Sonic Unleashed
FORMAT PS3, PS2 / PUB SEGA / DEV SONIC TEAM (PS3), SONIC TEAM & DIMPS (PS2) / RELEASED 2008
After ushering the Blue Blur into a new generation with the 2006 reboot proved a disaster, Sega decided its mascot would work across generations for the followup. But just as Sonic would turn from his iconic form into a larger, meaner-looking werehog, the PS3 and PS2 versions were night and day in how they looked and played.
The daytime stages incorporated both 3D movement and side-scrolling elements plus a new quickstep mechanic across both games. Dimps, known for its work on handheld Sonic games, assisted with the daytime stage design on the PS2 version, though that edition ended up with fewer of these stages and more of the slower, combat-oriented night time ones where you’re a werehog.
Fighting felt different on PS2 as you had a button for each of the werehog’s arms, while other inputs, such as for running or grabbing enemies, were also different. In daytime stages you needed to collect enough rings to fill up individual bars to use Sonic’s boost mechanic, whereas on PS3 this was just one long gauge you could hit whenever you needed it. Perhaps the biggest difference was that medals were awarded to you based on your rank on PS2, whereas on PS3 they were placed around levels as collectibles. The PS3 version was made on the Hedgehog Engine (as used to make recent Sonic titles), which was more powerful than PS2 could handle, so the latter relied on prerendered cutscenes. And instead of having explorable hubs like on PS3, PS2 players were reduced to navigating a menu with portraits of NPCs. All that means completionists need to finish two werehog adventures, not one. Sorry!
“The PS3 and PS2 versions were night and day in how they looked and played.”