The Story of Sonic Unleashed

[@GuilitoDoinks]

Does anyone else feel that Super Sonic in the final boss is more of light gaia's wing man. Chip literally brute force himself through dark gaia's barrier and Sonic has to disable it first to actually join in on the fight. Chip was carrying Sonic both physically and metaphorically. After dark gaia was defeated, Super Sonic passed out right after a thumbs up from exhaustion, like he barely was able to finish the fight. We've never seen this happen before with Sonic, and it shows how high the stakes were. In the past games starting from SA2, Super Sonic always had a partner in a Super form as well. But in this game, he plays more as the sidekick.

[@juliane.mfarias9285]

Dark Gaia also appears as something Super Sonic alone can't defeat. I wonder if he would win Super Sonic, Shadow ans Silver?

[@crimsonzone8984]

Do you think that they might have downplayed Sonic here?

[@Kelps.mp4]

​@@crimsonzone8984No imo.

[@JTthrowback]

Honestly I wouldn’t mind if that was the case. If anything that would’ve actually further emphasized how much there was at stake in that boss if the music in the first phase wasn’t enough or how much of a terrifying monster Dark Gaia is compared to any other villain before. Sonic and chip both struggled with beating Dark Gaia. Chip alone couldn’t beat it, Sonic was stripped away from his wolf form and even then, he couldn’t do anything about it with or without it besides blind only 3 of their eyes, but it was only 3 eyes and it was only the first phase, and even after Sonic turned super, he could barely defeat it like he said and I feel like that was done rather well in my opinion because it, again, shows how Unleashed’s story has stakes and Dark Gaia is one of the toughest beasts in Sonic’s record

[@susiehaltmann3342]

@@JTthrowbackespecially because this is a creature that has existed since ancient times that all we know is that it wants to destroy the planet so it was literally sealed in the fucking core of the planet. A threat so big it was sealed. IN THE FUCKING EARTH! It makes sense that even the power of the chaos emeralds are barely enough to defeat him

[@just_ducky]

I think the reason that Chip has little personality before the adabat temple scene is intentional (not just from the influence of the previous game, but because of the story itself). Chip is a character who lost their memories due to Eggman prematurely awakening him along with Dark Gaia (and possibly Sonic falling on him???), and has little to go off, all he has is what he can see in apotos and Sonic himself, he doesn't even know his name. He doesn't know a lot about the world, unlike Sonic who goes on a world adventure for a living. So the reason he decides to mention food a lot (and offer characters chocolate) is because that's one of the first things he experienced: eating a lovely snack. He loved it, and because he has little else to base his life on, hones in on just food. Sonic's inspirational personality is also why he tries to help people by offering people chocolate, because he enjoys it, so assumes everyone else loves it like he does, and wants to cheer people up like Sonic does. That's my take on him, and why (hot take inbound), he's my second favorite character in the ENTIRE series, right behind Sonic himself. Edit: This was a lovely video to watch. Despite playing the game countless times, and watching countless reviews on both the game and story, I actually learnt something here: the reasoning behind his stretchy arms in Werehog form.

[@yoshihammerbro435]

Kind of like how one of the first things sonic fans experienced was playing sonic, and they lived it so they just honed in on playing sonic 😁

[@Pariah6950]

Very well said. Though I still think we need to get more out of Chip as a character prior to his remembering.

[@Ninjacat25]

That's rather insightful, actually.

[@KidAL0]

His comments on the foods from different locations can be cute too. The game clearly uses food as a representation of culture, and so I see Chip offering chocolate as someone sharing their world with others. Not as graceful in-game but I can appreciate what they were going for

[@santiagomarin1882]

Second favorite is crazy tho 😭

[@tonycorona8501]

23:00 props to the animators for creating a ghost Chip for this one scene.

[@tf2godz]

33:17 to be fair, I can believe the chaos emeralds can be used for a bunch of different unrelated things throughout history. The chaos emeralds being used to seal Dark Gaia I don't think contradicts Chaos, and the echidnas any more then it contradict Gerald Robotnik using them for the eclipse Cannon. History is vast, it makes sense that they would be used for a bunch of different things.

[@LeafRazorStorm]

Especially when there's a timegap of millions of years, of course the emeralds can change hands every few centuries.

[@muanims]

Yeah and in frontiers they came from another planet all together before everything I think the gaia temples come after the ancients then the chaos stuff, then the gerald stuff

[@jasonblack2477]

​@@muanimsits just bad writing

[@jacobkakyoin6882]

Way I see it, when people say Black Knight is one of the most encapsulating Sonic stories, they mean in a “Sonic character study” way, since the storybook games have these very Sonic-character-centric stories wherein he bounces off a one-off really consistently well and ends up tackling far more heavy personal themes than the series is generally willing to (abuse and the inevitability of loss and death). Unleashed definitely has a lot more of the pure appeal of Sonic the FRANCHISE, even if a lot of the cutscenes are just kinda goofy fluff the premise, beginning, end, and gamefeel all communicate these things super well. Kinda like how Colors’ story genuinely improves a lot if you literally just skip every cutscene and only focus on the environmental storytelling and the chatter within the stages themselves. Though obviously even at its worst Unleashed is nowhere near as obnoxious as that can get and its highs are higher in every way.

[@Pariah6950]

You're spoiling my Colors story video lol.

[@b0xE_]

@@Pariah6950 *HAH!!!* 😭💀👌 I actually kinda feel bad lol. 😅

[@hamstersandwich9917]

I feel like colors can get a pass for it's story since you can tell it wasn't trying to be the next big sonic epic but was merely Sega's attempting a safer approach to ensure better sales. Its why its mostly eyecandy and mario-esque gimmicks. Now does that excuse the over use of wisps and the half-baked stories of future games? Absolutely not. Would I have wanted a more grand stories with more characters? Of course yes, but blaming colors for the failings of other boost games feels a little unfair.

