While the daytime levels are all about running fast and traversing speed tracks, the night levels slow things down and introduce a steady diet of combat. As the story goes, the arrival of Dr. Robotnick (thankfully no one called him “Eggman”) and the upsetting of the Chaos Emeralds has left Sonic with a particularly nasty case of lycanthropy. Now, whenever the moon comes out, he is turned into “Sonic the Werehog,” and trades his speed shoes for a super-powerful physique and stretchy arms.

Whereas combat in the day levels consist of no more than one or two enemies at a time, normally strategically placed to allow you to hit them and bounce to the next platform so as to keep your speed up, night combat is all about hordes of enemies swarming all over you. Of course, Sonic is more than up to the challenge, and his beefed-up bod can handle most foes with a fairly simple swat.

Regardless of whether it’s day or night, the stages all look absolutely beautiful, with locales inspired by places like Mykonos and China. In the Mykonos level, we saw lush foliage and beautiful vistas, while China featured lots of unique architecture and some fanciful dragons. The game will also include levels inspired by Europe and Africa, and we’ll have to hang tight and see if any more surprises pop up between now and launch.

Right now, the biggest question about Sonic Unleashed is how fans will react to the new fighting levels. Will it be viewed as a fully fleshed out concept that helps keep gameplay fresh? Or will it be yet another failed gimmick that fans decry as an example of how far this franchise has fallen from glory? Only a few months left until we find out, but it’s hard to root against a character whose red shoes and penchant for ring collecting were able to capture the minds of an entire generation of gamers.