Editing Sonic Unleashed

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|tab2   = Script
|tab3   = Staff             |title3 = Credits
|tab4   = Glitches
|tab5   = Beta elements
|tab6   = Gallery
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{{Otheruses4}}
{{Infobox video game
|title                   = ''Sonic Unleashed''
|image                   = 
<gallery>
Box 141916-hd.jpg|NA
SWA KeyArt.jpg|JP
</gallery>
|caption                 = North American and Japanese key artwork, featuring Sonic in his normal (left) and "[[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]]" (right) forms
|series                  = ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog series|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
|developer               = [[Sonic Team]]<ref name="onm29"/>
|publisher               = [[Sega]]
|director                = [[Yoshihisa Hashimoto]]
|producer                = [[Akinori Nishiyama]]
|executive               = Okitane Usui
|designer                = 
*Takao Hirabayashi
*Masayuki Inoue
*Yoshinobu Uba
*Hideo Otsuka 
|programmer              = 
*[[Yoshihisa Hashimoto]] {{C|lead}}
*Takao Hirabayashi {{C|lead planner/nighttime level designer}}
*Makoto Suzuki
|artist                  = [[Sachiko Kawamura]]
|writer                  = [[Kiyoko Yoshimura]] (scenario)
|composer                = 
*[[Tomoya Ohtani]] {{C|sound director}} 
*[[Kenichi Tokoi]] 
*[[Fumie Kumatani]] 
*[[Hideaki Kobayashi]] 
*[[Takahito Eguchi]] 
*[[Mariko Nanba]]
|translator/localization =
*Patrick Riley
*Jason Kuo
*Kevin Frane
*Kuniyo Matsumoto
*Akiko O'Driscoll
*Antonella Marras
*Antonio Catanese
*Carole Kunzelmann
*Brigitte Nadesan
*Jean-Loup Lansac
*Jesús Álvarez Sánchez
*Marco Borrelli
*Nicole Thomer
*Daniela Kaynert
*Jay S. Bannmüller
*Sebastián Pérez Salguero
*Luis J. Paredes López
|engine                  = [[Hedgehog Engine]]<ref name="DestructoidPress">{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/sega-confirms-sonic-unleashed-im-trying-really-hard-not-to-use-a-pun-here/|title=Sega confirms Sonic Unleashed: I'm trying really hard not to use a pun here|last=Sarkar|first=Samit|work=[[Wikipedia:Destructoid|Destructoid]]|date=3 April 2008|accessdate=24 November 2022|quote='''[[Sega]]''': Along with seamless 3D to classic 2D camera transitions, the game is built on a powerful, new proprietary "Hedgehog Engine," which introduces impressive lighting abilities and new technology tailor made for Sonic's new speed capabilities.}}</ref>
|released                = 
'''[[Xbox 360]]''':<br/>{{vgrelease|NA=18 November 2008<ref name="releaseX360">{{Cite web|title=Sonic Unleashed|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/sonicunleashed/similar.html?mode=versions|publisher=GameSpot UK|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503015942/http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/sonicunleashed/similar.html?mode=versions|archivedate=3 May 2011}}</ref>|AU=27 November 2008|EU=28 November 2008<ref name="releaseX360"/>|JP=19 February 2009<ref name="releaseX360"/>}}
'''[[PlayStation 3]]''':<br/>{{vgrelease|NA=9 December 2008<ref name="ps3NA">{{Cite web|last=Thorson|first=Tor|title=Shippin' Out Dec. 7-13: Persona 4, POP PC|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/shippin-out-dec-7-13-persona-4-pop-pc/1100-6202090/|publisher=[[wikipedia:GameSpot|GameSpot]]|date=8 December 2008}}</ref>|AU=18 December 2008<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sonic Unleashed|url=http://au.playstation.com/ps3/games/detail/item124057/Sonic-Unleashed/|publisher=PlayStation}}</ref>|EU=19 December 2008|JP=19 February 2009}}
'''[[Xbox 360|Xbox Live]]''':<br/>{{vgrelease|INT=20 October 2009<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sonic Unleashed|url=http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-AU/Product/SONIC-UNLEASHED/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80253450812|work=Xbox Marketplace}}</ref>}}
'''[[PlayStation 3|PlayStation Network]]''':<br/>{{vgrelease|NA=8 April 2014|EU=9 April 2014|AU=9 April 2014}}
|genre                   = 
*Platformer
*Action-adventure
*Beat 'em up
|modes                   = Single-player
|ratings                 = {{Vgrating|ESRB=E10+|CERO=A|PEGI=7+|ACB=G|USK=12|GRAC=ALL}}
|platforms               = 
*[[PlayStation 3]]
*[[PlayStation 4]] {{C|PlayStation Now}}
*[[Xbox 360]]
*[[Xbox One]] {{C|backward compatibility}}
*[[Xbox Series X/S]] {{C|backward compatibility}}
|media                   = 
*DVD-ROM
*DVD-DL
*Blu-ray Disc
*Digital download
|picture format          = 1080p/1080i/720p/30FPS/60FPS
}}
{{Quote left|The difference is night and day.|Tagline}}
'''''Sonic Unleashed''''', released in Japan as {{Nihongo|'''''Sonic World Adventure'''''|ソニックワールドアドベンチャー|Sonikku Wārudo Adobenchā}}, is a video game in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog series|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series]] developed by [[Sonic Team]] and published by [[Sega]]. It was released in late 2008 for the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]], with an [[Sonic Unleashed (Wii/PlayStation 2)|alternate port]] co-developed by Sonic Team and [[Dimps]] for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Wii]].

''Unleashed''{{'}}s gameplay is divided into two styles: daytime levels, which feature fast-paced platforming as [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]; and nighttime levels where players control his werewolf-like state known as the [[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]], emphasizing combat and slower-paced platforming. The game's narrative is set following a failed attempt by Sonic to defeat [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]] in space. Dr. Eggman shatters the world with the power of the [[Chaos Emerald]]s, unleashing two earthbound entities known as [[Chip|Light]] and [[Dark Gaia]] and infusing Sonic with the Werehog state at night. The story follows Sonic as he navigates various continents while accompanied by Light Gaia, nicknamed "Chip", to restore the Chaos Emeralds' power and repair the planet.

Initially conceived as a third entry in the ''[[Sonic Adventure|Sonic]] [[Sonic Adventure 2|Adventure]]'' series, ''Sonic Unleashed''{{'}}s development overlapped with that of the with the creation of the [[Hedgehog Engine]], specifically designed to enhance graphics and animation effects suitable for the series. The game's locations were based off real-world countries, like Greece and China, to infuse a sense of realism, although the art style was more cartoony than previous 3D entries in the franchise. To promote the title, a short film, ''[[Sonic: Night of the Werehog]]'', was released in November 2008.

Although the game was highly anticipated, with journalists seeing it as a return to the series' roots, it received mixed reception upon release. Praise was directed towards the graphics, soundtrack, and daytime gameplay. The Werehog's gameplay was a major factor in the low review scores, with many finding it ill-suited for the series. Nevertheless, the game was a commercial success, with the Xbox 360/PS3 and Wii/PS2 versions selling a combined 2.45 million copies. ''Unleashed'' cultivated a cult following in the years following its release and built on what is commonly referred to as the "Boost formula" that was introduced in ''[[Sonic Rush]]'', later employed in ''[[Sonic Colors]]'', ''[[Sonic Generations]]'', and ''[[Sonic Forces]]''.

==Plot==
{{Spoiler}}
[[File:Sonic dodging Egg Fighter.jpg|thumb|left|225px|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] dodging an [[Egg Fighter]] in the opening cutscene]]
At the beginning of the story, [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] is confronting his nemesis, [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]], aboard his flagship. Dr. Eggman then activated the ships defense systems, activating the cannons and bringing forth a horde of [[Egg Fighter]]s. After seeing the obstacles, Sonic boosted forward and began dodging the batteries fired from the cannons. Bounding across the flagship, Dr. Eggman brought forth his Mech and unleashed a flurry of machine gun fire. After running across the ceiling while dodging missiles, Sonic ran through the Flagship's hallway. Dr. Eggman fired his Mech's grappling hook-like arm and grabbed Sonic. After being pulled to Dr. Eggman in the Mech's grasp, Sonic summoned the [[Chaos Emerald]]s from within himself and became [[Super Sonic]] in order to stop him, destroying Dr. Eggman's mech, Dr. Eggman fled in his [[Egg Mobile]] and fled from his Flagship. After chasing Dr. Eggman through space and destroying half of his fleet, they finally arrived at Dr. Eggman's Research Facility and knocking Dr. Eggman himself to the ground. As a trap, Dr. Eggman pretends to plead for mercy to let Sonic lower his guard. When Sonic is close enough, he activates the [[Chaos Energy Cannon]], which traps Sonic in the center and begins drawing the Chaos energy out of Sonic and the Emeralds in a fashion that is clearly extremely painful for him.

[[File:EarthSonicUnleashed.jpg|thumb|left|225px|The [[earth]] split open]]
After the weapon is charged, Dr. Eggman fires a laser at the earth to wake a monster known as [[Dark Gaia]], splitting the planet. The dark energy of the Emeralds is brought out by the ray, transforming Sonic into a [[Sonic the Werehog|monstrous version of himself]] and rendering the Chaos Emeralds gray and powerless. Dr. Eggman then opens an airlock which sucks Sonic and the drained Emeralds out into space and down to earth. While Sonic is saved from a fatal landing due to an unknown energy source, he still ends up taking a heavy fall. After pulling himself out of the dirt, Sonic encounters a winged imp-like creature. Sonic then asks the creature what his name was, and the creature couldn't remember his own name or history (which Sonic thinks he landed on him, causing the memory loss). Sonic agrees to help the creature restore his memory during their journey.