[@hamstersandwich9917]

@@yrooxrksvi7142 relax

[@hamstersandwich9917]

@@yrooxrksvi7142 "IDW OC" ok

[@TheDiego908]

There's something beautiful and ironic about the very embodiment of order being naive about his own nature. It's like the opposite side of a coin in fiction to people being naive of their own darkness and thus suffering/exploring it. It's likely why that one scene in Adabat is so effective

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Pretty good analysis there dude.

[@lasercraft32]

I'm a little sad that Sonic didn't adopt Chip's bracelet as part of his design in later games... But oh well, that would just make the "everything is canon" argument more convoluted.

[@mryaki4763]

59:43 I just noticed that Eggman has a Dreamcast and the first Sonic Adventure. I love that detail.

[@Zejgar]

30:19 Sonic Unleashed also doesn't have the fake-out credits. Even Black Knight has these, even though there's no extra requirements for the "true ending" in that game. Unleashed is a straight shot from beginning to end.

[@jasonblack2477]

Black knight is still better story wise

[@BraviaGames]

Besides some of the execution, the themes in this game are the closest we have gotten to Sonic's original vision, and you highlighted them very well. I have a bit of a nitpick on how Sonic is written thematically, which is the idea that Sonic is easily seen as good. In an interview with original Sonic-level designer Hirokazu Yasuhara, he says this: “When I thought about what to make the conflict between the hero and the villain, I came up with the idea of using environmental issues as the theme since the characters were animals. The environment and development have always been two opposing sides of the same coin. “The fact that it is not easy to determine which side is righteous was also an advantage when characterizing the characters. Sonic does not deny the progress of technology. Technology can make people happy or it can be a tool of control. The theme of how to use technology is linked to the problems of modern society." Basically, what I want is more of this in Sonic and even Eggman's character writing. Sonic CD addressed the rebel part of Sonic's character and how it relates to the environment while SA2 and Black Knight relate it to how others perceive him. In Sonic Unleashed, Sonic's actions are so obviously the right thing to do unlike say Black Knight for example, where some see Sonic as the bad guy. It doesn't go any further past the Sonic vs Eggman conflict in addressing Sonic's "Going my way" attitude and unless I'm missing something in the writing, that's a real shame imo.

[@Pariah6950]

You make a very good point. But keep in mind, Kiyoko worked on Sonic X. She already did a story dealing with those ideas, so maybe wanted to do something more pure here. The Metarex Saga is all about taking the environmental side too far. And there, Sonic fights against nature. Because the thing he really fights against is bad, whatever form it takes. He's often on the side of nature because Eggman is on the side of technology. That's why Sonic can work as the positive metaphor to so many different themes. Whatever conflict, Sonic is always on the right side. He is the right side.

[@BraviaGames]

@@Pariah6950 Ah, that makes sense. If she's going for pure themes of night and day then that's fine but It's still missing that key part of Sonic's character that I think all Sonic stories should address in _some_ way. It doesn't even have to be a major thematic element like in Black Knight, SA2, or Sonic X, just a hint at who Sonic is and how he's going to save the day his own way despite what others may think. It helps separate him more as the cool rebellious hero from the generic goody-two-shoes hero. It's that extra layer of complexity to an otherwise simple character. Kiyoko handled this aspect better in the Sonic X example you mentioned. Sonic's rebellious spirit is shown more there because he opposes something that can be seen as a good thing. I like that extra layer. I want more Sonic stories like that. I'd love for Kiyoko and Maekawa to collaborate on more than just 06 because Unleashed and Black Knight really show their strengths as writers. Just combine the best of both worlds...but now I'm rambling lol. Great video once again Pariah. I look forward to your Sonic X discussion vid since Kiyoko and Maekawa both worked on some of that show.

[@galten7361]

@Pariah6950 The same goes for Adventure One. Chaos is a mutated chao (so a critter) who became a villain from the Echidnas (who had a full empire with feats of wonder) trying to raid his land.

[@lightpriv3425]

I haven't finished watching yet so if this gets addressed later on in the video, feel free to tell me I'm an idiot. The problem you addressed with Chip's lack of involvement in the story IS true and completely fair, but... I played the game *very* slowly growing up. I've always loved playing games at my own pace, savouring them, exploring as much as I felt like exploring. Unleashed, like you said in your gameplay analysis video, has a *lot* of content to go through, and it kept me very busy when I played through on my first playthrough. A lot of this involves exploring the hub worlds, doing side missions, chatting with townsfolk and following their small substory threads, and most importantly, buying all the unique food and souvenir items available. While everyone grinded for medals, I'd grind for *rings,* just so I could buy more food -- and give it to *Chip.* I loved reading his takes on all the different kinds of food (there's a lot of personality there, especially for foods he DOESN'T like), and it caught me by surprise when I unlocked a certain hidden friendship value with Chip when my PS3 popped up with a "Best Friends" trophy, complete with a Chip render to contextualise the trophy, right after I gave him some random food item. From there, any time I'd give him food, he'd offer the original message on his opinion of the food, followed by a unique random dialogue option about his travels with Sonic, Sonic himself, the other characters like Pickle or Amy, souvenirs, possible hazy memories, etc. So, for me, this friendship HAD been growing with Chip -- just in the background. This is why videogames are a great choice for storytelling, because you can play it slowly and live the experience yourself, at your own pace. It's just a shame that in this case it was pushed back and hidden as an optional time-waster like the Chao Garden. A very fun and feel-good time-waster, but still hidden and still optional. Long story short, I love Chip. He's a swell li'l guy. EDIT: Quick addition on the comedy note -- I can agree he's not funny, but I still find it pretty charming. He's got plenty of personality, even if they do push the one joke kind of a *lot,* but I still feel like I'm seeing the world with a little friend. The extra CGI scenes where Sonic and Chip are just goofing around in different places across the world just adds to this charm and friendship more, I *love* these small adventuring moments (akin to something you'd see out of Sly Cooper).

[@SEAWORRIER]

It's happening exactly like it's written in the Gaia Manuscripts. The KZbinr that has been sealed in the planet has been awakened.

