So they killed Sonic for us. Yes indeed it is, Sonic is dead. In their own words, Sega decided to listen to players and fans who were asking for a new direction. Not that they wished for the death of their favorite blue speedster, I suppose, but they were certainly gifted with something new. And that is the game The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, where instead of golden rings we will go after a mean killer. A fallen hero deserves justice.
If there’s a day when you can’t believe everything, it’s April Fools’ Day. Even Sega got in on the fun and announced a brand new title, which was released right away and even for free. However, this April Fool’s joke goes a little further and is not just an empty announcement – not only does the game exist, but it’s also exceptionally successful. It is an impressive visual novel with adventure elements, several puzzles and an arcade minigame, as befits and belongs to Sonic. And maybe it’s canon too…
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog lets you enter Sonic’s world as a new, seemingly unimportant character who is tasked with the comfort of all the guests at a murder-on-the-train detective birthday party, where other familiar faces from the game have arrived alongside Sonic. However, something went wrong, the game is not progressing as it should, and therefore it is necessary to act and solve this essentially unplanned murder together with Tails in the new roles of amateur detectives. So who murdered Sonic, who has secrets and what is really going on in the train?
The game is available for free on Steam and its passage takes about two hours. It must be said that in my case it was a really pleasant two hours. This is definitely not a hastily repaid act because of an April Fool’s joke, but an artfully written and entertaining story that allows you to look at familiar characters in a slightly different way. In addition, it is beautifully crafted and accompanied by great music. This is also confirmed by the feedback from fans who, like the developers themselves, thank Sega for allowing something like this. The result is really worth it.