After exploring the city of [[Apotos]], Sonic names the creature [[Chip]] and the two run into [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]] at night. Tails immediately recognizes Sonic even though he is in his Werehog form and reveals that [[Professor Pickle]] of [[Spagonia University]] may be able to help them on their adventure. Once they reach Spagonia, they discover Dr. Eggman has kidnapped Professor Pickle for his knowledge on Dark Gaia. After traveling to [[Mazuri]] and freeing him, Professor Pickle explains the nature of Dark Gaia and reveals that restoring power to the Chaos Emeralds via the [[Gaia Temple]]s would help the planet return to normal. Sonic then sets out to the seven Gaia Temples to restore the Emeralds and reassemble the planet. In Spagonia, Sonic and Chip run into [[Amy Rose|Amy]] at night, who doesn't recognize Sonic in his Werehog form. He later saves Amy from Dark Gaia's influence and she, upon learning her savior's identity, decides to help Sonic and Professor Pickle. All the while, Dr. Eggman makes plans to reassemble Dark Gaia and finish [[Eggmanland]].

During the restoration of the sixth Chaos Emerald and continent, it's revealed that Chip is in fact Light Gaia, the opposite of Dark Gaia, and he lost his memories because, like Dark Gaia, he was prematurely awakened by Dr. Eggman's laser when Dr. Eggman started the [[Time of Awakening]], where Chip and Dark Gaia was meant to awaken, too early; likewise, Dark Gaia has not yet been fully reborn due to his premature awakening, and Sonic must stop Dr. Eggman before Dark Gaia's full powers return to his normal state.

At this point, Sonic travels to the location of the last temple, over which Dr. Eggman has built Eggmanland using an extraction of Dark Gaia's power. While Sonic is able to restore the last emerald and defeat Dr. Eggman's [[Egg Dragoon|newest mech]], Dark Gaia becomes complete, by draining the dark energy that Sonic had that turned him into Werehog, and knocking Dr. Eggman out of the way to keep the power for himself. Sonic is too weak to move so Chip uses the Gaia Temples to form a body called [[Gaia Colossus]] to combat Dark Gaia with, Sonic recovers on the Gaia Colossus and helps Chip fight Dark Gaia. Chip and Sonic hold off the beast, but Dark Gaia manages to drown the planet in darkness, achieving his fully matured form in the process. Sonic then [[Super transformation|transforms]] into [[Super Sonic]] using the seven [[Chaos Emerald]]s and takes [[Perfect Dark Gaia]] down with the help of Gaia Colossus, but the battle leaves him too drained of his energy to escape. As the final continent moves back into place, Chip flings Sonic back onto the surface while he remains behind. After Sonic wakes up, Chip's necklace and some parting words are found on the ground. Sonic then picks it up and puts on the necklace as a bracelet to remind them of their adventures together. The game ends as Sonic runs off with Tails, who is in the [[Tornado]], to another adventure.
{{Endspoiler}}

===Characters===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Image
!Character
!Biography
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Unleashed_Sonic.png|125px]]<br />[[File:Werehog.png|170px]]
|[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]
|''Sonic is the world's fastest supersonic hedgehog, and values freedom and life by his own rules above everything else. He is kind at heart, but can be short tempered and is quick to throw himself into the middle of trouble without a second thought, remaining steadfast to the end. His personality is a juxtaposition of kindness and ferocity, as on the one hand he does all in his power to snuff out evil, but he also can't look away when somebody else is in trouble.<ref name="USManual1">{{Cite manual|fullgame=Sonic Unleashed|system=Xbox 360|region=United States|page=4}}</ref><br /><br />Sonic hates boredom and being tied down, so much of his time is spent running towards the next danger or adventure.''<ref name="USManual1"/>
|-
|[[Sonic the Werehog]]
|''As a side effect of Dr. Eggman's latest foibles, Sonic now undergoes an extreme physical transformation whenever the sun goes down, but his heart remains the same. Almost. Sonic the Werehog is still willing to put his life on the line for his friends without any due consideration, but his dedication to helping his new friend regain his memory is in no small part out of guilt that it was most likely his own fall from space that caused the problem in the first place.<ref name="USManual2">{{Cite manual|fullgame=Sonic Unleashed|system=Xbox 360|region=United States|page=6}}</ref><br /><br />As a Werehog, Sonic is not as fast as his usual self, but he makes up for it with ferocious combat techniques. His powerful arms are able to stretch allowing him to attack enemies from a greater distance, and to reach distant ledges, poles and bars with ease.''<ref name="USManual2"/>
|-
|[[File:Chip.png|75px]]
|[[Chip]]
|''In a classic scenario of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Chip lost his memory after Sonic's fall from outer space. As he no longer knows who he is or where came from, he decides to join Sonic on his world adventure to try to rediscover his identity.''<ref name="USManual3">{{Cite manual|fullgame=Sonic Unleashed|system=Xbox 360|region=United States|page=8}}</ref>
|-
|[[File:Pickle, Professor.png|75px]]
|[[Professor Pickle]]
|''A well mannered and renowned expert in ancient literature, who will happily share his knowledge over a cucumber sandwich. He will prove to be an invaluable ally and guide to Sonic as he embarks on his latest adventure.''<ref name="USManual3"/>
|-
|[[File:Unleashed eggman.png|150px]]
|[[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]]
|''An evil scientific genius who boasts an IQ of 300. By skillfully luring Sonic right into a most devious trap, he was able to successfully awaken Dark Gaia. But will he be equally successful in taking over the world?''<ref name="USManual3"/>
|}

==Gameplay==
''Sonic Unleashed'' is a platforming video game, with bits of gameplay taken from past ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog series|Sonic]]'' games. The player takes control of either [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] or the [[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]], each with their own abilities and levels.

''Sonic Unleashed'' is divided into eight [[Adventure Field]]s, all of which being divided into various Acts and a boss. The goal of ''Sonic Unleashed'' is to beat all of these Acts. These Acts are designed to make use of each character's abilities and can offer the player various secrets to find.

During gameplay, the player will encounter obstacles and enemies. Also common are the [[Ring]]s, which serve as the playable character's health, and not having them can cost the player a [[life]]. The player will also lose a life if they drown underwater or fall into a [[bottomless pit]]. After losing a life, the playable character will respawn at the latest [[Star Post]] they touched, or at the start of an Act if they have not touched any Star Post. If the player runs out of lives, they will get a [[Game Over]]. Extra lives can be obtained by collecting [[1-Up]]s or by gathering 100 Rings.

===Character-specific gameplay===
====Sonic====
[[File:Apotos2.png|thumb|225px|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] in [[Windmill Isle]], the first [[Zone|stage]] in the game]]
[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]'s gameplay incorporates bits from the gameplay from ''[[Sonic Rush]]'' and ''[[Sonic Rush Adventure]]''. Like in either of these games, the player has the ability to "[[boost]]" and run at high speeds, defeating every enemy and object in Sonic's way. The Boost is powered by [[Ring Energy]], and thus requires [[Ring]]s to be used. As the player collects Rings, a [[Boost Gauge|Ring Energy Gauge]] at the bottom left of the HUD will steadily fill up; boosting will empty said gauge, and when it is fully empty, the player will not be allowed to Boost until the Ring Energy Gauge is filled up. Apart from boosting, Sonic can also perform abilities he could use in past games, like [[Spin Jump|jumping]], [[grinding]] and [[Slide|sliding]].

Sonic's level design in ''Sonic Unleashed'' makes use of both 3D sections, which play like those in past 3D games, and 2.5D sections, which play similar to those in past 2D games, especially ''Sonic Rush'' and ''Sonic Rush Adventure''. In the 2.5D sections, the player can only control Sonic left or right, while in the 3D ones, they can control him freely across the areas. Additionally, each type of sections features gimmicks and movements not present in the other; for instance, in the 3D sections, Sonic can [[drift]] around corners and perform the [[Quick Step|Quick]] and [[Grind Step]] to move from one side to the other with ease.

====Werehog====
[[File:PS3 CE N 3.png|thumb|left|225px|[[Sonic the Werehog]] in [[Cool Edge]], the third or fourth [[zone|stage]] in the game]]
In comparison to the normal Sonic, [[Sonic the Werehog]]'s gameplay is pretty slow-paced and more focused around fighting and platforming. Also, unlike Sonic, the Werehog's levels are purely 3D, though some sections might feature a 2D-esque camera. The Werehog's strength allows the player to smash enemies and destructible environments, whilst his stretchy arms will allow him to reach high platforms and perform special attacks. Additionally, Rings are used to steadily fill up a [[Health Gauge]] and an [[Unleashed Bar]]. The Health Gauge empties when the Werehog suffers damage, and the player will lose a [[life]] if the gauge is completely empty. The Unleashed Bar, on the other hand, allows the player to enter an "[[Unleashed Mode]]," which increases attack strength, decreases vitality loss from enemy attacks, and enables special moves. It replenishes by defeating enemies and destroying objects.