[@mitch_universe4058]

It’s a wild ride, this passage of fate

[@elibonham4388]

I'm never laughing when I see chip but he's charming. Especially with the English voice actor, I don't think it's a negative at all. I love chip. Knukles amd shadow were originally supposed to be in this game but they ran out of time :( I think the reason why tails is afraid of the monsters because Dark gaia is a demon and makes everyone weaker and sad. Sonic even performs exorcist on people in the game. Sonic was one of the only characters who wasn't affected by Dark Gaia besides the transforming into a werehog thing. Because of what chip said. This is the tornado 3 you can even see on the plane. I think the mech in sa2 was the tornado 2 made into a mech wow they really don't know what there doing with this shit. Haha. I just disagree with what are you talking about with chips and sonics friendship, there is set up and pay off, there is charming interactions and fun interactions. Maybe not a ton of them but enough in my opinion, for this scene to work for me at least. Sonic unleashed is my favourite sonic story too :)

[@thelastgogeta]

Am I wrong that Amy was fine in this game? If she was totally absent at night or behaved remotely differently to her stock interaction catalogue, Tails would seem in line and even then the amount of feats Tails would have by the end of Sonic 3 & Knux, let alone the other 3D games would make jobbers like this nothing.

[@andarilho_31]

I agree. Chip fails as a comedic character but I find him pretty adorable. I just can't hate him.

[@elibonham4388]

@@andarilho_31 He's charming that's all we need right? We're grownups, I bet kids would find him funny.

[@themissingbits6375]

I dont agree that his english voice is better, in fact i find his english voice to be terrible. He sounds like a bad Spongebob voice, In Japanease he has an cute voice

[@elibonham4388]

@@themissingbits6375 nah in japaniese he sounds like....I don't like it haha

[@CrashWeezerman]

Sonic falls from a space station without his super form, without being rescued by anyone, and without losing his memories. Suck it Shadow

[@sonicsaiyan07]

In regards to Shadow, I believe it was noted that he and Knuckles were PLANNED for this game but scrapped. After pondering it, I think they should've kept both for both plot AND gameplay purposes. Gameplay wise, Knuckles could've allowed for Daytime Combat Stages and Shadow, Nightime Speed Stages. That could've probably let them make it so there's more speed stages and the combat stages coukd be shortened enough so that they feel less intrusive. Plotwise, since the Emeralds need to be restored to fix the planet, have someone consider using the Master Emerald to do so. Have the Heroes go to Angel Island and have Knuckles explain that the Master Emerald is what's keeping the world from completely breaking down in calamity so with it being 'pre-occupied', it can't restore the Emeralds even if it could fix the planet like that. On Shadow's end, just have it so he's chasing after Werehog Sonic on both GUN's orders and his own assumptions of Werehog, not knowing that it's really Sonic.

[@tadaokou4919]

I strongly disagree and I think the reasons for why this wouldn't have worked for Unleashed in specific are stated pretty well in this video.

[@kilometersperminute4113]

Even if it fits, we are NOT getting them because of “Sonic’s stupid friends”.

[@thelastgogeta]

Even as a stan for Sonic's friends, it seems a bit forced for this one. Daytime combat stages for Knux wouldn't be the best use of that character if the general design needed to be similar to the Werehog and could have unfortunate ripples on future games. It also doesn't work with the story they are telling when they could barely justify Amy and Tails - two characters who are almost always attached to Sonic. Would you want him lumbering around fighting Eggman's robots as less interesting Werehog? Shadow has a better cause to be in the game and wouldn't be too difficult an inclusion for gameplay too, but it sounds more like a bonus thing that something that naturally fits in if we have to get GUN and a bunch of Sonic Adventure continuity. Shadow could be involved regardless of them.

[@tadaokou4919]

@@thelastgogeta Shadow could have been interesting DLC similar to Forces. But honestly, that's the best they could have done with him in Unleashed. This is a story about Sonic & Chip (in other words: Sonic & the earth, according to this video...which I do agree with). Other characters should not matter for this one. Sure, Sonic friends are nice but forcing them into every single game, just because they exist will only hinder the writing team. If they force characters into games in which these characters do not belong, we will only get more situations like Tails degeneration in this game. Why is Tails here? Because he is an important Sonic character, so they forced him in there. Why is Knuckles in Sonic Adventure 2 despite being absolutely meaningless in terms of plot relevance? Because he is an important Sonic character, so they felt like they had to force him into a story in which he does not belong. In short: Ignoring Sonics friends in every single game is not the right way to go. But screaming for Sonics friends to get forced into EVERY single Sonic game is similarly bad. There can be a middle ground between these two options. SEGA just didn't hit that middle ground which is why people are so desperate for multiple playable Sonic characters even in games in which this ,,feature" does not belong.

[@thelastgogeta]

@@tadaokou4919 That's one of the problems (legacy character use) which comes from one of this game's biggest strengths (writing and cinematic ambitions with largely clean slate even mechanically). If this was a story-light game like the Sonic Advance games or 2D classic games, we could easily have a ton of characters but it also counts on the game being built to support them and boost design is very rigid. That being said, Shadow in all stages without cutscenes wouldn't be absurd (mods have done this I'm sure) - the main issue is when you try to force it into the canon. As far as other characters in Unleashed as optional characters, it would be difficult to make them distinct as separate boost characters even if they fit the speed criteria so Shadow is probably the one since people are comfortable with him being identical already even if Black Knight, Shadow and Sonic 06 made him more distinct in some 3D games.

[@halohunter1.081]

This is beautiful, after 2,976+ minutes of top tier Sonic videos we’ve finally got to THE video I’ve been waiting for since the beginning!!

[@chiquita683]

Yes!

[@gamanzhiydanil]

Did you actually calculate length of all videos? What a madman!

[@dn22pkkdd476]

@@gamanzhiydanil an absolute mad man

[@halohunter1.081]

@@gamanzhiydanilhaha yes, I actually did, not sure if it’s %100 accurate though.

