're bogged down with basic platforming and dull combat. And there's so much padding. It can really take the wind out of your sails. Overall, I find it charming and decent. I just end up replaying the day stages over and over. The padding is what can kill the experience.

 

[Komarkaze]

It's an ok game. The day stages are fantastic. They're brilliantly designed and look gorgeous. The night stages are... ok to bad. They're bogged down with basic platforming and dull combat. And there's so much padding. It can really take the wind out of your sails. Overall, I find it charming and decent. I just end up replaying the day stages over and over. The padding is what can kill the experience.

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Thanks, that sounds good enough to me! Been feeling the Sonic itch ever since I took the kids to see the movie.

 

[Chumunga64]

This is what I Imagined next gen sonic to look

 

[Lukar]

Is it worth playing on Xbox One X via BC? It's on sale for another day so I've been tempted. This thread might push me over the edge.

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If you have a decent gaming PC, check out the Project Unleashed mod for Sonic Generations. It adds all of the day stages from Unleashed into Generations.

 

[TheAggroCraig]

If you have a decent gaming PC, check out the Project Unleashed mod for Sonic Generations. It adds all of the day stages from Unleashed into Generations.

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I'm gonna echo this one, because the Day stages are the only good part of the game. The night levels are honestly just not great and very boring.

For $7.50 though it's fine, but I took many breaks from playing the game because of the night stages.

 

[ResetEraVetVIP]

Honestly a next gen sonic game should look graphically close to the movie out now.

 

[fontguy]

Were it not for the decision to include the werehog, Unleashed could have been a brand new start for Sonic. I still think this style of ludicrous speed boost gameplay is an evolutionary dead end, but the following years could have been so much brighter, and restored faith in the brand.

 

[SixelAlexiS]

Hey ppl, just play the PC version of Generation (best Sonic game) with the Unleashed level pack and you have the whole experience.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

Thanks, that sounds good enough to me! Been feeling the Sonic itch ever since I took the kids to see the movie.

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One thing you need to know before playing is that you will find sun medals and moon medals in the levels, both day and night stages. Some of the medals are hidden. They are mandatory to progress through the game! You don't need every one of them so if you permanently miss one in a night stage it's not a huge problem, but you do need the majority of them.

 

[Deleted member 5127]

Were it not for the decision to include the werehog, Unleashed could have been a brand new start for Sonic. I still think this style of ludicrous speed boost gameplay is an evolutionary dead end, but the following years could have been so much brighter, and restored faith in the brand.

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But it was a new start, Sega obviously noticed the positive reception of the day stages and that spawned Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations, both successful games that restored hope for the future of 3D Sonic.

Then Sonic Forces shat the bed because they wanted to make a cheap game.

By now they should have made a high budget game that's like Sonic Unleashed with day stages, and Tails/Knuckles/Amy instead of the Werehog

 

[Darkstorne]

All I want Sega to do for 3D Sonic is to do what they did with Mania and hire into the fan community, this time picking up the people who worked on Utopia.



The game is beautiful, the game plays great, and the design is perfect. It really feels like 2D Sonic adapted to 3D, right down to having multiple paths you can take the level that are significantly different and mastering the level really feeling like you mastered the level and perfected your route and the timing for everything.

6:45 in that video is also just incredible and one of my favorite Sonic moments ever tbh. It's all just so beautiful, and when you're first approaching that area you're just kinda like "wow, that's a cool backdrop" but then as you get close you realize "wait, that's more level".

Click to shrink...

THAT is how you do it.

I've never understood the love for modern Sonic's trash level design, where the devs are so obsessed with super speed and boost pads that the majority of the levels play themselves. You literally have no idea what's coming next, maybe you're allowed to press left or right on a grind rail (why are grind rails even a thing..?) and the few times the game does slow down you're left with such disgustingly floaty and glidey controls that you just want the auto-play speed to come back again.

That fan game nails both the speed and the level design, to make a fast game readable so that it can actually be played and not just watched. Sonic CD's intro movie is what a 3D Sonic game should be aspiring to, and looks like exactly what these guys have achieved. That kind of gameplay, with Sonic team's art direction, would be a beautiful mix.

 

[.exe]

It looks nice, but boy do I hate running towards the screen, or when the camera shifts perspective from behind Sonic's back to his the side or some awkward angle in between.

 

[Dakkon]

THAT is how you do it.

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The best part of the game is just like classic Sonic due to the sheer mass of level size and path options to learn, someone actually knowing the level provides a VERY different experience both in choices taken and how fast they are going/how much their speed is maintained.

Here's a speedrun of the same level:



Completely different choices taken, huge difference in time clearing the level, etc.

 

[Scuttlefluff]

Honestly I'm not into Utopia at all. It's pretty, yeah, but is that really what people want? A giant sandbox Green Hill playground with no challenge, level design or obstacles? I get bored watching it very quickly. I'd love to see the engine used with actual intricate level design.

 

[Tiny Chihuahueño]

Unleashed seems to be the last true big budget Sonic game and it shows. It still looks better than all the games that came after it, specially freaking Forces.

 

[Theswweet]

Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the best 3D Sonic game. It maintains what made the 2D games great and expands upon it.

 

[DryCreek]

.