===Scoring system===
{{main|Point#Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3)}}

===Controls===
<tabber>
Sonic = 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!colspan="2"|Button formation
!rowspan="2"|[[file:Sonic 1UP (SU).png|20px|link=Sonic the Hedgehog]]&nbsp;Movement
|-
![[Xbox 360]]
![[PlayStation 3]]
|-
|colspan="2"|{{Left Analog Stick}}
|Walk/run
|-
|colspan="2"|{{Right Analog Stick}}
|Rotate camera
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Circle Button (PS)}}
|[[Crouch]]
|-
|Hold {{B Button (Xbox)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}}
|Hold {{Circle Button (PS)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}}
|Crawl
|-
|{{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Spin Jump|Quick Jump]]/[[Spin Jump|Spin Attack]]
|-
|Jump > {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|Jump > {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Homing Attack]]/[[Jump Dash]]
|-
|Jump > {{B Button (Xbox)}}
|Jump > {{Circle Button (PS)}}
|[[Stomp]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Boost|Sonic Boost]]/[[Air Boost]] {{C|when [[Boost Gauge]] is full}}
|-
|Run + {{B Button (Xbox)}}
|Run + {{Circle Button (PS)}}
|[[Slide]]
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}} x2
|{{Circle Button (PS)}} x2
|[[Foot Sweep]]
|-
|{{LB Button (Xbox)}}/{{RB Button (Xbox)}}
|{{L1 Button (PS)}}/{{R1 Button (PS)}}
|[[Quick Step]] left/right
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}} left/right
|{{Circle Button (PS)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}} left/right
|[[Drift|Sonic Drift]] left/right
|-
|{{A Button (Xbox)}} while on wall
|{{Cross Button (PS)}} while on wall
|[[Wall Jump]] {{C|2.5D sections}}
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} near a [[Ring]]
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} near a [[Ring]]
|[[Light Speed Dash|Lightspeed Dash]]
|-
|colspan="2"|'''START'''
|Pause
|}
|-|
Werehog = 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!colspan="2"|Button formation
!rowspan="2"|[[file:Werehog 1UP (SU).png|20px|link=Sonic the Werehog]]&nbsp;Movement
|-
![[Xbox 360]]
![[PlayStation 3]]
|-
|colspan="2"|{{Left Analog Stick}}
|Walk
|-
|colspan="2"|{{Right Analog Stick}}
|Rotate camera
|-
|{{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Cross Button (PS)}}
|Jump
|-
|{{A Button (Xbox)}} x2
|{{Cross Button (PS)}} x2
|[[Double Jump]]
|-
|{{LT Button (Xbox)}}/{{RT Button (Xbox)}}
|{{L2 Button (PS)}}/{{R2 Button (PS)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]]
|-
|{{LT Button (Xbox)}}/{{RT Button (Xbox)}} > {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{L2 Button (PS)}}/{{R2 Button (PS)}} > {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] Jump
|-
|Hold {{LB Button (Xbox)}}
|Hold {{L1 Button (PS)}}
|[[Guard]]
|-
|Hold {{LB Button (Xbox)}} + {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|Hold {{L1 Button (PS)}} + {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|Forward roll
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Attack|Circular attack]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Attack|Straight attack]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Were-Hammer]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Double Kick Combo]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Sho-Hog-Ken]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Donkey Kick Combo]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Double Axle Combo]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Feral Were-Hammer]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} > {{X Button (Xbox)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}} left/right
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} + {{Left Analog Stick}} left/right
|[[Werewheel Rush]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Vertical Were-Hammer]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Knuckle Sandwich Combo]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Unleashed Knuckle Sandwich]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Wild Whirl]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Rolling Kick Combo]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Sho-Claw-Ken]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Egg Scrambler]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Wereclap]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Feral Wild Whirl]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} > tapping {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} > tapping {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Earthshaker]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}}
|[[Wild Whirl Were-Hammer]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Ultimate Wild Combo]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Unleashed Wild Combo]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Flying Double-Punch]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Aerial Claw Slash]]
|-
|{{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Diving Bodypress]]
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}} near a medium enemy (midair)
|{{Circle Button (PS)}} near a medium enemy (midair)
|[[Aerial Piledriver]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Flying Double-Punch Crush]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Aerial Claw Slash and Spin]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Shooting Star Combo]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Typhoon Combo]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Crescent Moon Strike]]
|-
|{{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}} {{A Button (Xbox)}} (midair)
|{{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}} {{Cross Button (PS)}} (midair)
|[[Hurricane Combo]]
|-
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Were-Claw Charge]]
|-
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Triple Wild Claw]]
|-
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{A Button (Xbox)}} {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{Cross Button (PS)}} {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Spinning Needle Attack]]
|-
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{A Button (Xbox)}} {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|[[Dash (running maneuver)|Dash]] > {{Cross Button (PS)}} {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Were-Rush]]
|-
|Hold {{LB Button (Xbox)}} > {{Left Analog Stick}} down + {{Y Button (Xbox)}}
|Hold {{L1 Button (PS)}} > {{Left Analog Stick}} down + {{Triangle Button (PS)}}
|[[Tricky Tornado Uppercut]]
|-
|Hold {{LB Button (Xbox)}} > {{Left Analog Stick}} down + {{X Button (Xbox)}}
|Hold {{L1 Button (PS)}} > {{Left Analog Stick}} down + {{Square Button (PS)}}
|[[Wild Werewhip]]
|-
|Hold {{Y Button (Xbox)}} > release {{Y Button (Xbox)}} (2&nbsp;sec)
|Hold {{Triangle Button (PS)}} > release {{Triangle Button (PS)}} (2&nbsp;sec)
|[[Missile Punch]]
|-
|Hold {{Y Button (Xbox)}} > release {{Y Button (Xbox)}} (4&nbsp;sec)
|Hold {{Triangle Button (PS)}} > release {{Triangle Button (PS)}} (4&nbsp;sec)
|[[Comet Punch]]
|-
|Hold {{X Button (Xbox)}} > release {{X Button (Xbox)}} (2&nbsp;sec)
|Hold {{Square Button (PS)}} > release {{Square Button (PS)}} (2&nbsp;sec)
|[[Were-Tornado]]
|-
|Hold {{X Button (Xbox)}} > release {{X Button (Xbox)}} (4&nbsp;sec)
|Hold {{Square Button (PS)}} > release {{Square Button (PS)}} (4&nbsp;sec)
|[[Were-Cyclone]]
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}} near an object/ledge/bar
|{{Circle Button (PS)}} near an object/ledge/bar
|[[Grab]]
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}}/{{Y Button (Xbox)}} on ledge/bar
|{{Square Button (PS)}}/{{Triangle Button (PS)}} on ledge/bar
|Release grip
|-
|{{B Button (Xbox)}} while holding object
|{{Circle Button (PS)}} while holding object
|Gently set down object
|-
|{{X Button (Xbox)}} while holding object
|{{Square Button (PS)}} while holding object
|Throw object
|-
|{{RB Button (Xbox)}}
|{{R1 Button (PS)}}
|Activate [[Unleashed Mode]]
|-
|colspan="2"|'''START'''
|Pause
|}
</tabber>

==Characters==
===Playable characters===
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]
**[[Sonic the Werehog]] {{1st}}
**[[Super Sonic]]

===Non-playable characters===
*[[Amy Rose]]
*[[Chip]] {{1st}}
**[[Gaia Colossus]] {{1st}}
*[[Dark Gaia]] {{1st}}
**[[Perfect Dark Gaia]] {{1st}}
*[[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]]
*[[Miles "Tails" Prower]]
*[[Professor Pickle]] {{1st}}
*[[SA-55]] {{1st}}
*[[Shadow the Hedgehog]] {{Mentioned}}

===Enemies===
{{Div col |colwidth=15em |content=
*[[Aero-Cannon]]
*[[Egg Chaser (Pawn Series)|Aero-Chaser]]
*[[Big Mother]]
*[[Cure Master]]
*[[Dark Bat]]
*[[Dark Bat Sniper]]
*[[Dark Eel]]
*[[Dark Fright]]
*[[Deep Nightmare]]
*[[Egg Blizzard]]
*[[Egg Burst]]
*[[Egg Fighter]]
*[[Egg Fighter: Knight]]
**[[Egg Fighter: Knight (Electric shield)|Electric shield]]
**[[Egg Fighter: Knight (Spring shield)|Spring shield]]
*[[Egg Fighter: Shield]]
**[[Egg Fighter: Shield (Electric shield)|Electric shield]]
**[[Egg Fighter: Shield (Spring shield)|Spring shield]]
*[[Egg Fighter: Sword]]
*[[Egg Flame]]
*[[Egg Launcher (H)]]
*[[Egg Launcher (H+V)]]
*[[Egg Launcher (V)]]
*[[Egg Shackle]]
*[[Egg Shooter]]
*[[Egg Typhoon (Sonic Unleashed)|Egg Typhoon]]
*[[Evil Flower]]
*[[Fire Master]]
*[[Fright Master]]
*[[Gold Aero-Cannon]]
*[[Interceptor]]
*[[Killer Bee]]
*[[Lightning Master]]
*[[Little Fighter]]
*[[Little Rex]]
*[[Mole Cannon]]
*[[Nightmare]]
*[[Power Master]]
*[[Red Fright]]
*[[Red Killer Bee]]
*[[Red Rex]]
*[[Spinner]]
*[[Thunder Ball]]
*[[Thunder Bat]]
*[[Thunder Spinner]]
*[[Titan (Dark Gaia's Minions)|Titan]]
}}

==Stages==
Nine stages exist in the game on seven continents, all of which are based on real-world locations.<ref name="gamestm">{{cite web|url=http://www.campsonic.com/gamestm-sonic-unleashed-scans|title=Sonic Unleashed|publisher=Imagine Publishing|pages=28–31|date=July 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913050633/http://www.campsonic.com/gamestm-sonic-unleashed-scans|archivedate=13 September 2008}}</ref> Each stage is placed on a different continent on [[earth]]. These locations include:

*'''[[Apotos]]'''<ref name="gsinterview"/> ([[Windmill Isle]]): This level is the first level in the game and serves as the backdrop to most of the tutorials in the game. Its architecture is influenced by Greek Mediterranean architecture, like the real Greek island of Chora, Mykonos Greece. It also looks similar to the Greek city of Santorini.
*'''[[Spagonia (Town Stage)|Spagonia]]'''<ref name="gsinterview"/> ([[Rooftop Run]]): A level influenced by western European architecture, seemingly referencing the real Italian city of Siena.
*'''[[Mazuri]]''' ([[Savannah Citadel]]): An arid savanna level based on the [[wikipedia:Sahel|Sahel]] region of northern Africa, more specifically referencing the [[wikipedia:Great Mosque of Djenné|Great Mosque of Djenné]] in Mali.<ref name="gamestm"/>
*'''[[Holoska]]''' ([[Cool Edge]]): An icy location, most likely based on Alaska (due to the name) or, broadly speaking, the indigenous cultures of far northern North America who historically have used [[wikipedia:Igloo|igloos]] for habitation.
*'''[[Chun-nan]]''' ([[Dragon Road]]): A level inspired by [[wikipedia:Imperial China|Imperial Chinese]] architecture. It includes a run along what looks like the [[wikipedia:Great Wall of China|Great Wall]].<ref name="gamestm"/>
*'''[[Shamar]]''' ([[Arid Sands]]): A stage designed to resemble a Middle Eastern desert landscape, specifically including the [[wikipedia:Petra|Petra]] monument in Jordan.
*'''[[Empire City]]'''<ref name="gamestm"/> ([[Skyscraper Scamper]]) A location based on New York City, United States, where Sonic is shown to run between skyscrapers.<ref name="punlimited">{{Cite journal|journal=Power Unlimited|publisher=HUB|volume=175|date=July 2008|language=Dutch|title=Effe langs bij Sega in Tokio|quote=Zo liet men een level in China zien waarbij de blauwe egel over een sport van Chinese muur rende, maar ook een level in New York waar. Sonic voomamelijk door de lucht ploeterde tussen wolkenkrabbers [For example, a level in China was shown where the blue hedgehog ran over a rung of the Great Wall of China, but also a level in New York where. Sonic mainly plodded through the air between skyscrapers]}}</ref>
*'''[[Adabat]]''' ([[Jungle Joyride]]): A level inspired by Angkor, Maldivian, and Southeastern Asian themes. It contains many flowing rivers and high cliffs, and architecturally references [[wikipedia:Tongkonan|Tongkonan]] houses of Indonesia.
*'''''[[Eggmanland (Town Stage)|Eggman]][[Eggmanland (stage)|land]]''''': Dr. Eggman's empire, based on an island near the fifth continent. The stage is combination of an amusement park and a factory. It resembles a fusion of [[Circus Park]], [[Lava Shelter]], [[Hot Shelter]] and [[Final Egg]].

Levels have been designed so that the two aforementioned modes of 2D and 3D gameplay will be switched between roughly every fifteen to thirty seconds.<ref name="gamestm"/> In addition, the game features a day-and-night system; some parts of the action stages have been specially built so that time will pass, and these can be played as either Sonic or his Werehog form, while others are only built for one specific form, and during these areas, time will not pass. The player is easily able to advance time manually during the areas allowing either form, should they prefer one or the other.

The game also features [[Adventure Field|Town Stages]], or "hub-worlds", that are set in the same environments as the action stages<ref name="gamestm"/> and players also are able to walk around the environment freely and speak to townspeople, even gaining items from them.<ref name="npaugust08">{{Cite journal|journal=Nintendo Power|pages=67–69|title=Sonic Unleashed|publisher=Future Publishing|date=August 2008}}</ref> However, this "overworld" can be completely ignored, should the player prefer to simply play through all the stages. Optional side-quests are also available from these stages, for instance, using Tails to fly the [[Tornado]] plane; side-quests will be the only time characters other than Sonic will be playable.

==Bosses==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!No.
!Name
!Level
!Character
|-
|1
|[[Egg Cauldron]]
|[[Tornado Defense]] Act 1
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|2
|[[Egg Beetle]]
|[[Mazuri]]
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|3
|[[Dark Gaia Phoenix]]
|[[Chun-nan]]
|data-sort-value="2"|[[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]]
|-
|4
|[[Egg Devil Ray]]
|[[Spagonia]]
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|5
|[[Dark Moray]]
|[[Holoska]]
|data-sort-value="2"|[[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]]
|-
|6
|[[Dark Guardian]]
|[[Shamar]]
|data-sort-value="2"|[[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]]
|-
|7
|[[Egg Lancer]]
|[[Adabat]]
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|8
|[[Egg Cauldron]]
|[[Tornado Defense]] Act 2
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|9
|[[Egg Dragoon (Sonic Unleashed)|Egg Dragoon]]
|[[Eggmanland (Town Stage)|Eggmanland]]
|data-sort-value="2"|[[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]]
|-
|10
|[[Dark Gaia]]
|N/A
|data-sort-value="1"|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]
|-
|11
|[[Perfect Dark Gaia]]
|N/A
|data-sort-value="3"|[[Super Sonic]]
|}

==Development==
===Background===
Ever since its debut in 1991, the [[Sonic the Hedgehog series|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series]] has been one of [[Sega]]'s flagship franchises, and [[Sonic the Hedgehog|its eponymous protagonist]] became the company's mascot and one of the most recognizeable characters of all time. A variety of games were released for Sega's [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive]] and [[Sega Game Gear|Game Gear]], but did not see as many releases for the [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]]. Two games, ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' (1998) and ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]'' (2001) were released for Sega's [[Dreamcast]] and helped compensate for the lack of ''Sonic'' titles on its predecessor.<ref name="HoStH">{{Cite book |date = 6 September 2013 |title = [[The History of Sonic the Hedgehog]] |publisher = Les Editions Pix'n Love |chapter = History |isbn = 978-1-926778-96-9}}</ref>

In early 2001, after the failure of the Dreamcast, Sega went third-party. In 2003, the first multiplatform ''Sonic'' game, ''[[Sonic Heroes]]'', was released to mixed reviews. 2005 saw the release of ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog (game)|Shadow the Hedgehog]]'', which was negatively received due to the tone contrasting that of previous games. In 2006, the series' reputation plummeted with the release of the highly-anticipated ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', which was critically panned by fans and the press alike.<ref name="HoStH" /> Other games, like ''[[Sonic and the Secret Rings]]'', ''[[Sonic Rivals]]'' and ''[[Sonic Riders]]'', all released in 2006 too, were not received with much enthusiasm either.

===Conception and Hedgehog Engine===
As early as 2005, [[Sonic Team]] had conceived a new installment for the ''Sonic Adventure'' series,<ref name="cvg_onm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=186523|title=Sonic Unleashed "has no relation" to Sonic 360/PS3|accessdate=13 April 2008|last=Robinson|first=Andy|date=9 April 2008|publisher=Official Nintendo Magazine}}</ref> initially given the working name ''Sonic World Adventure'', but development for the game started to kick off after the release of ''Sonic '06''. Deciding to learn from their mistakes, Sega gave the developers of this new title no schedule for release.<ref name="HoStH" /> The game was internally developed by Sonic Team,<ref name="onm29">{{Cite journal|title=Unleash the Beast|journal=Official Nintendo Magazine|issue=29|pages=37|publisher=Future US|quote=With Sonic Unleashed being developed internally by Sonic Team (no matter what you might heard elsewhere about the game being spread across American and European development teams)}}</ref> and [[Yoshihisa Hashimoto]], previously a big fan of the franchise, served as director. Sonic Team was in turn split into two halves: one would make the [[Xbox 360]]/[[PlayStation 3]] release of the game, while the other would co-develop a [[Wii]]/[[PlayStation 2]] [[Sonic Unleashed (Wii/PlayStation 2)|release]] alongside [[Dimps]].<ref name="gsinterview">{{Cite web|first=Ricardo|last=Torres|publisher=GameSpot|title=Sonic Unleashed Interview 1|date=16 May 2008|accessdate=17 August 2022|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/video/945571/6191201/sonic-unleashed-interview-1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013034906/http://uk.gamespot.com/sonic-unleashed/videos/sonic-unleashed-interview-1-6191201/|archivedate=13 October 2012|format=Flash}}</ref>

The team spent three years of development working on a 3D engine that would allow for much better graphics than those from previous games, particularly ''Sonic '06''. Particle effects, colors, and animation speed were prioritized above all else. The new engine was dubbed the "[[Hedgehog Engine]]" and would be used for the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game.<ref name="HoStH" />

===Gameplay===
[[File:SonicUnleashedConcept1.jpg|thumb|225px|An early sketch of what would become [[Sonic the Werehog]], one of the major parts of the gameplay of ''Sonic Unleashed'']]
During the writing of the story, Hashimoto realized that it would be useless to have so many ideas for the project and thus decided to make Sonic the sole playable character. This led to multiple arguments with his fellows, but the decision was eventually accepted. However, Hashimoto tried to go further than that to not disappoint fans and especially younger players; while making some sketches with the game's art director, Sachiko Kawamura, he wanted to "implement a stimulating element". And based on that, they wanted to make Sonic "a little wilder than usual". He added that they worked to give him a "special ability" emerging from the note that, if Sonic uses his legs and runs fast, it would be fun to have someone use their hands for a powerful and light action. Thus, they came up with the idea of the [[Sonic the Werehog|Werehog]] to contrast with the normal Sonic, although they knew that such concept may collide with mixed reception from fans early in development.<ref name="HoStH" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-interview-sonic-unleashed-113374.phtml|title=Destructoid interview: Sonic Unleashed|first=Jim|last=Sterling|publisher=Destructoid|date=2 December 2008|accessdate=21 August 2016}}</ref> The gameplay was then divided into two: Sonic's stages, which would feature high-speed gameplay, and the Werehog's, which would introduce fighting mechanics and platforming. It was then decided to change the game's name to ''Sonic Unleashed'' to support the Werehog feature,<ref name="HoStH" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.sega.com/sonic/2008/06/10/sonic-world-adventure/|title=Sonic World Adventure|author=ArchangelUK|work=Sega Blog|publisher=[[Sega]]|accessdate=13 June 2008|date=10 June 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701063451/http://blogs.sega.com/sonic/2008/06/10/sonic-world-adventure/|archivedate=1 July 2008}}</ref> though in Japan, the title would still be called ''Sonic World Adventure''.