[@yall_girl_eve]

finally, its crazy to think we finished this one, especially since I've been following the series almost by the beginning Great work pariah

[@graysongdl]

I think it's interesting the way that this game does the idea of "Eggman finally wins" far, FAR better than Forces ever did. I also really like how cunning it depicts Eggman here. What a ballsy move to have essentially an entire Sonic game's worth of adventure as the "decoy" plan that lures Sonic into a trap so he can start his REAL plan.

[@spritvio639]

Forces was so wasted man, especially the Phantom Ruby. They could have focused a few games on that and done some Prime stuff, before Prime.

[@graysongdl]

@@spritvio639 I haven't seen Prime yet, but I remember having this grand theory for what the story of Forces would be, using just "clues" that I thought existed in the story of Mania. And to this day, I honestly think what I came up with was a better story than what we actually got.

[@AFeralTrout420]

Infinite was also the greatest potential ever WASTED!! Since Mephiles can't comeback bc of the timeline fuckery, Infinite could sorta take his place as the new greatest evil. I have the idea of him being this totally sadistic bastard with no bounds of decency. Such as using the Phantom Ruby as psychological warfare/torture on his opponents with illusions and all that stuff, or using it as a disguise to infiltrate the Resistance base. It doesn't matter if you're as innocent as Cream the Rabbit or as headstrong as Knuckles, he will do ANYTHING to torture and mentally break his victims. Also him and his feud with Shadow needs to be part as well. With all the anti friendship stuff and how friends make you weak and tries to prove it by threatening to kill Rouge and Omega and everyone else as revenge for Shadow taking out his squad. It shouldn't have been the "I'm not weak" bs, that was so dumb. Instead he should hate Shadow for killing his family. Another idea would be him trying to tempt Whisper the Wolf to the side of evil. Both wear masks, both lost their team of people to someone they hate, both are canine related animals.

[@SoapKing835]

​@@graysongdlDo you mind telling us your story?

[@graysongdl]

@@SoapKing835 So a bit of context beforehand: I don't know where the source for this info comes from, but I learned from the Sonic wiki that the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald possess some level of sentience. Which kinda makes sense considering Knuckles talks to the latter, right? So with that in mind, I thought it wasn't too much of a stretch to say that the Phantom Ruby could possibly have sentience as well, and that it had its own goals and motivation. This is the explanation I came up with for why it only teleports everyone to Egg Reverie when you have all the Chaos Emeralds, but disappears completely if you fail to do so. I figured that the Phantom Ruby was using the feud between Sonic and Eggman as a way to get itself, along with all 7 Chaos Emeralds, together in one place. It succeeds with its plan, transports Sonic along with itself to the future, and uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to create a brand new form for itself: Infinite. And then Forces actually came out and the story had way less to do with the story of Mania than I thought it would. I still think a sentient Phantom Ruby could've been a cool idea for a villain. And I mean, a completely new enemy nobody's met before is fine enough, but I think the actual execution of Infinite was terrible, so I think it's safe to say ANY other idea is better. It also would've given Classic Sonic way more relevance in the story if Infinite was not only from his time period, but also the true form of the thing he and Eggman had been fighting over just prior to being sent to the future again. It would feel less like Classic Sonic was just thrown in for fun if he was actually relevant to the plot. And maybe we could replace the illusions of the fan-service villains with illusions of the Hard Boiled Heavies, especially considering how little of a role the illusions actually served in the story.

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

Sonic is definitely Chip's best friend. Ignoring the great analysis of Sonic's love for the earth that lets him run. The final song is literally called, " My Dear Friend."

[@matthewisguy7336]

Da da da da da da.. 😢

[@seematahir5970]

Little disappointed you didn't mention how differently Eggman acts towards the end of the game. Granted it's mostly just the Egg Dragoon fight and for most of the game he's pretty much normal goofy Eggman, but HOLY SHIT was he completely unhinged at the end. He rants about wanting Sonic to just die already, continually destroys the platform Sonic's standing on, and even the music sounds manic and desperate. Sonic even has to tell him to calm down lol. You mentioned getting the feeling that Unleashed was trying to be THE Sonic game with the most climactic and epic story. The two main rivals of the entire series duking it out as they plummet towards the core of the Earth while they hold nothing back certainly adds to that feeling.

[@galten7361]

@yrooxrksvi7142 SatAM is not and will never be what the franchise was made to be. And Eggman acts plenty goofy in the Classic Era especially when you include pretty much anything that had him with actual dialogue (the pre-release manga for Sonic One, Man of the Year short, OVA, that manga which introduced Amy and Charmy).

[@kilometersperminute4113]

Tbh when you said that unleashed is trying to go back to the original sonic, I think it’s not just that. It’s about going back to the sonic that people remember. Back to when sonic was just a fun cartoon hedgehog with a cute sidekick. They even added chilli dogs because that’s part of what people remember about sonic (in the west). Unleashed soft rebooted everything except for Sonic’s character which also got ‘rebooted’ in colours.

[@autobotproductions1244]

In universe it could be explained by timeline rewriting after Solaris was extinguished

[@TheJaredPunch]

Fun fact: Sonic’s Japanese voice actor changes while as the Werhog. Tomokazu Seki is his voice in that form.

[@thelastgogeta]

This hand of mine is burning red.

[@TheJaredPunch]

@@thelastgogeta it’s loud roar tells me to grasp victory!

[@danyo5786]

And I guess Sega of america got lazy because all the werehog is just Jason with a cold

[@TheJaredPunch]

@@danyo5786 I mean, Masako Nozawa voices Goku and Gohan regardless of their age in Japanese while Goku and Gohan changes depending on their age in the dub. So this isn’t always a constant.

[@aortaplatinum]

I just realized watching this video, that the way Sonic Unleashed treats Chip is like if the Star Wars prequel trilogy actually had Darth Jar-Jar be a real thing

[@Mr.Maguro]

11 minutes into the vid, just wanted to mention while many people point out the Final Fantasy style cutscenes of '06, Yuji Naka in an interview mentioned that the presentation of the game was inspired by movies like Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins and how they ground those characters in reality. Of course interviews have to be taken with a grain of salt sometimes, had that game come out in 2008 like Unleashed did im sure they would have mentioned Michael Bay's Transformers as an inspiration as well. I think the backlash for the realistic humans in '06 definetly played a hand in them going for Pixar as an inspiration instead.

