Furthermore, Unleashed’s levels remain some of-if not THE-best-looking environments in any Sonic game. These stages manage to translate the adrenaline rush of Sonic 2 and Sonic 3&K’s “oh shit Sonic’s going so fast he’s about to fly off the screen” moments into a breezy 3D experience that finds smart ways to reward player focus and skill. Seriously, Sonic Unleashed (the badass 360/PS3 version) reinvented the Sonic formula in such a stylistically bold, thrilling, and visually stunning way with its daytime levels that no one with a true need for speed should deny themselves the pleasure of playing the game over and over until the day they die. Sonic Unleashed was condemned to critical hell upon release in 2008, and that means it’s one of the primary reasons aliens will judge us as brainless chimps undeserving of freedom when it comes time for the Great Takeover™.