Sonic X-Treme Unity (Project SXU) is a fan made project based on a cancelled Saturn game, that delivers a very unique take on Sonic the Hedgehog in 3D, with the spherically styled levels and a fisheye camera view.
As many tries as SEGA have had, they still haven’t managed to satisfyingly transfer the classic 2D Sonic experience to the third dimension. They did get close with the Sonic X-Treme on Saturn, but it was sadly cancelled before it was released. Sonic X-Treme Unity is a project created by Sonic fan Entendo, that’s based on Sonic X-Treme, complete with with spherically shaped levels that feel like you’re playing in 2D and 3D simultaneously.
The current build of Sonic X-Treme Unity features two whole levels (and one short tunnel test area) that can be completed in around a minute, with multiple routes and fun stuff to discover. The second level (Comix Zone) is particularly impressive, with some very creative level design and a nice sense of speed and momentum.
It’s still early in development so you can expect plenty of rough edges, but there’s a lot to like about Sonic X-Treme Unity. It’s a very different take on the Sonic series which manages to nail the feel of the classic 2D Sonic games and transfer it to its weird spherical fisheye worlds. With a bit more polish this could be the Sonic 3D game we’ve all been waiting for.
Check Out a Gameplay Video Here
Download The Tech Demo Here (Windows)