[@godhimself1128]

my god did Yuji actually say this? The camp of Rami's spiderman and grit of The Dark knight trilogy would explain why the fuck the vibes were so off in 06

[@jaysolo8256]

Sonic unleashed is my favourite game and I love this style of sonic the most

[@susiehaltmann3342]

I absolutely love how the Egg Dragoon is built so that it is impossible for Sonic to beat it, but gets completely fucking destroyed by Werehog. Then in Generations the Egg Dragoon is built so that the Werehog can’t beat it. Also at the end of unleashed eggman says “ill build a prototype 2” after you beat him. Which is exactly what he does

[@Nic_2751]

I think everyone agrees Unleashed (besides the neat side stuff of Mania) genuinely had the best and most heartfelt story in the main series since Adventure 2 until now with Frontiers, man such a great time and definitely felt like a proper balance of tone and writing quality, it’s not a perfect masterpiece but it gets one every time

[@Shendapy]

Kinda sad seeing you spend all your time online, community post still makes me giggle to this day

[@Nic_2751]

@@Shendapy kinda sad seeing you have nothing better to do then stalk a random stranger online to remind yourself how much better I am than you and how sore of a loser you are along with the desperate clinging to relevance, let it go bruh it’s over

[@Nic_2751]

@Kian what part of mainline did I not specify

[@Ismazing]

Mania's story is pretty much non-existent (as with most 2d games)--- why are you comparing it with this? lol

[@Nic_2751]

@@Ismazing Sonic Mania Adventures and not having shitty writing

[@kinggalactix]

Saying Chip isn't likeable or endearing is like saying Sonic 2 has no purpose in the franchise. Well, that's an over exaggeration. But you get my point.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Chip's an adorable little ragamuffin. He's honestly pretty likable as far as sidekicks go. Not Tails tier, but a fun one-off side character that pulls his weight in chocolate.

[@kinggalactix]

@Kian don't call chip not endearing.

[@kinggalactix]

@@dn22pkkdd476 indeed

[@kinggalactix]

@Kian i did state it was overly exaggerated. Still, you do have a point.

[@SaddieMoon]

19:16 Fun fact: Archie explained it in it’s cannon that Chaos came down to earth to keep the water on the planet so it wouldn’t touch the core.

[@nzpowa._.6662]

Don't you dare skip this cutscene, don't skip that cutscene! Heck a doodle, THANK YOU gud sir

[@boblon8150]

I really like the blend of light heartedness and dark themes of the story. I think they did a good job mixing the two and it all culminates in this world adventure that I believe is thoughtfully put together. Sonic still embodies his cheerful attitude in a conflict that offers high stakes.

[@UltimateTS64]

Probably one of the best break downs of the plot I've ever heard

[@Collateral_Damage_]

32:00 lol I made a comment way back on your shadow story video explaining how all the stories from Sonic 1 to shadow were all one continuous story and then afterwards we got a series of soft reboots and you commented that it was a spoiler for a future video. Glad to finally see what spoiler you were talking about

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

Now this is the video I've been waiting for since Sonic Adventure.

[@monicabrauer7489]

To me, this story would be near perfection if they had just added some more dialogue and scenes with chip during the actual playable game, and fixed some continuity stuff like the tornado and maybe some small cameos from GUN or Shadow. We can only hope for a remaster

[@realfrogify]

I finally understand why people like this game story so much. All the other reviews I've seen had a dedicated section of their reviews to the story. However, dedicating videos to the story and characterizations in those stories really does help put a new and very in-depth perspective on them. I never really played much of unleashed (first game was generations on a ps3) but I did understand that the story in unleashed was better and more intricate than many of the games that came after it, and it's nice to finally understand the hype surrounding it without having too many bits and pieces of it missing from the whole picture to fully grasp what really happened in the story.

[@RealRoboKnight]

I really wished Chip's Bracelet was a part of Sonic's design as a way to show that that was his truest (is that a word?) self and that Chip is Sonic's best friend.

[@SaddieMoon]

58:51 Ngl, there are some people who loves this boss in the story sense for how frustrated Eggman is for Sonic always winning.

[@GUNUFofficial]

english voice acting is superior because japan doesn't have the werehog scream. *AAAAAAAAAAAAH*

[@pheonix2014]

Tails: What is my purpose? Sonic: You fly the plane. Tails: Oh my god...

[@bubbykins4864]

Not just a plane, but a special plane that's based on Sonic's.

[@Farkonso]

I feel like the werehog stages would be a perfect place to have Chip tagging along and talking to Sonic. It would probably be incredibly annoying and would've made the review scores even lower though LOL

[@kinggalactix]

I think it would be better if he contributed by attacking smaller enemies, while Sonic defeated larger monstrosities.

[@Difegue]

watching this when the werehog's japanese voice came up I thought "huh I didn't know kanemaru could go that deep that's funny sounding a bit like gilgamesh there", and after reading the description I went to check the cast and it actually IS Tomokazu Seki voicing the werehog what the heck I shouldve played this in japanese This was great! Can't wait for the absolute misery that'll be the colors story video now :^)

[@kinggalactix]

I think Unleashed has one of the simplest stories in a Sonic game. If I had one complaint, it's that act 2 of the story drops the "regaining chip's memories" until the end. And it's such an easy fix. Just make the Gaia temple's regain his memories piece by piece. But the rest is perfect. Great game all around, and I don't care what people say about the Werehog (even if they are a veteran combat gamer).

[@kinggalactix]

@@yrooxrksvi7142 oh, i meant to say one of the simplest.

[@kinggalactix]

@@yrooxrksvi7142 In my opinion, I think the story of Unleashed still fits. Heck, I think you can still alter to story without much issue to the timeline. I don't like the Chaos Emeralds being from space, only because this trope has been overused.

