SEGA is usually very good in making fun surprises, and this past April Fool’s Day, they have done it again, with The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a fun free game available to anyone. Taking the cast of the Sonic series into the point and click adventure genre, what you have is a love letter to the fans of the genre and the Sonic series
You take control of a new employee on a murder mystery adventure train ride. It is Amy’s birthday, and the place has been rented out for a mystery. While it is your job to make sure the guests are taken care of, quickly you are engulfed in the mystery of who “murdered” Sonic. All the while, each character will be up to their own goals, wacky adventures, and plot-important anecdotes. Most of the time, you will be partnered with Tails, who takes up the mantle of “world famous detective.” It is now up to you to solve this colorful caper.
There is not much to explain in terms of gameplay, it works perfectly as a point and click game should, and as it is a free game accessible to everyone, like most in the genre, expect there to be little in the way of perma-death, as you will always be given a chance to use the right evidence in interrogations or rethink what you need to say to specific characters. The meat of the game comes from its charm. If you enjoy these characters, you get to spend a fun day roleplaying with them essentially. It is a story and a game that proves that uses the classic tropes of the genre to great effect and is sure to put a smile on your face.
It should not take you too long to complete, perhaps a few hours at most, but when the price is free, I doubt anyone will complain. It will be interesting to see if SEGA revisits this idea for future releases. Many April Fool’s jokes in media can often breed great success when the jokes turn out to be fun and inventive, and since Sonic has ventured into other genres before, this is just the latest in a long line of trying something new (and successful) out. SEGA has crafted a fun gift to its fans, and if you are fans of the Sonic series or adventure/mystery games in general, you really cannot go wrong in giving it a shot, as you are bound to find something to smile at!
Score: 9/10
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is available for free on PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Matt O’Toole
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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