The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog may be the most amusingly bizarre project yet in the Sonic franchise, and it could serve as a blueprint for other series to follow. It's safe to say that most Sonic the Hedgehog fans did not expect to see anything like this, both in terms of the genre shift and its titular premise. Although the game is weird, it has an impressive amount of charm that manages to combine a lot of good ideas for what is essentially a joke game.
As a part of April Fools' Day 2023, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was released for free. Unlike the series' usual fare, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a visual novel, although there are also some mini-games reminiscent of traditional Sonic gameplay. In the game, Sonic and his friends have gathered to celebrate Amy's birthday with a murder mystery party in which Sonic plays the role of the victim. However, it turns out that there is a real mystery underlying the party, and the player is tasked with helping Tails uncover the truth about their situation.
Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog's Approach Could Work With Many Different Series
The April Fools game is obviously absurd, as even Sonic Frontiers' darker storyline didn't stretch into murder territory. However, one big part of the game's appeal is that it plays into how absurd it can be. Every character plays their intended role in the party, including characters who wouldn't normally entertain such an idea - like Espio and Shadow. With the game being a visual novel, the writers set out to make every character's personality shine, a move that seems to be a guaranteed success with a cast as colorful as Sonic and his friends.
Although The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog does have stakes, it's more focused on humor in a way that could shake up expectations for other franchises, like the Mario series and its potential crossovers. While a lot of games garner critical acclaim for featuring excellent stories, a big part of the reason people play games is simply to have fun. It's for this reason that things like Red Dead Redemption 2's "A Quiet Time" mission are so popular; when characters that fans like are placed in a funny situation that lets their different characteristics be shown off, it can elevate fans' appreciation of said characters further.
Although The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog may be the most high-profile example, it's not the first time something of this caliber has been attempted. Dead by Daylight's Hooked on You dating sim was a similar idea, taking a handful of the scary horror killers and making them the leads of a dating sim. Other franchises could benefit from trying this approach with characters like Kirby or even Mario using tongue-in-cheek stories that are willing to subvert expectations for fun. These sorts of amusing adventures can be good for individual games and the long-arm of their characters.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog may be an April Fool's joke, but it presents a lot of potential. While the lore of Sonic the Hedgehog has never been overly serious, there is a lot of entertainment value that could be taken from other games following The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog's blueprint. Innovating and finding new things to do with an IP is worth the effort, because it can lead to unexpected successes. Hopefully The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is only the first of these entertaining projects.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is available now on PC.