[@kinggalactix]

@@yrooxrksvi7142 regarding Unleashed, I think there can be different story modes. Nothing that replaces the Werehog gameplay, of course. Knuckles: missions within and beyomd Angel Island. His gameplay is a blend of Sonic's Hedgehog and Werehog form. So he had the capacity of speed and strength. Discovers the Gaia Temples and attempts to finds out their origins. Not much information, but it shows they are older than any known civilization. Shadow: GUN Missions with Team Dark, sending aid packages and completing search and rescue missions. Witty and charming banter ensues, meetup with Sonic at Empire City for a mission, help defeat Eggman’s machines.

[@KidAL0]

Yooo new Pariah vid, can’t wait to listen to this while running my errands I love hearing his perspective on S- Pariah jumpscare: “WHAT 😡”

[@NiohArcadia]

Lol at first I thought he was upset 🤣

[@dn22pkkdd476]

@@NiohArcadia well he should be. He jumpscared that poor dude while he was running errands.

[@megamillion5852]

26 seconds in and this is already gold.

[@tonycorona8501]

Ironically, both Rise of Lyric and Forces do try to be cinematic too. But the first didn't have the setup for the narrative, and the latter the budget for that cinematic.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Rise Of Lyric is such a confusing mess. It was supposed to be the origin of Sonic, then the Origin of Boom Sonic and how he met his friends, then it became a story taking place before the first episode of the series, then all the characters already know each other and it's not an origin at all just another adventure the team is having (minus Sticks). Somehow we get a time travel plot, "The Ancients" and their wacky future tech, Shadow appearing out of nowhere just to fight Sonic and is never reffrenced again, then the team is split up, Sonic pulls an 06 Shadow and traps the main villian in the past so he can want revenge on him in the future which would be Sonic's past, then they all fight the big snake monster, the power of team work. The end. What? Also all the weird side characters in the "hub worlds", "aliens", and Sonic having a fakeout death to start the game. And to top it all off, the show and handheld games reffrence none of this. It's just a fun comedy "show about nothing". I sometimes wonder what the actual story would have been if the game hadn't been hacked to bits by corprate mandates.

[@nicu227]

Id add about the story being unrelated to the others...it kinda looks like a soft reboot of sonic adventure - and the adventure era build up . Cuz of the japanese title, the emeralds again being blacked out - now u have more gaia guardians not just one guardian being chaos - and tails having a so called tornado 1

[@maestro7534]

@kian7406 Pretty damn bizarre mistranslation, as one and three are both spoken and written differently and could in no way be confused.

[@tonycorona8501]

15:15 Well, eventually we will arrive to the Starfall Island, only this time Eggman wasn't even aware there was a monster hidden there. ...Subversion?

[@dn22pkkdd476]

@@themissingbits6375 you're saying you "want Sonic back", then say you want Sonic in the world of satam? That's no good....

[@dn22pkkdd476]

@@themissingbits6375 makes sense. Pull a "Chaotix in Heroes" to just integrate those characters into the game continuity, organically over time. Sonic would meet them in some adventure and find out they have also been fighting back against Eggman, just never on the frontlines like Sonic and his friends have been. Forces would have been the perfect place for that. But it was Forces and it was what it was. 🤷 With Ken Penders being so lawsuit happy over anything even remotely connected to Archie Sonic (and by association satam), I don't think Sega will ever try anything like that just to keep that headache off their plate. And I'd rather they follow Frontier's example and keep building up the large supporting cast we currently have for now, before trying to add The Freedom Fighters. I don't think this series is going anywhere so maybe one day it could happen. If Akira Toriyama can bring Broly into the main Dragon Ball continuity and improve the concept, anything is possible.

[@tonycorona8501]

@@themissingbits6375 I don't really get what you want, to be honest. I feel you worded it weirdly.

[@kilometersperminute4113]

@@tonycorona8501 New Yoke City the game without the AUs

[@tonycorona8501]

@@kilometersperminute4113 Ah, that makes more sense.

[@Ender-kk7gg]

48:58 THANK GOD! you are the first person to bring a compliant I have had for years, the fact that this cutsence would be way better if the game made me give a crap about Chip beforehand.

[@nightlydata2181]

These vids of these games' stories REALLY help me appreciate them more & I thank u for that. I agree wit EVERYTHIN u've said here & aside from BK Unleashed is prob my fav sonic story in the games. The joke bout makin the games purposefully "bad" is hilarious cus it would actually be genius imo tho I still really like the werehog lol. Kiyoko Shimura is def a fav writer with Maekawa but ye her jokes tend to not land for me, however I will say the food gags get a pass cus wit chip after losin his memories his first positive experience is good food so he wants to cheer everyone up the same way he was as light gaia

[@jackkazmaier2090]

This was a great video! I would like to point out that during my playthroigh of sonic unleashed, I would always buy the food in each different country and feed it to chip. With every food item you give him, he says something different that conveys that friendship that Sonic and Chip share, with there even being some points where he will gift you with certain items like videotapes if you feed him enough. That’s why I always found their friendship well built up throughout the game, but I suppose that’s only because I went out of my way to find it.

[@tonycorona8501]

37:34 the convenience of Sonic friends being where he is around is an established trope in the series, even fan works and Sonic Channel do it. Even Silver does it, and he shouldn't. For a huge world, it feels very little.

[@DannyBenS94]

I know you were just joking around about Sonic's mixed reception in most of the 3D games, but all jokes aside, I do wonder about something in gaming, Sonic or any game franchise. Why do developers keep adding various things that people have repeatedly said they don't like? Such as underwater levels with bad swimming controls (for most games with water levels), or having unskippable or unpauseable cutscenes or having to collect all of something again, even if you got almost all of it in a level that took a while to get through (and there are more games than just Crash that do that). It makes me wonder if game developers do that just to "balance" the game out, so that the good stuff looks even better by comparison. Just a thought. Anyway, nice video.

