Sonic Returns....Again!
Few gaming franchises as are recognisable as Sonic the Hedgehog. From mega drive to Wii, the Sonic games have stretched across gaming history and grown to be extremely popular. The first two or three Sonic games were the most famous and well loved, cementing the character as the poster boy for Sega. However, as time went on sonic struggled to get to grips with new technology, as the side scrolling formula gave way to 3D adventures, Sonic lost his footing and declined in popularity. Some say the games were overly ambitious and frenetic, overloading the screen with visuals and gameplay too difficult to follow. Sonic Unleashed had been intended to put the franchise back on track, but once again met with a range of poor reviews and reception.
So now the Wii are introducing their own exclusive Sonic and the Black Knight, as Sega hope to appeal to the family friendly console and bring their hero to the fore once again. This game is set to take a new direction, plunging Sonic into an alternate reality filled with errant knights and distressed damsels. Taking the storyline into a fresh and new territory may be just what the franchise needs to shake off those old cobwebs.
Combat in this game has also received a vast improvement on its predecessor. Dispensing with the ability to morph into a Werehog from Unleashed (criticised for detracting from Sonic's trademark speed and agility) Sonic now wields a sword which he can use whilst on the trot, giving rise to highly inventive gameplay as you speed through levels and dispatch foes in one fluid motion. As Unleashed was a game that had been ported to the Wii, the motion controls struggled with the system and most gamers simply opted for using a joypad. This isn't a problem for The Black Knight, as being a Wii exclusive the controls have been developed and mastered from the outset.
With only a few days to wait until launch, we can only hope that these favourable portents come true and sonic is returned to the pinnacle of gaming where he belongs.