One of the main objections that the producer Yoshihisa Hashimoto had alongside the development of the game were ways to avoid having the game "on-rails" like in the past titles, but still maintaining an interactive feel while presenting vigorousness and sense of speed. This intention lead to eclectic actions; the implementation of moves such as the [[Quick Step]], [[Drift]], [[Stomp]] and [[Boost]] (the latter carried out from ''[[Sonic Rush]]''); and additions of objects that change paths depending on the correctness of the button input (which would become the [[Real-Time Interaction]]s).<ref name=":0"/> The Quick Step idea was drawn from the fact that usually, the player moves in a 3D gameplay using {{Left Analog Stick}}, but since it is analogue, it limits the user's move to linear directions, so it would be difficult to let them run non-stop within a complicated 3D environment by the {{Left Analog Stick}} alone. Thereby, a system that allows Sonic to move quickly and avoid the obstacles was needed and that was when the technique was brought.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.sega.com/2008/10/31/sonic-unleashed-dev-diary-2-yoshihisa-hashimoto/|title=Sonic Unleashed Dev Diary #2- Yoshihisa Hashimoto|work=Sega Blog|publisher=[[Sega]]|date=31 October 2008|accessdate=3 June 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724023430/http://blogs.sega.com/2008/10/31/sonic-unleashed-dev-diary-2-yoshihisa-hashimoto/|archivedate=24 July 2013}}</ref> Another concept that Hashimoto sought for was to make "more than two [[Ring]]s make little difference in the game play", and so, the "[[Ring Energy]]" concept was created, in which the collection of Rings is awarded with the ability to use the Boost for longer.<ref name=":1"/> Additionally, due to Sonic being much faster than he was in previous titles, each action stage was conceptualized to be as long as 10 to 20 kilometers.<ref name=":1"/>

===Art direction===
[[File:Unleashed_dev_009.png|thumb|left|225px|The light reflection on [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] in different [[Adventure Field|Town Stages]], and Sonic's mouth placement]]
In term of model design, the art director, Kawamura, looked at redesigning the Sonic character model, aiming to create the "ideal" Sonic that fans around the world would recognize. She tried to find a balance between the modern design of Sonic and his classic appearance in the original titles. One of the many noticeable changes to the Sonic model was the placement of his mouth, which appeared on the side of his face when used in cutscenes to resemble the look of the original model art for the character, rather than the center as had become the norm in previous 3D games, though the "usual sub characters" were excluded from that change. As for the design of the levels, each was based on a real life locale, stemming from the idea of "what if Sonic were in the real world?" Even though its cues were taken from reality, the game still strove to be more cartoony than the previous effort, with human designs gaining a caricaturist look to them drawn by Gurihiru.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/blogs/sega_sonicunleashed|title=Blog by SEGA_SonicUnleashed-IGN|author=SEGA_SonicUnleashed|publisher=IGN|date=2 December 2008|accessdate=21 August 2016}}</ref>

==Promotional==
[[File:MiniUnleashCar.jpg|thumb|225px|A Smart Car promoting ''Sonic Unleashed'' in the streets of Britain before its release]]
The title was first brought to public attention when the ''Sonic Unleashed'' name was trademarked by [[Sega]] on 12 March 2008.<ref name="kotakureg">{{Cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/367122/|title=Sonic Unleashed Trademarked By Sega|accessdate=12 March 2008|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|date=12 March 2008|publisher=Kotaku}}</ref> Screenshots of cut scenes, artwork, and a video were leaked 10 days later;<ref name="segaon1">{{Cite web|date=22 March 2008|url=http://www.sega-magazin.de/segaon/2008/03/22/leak-erste-sonic-unleashed-screens/|title=Leak: Erste Sonic Unleashed Screens?|accessdate=22 March 2008|author=SEGA ON}}</ref> the title was then officially confirmed by Sega on April 3 with a small selection of screenshots and an updated video.

Initially, it was stated that ''Sonic Unleashed'' was to be intended solely as a single-player experience, and would not offer any multiplayer or online modes.<ref name="npaugust08"/> This was then cast into doubt when references to online modes were alluded to around E3 2008, but a later interview re-iterated that ''Sonic Unleashed'' would have no online modes at all. A demo was available on the PlayStation Store and on Xbox Live near the game's full release.

==Cast==
''Sonic Unleashed'' retains the [[4Kids TV]] voice actors for the English dub, such as [[Jason Griffith]] as Sonic, notably being the final mainline ''Sonic'' game to feature them. [[Christopher Collet]] served as the voice director for the English dub.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Role
! colspan="2" |Voice actor(s)
|-
!English
!Japanese
|-
|[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Jason Griffith]]
|[[Jun'ichi Kanemaru]]
|-
|[[Sonic the Werehog]]
|[[Tomokazu Seki]]
|-
|[[Chip]]
|[[Tony Salerno]]
|[[Ryōko Shiraishi]]
|-
|[[Amy Rose]]
|[[Lisa Ortiz]]
|[[Taeko Kawata]]
|-
|[[Miles "Tails" Prower]]
|[[Amy Palant]]
|[[Ryō Hirohashi]]
|-
|[[Professor Pickle]]
|[[Dan Green]]
|[[Chō]]
|-
|[[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]]
|[[Mike Pollock]]
|[[Chikao Ōtsuka]]
|-
|[[SA-55]]
|[[Christopher Collet]]
|[[Mitsuo Iwata]]
|-
| rowspan="8" |Additional voices
| rowspan="8" |N/A
|[[Tamotsu Nishiwaki]]
|-
|[[Yoshiyuki Kaneko]]
|-
|[[Noboru Yamaguchi]]
|-
|[[Eisuke Asakura]]
|-
|[[Etsuko Kato]]
|-
|[[Go Shinomiya]]
|-
|[[Tomo Adachi]]
|-
|[[Miho Hino]]
|}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Planetarypieces.jpg|thumb|225px|The cover of ''[[Planetary Pieces]]'']]
The soundtrack of ''Sonic Unleashed'' was released as the album ''[[Planetary Pieces]]''. The game's theme song is "[[Endless Possibility]]" sung by [[Jaret Reddick]]. The themes of the various continents are developed with the culture of each region in mind. Each stage features instruments that are synonymous to the real-world area that the levels are based on, with the exception of Eggmanland, which uses synthesizers to emulate the industrial theme. The ending theme, "[[Dear My Friend]]," is about the brief but touching friendship between Sonic and Chip. The game's orchestral theme, "The World Adventure" plays during the title screen and the credits, and is used as a leitmotif throughout the game. Most of the soundtrack was composed by [[Tomoya Ohtani]], who had previously composed the soundtracks of [[Sonic the Hedgehog Original Soundtrack|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (2006)]] and ''[[Sonic Rush Adventure Original Soundtrack|Sonic Rush Adventure]]''. The orchestral tracks were performed by the [[wikipedia:Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra|Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra]].

==Adaptations==
===Archie Comics===
[[Archie Comics]] stated that they had plans for an adaption of ''Sonic Unleashed'',<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Sonic-Grams|issue=33|date=9 June 2008|journal=[[Sonic X (comic series)|Sonic X]]|publisher=[[Archie Comics]]}}</ref> and made one a few months later. The adaption was simply titled "Sonic Unleashed" and featured the scene where Super Sonic changes into the Werehog, but with some minor changes, such as the Gaia Manuscripts never being mentioned and Chip being nowhere to be seen. Following the reboot of the series that occurred at the end of the ''[[Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide]]'' crossover, the new continuity quickly introduced an adaptation of ''Sonic Unleashed'' to the main storyline as opposed to the non-canon previous adapt. Again a number of changes took place:
*[[Sonic's World]] shattered due to the lingering effects of the [[Genesis Wave]] as opposed to having a weapon powered by the Chaos Emeralds fired at it.
*Sonic's transformation into the Werehog is delayed, and caused by exposure to Dark Gaia's energy seeping out of the planet as it begins to break up.
*Chip is found by [[Knuckles the Echidna (Archie)|Knuckles the Echidna]] and the [[Chaotix (Archie)|Chaotix]] rather than Sonic and is given his nickname by [[Charmy Bee (Archie)|Charmy Bee]].
*The [[Freedom Fighters (Kingdom of Acorn)|Freedom Fighters]] and [[Uncle Chuck]], [[Tikal (Archie)|Tikal]], and [[Chaos (Archie)|Chaos]] from ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', and various other characters take part in the adaption who did not appear in the game.
*The storyline of the game is interrupted by a story arc inspired by ''[[Sonic the Fighters]]'' and by the [[Worlds Unite]] crossover.

A Japanese magazine has also released a manga adaption of ''Sonic Unleashed''. This manga was the first sighting of [[Chip]]. Close to the game's release, Sega revealed a trailer for an upcoming short animated film tilted ''[[Sonic: Night of the Werehog]]''. The film, starring Sonic and Chip, has no dialogue, except for two instances where Sonic says "whoa" and "oops." The film is about 10 minutes long and was released in November 2008 alongside the game.

