Fans have just released an unofficial PC port of the Xbox 360 version of Sonic Team's Sonic Unleashed, which brings with it a ton of new features and improvements to modding and performance.
The project was put together by a large group of individuals from across the globe, including the co-creators Skyth and Sajid, and has been built through the process of statically recompiling the original Xbox 360 into a native executable for PC.
This is something that is now possible thanks to a set of newly created tools by Skyth called XenonRecomp and XenosRecomp, which converts Xbox 360 executables and shaders into C++ code and HLSL, which can then be recompiled for x86 platforms. It is heavily inspired by the work of Mr-Wiseguy — the creator of N64:Recompiled — who is also credited on the project for providing information and assistance at the start of development.
According to its developers, Unleashed Recompiled (as the project is called) introduces support for ultrawide monitors, high resolution, and high framerates, as well as greater opportunities for modding.
None of the files provided contain any of the original game assets (likely to avoid any nasty legal complications with Sega). Instead, the developer encourages users to provide these themselves, by dumping their own legally acquired copies of the Sonic title.
In case you've somehow never heard of Sonic Unleashed, it was originally released for the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PS3 in 2008, and featured two types of gameplay that were noticeably different from one another. The first of these took place during levels set during the day and featured Sonic's trademark speed, while the remainder took place at night and saw Sonic transform into a lumbering "Werehog" that was more equipped for combat.
If you want to give the PC port a try, the files you need can be downloaded now from the project's GitHub page, along with instructions on how to dump your game files from your Xbox 360 copy of Sonic Unleashed, and get everything up and running.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 15
Can you skip the werehog levels? If so, now we have a game worth playing.
Looking at the footage, this is very impressive. Seeing technology finally catch up to Sonic Unleashed is truly wild. Not even the Series X could run this thing smoothly.
Best thing is that this probably won't run into any legal trouble given that SEGA is kinda ashamed of this title.
Looking forward to when someone recompiles Generations.
@X68000 no, but you can turn off the battle theme that plays.
I was astonished to see that we jumped from N64 static recompilation straight up to Xbox 360, I never imagined we'd see something like this.
A fantastic cause too, Sonic Unleashed had become so inaccessible due to only being on 360 and PS3 (not counting the PS2 and Wii versions which are effectively a different game).
@N00BiSH When someone recompiles Generations?
That game has had a native PC version for a long time. It's a little harder to get in its original form now, as the remaster with Shadow's campaign has replaced it, but that should be an equally good experience if your computer isn't too old.
Or were you just hoping for easier mod support? I'd assume there's a decent selection of mods already, but haven't looked into it.
PS: Series X doesn't run Unleashed smoothly? I saw a video showing that it powers through even the infamous problem spots in the Adabat level... albeit at the original game's sub-HD resolution. Does it have issues elsewhere?
@smoreon I know Generations has a PC port, but it has some immense slowdown issues and they add up. They can be fixed with a mod, but I feel having to mod a 2011 PC game for it to run isn't exactly ideal. And yes, I'm aware that the ShadGens port runs better but I'm not keen on the changes in that version. I know. Nitpicky.
As for the Series X version, it still has some hiccups here and there. Nothing too bad but it sometimes has trouble with keeping a consistent frame rate - like in Adabat as you mentioned.
@N00BiSH Not surprised that the remaster changed something for the worse, however small it was (it's basically inevitable). Wonder if anyone has reverted things using mods.
I did experience a single, noticeable, inexplicable framerate drop in modern Chemical Plant, and this is a known issue, but it was otherwise perfect, as far as I recall. (This was with a GTX 960 on Win7.) I wasn't aware that some PCs/OSes had worse issues.
@smoreon maybe I just have a terrible computer. Wouldn't be surprised, though.
This is cool. I would also love to see Project 06 finished.
This is AWESOME stuff. Automatically, it brings PC requirements for Xbox 360 down, down DOWN - which is amazing stuff. Of course it relies on interest in certain titles, but I'm super excitedat the prospect of being able to play stuff like PGR 4 on PC natively, at much, much higher framerates and resolutions without the hassle of emulation, which still has a ways to go.
That era has some of the best games out there, and there's now a chance that many of those amazing games locked to the Xbox 360 will be available to play in a form that could stomp out all of the performance issues and limitations that the generation was known for.
Amazing work!
@N00BiSH Check out PCGamingWiki. Looks like Generations is known to have issues on Windows 11, on top of the other stutters we were talking about, but there are unofficial patches that can fix these things!
@AJB83 I'm glad that Xbox 360 and Nintendo 64 were some of the first systems chosen for this recomp technique, as they both have so many potentially great games... and such poor technical performance holding those games back!
@smoreon Yeah, 100%!!! That's exactly it. I'm so pumped for the future of these systems on PC
Lost Odyssey decompilation when
Dante's Inferno
Asura's Wrath
Afterburner Climax
...
Oh the potential!
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