The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Review

Taking the Sonic franchise to the next level, SEGA’s The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog takes the blue blur, whacks him, and throws his spiky carcass into the last place one would expect: a visual novel. Should players figure out whodunit, or is this case not worth solving?

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Review

After naming one’s furry self, players are assigned work at the dining car of The Mirage Express, a high speed smart train with a number of historic events under its belt. With the conductor retiring, the latest adventure for this locomotive is a murder mystery for Amy’s birthday.

Enter Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and other characters from Sonic’s rich history. Lore cards in hand, players will then live up to their roles after they find Sonic numb and on the ground. However, one begins to learn that things might be far more serious than one originally intended.

As players figure out what happened in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, players will see each cast member stay true to their personalities. It always stays lighthearted, and one will enjoy the overall goofy nature of this title throughout its approximately two hour runtime. As an added bonus, there are also countless deep cuts to games gone by – just the thing for those whose first system was the SEGA Genesis.

One thing that is different from its lineage is the way the title plays out. This visual novel has more than just dialog; players will also be tasked with making choices, investigating different spots, and interacting with objects. Players will also put on their thinking cap and play through Special Stage-like mini games on their handy-dandy DreamGear. While a bit rudimentary, it’s far more dynamic than the typical static nature of visual novels, one more akin to the Danganronpa series of games than Ever 17: The Out of Infinity.

There’s also a fair amount of ground to cover. Different cars – including a casino car, library car, and saloon car – have different characters and different things to interact with. It’s nothing too complex, but the amount of content that is present is most certainly welcome. Best of all, this title makes sure not to outstay its welcome.

Rounding things out is some great art. Sonic games are chock full of style; there’s a reason the series has had its “way past cool” moniker since the 90s. Each character has their own signature flair, and while the images are static, they do adjust based on what is happening on the screen at any given moment.

Chock full of mystery and fanservice, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog takes the blue blur in a refreshing new direction. This trip on The Mirage Express might be a radical detour for the blue blur, but one should grab their ticket for this wild ride.

This review of The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was done on the PC. The game was freely downloaded.