==Achievements==
These are the achievements andtrophies for the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]] versions of ''Sonic Unleashed''.
{|class="wikitable"
!Icon
!Name
!Description
!Requirement
!Trophy Class
!Gamescore
|-
|[[File:AcePilot.png|60px]]
|Ace Pilot
|Pull off some flawless flying
|Finish [[Tornado Defense]] Act 1 with 100% Health.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:Airdevil2.png|60px]]
|Airdevil
|Improve your Air Boost!
|Use the [[Air Boost]] for the first time
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:AlmostThere2.png|60px]]
|Almost There
|Save the fifth continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:Basherr.png|60px]]
|Basher
|Get your Werehog level up 
|Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 5.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10 
|-
|[[File:BFFsa.png|60px]]
|BFF's
|Become better friends with Chip
|Feed Chip a lot of food.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:BlueMeteor.png|60px]]
|Blue Meteor
|Dash through the white walls at top speed 
|Finish Windmill Isle Act 2 in under 2'35".
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:BlueStreaky.png|60px]]
|Blue Streak
|Create an unbeatable Hedgehog 
|Max out Sonic The Hedgehog's stats.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:ComboKingg.png|60px]]
|Combo King
|Work on your combos 
|Accumulate 10,000 total [[Combo]]s
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:Crasherh.png|60px]]
|Crasher
|Get your Werehog level up even higher!
|Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 15.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:CreatureOfTheNightt.png|60px]]
|Creature of the Night
|Get a high score with [[Sonic the Werehog]] 
|Get an S-Rank for the first time with Sonic the Werehog 
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|15
|-
|[[File:DayTrippery.png|60px]]
|Day Tripper
|Race through all stages
|Complete all daytime Stages.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:ExoticToppingsy.png|60px]]
|Exotic Toppings
|Eat all the hot dogs in Mazuri.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Mazuri.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:TROP040.png|60px]]
|First Time Customer
|Buy something from Wentos.
|Buy a product from the [[Traveling Salesman Wentos]] [[Shop]].
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:FriedClamRollji.png|60px]]
|Fried Clam Roll
|Eat all the hot dogs in Adabat.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Adabat.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:FullMoonr.png|60px]]
|Full Moon
|Collect all of the Moon Medals.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|50
|-
|[[File:GetOnTheExorciseBandewagon.png|60px]]
|Get on the Exorcise Bandwagon
|Drive dark spirits away 
|[[Exorcisms|Exorcise]] all the possessed townspeople
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:GettingTheHangOfThiyngs.png|60px]]
|Getting the Hang of Things
|Get a high score with Sonic the Hedgehog 
|Get an S-Rank for the first time with [[Sonic the Hedgehog]].
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|15
|-
|[[File:GyroWithRelishy.png|60px]]
|Gyro with Relish
|Eat all the hot dogs in Apotos.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Apotos.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:HalfMoon.png|60px]]
|Half Moon
|Collect half of the Moon Medals 
|
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:HardBoiled.png|60px]]
|Hard Boiled
|Eat all the hot dogs in Eggmanland.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Eggmanland.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:HardDay'sNight.png|60px]]
|Hard Day's Night
|Blast through all stages 
|Complete all nighttime stages.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:HedgeHunk.png|60px]]
|Hedgehunk
|Talk with people in the pursuit of love 
|Complete all missions for [[Louie Montaine]] and [[Ana]].
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|5
|-
|[[File:HelpingHand.png|60px]]
|Helping Hand
|Help someone in need
|Complete all missions for a townsperson.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:HungryHungryHedgehog.png|60px]]
|Hungry Hungry Hedgehog
|Eat everything in the world 
|Buy all the world's food, including one of each hotdog and Wentos' special food.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:HyperDrive.png|60px]]
|Hyperdrive
|Improve your Lightspeed Dash! 
|[[Light Speed Dash]] for the first time.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:IAin'tAfraidOfNoGhost.png|60px]]
|I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost
|Someone is dealing with spectral troubles
|Help Marcantonio in Spagonia and Adabat.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|5
|-
|[[File:IcedHotdog.png|60px]]
|Iced Hotdog
|Eat all the hot dogs in Holoska.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Holoska.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:KebabOnABun.png|60px]]
|Kebab on a Bun
|Eat all the hot dogs in Shamar.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Shamar.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:KetchupAndMustard.png|60px]]
|Ketchup and Mustard
|Eat all the hot dogs in Empire City.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Empire City.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:KnockoutBrawler.png|60px]]
|Knockout Brawler
|Smash, smash, and smash some more 
|Defeat 1,000 enemies.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:Lay The Smackdown.png|60px]]
|Lay the Smackdown
|Improve your Stomp!
|Use [[Stomp]] for the first time
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:LookingBetter.png|60px]]
|Looking Better
|Save the second continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:OhYouShouldn'tHave.png|60px]]
|Oh, You Shouldn't Have!
|Give a [[souvenir]] to the [[Professor Pickle|Professor]].
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:OneMoreToGo.png|60px]]
|One More to Go
|Save the sixth continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:PartlyCloudy.png|60px]]
|Partly Cloudy
|Collect half of the Sun Medals
|
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:Picking-up-the-pieces-ps3-trophy-21298.jpg.png|60px]]
|Picking Up The Pieces
|Save the fourth continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:TROP032.png|60px]]
|Pig in a Blanket
|Eat all the hot dogs in Spagonia.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Spagonia.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:PowerOverwhelming.png|60px]]
|Power Overwhelming
|Create an unbeatable Werehog
|Max out Sonic The Werehog's stats
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:RingLeader.png|60px]]
|Ring Leader
|Gather Rings from all over the world 
|Accumulate 5,000 Rings.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:TROP034.png|60px]]
|Sausage Fried Rice
|Eat all the hot dogs in Chun-nan.
|Clear all [[Don Fachio]] missions in Chun-nan.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:Smasher.png|60px]]
|Smasher
|Get your Werehog level up some more! 
|Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 10.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:TROP025.png|60px]]
|Social Butterfly
|Talk to people around the world
|Speak with all 100 townspeople, including each Hotdog vendor.
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|30
|-
|[[File:SpeedingTicket.png|60px]]
|Speeding Ticket
|Become the fastest thing alive 
|Complete Arid Sands Act 1 in under 2'50".
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|20
|-
|[[File:StillAJigsawPuzzle.png|60px]]
|Still a Jigsaw Puzzle
|Save the third continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:StillBroken.png|60px]]
|Still Broken
|Save the first continent.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|25
|-
|[[File:Sunny.png|60px]]
|Sunny
|Collect all of the Sun Medals.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Silver}}
|50
|-
|[[File:That'sEnoughSeriously.png|60px]]
|That's Enough, Seriously
|Give every [[souvenir]] to the [[Professor Pickle|Professor]].
|
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|20
|-
|[[File:Thrasher.png|60px]]
|Thrasher
|Get your Werehog level way up there! 
|Get your Werehog's Combat to Level 20.
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:WallCrawler.png|60px]]
|Wall Crawler
|Improve your Wall Jump!
|[[Wall Jump|Wall jump]] for the first time
|{{PSN Trophy Bronze}}
|10
|-
|[[File:WorldSavior.png|60px]]
|World Savior
|Complete the game.
|
|{{PSN Trophy Gold}}
|100
|-
|[[File:OneHundredclear.png|60px]]
|100% Clear
|This is the platinum trophy and is unlocked automatically when all of the other trophies have been unlocked. (PS3 only)
|
|{{PSN Trophy Platinum}}
|N/A
|}

==Downloadable content==
In 2008, when the game was released to public, the game seemed to not have any [[downloadable content]] planned to release for it, evidenced by the back cover of both the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]] cases that do not mention that the game supports downloadable content (although it was not even corrected later in the best-seller prints).

On 12 March 2009, the first DLC pack was released for the Xbox 360, with "Chun-nan Adventure pack" name on it; the expansion includes four new daytime stages and two new Nighttime stages for the said country. A frame rate patch was also included to fix frame rate issues on areas and levels in the game such as the hub-worlds and Adabat. The package cost $3.13 USD to download for the Xbox 360 and $1.99 USD on the PlayStation 3, while the frame rate patch comes free. On 26 March 2009, an additional expansion was released called the "Spagonia Adventure Pack". Just like the pack before it, it contains four new daytime stages and two new nighttime stages. Later, a "Holoska Adventure Pack" and a "Mazuri Adventure Pack" were released on 9 April 2009 and 30 April 2009 respectively, also containing four daytime stages and two nighttime stages. On 21 May 2009, another DLC Pack was released including extra levels for Apotos and Shamar, including five daytime levels and four nighttime levels between the both of them. On 11 June 2009, yet another DLC pack was released that included extra levels for Empire City, and Adabat, including five daytime levels and four nighttime levels between the both of them, and it was also said to be the last DLC content for ''Sonic Unleashed''. On 2 April 2009 the "Chun-nan Adventure Pack" was released for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network, with all other DLC from the Xbox 360 Version were released to PSN later on.

