On April Fools’ Day, SEGA made a surprise by releasing a new title in the Sonic series. It is The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. This new title is a visual novel explored using classic point & click mechanics. But what makes it unique is the story… it’s about Sonic’s death. Yes, you did not hear wrong. It’s about the Sonic murder case, and it’s you to investigate this death. If you’re excited about this new experience, explore it with us now.

What is The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog?

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was released by Sega on April 1, 2023, for Windows and macOS. It is introduced as a visual novel video game with detective elements and a familiar cartoon style.

The game was developed over a year by Sonic’s social media team. It is mainly inspired by the movie Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). After the release date, the game received positive feedback from the gaming community on Steam. As announced by Chrzanowski, Sonic’s social media director, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog had more than 1 million downloads in its first week alone. This is truly a surprise!

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog trailer

A trailer was posted on Sonic the Hedgehog’s official Youtube channel on the release date. It reveals part of the plot and gameplay of the new game, which was released shortly after. You can check out this trailer below.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog review

Plot

To commemorate Amy Rose’s birthday, friends, including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Espio, Vector, Rouge, Blaze, and Shadow, come together on the Mirage Express, a train designed explicitly for special events like a murder mystery game. As the player, you step into the role of a new quokka crew member, guided by a knowledgeable conductor to support the participants.

However, just as the game commences, the train suddenly picks up speed, hurling Amy, Tails, and the player into a locker, knocking them unconscious. Once they come to their senses, they find Sonic seemingly lifeless. The situation raises suspicions: is this merely a part of the game, or is something far more sinister unfolding? A thrilling adventure awaits as you uncover the truth behind this mysterious event.

Investigate Sonic’s death like a detective

Sonic’s death confuses everyone on the train; they need someone to investigate this mystery. So you will play a character on a train and investigate everything related to this century’s most serious assassination attempt. The investigative work goes through many levels, including gathering evidence and interrogating other characters.

When interrogating someone, you must present evidence to confirm or refute the character’s answer. The interrogation process also gives you essential information, typically the attitudes and statements of the people on the train during Sonic’s death.

Enjoy the classic auto-runner game

Once the interrogation ends, you can move on to the next room to collect new evidence, followed by further interrogations. In between these segments, the game offers a minigame called “Think.” In the game, you control the character Sonic running through the road full of obstacles. Passing them allows you to unlock the following stages. The longer the playing time, the greater the difficulty of this minigame.

This minigame makes us reminisce about games associated with many generations, like Sonic Colors: Ultimate or Sonic Origins. So The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog does a good job of delivering brand-new gameplay and reminiscing once-in-a-lifetime monuments.

Point & click mechanism

Like many other visual novel games, this game features classic point & click mechanics. You need to click on a point on the screen to skip dialogue, get an item, or open a menu. That is, it is easy to play and familiar. It can suit children, or anyone fed up with complicated games.

Meet familiar and new characters

Those who love Saga’s Sonic universe will be pleased to see the return of old friends. It’s Sonic (in a few scenes), Amy Rose, Tails, Vector, Knuckles, Espio, Rogue, Shadow, and Blaze. They look like “them” in previous games, which is familiar from the beginning.

In particular, each character is well-built in appearance, dialogue, and expression. You can see Tails looking “thinking” while solving a puzzle or acting “proudly” when he solves something. The characters’ expressions are simple but contribute to the game’s success. It helps convey the story of The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog and makes it more like a cartoon.

Diverse contexts

The game is a complete and linear story. It is told in a timeline from the present to the future. Following that timeline, the game will lead you through various locations, from the reading room, the gallery, the document room, the train’s hold, the train’s control room, and more.

Each location is an entirely separate space. It contains interactive objects, and each object can bring something. You must discover them and uncover all the mysteries surrounding the train and Sonic’s death.

How to download The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is available now on Steam for Windows PC. You can download it and play it for free from now on. Just open Steam (if you don’t have Steam, get it here), then search for the game and click “Play Game.”

Price:

• Free

System Requirements:

FAQs about The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Is The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog free-to-play?

Yes. It is released for free on Steam for Windows.

What languages are available in the game?

English only.

Does it have a multiplayer mode?

No. Only single-player mode.

Given what we’ve reviewed, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a game worth checking out. It is entirely different from Sega’s previous games in the Sonic series, which attracted gamers’ curiosity, both old and new. Moreover, the game’s plot has a sensational element about the death of Sonic – something that seems impossible in Sonic’s game. So what do you think about this game? Please comment below.

Want to play another hot game? Give DREDGE or CRIME BOSS ROCKAY CITY a try!