Release: March 3, 2009
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: Sonic Team
Genre: Adventure
Rating: Everyone 10+
Sonic and the Black Knight is the latest chapter in the Sonic Team’s “storybook series.” Harkening back to the launch of the Wii, Black Knight follows the trend established with Sonic and the Secret Rings. If you are prepared for a traditional Sonic game consisting of collecting rings, charging up spins, and fighting Dr. Robotnik, you might be disappointed. However, if a new Sonic experience interests you, then this will be just what you are looking for. Featuring combat with shadow monsters while wielding a sword, immersive lush landscapes, and the same Sonic attitude that made him a cultural icon, Sonic and the Black Knight is worth a whirl in your Wii.
This game has a great mix of art, cinema and sound, while still assuring that the graphics are top notch. The opening cinema where we meet Sonic, Melina and King Arthur is very polished, with production values that would be comparable to actual movies. Establishing the theme of the game, the plot throughout is told in a storyboard fashion. Even the menus and navigation have a grungy modern, yet medieval feel. Graphics during gameplay are also stunning, including incredibly rendered grass, stone and lava. The voice acting is also done really well. Everything was very reminiscent of the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons, right down to the cheesy dialog.
This time around, Sonic has been transported to Camelot, the home of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Merlina, Merlin’s granddaughter, has summoned Sonic (along with a couple chili dogs) to fight King Arthur, who has become evil and corrupt due to the scabbard on his sword. Sonic fights against other knights bearing strong similarities to Knuckles, Blaze the Cat, and Shadow the Hedgehog. Merlina tasks you with finding your sword, Caliber as well as the Lady of the Lake, played by Amy Rose.
The levels and missions are self explanatory – get to the goal. In an effort to infuse some variety, you are occasionally required to kill a certain number of shadow monsters or give golden rings to the townspeople. Most missions offer very little challenge. The most challenging stages require you to make it to a location without hitting a single towns person, or grinding a rail without falling off. This discrepancy makes the game’s difficulty feel unbalanced. Missions seem almost too easy, while fighting the bosses, mainly King Arthur, is extremely tough. Timing of Wii waggling is key, and it is hard to perfect.
Control of Sonic’s movements are done via the nunchuck. He can move left, right, back and of course forward, at whatever speed you like. This is not the typical Sonic of old, where you would fly through a level in thirty seconds, but it is certainly not a nap either. Control of the sword is achieved by swinging, waggling, shaking, or wanking the Wii remote. A Soul Meter is charged by killing enemies. Once charged, pressing the B button releases a Soul Surge, allowing you to kill foes in one hit. But beware, once the meter runs out, it’s back to slashing. Slashing the remote vertically or horizontally does not seem to translate on screen, because the game does what it wants. Blocking is done with Z, although it’s hard to remember to use. While it may not be the best control scheme, it was easy enough to get the hang of.
At the end of each mission you are given a rank. It’s not clear how this rank is scored, nor is it clear why sometimes you are rewarded with 10 followers and other times only 3. The more followers you have, the higher your title. You begin at Knave and work your way up to Knight. Throughout the progression of the game, you are given the opportunity to identify items found scattered in each level. There are hundreds of items to collect and even trade with friends over wifi. The point of this feature seems rather unclear. If nothing else, you could try it, just to be able to say that you did. Sonic and the Black Knight is a very short game but it has a lot of replay potential. For example, in order to gain more followers, levels need to be repeated. Certain missions also unlock artwork, music and videos that diehard Sonic fans won’t want to miss.
SEGA also managed to work a Battle mode into Sonic and the Black Knight that plays similar to the boss battles. This multiplayer mode contains several different challenges, but the secret to winning seems to be the same for all of them, button mash and waggle. To top it all off, there are leaderboards where you can test your skill against other players from around the world. Unfortunately, you can not battle against other players, but a score comparison chart can offer plenty of chances for bragging rights.
Whether you are a fan of the new direction Sonic has taken or an oldschool supporter, it is fair to say that this hedgehog has come a long way from his 16-bit roots. While most will desire more of a challenge, Sonic and the Black Knight is an enjoyable experience that will inspire many nostalgic trips down memory lane.
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