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
|MC = 60%&nbsp;{{C|[[Xbox 360|X360]]}}<ref name="MCX360">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/sonic-unleashed|title=Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Reviews|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=30 November 2008}}</ref><br/>54%&nbsp;{{C|[[PlayStation 3|PS3]]}}<ref name="MCPS3">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/sonic-unleashed|title=Sonic Unleashed for PlayStation 3 Reviews|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=15 December 2008}}</ref>
|EuroG = 4/10&nbsp;{{C|[[Xbox 360|X360]]}}<ref name="EuroG2">{{Cite web|last=Whitehead|first=Dan|title=Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 review|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sonic-unleashed-review|publisher=Eurogamer|date=28 November 2008|accessdate=25 January 2010}}</ref>
|GI = 6/10&nbsp;{{C|[[Xbox 360|X360]]}}
|GSpot = 3.5/10&nbsp;{{C|[[Xbox 360|X360]]}}<ref name="GameSpot X360 review">{{Cite web|last=McShea|first=Tom|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/sonic-unleashed/reviews/sonic-unleashed-review-6202025/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019063030/http://uk.gamespot.com/sonic-unleashed/reviews/sonic-unleashed-review-6202025/|archivedate=19 October 2012|title=Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Review|publisher=GameSpot|date=6 December 2008|accessdate=9 December 2008}}</ref>
|IGN = 4.5/10<ref name="IGN3">{{cite web|last=Casamassina|first=Matt|date=3 December 2008|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/12/12/sonic-unleashed-review|title=Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Review|publisher=IGN|accessdate=12 December 2008}}</ref>
|VG = 6/10&nbsp;{{C|[[Xbox 360|X360]]}}<ref name="Video Gamer review">{{Cite web|last=Orry|first=Tom|url=https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/sonic-unleashed-review|title=Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 Review|publisher=[[Wikipedia:VideoGamer.com|VideoGamer.com]]|date=8 November 2008|accessdate=30 November 2008}}</ref>
}}
Initial anticipation when the first media for ''Sonic Unleashed'' was revealed was high, as the demonstration videos hinted at a possible return of Sonic to his traditional platforming roots, especially after the decrease in the series' popularity and critical success after Sonic's transition to three-dimensional gameplay and a number of poorly received titles in the franchise that preceded it, such as the 2006 games ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis]]''. However, critical reception to ''Sonic Unleashed'' was mixed, with Metacritic aggregate scores of 54% and 60% for the [[PlayStation 3]]<ref name="MCPS3"/> and [[Xbox 360]]<ref name="MCX360"/> versions, respectively. GameSpot gave the game a 3.5 out of 10.<ref name="GameSpot X360 review"/> The added element of motion controls for the Werehog sections, as well as text-based hub worlds and better Werehog level design and camera system, were reasons cited for the higher review scores for the Wii version of the game, though a few review websites, such as 1Up.com, gave the Wii version a lower score than its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts.

Positive elements of ''Unleashed'' remarked upon by reviews include the environments, such as the "postcard-perfect architecture" and the graphics, with stages looking "absolutely gorgeous" and being "very pretty and lovingly animated", with one reviewer comparing them to a playable Pixar film. Praise was given to the technical competence of SEGA's new Hedgehog Engine as a whole on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, with "bright cartoonish graphics that fly by without. The soundtrack to the game was also praised as being an improvement on more recent installments in the series; use of an orchestral score, rather than rock as in more recent games, was appreciated.

An overwhelmingly negative reaction was given by critics to the Werehog concept and corresponding night-time sections, which contributed greatly to the lower-than-expected review scores. Complaints stemmed from the game's change of speed, from high-speed daytime sections to the slower, night-time sections; the "pace-breaking combat levels" were described as "plodding," as well as "lethargic" and "combat-heavy." Further to the change of pace, the new style of gameplay that accompanies the night-time levels was widely criticized, involving "frustrating" platform elements and combat described as not "terribly interesting" and "boring," some reviewers felt that the Werehog as a concept did not mix well with the daylight areas and traditional ''Sonic'' gameplay; GamePro's review described them as "dreadfully out-of-place", while IGN stated that they have "nothing to do with Sonic whatsoever," feeling that the Werehog was "being slapped on" to the ''Sonic'' experience.

In stark contrast to the Werehog sections, many reviewers found the daytime stages to be enjoyable, especially the "exhilarating" sense of speed they provide; with "the most satisfying gameplay of any ''Sonic'' title in years," the game "perfectly captures the feel of classic ''Sonic''." Many also enjoyed the mixture of, and transition between, 2D and 3D sections. Indeed, many reviewers remarked that they would have appreciated the game more had it comprised solely of, and expanded upon, the daytime stages. However, GameSpot's reviews argued that the controls were "unresponsive" in the daytime levels and that most of them were "horribly designed."<ref name="GameSpot X360 review"/>

Aside from the Werehog levels, further aspects of the game were criticized, contributing to the mixed review scores. The quests that players must undertake in hub-towns were described as "inane" and "tedious," where "figuring out what happens next involves aimlessly wandering through towns and speaking to citizens, only to discover that most of them don't know what we're looking for." The story and overall tone of the game, including the new character Chip, were criticized, some remarking that it was too juvenile, or comparable to that of a Saturday morning cartoon. Most reviewers also felt that the English voice acting for characters was poor. Some fans however feel that this is one of [[Jason Griffith]]'s best roles as Sonic in a long time.

Despite the initial lukewarm-to-negative reception from critics, ''Sonic Unleashed'' has sold 2.45 million copies worldwide as of Sega's 2009 fiscal year before selling over 5 million copies as of 2012, making it one of the highest selling ''Sonic'' games of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oliver|first=Tristan|title=Sonic Unleashed Sega’s 3rd Best Seller|url=http://www.tssznews.com/2009/05/18/sonic-unleashed-segas-3rd-best-seller/#more-6217|publisher=TSSZ News|date=18 May 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306144451/http://www.tssznews.com/2009/05/18/sonic-unleashed-segas-3rd-best-seller/ |archivedate=6 March 2016}}</ref> The game has garnered over the years and gained a cult classic-like status among ''Sonic'' fans, a sentiment that would later be reflected in IGN's 2022 staff picks of the best ''Sonic'' games in the series, with ''Sonic Unleashed'' ranking at number 10.<ref name="IGN4">{{cite web|first=IGN staff|date=15 July  2022|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-10-best-sonic-games|title=The 10 Best Sonic Games|publisher=IGN|accessdate=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="Pdf">{{Cite web |url=https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/ir/library/pdf/settlement/2009/e_200903_4q_sup.pdf |title=Appendix of consolidated Financial Statements Year Ended March 31, 2009  |work=SegaSammy |date=13 May 2009 |accessdate=8 August 2022}}</ref>