[@Pariah6950]

I've thought about that kind of thing. Might be worth a video. Like, no one likes auto-scrollers. I doubt there's almost anyone who plays a game and goes, "Aw, fuck yeah!" when they get to one. Rayman Legends is like the only exception to that. So why do devs put them in games still when it's well known that almost everyone dislikes them? Very strange.

[@DannyBenS94]

@@Pariah6950 I'd like to see a video about that in the future, if you would be interested in making one like that.

[@NIMPAK1]

Personally, I'm very much gameplay first when it comes to video games. I can appreciate a good story regardless of what medium it's in, though honestly, not a lot of video game stories really impress me, especially nowadays. HOWEVER, as an animation nerd, I think it's an absolute shame that not more Sonic games or even games in general have this level of high quality animation and directing. I still prefer the Sonic CD intro because I prefer that style of animation, but Unleashed is still amazing. I'm admittedly not a fan of the animated cutscenes in Mania and Origins, mainly because I don't like how cutesy wutesy they've made Classic Sonic since Generations. Tyson Hesse's Classic especially looks like a 2010's CN cartoon at points, which I'm not a fan of (I still like his work and think he's an great artist, just not a fan of his classic Sonic).

[@dn22pkkdd476]

I think he recaptured that edge the CD cutscene had, with the Knuckles Frontiers short.

[@NIMPAK1]

@@dn22pkkdd476 Tyson Hesse does a great job doing the modern characters justice.

[@tonycorona8501]

Well, this period had good animation with the CGI cutscenes starting with Shadow the Hedgehog. Only by Unleashed they decided "heeey, let's actually focus on Sonic AND Eggman" rather than whatever nonsense they were thinking at the time. The animation studio would eventually work in the movies, and they created a short animation called Night of the Werehog. I'm curious of seeing that later reviewed.

[@turtlestump]

IT’S HEEERRREEE

[@atlas_uraeus]

1:22:46 Bro just dug himself his own grave lmao

[@gammaguyyt]

we have did it. we found the video we were all waiting for! best video yet.

[@yoshihammerbro435]

Even the music makes this game sound like a big movie, sounding like Star Wars with the orchestra, and even having the leitmotif with the title screen melody being put into a lot of cutscene songs, the pickle lab, the result screen, and the boss themes. I know that Sonic 06 does this too but I personally just do not feel immersed enough to care, plus it's not the same orceshrtal big band, Star Wars feel of Unleashed.

[@halohunter1.081]

This is my favorite game EVER, it reminds me of my childhood, and that’s why video made me cry a lot hahaha

[@VirtuaMaster]

"WE are Sonic's best friend." "PARASOCIAL!! YOU NEED TO LOG OFF!!!" LOLLLL

[@gottagofastfaster]

This game is so much fun. Sadly, I couldn't afford PS3 or Xbox 360. Funny how I didn't play any Sonic game, but it's really interesting to look at gameplay and story.

[@LDFrost117]

I'm amused whenever he goes into what might be the "story justification" for any changes or inconsistencies that show up in the story, only to always just reach the same conclusion in every video, "Sonic Team just didn't cared"

[@sharingrey2433]

I just say one thing Sonic Unleashed, like it's own thing, it's a better reboot than Sonic 06, somehow The BEST Sonic Reboot

[@caveirainvocada9438]

My man's CHURNING these out and i'm loving all of them. Can't wait to hear your thoughts in Frontiers's story!

[@Nic_2751]

Ok so basically Odyssey executed the story ideas for in game incentive with helping the “continents” and the townsfolk and then developing our main companion’s friendship

[@franklycentral48]

Sonic shuffle review when

[@dn22pkkdd476]

#Justice4Shuffle

[@randomrants83]

I think super sonic failing at the beginning is really awesome. Sonic turns super at the beginning for practical use only, just so that he had a better chance of winning. At the end, there is an emotional core and metaphorical reason for sonic becoming super, and there, he wins

[@SaddieMoon]

36:45 I agree with the assistant idea, but I have to say it. This would’ve been a great time to bring back a previous character like Ray. They’ll just need some form of connection to Pickle though🤔

[@alexandrpeterberg390]

Sonic Unleashed is both the start of a new era while also being the end of an era. By the start of a new era, I am referring to the boost era. While I can't really say it was good for Sonic games in the long run I can say that it worked for Sonic Unleashed in day stages. And this is something SEGA and Sonic Team went with this from this point onward. But at the same time, this is also the end of an era. The end of Sonic games with a decent story. After Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight, the quality of the story has nosedived.

[@Zarkator]

37:19 I believe that it makes sense that sonic would find tails in relatively the same landmass. Depending on how long the raid on eggmans space fleet had been taking place prior to the opening cutscene (which shouldnt be very long considering we cut in just as eggman notices sonic is even here) They were probably together doing some bullshit before getting sonic up into the atmosphere, and then being that high up for all of about 6 minutes, and being cosmicly flung right back down, probably sonic's geographic position didn't change all that drastically form where he last saw tails. He is literally jogging around the continent in the ending credits after all. I only felt the need to dissect this matter so thoroughly bc im high as shit rn, respect on the good video my brother.

[@matthewradaza9761]

I dont care what game critic or ign or sonic hater say about this game this is one of the best of the boosting era of sonic better than generations and frontiers colors and especialy forces

[@seagullmoe]

Amazing video like always! Really hyped to see more content from you, especially the story videos! :)

[@SuperMilkyWay]

34:19 I like to imagine that Shadow and G.U.N were involved in the whole ordeal, except that they just never cross paths with Sonic

[@NoHandle44]

It would've been nice to show that since Chip is Gaia, the spirit of the world, then all the food that he eats would end up jump-starting his memories about those parts of the world. And he would get a full understanding of the people and their culture simply from eating their types of food. Maybe even helping Sonic locate the different temples. Since Gaia would know about them, and being reminded of a certain world cultures would also led them to the temples. It would be a mystery how this little dude with amnesia knows so much about the world. This game could've used Chip's love of food as a character and story telling element. We could've gotten a Purrito in this game, but instead got a Donkey.

