Sonic Unleashed producer knew werehog aspect would generate negative criticism
“The current reactions [to the werehog] were something we had expected. When we first started the Sonic Unleashed project, I created a concept document with the Art Director Sachiko Kawamura on a single piece of paper. At that point, Kawamura and I remember saying that ‘There will definitely be mixed reactions from Sonic fans!’ However, I took it as receiving mixed reactions is not [necessarily] a bad thing, since it will bring discussions and also bring great impact as well. I personally feel that Werehog’s design has come out very well. It has some degree of cuteness inside the wildness and while we can tell that it is Sonic, there are some appearances that he is not Sonic. Also, I feel that the gameplay has become very fun.” – Sonic Unleashed producer Yoshihisa Hashimoto
Sonic Unleashed could have had the chance to be a great game if more focus was concentrated on the daytime levels rather than the werehog portions. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve read any positive reactions to the werehog levels. That’s not to say that the game is absolutely unplayable during these sessions, though it’s not exactly entertaining.