==Trivia==
*''Sonic Unleashed'' was originally going to be titled ''Sonic Adventure 3'', until the team decided to make this game more focused on Sonic.
*This is the last mainline ''Sonic'' game to feature the [[4Kids Entertainment]] voice cast (sans [[Mike Pollock]]).
*''Sonic Unleashed'' is the third ''Sonic'' game to receive a rating of E10+ from the [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]].
*The game's art direction and cut-scenes are widely inspired by animations of the [[Wikipedia:Pixar Animation Studios|Pixar Animation Studios]], which explains why the humans have a cartoony appearance in contrast to the [[Sonic Adventure|anime-styled]] or [[Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)|realistic]] looks from the previous games.
*A [[PC]] port of the game was planned but later scrapped for unknown reasons. However, some ported files can be found in the PC version of ''[[Sonic Generations]]'', such as button hints at loading screens, images of purchasable goodies, Sonic and Werehog life icons, and an uncompleted renderer which is capable of rendering directional shadows.
[[File:SonicUnleashedLenticular.jpg|thumb|Unused lenticular covers]]
*The cover artwork was originally going to use [[wikipedia:Lenticular printing|lenticular printing]] to have Sonic turn into the Werehog. For unknown reasons, the idea was scrapped and the two were split in half instead.<ref name="LenticularCover">https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Jemp8nUs3/</ref>
*In previous years, it was rumoured that the lead actor [[Jason Griffith]] was sick during his recording sessions and recent confirmed in a 2023 panel.
*Between the HD games, the PlayStation 3 version runs faster at 60fps rather than a capped 30fps, but still retains the same frame rate dips as the Xbox 360. However several instances run much smoother on PlayStation 3, such as The daytime Windmill Isle and Cool Edge stages and the Tornado Defense stage. Certain special effects such as Sonic's speed dust particles are also enhanced on PlayStation 3, though miscellaneous details such as windmills in the distance are missing. Character models are very slightly enriched on the PlayStation 3, while the Xbox 360 employs smoother shading. The transition between day and night was also changed to be a silent screen showing the Sun and Moon medals for the PlayStation 3 version rather than Sonic's transformation. Between the Wii and PlayStation 2 games, the Wii version is generally regarded as graphically superior, as the PlayStation 2 version has fewer polygons and dimmer lighting. However the PlayStation 2 version has far more responsive controls than the Wii, as the Wii version suffers from eight directional movement (a common issue with ''Sonic''{{'}}s GameCube and Wii ports), basic punches with the werehog also requires you to hop between two buttons, while PlayStation 2 only requires one button.
**With the FPS Boost support for the Xbox Series X/S, the framerate for the Xbox 360 version is now a capped 60fps when enabled.
*Sonic's model in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game is made up of 19,887 visible polygons, or "tris", which made it the most high-definition model of Sonic until ''[[Sonic Forces]],'' which was later surpassed even further with the model from [[Sonic Frontiers]].
*When booting up the PlayStation 3 version of this game, some of Sonic's sprites from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' are used before the Sega motto loads up. This happens again in ''[[Sonic Generations]]''.
*The trophy/achievement, "I ain't afraid of no ghosts," is a reference to the ''[[Wikipedia:Ghostbusters|Ghostbusters]]'' theme song.
*This is the first ''Sonic'' game where Sonic can collect at least 1,000 or more rings in a stage (daytime), as other games' ring cap limit is 999.
*Though it is the first 3D game to use the Boost, it is actually the third main game in the series to use it overall; following ''[[Sonic Rush]]'' and ''[[Sonic Rush Adventure]]''.
*In the opening cinematic, a [[Dreamcast]] console can be spotted when Dr. Eggman pushes the button to fire the laser. It is seen again later when the Egg Dragoon is defeated. In the cutscene where Sonic loses his Werehog transformation, a Dreamcast can be seen to the left of Dr. Eggman. The Dreamcast also makes an appearance in the scene after the Egg Dragoon is defeated; when Dr. Eggman is seen attempting to command Dark Gaia to destroy Sonic, the Dreamcast, along with a controller and a game case (with Dr. Eggman's 2D art for ''Sonic Rush'' as the cover) can be seen to the right of Eggman.
*In the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, in the nighttime Spagonia HUB to the right in a small lane, a person in the shower can be heard whistling the theme from the teaser trailer.
*This is the first game in the main series to be known by a different name in Japan, where it goes by the name ''Sonic World Adventure''. The next is ''Sonic Generations'', which was given subtitles based on the consoles it was released on.
*This is the first ''Sonic'' game from the main console series since ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' not to have [[Crush 40]] perform the theme song.
*This is the first main series game to not feature [[Knuckles the Echidna]] since ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', and the first console game to not feature [[Shadow the Hedgehog]] since ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]''.
**It's worth noting that they were planned to appear in the game, but were later scrapped.
*There are some level segments that are not used in the game's final version, though they can still be accessed in the Xbox 360 version of the game with glitches. These areas were later recycled as levels for the DLC Adventure Packs. A number of changes were also made in these areas, which can be seen by people not owning the DLC and using the Werehog's [[combo]] trick to access them:
**Jungle Joyride Act 1 (Night): After the Goal Ring in Jungle Joyride's main Night stage, there is a sealed door. By using the wall-walking glitch, it is possible to cross through this door. There is a large, unused, empty chamber within. If accessed from the ghost mission instead of the main level, the door will be open, and there will be objects inside. There is a tree which can be knocked down and used as a bridge, floating platforms, and switches that raise the water level. The platforms and the kill zone raise, but the room's unique water level puzzle is clearly unfinished- the water graphics remain in place. At the top of the room, there is a door. Beyond the door is an ornately detailed chamber containing the original Goal Ring.
**Arid Sands Act 1 (Night): After the Goal Ring in Arid Sands' main Night stage, there is a sealed door. By jumping onto it from a well-positioned water barrel and using the uppercut, followed by the midair {{Triangle Button (PS)}}{{Triangle Button (PS)}}{{Cross Button (PS)}}/{{Y Button (Xbox)}}{{Y Button (Xbox)}}{{A Button (Xbox)}} combo, the player can fall into an unused canyon area. It's empty, but the player can open the sealed door from the other side. The player must bring water barrels to the bottom of the chasm, stack them, and perform an uppercut-grab to go on. There is a huge chunk of level which is empty. Inside it is, among other things, two pillars the player can knock down which don't appear elsewhere. Eventually, they will reach a pit, which cannot be crossed without objects to bridge the gap. Beyond it is a fairly large stretch of level that leads up to the Gaia Temple.
**The Nighttime levels of Skyscraper Scamper and Dragon Road also contain such areas. The former also has a [[:File:Werehogjavelin.png|javelin throwing gameplay gimmick]] for the Werehog, which was never finished entirely and therefore does not function properly. This gameplay gimmick was never recycled for the area's corresponding Adventure Pack DLC either, and was left unfinished. It can be found in the mission called 'Play It Cool'.
*Tails, Amy and Professor Pickle do not seem to have been affected by Dark Gaia. The Professor even remarks that he knows his assistant is affected by Dark Gaia, and that he must do something to help him.
*The manual incorrectly states that the {{L2 Button (PS)}}/{{R2 Button (PS)}} // {{LT Button (Xbox)}}/{{RT Button (Xbox)}} are not used in the day stages, but they are used to perform the [[Drift|Sonic Drift]].
**It is also stated in the day stages section of the manual that if Sonic doesn't reach the goal within 10 minutes, he'll lose a life. This isn't true in the game itself, meaning the player can take as much time as needed to clear a day stage. This is a reference to the classic ''Sonic'' games and also ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 4]]'', where the player has to finish each act within ten minutes.
*One cutscene contains a reference to the ending of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]''. The cutscene plays after the first exorcism of the game. During the cutscene, Sonic (in his Werehog form) is seen carefully putting Amy on the ground after having saved her, with her eyes closed, then quickly leaving by swinging across buildings when she opens her eyes and turns to look at him. Much like how in the ending of ''Sonic CD'', he put Amy on the ground, and then, while her eyes were still closed, he carefully backed away and then ran off just as she opened her eyes.
*In the Xbox 360 version, after Perfect Dark Gaia is defeated and the earth is returning to normal, Chip says, "Sonic, You '''must''' live." while the subtitles say, "Sonic, You '''have to''' live.".
*This is the only ''Sonic'' game where Sonic never loses the Chaos Emeralds throughout the game.
*On the official website, the rating in the trailer showed is E10+ but the audio is the "E for everyone" rating clip.
*In the [[Android]] and [[iOS]] versions of  ''[[Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'', there is a mission called "Sonic Unleashed" where the player plays as Sonic to destroy wolf-like robots, referencing Sonic's Werehog form.
*In the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 version, there are two trophies/achievements named after songs from the British band [[Wikipedia:The Beatles|The Beatles]].
*This is the final main series ''Sonic'' game on the [[PlayStation 2]], as well as the last ''Sonic'' game to be released on a 6th generation console.
*This is the second game to have a different level entrance screen than the rest of the ''Sonic'' games. The first was ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''.
*In the demo version of ''Sonic Unleashed'' on the Xbox 360, the game will read ''Sonic World Adventure'', the Japanese title and list a Japanese URL.
*Dr. Eggman's artwork for this game has the same pose as his artwork in [[Sonic Channel]].
*If the player looks around "BONNY'S KITCHEN" in the [[Empire City]] HUB closely enough, there is a magazine named "WORLD TREASURE" on the cover that appears to be [[Shamar]].
*The trophy/achievement "Pig in a blanket" is a reference to a traditional European snack of the same name, consisting of sausage wrapped in bacon.
*In the cutscene "A New Journey" when Sonic looks around after the fall, if one looks at the Chaos Emeralds in the shot, they will see the purple emerald has still got its color.
*As of December 2009, ''Sonic Unleashed'' was labeled as an "Xbox 360 Platinum Hit" and has the "Xbox 360 Family Games" label after selling over three million copies. It was labeled as an "Xbox 360 Classics" title in PAL regions. Although ''Sonic Unleashed'' did not sell well enough to become a "PS3 Greatest Hits" title in the NTSC region, it sold enough copies in the PAL region to become a "PS3 Essentials" title.
*The daytime level theme for [[Savannah Citadel]] has a similar melody to the opening of the end credits medley for [[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (8-bit)]].
*This game shared a few things in common with ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'':
**Both the main characters turned into a wolf-like being in numerous points in their respective game (Link becomes a wolf when he's in the Twilight Realm and Sonic becomes a Werehog at night)
**Both main characters were accompanied by a small flying supporting character who is important to the storyline (Midna for Link and Chip for Sonic).
**Both games have a character who suffered amnesia (Ilia and Chip)
**Both games have a major antagonist alongside the series overall antagonist (Zant/Ganondorf and Dark Gaia/Dr. Eggman). The difference being that Zant is the penultimate boss before Ganondorf while Dark Gaia is the final boss after Eggman.
*This game contains one of the highest polygon counts for a [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] model in the entire series, with the said model reaching 19,887 tries, 19,887 faces and 10,389 verts.<ref name="Low Poly">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Pvr7Cc2Ds|title=Sonic The Hedgehog - Low Poly (Evolution of Characters in Games) - Episode 2|last=Collins|first=Andy|date=22 April 2017|accessdate=20 September 2022|work=YouTube|publisher=A+Start|quote='''[[Andy Collins]]''': As polarizing as this game can be, it's actually got one of the most well made Sonic models in the entire series. It's made of a staggering 19,887 tries, making it the highest polygon count Sonic model to this day. No other Sonic model even comes close to this amount of tries.}}</ref>

==Videos==
===Trailers===
<tabber>
Teaser trailer = [[File:Sonic Unleashed - Teaser Trailer (Werehog)|left|350px]]
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Trailer #2 = [[File:Sonic Unleashed - Trailer 2|left|350px]]
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E3 trailer = [[File:Sonic Unleashed - E3 Trailer|left|350px]]
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Globe Trotter = [[File:Sonic Unleashed - Globetrotter|left|350px]]
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Day and Night = [[File:SONIC UNLEASHED Day and Night Trailer|left|350px]]
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Beach = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Adabat Beach|left|350px]]
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Adabat = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Xbox 360 Trailer - Adabat Trailer-0|left|350px]]
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Shamar = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Shamar Trailer|left|350px]]
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Holoska = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Xbox 360 Holoska Trailer|left|350px]]
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Empire City = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Empire City Trailer|left|350px]]
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Launch trailer = [[File:Sonic Unleashed 'Launch Trailer'|left|350px]]
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Fire and Ice = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Fire and Ice Trailer|left|350px]]
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Lightning Fast Hedgehog = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Nintendo Wii Trailer - Lightning Fast Hedgehog|left|350px]]
</tabber>
{{Clear}}

===Commercials===
<tabber>
Sighting = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Commercial Trailer|left|350px]]
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Transform = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Commercial (HD) 2008|left|350px]]
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Day and Night = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Commercial|left|350px]]
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The Power of the Day and Night = [[File:Sonic Unleashed Commercial-0|left|350px]]
</tabber>
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Plain link|http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicWorldAdventure/|Official website}} '''(Japanese)'''
*{{Plain link|http://www.sonic-unleashed.com/us/|Official website}} '''(North America)'''
{{Unleashed info}}
{{Sonic games}}
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