[@greenhillnerdnew8148]

chip before learning he is gaia being only focused on eating is a metaphor for consumerism, thats why chip is like that.

[@bowspritssdo]

38:23 Actually I think the implication was judging from the after credits picture of Tails' Story that he fixed/rebuilt it.

[@sebastianmartinez5963]

Once again excellent work in analyzing in depth the story of Sonic Unleashed. Regarding the final boss, well, what can I say, it's epic, but personally, I prefer the Dark Gaia fight in the Wii version. I don't know, but I think the Wii version was better constructed. Similar 1st phase of swapping between Chip and Sonic, but instead of a slow bullet hell (more like bullet stroll) whith Chip, you get a Punch-Out style grudge match, where the entire point is to punch Dark Gaia in the face. Then 2nd phase is a lot more of a personal 1-on-1 between Perfect Dark Gaia and Super Sonic, which the former slashing and chucking meteors at latter, who charges up rings to launch himself and take out all of Perfect Dark Gaia's eyes, untill hitting the final, central one, ending the whole thing. Hell, even the orchestral theme of Endless Possibility is also present in the Wii version. In the PS3/Xbox360 only went for the spectacle apprach, because it is cinematic af. As Super Sonic, you don't really do anything, you don't fight Dark Gaia directly, only take out the shield and then do pure Quick Time Events.

[@SonicTheCutehog]

The beginning of the "Meta Era"

[@r.k845]

That’s colours. This is still the shounen era.

[@ALegendaryBlueHedge]

This is definitely not the beginning of the MetaEra That Honour goes to Sonic Free Riders

[@TacoManX9]

"[Sonic Unleashed] is the first Sonic game to acknowledge Sonic eating chili-dogs." Advance 3: "I'm about to end this man's whole career."

[@pengeibro7548]

They kind of do that thing where you help people around in each continent like you wanted through the side-missions. However, it's not tied to the main plot and none of them have to do with Chip and Sonic's development. And I can't really blame you for not really touching the side missions since they aren't too interesting gameplay wise. I remember in Spagonia you have you find a little girl's brother and those ghosts from Night of the Werehog actually do show up in the side-missions believe it or not. I remember actually playing through all of these side missions when I finished the game and there's actually some fun dialogue with the NPC's. There was some NPC who quizzed you Sonic lore lmao. But again, it's in there, just not to the extent you wanted it. I get the feeling they wanted to do your idea, but the structure of the game didn't really support it.

[@ドラゴンリュー-f1x]

This game showed how Sonic should balance comedy and seriousness. I hope the games after Frontier show good scenarios while maintaining a similar atmosphere.

[@NiohArcadia]

Still upset that this game is de-listed and you can't legally get it on modern platforms :( I desperately want a re-release man.😩 This is my favorite Sonic game both as a child and even now. I got me to just live life and look on the bright side of things. Endless Possibilities always gets me to tear up whenever I see that final cutscene.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

I thought it was re-listed for Xbox's online service? That's how people are playing it 60fps on series x or whatever the new complicated graphics thing is these days.

[@maestro7534]

@@dn22pkkdd476 I bought it on Xbox just recently. So I guess this guy just doesn't have Xbox...

[@Mr.Maguro]

Finally got around the time to finish this video. I want to say that I find it very amusing how the most explicit reference to the Adventure games is that the Chao are a thing, albeit less than inconsecuential, they're just sort of there. Unleashed kinda reminds me of Batman Forever in that, you can omit the very few possible continuity nods and it's very much it's own thing, going back to a style and tone from before the franchise wasn't so gritty, but still kinda sorta fitting in as a pseudo-sequel/soft reboot.

[@Angie2343]

@Pariah695 If you ever watched The Wolf Man, you would see that there is a character named Maleva. This game needed a Maleva-like character to tell Sonic that he has the werewolf curse due to the dark energy within him.

[@electrocast]

amazing rant at the beginning about the animation & presentation of sonic stories after this game. just amazing. excellent. love it. still havent had a chance to play this game lmfao, part of why i never prioritised it is BECAUSE it just doesnt care about previous games. i like my sonic games to at least acknowledge previous adventures. makes me feel like i'm dumb for loving a previous story when its ignored. "what you care about why shadow isnt here? shut up youre stupid"

[@Ryboflavin]

I think a good deal of Chip bonding happens in Night of the Werehog and the 3 special shorts.

[@Angel-ek4kl]

Korone needs to play this game ASAP, I think she'll love it

[@Leo-ms8gm]

Great video I really love this game and I’m looking forward to your sonic colors review

[@atlascinematics]

i love when games take eggman seriously and make him actually threatening i love flipping the brains vs brawn on its head when eggman the villain is the brains

[@Kebab0960]

been waiting on this one

[@YPhilou]

so no one's gonna talk about that space station that looks like the ark

[@tonycorona8501]

36:47 funny you mention that, that's the reason I don't care about Colors DS. The cameos don't really make the story more interesting. But we will eventually go there.

[@deslardesslok]

Just got the CD soundtrack for this game today at 2:25p.m. and it's the Planetary Pieces Sonic World Adventure Original Soundrack CD and I'm listening to it while watching this! 7:37p.m. 6/15/2023

[@RightNowsReverie]

I have nothing to say. This is a great video on a great story from a great game told by a great guy

[@Ra3_ar1adnE]

I've long waited for this.

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

Ong.

[@purpleboye_]

Can't wait to see The story of Sonic Colors and it's just a 2 second clip of Sonic saying baldy nosehair

[@traviscunningham7062]

Well excuuuuuse me Princess is less cringe and actually funny.

[@purpleboye_]

@@traviscunningham7062 well excuse me princess is a certified classic one liner and I'm tired of pretending it's not

[@thesmashinghit6868]

So no black hole then?

[@thumb6170]

anyone notice at 59:43 Robotnik has a dreamcast sitting in his cockpit fsr

[@dn22pkkdd476]

He is a man of wealth and taste

[@juliane.mfarias9285]

I cried so hard after completing Unleashed...

[@turtlefood4083]

AW MAN HERE WE GO