Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360 preview build)

Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360 preview build)
Prerelease of: Sonic Unleashed
System: Xbox 360
Found by: N!NJA

The Sonic Unleashed Xbox 360 Preview Build is a pre-release version of Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360 version). It was released by N!NJA on December 6, 2016 on the

Sonic Retro forums.

Build date

• Disc label: 1/09/2008
• XEX: Sun Aug 31 22:41:02 2008
• Dev Menu: Revision 6005 Mon Apr 21 06:50:59 2008.

All three of these dates are different, which makes it hard to determine the actual build date. The Dev Menu date appears to be a Subversion timestamp, so that could be the date of the actual code; the XEX date would then be when the game was actually compiled. The disc label date is one day after the XEX, so that would be when it was actually burned to disc.

Differences

• Sonic the Hedgehog's jump ball is different, being much more transparent.

Preview Build

Final game

• Sonic the Werehog's HUD is unfinished, and identical to the one seen at E3 2008.

Preview Build

Final game

• The main menu uses the same sound effect for pushing start as seen in Sonic 2006.
• The main menu has a different background.

Preview Build

Final game

• The claw slash effect doesn't play in the main menu.
• The game runs at an uncapped framerate. This is fine on hardware, but produces poor results on emulators using powerful computers, as the game's physics start breaking at framerates above 60. You need to cap it using external software.
• The loading screen is different for both nighttime and daytime
• You cannot drift by pressing B or holding RT, you have to brake, then make a sharp turn. Much harder to pull off, and it makes snaking much harder to do!
• Sonic the Hedgehog makes an annoying sound everytime he slides. He also exclaims "WOO!" everytime you stomp. Both create a slightly more irritating experience, but you get used to it.
• The visual effect for boosting is a work in progress
• The camera is much less dynamic, zooming out less while boosting. It creates a placebo effect of daytime feeling much slower, despite Sonic the Hedgehog having identical speed values to the final game.
• The physics are overall much less refined. Sonic the Hedgehog has less air drag, feels even more slippery than the final, and cannot turn as effectively. Sonic the Werehog is slow, and lumbering. Both of them feel worse to play.
• The lock-on reticle for the homing attack is different.

Preview Build

Final game

• Sonic begins the game with all of his moves, and the upgrade system is not present.
• At the end of a level, S ranks are always achieved no matter what.
• There's a 'replay' button on the end of level screen. This is missing in the final, but returned in Sonic Generations.
• In-game cutscene music continues into stages and hub worlds when skipped. This does not apply to FMVs.
• Sonic the Hedgehog is even slower in the hub worlds, and slides around in a neutral stance when paused.
• Neither of Sonic's forms play an intro animation at the beginning of stages. The only exception is Cool Edge Act 1 (Daytime).
• Sonic the Hedgehog's quickstep is much less powerful outside of dedicated quickstep sections, barely moving Sonic at all.
• The global illumination is much higher resolution than the final game. It looks better, and doesn't have any noticeable impact on performance.
• Despite the GI being higher resolution, the lighting is overall worse on the majority of stages. Most likely because compiling the advanced lighting could take days, and it'd be far too much effort to go through for every single minute layout change.
• Entrance stages use the same UI as action stages, having a timer counting down along with a score counter during the daytime.
• Entrance stages all have their stages laid out in the beginning of them, likely for playtesting purposes.
• The transformation cutscenes for Sonic changing between forms in the hub worlds is not present.
• Sonic the Werehog's fur is a slightly different coloration. He resembles the textures used in the Wii version far more than the final game.

Preview Build

Final game

• Sonic the Werehog's claws use white trails, rather than the purple used in the final game.

Preview Build

Final game

• M-speed is much easier to pull off, requiring less precision.
• Sun and Moon medals are not present, however the UI for them still exists.
• Motion blur is significantly less intense.

Unused content

• There's an early version of Savannah Citadel Day in the files. It doesn't have any geometry or textures, but the collision and the object layout is present. It is very similar to the version of the level showcased in a trailer.

Comparisons

Main article: Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360 preview build)/Comparisons

External links

• 
  Sonic Retro discussion thread
• 
  Earlier thread prior to release

References

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems

2006  Sonic the Hedgehog     2008  Sonic Unleashed     2009  Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection     2010  Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing | Sonic Free Riders     2011  Sonic Generations     2012  Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed      Demos  Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 Xbox Live demo) | Sonic Generations (Demo 1/2)  Prototypes  Sonic Unleashed prereleases | Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (prototype; 2009-12-01)