 

[RyuCookingSomeRice]

Garbage ass games.. Team Sonic deserves nothing but mockery

 

[Asbsand]

I always loves how the lighting looked even way back in the day, are they still using the Hedgehog Engine?

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The guy that led the construction of the engine moved over to Square Enix after the game shipped and led Luminous Engine. Since he left they've made iterations and made the engine much less impressive to look at, and call it "Hedgehog Engine 2".

 

[Deleted member 3294]

All I want Sega to do for 3D Sonic is to do what they did with Mania and hire into the fan community, this time picking up the people who worked on Utopia.

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lmao

 

[JonnyDBrit]

The guy that led the construction of the engine moved over to Square Enix after the game shipped and led Luminous Engine. Since he left they've made iterations and made the engine much less impressive to look at, and call it "Hedgehog Engine 2".

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Yeah, the focus for each subsequent implementation has - like, generally rightly, in fairness - been on improved performance, rather than pushing visual fidelity. Not helped that their platforms of choice for a good few years were Nintendo-based - getting anywhere even near 60 FPS in Lost World just wasn't gonna happen with the Unleashed version of the engine.

 

[Dakkon]

While the physics feels good to play Sonic utopia's level design is really lacking. I dont see how that kind of level design works if you want to increase difficulty without having bottomless pits everywhere.

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They said the level is sparse due to having to rush to make it to SAGE that year, so Green Hill is completely different in the internal build. But you get a good feel for the overall idea I think.

 

[newmoneytrash]

is this fully playable? the comparability list still says in game only

 

[Deleted member 3294]

Yeah, the focus for each subsequent implementation has - like, generally rightly, in fairness - been on improved performance, rather than pushing visual fidelity. Not helped that their platforms of choice for a good few years were Nintendo-based - getting anywhere even near 60 FPS in Lost World just wasn't gonna happen with the Unleashed version of the engine.

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For whatever it's worth, I can get why they'd want to focus on improved performance instead. As pretty as Sonic Unleashed is, its framerate was really struggling to run at even a stable 30fps, and it ran at a pretty low resolution. Sonic Generations wasn't much better on consoles (though iirc was pretty well optimized on PC).

I think the engine's updates have been disappointing, but I can get why they went the direction they went in.

 

[pswii60]

Isn't there a mod that uses the Sonic Generations engine that lets you play Sonic Unleashed natively on PC? Rather than via emulation?

Unless I'm misunderstanding.

 

[Deleted member 3294]

Isn't there a mod that uses the Sonic Generations engine that lets you play Sonic Unleashed natively on PC? Rather than via emulation?

Unless I'm misunderstanding.

Click to shrink...

Yup, I think there's some differences in how Unleashed and Generations look so it's not an exact replication of how the original game looks but the Unleashed Project mod is a good way to play Unleashed's day stages.

 

[Deleted member 5334]

Isn't there a mod that uses the Sonic Generations engine that lets you play Sonic Unleashed natively on PC? Rather than via emulation?

Unless I'm misunderstanding.

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Unfortunately, only day time stages (so nothing story related) and it's NOT perfect. While Generations still has some remnants of the Werehog side for the engine, it's not possible to port those elements. Though, curious to note, if I recall during the process of data-mining the PC code, I think it was discovered there may have been some evidence of a PC build of Sonic Unleashed. It could've just been a case of how like Square Enix handled development of Final Fantasy XIII (where they ported the game to PC and then built the 360 build off of that), with no plans to release, but who knows.

Still, I do wonder as to why this game never saw a re-release. There's definitely some things in the game I could see modern CERO having a problem that could raise it to a B/12+ (due to Violence and aspects that may qualify it for a "Crime" descriptor), but when Sega partnered with Hooters in Japan for Sonic Forces, I somehow doubt they're extremely super concerned about the rating of the game, especially given it's largely the adults supporting the games in Japan at this point. So who knows.

 

[Tankshell]

This just reminded me to reinstall Generations on Steam, in home streaming to my new iPhone 11 Pro Max using Steam Link app and one of these is an amazing experience! It probably doesn't hold a rock solid 1080p/60fps at all times, but its pretty close, perfectly smooth enough to be playable and to think it is streaming wirelessly I can forgive a few stutters here and there. It sort of feels like it shouldn't be possible, and yet here we are.

EDIT.
Some photos I just took:

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Isn't there a mod that uses the Sonic Generations engine that lets you play Sonic Unleashed natively on PC? Rather than via emulation?

Unless I'm misunderstanding.

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Yup, I think there's some differences in how Unleashed and Generations look so it's not an exact replication of how the original game looks but the Unleashed Project mod is a good way to play Unleashed's day stages.

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Yeah I linked further up a sample of the mod in action. It's really the best compromise one can recommend, both because of the genuine performance issues in the original, and because of its accessibility. It's not perfect, but then, even the video I put in the OP has performance issues

 

[Asbsand]

getting anywhere even near 60 FPS in Lost World just wasn't gonna happen with the Unleashed version of the engine.

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True enough, but that being said they've downscaled the engine to the point where even Sonic Colors is starting to look more advanced. The lack of idle animations or mechanical complexity in Forces was pretty bad. Kidding aside, of course it still looks better than a Wii game, but they have drawn it back down pretty far.