2009 had the second installment in the Sonic Storybook Series, Sonic and the Black Knight, a sequel to Sonic and the Secret Rings, released exclusively on the Wii. Black Knight (BK) is the second and final game in the storybook series, however. They obviously wanted to do more of these but just didn’t. I think BK is much, much better than its predecessor. The levels and mechanics are more enjoyable. The guidance is much better- the game tells which are optional and in which stages the new missions have been unlocked. You’d just do all of them in Secret Rings because the game never tells you which ones you need to do or which ones you don’t. The UI is better, instead of a level select there’s a nice world map. The story. Instead of some book page style cutscenes and then into the action, boom! CGI cutscene right away in the beginning. It starts with Sonic falling into the ground somewhere else in the middle of nowhere with nothing but chili dogs in hand. The SatAM cartoons and underground in the 90’s really established Sonic’s love for chili dogs which made it into the games with unleashed.
We see a wizard, Merlina, use a spell against King Arthur and his army. Arthur retreats as Merlina and Sonic get away. Merlina explains she brought him here to help her, which is to get Caliburn, a sword, and defeat the knights of the round table, Lancelot, Percival, and Gawain, to even stand a chance against King Arthur. The levels aren’t as original and unique as the ones in Secret Rings, here there’s levels such as kingdoms and dragon lairs and stuff- but we’ve seen these ideas in the series. Secret Rings has Dinosaur Jungle and Levitated Ruin. Now, what does Sonic with a sword feel like? I think it’s pretty interesting to give a sword to a fast paced character like Sonic. I personally think using Caliburn is quite fun. The soul gauge lets you attack with extreme percussion. I’ve always liked combat in Sonic games, as it’s a nice break from all the running. The stages feature townspeople that the player can choose to help or injure; these actions and the player's deeds will be judged at the end of each stage, updating your Knight’s Honor Bonus.
Helping the townspeople will boost the bonus, while hurting them will make it drop. By helping out citizens, you can purchase items from them, such as new swords, gauntlets, and magical tomes. There are so many things to do in the game, which I find really nice. There are also character look-alikes in this game, Nimue as Amy, the Blacksmith as Tails, Lancelot as Shadow, Gawain as Knuckles, and Percival as Blaze. I also believe this is the last Sonic game Crush 40 performed in until 2019. Yeah, and these songs were bangers. With Me, Live Life, Fight the Knight, Knight Of The Wind, they’re all great. Crush 40 will be missed.
Resuming the story, Sonic acquires Caliburn. Merlina explains that King Arthur was once a good ruler, but was corrupted by Excalibur’s scabbard, and is immortal. Caliburn is a talking sword who is skeptical of Sonic’s abilities, and the hedgehog heads into town while Merlina goes into hiding as she would be recognized. Sonic finds the Blacksmith in Castle Town, in order to sharpen Caliburn’s blade. Sonic heads off to see Nimue, the Lady of the Lake and previous owners of the scabbard of Excalibur, to find out how to stop King Arthur. On his way he encounters Lancelot, and claims his sword. Nimue reveals that she will only assist Sonic when he is a true knight and presents him three tests to complete. After completing them, Sonic encounters the other knights of the round table- Gawain and Percival, while also claiming their swords. Sonic and Caliburn pursue to defeat Arthur with the three swords they have obtained. Sonic defeats Arthur and then the credits roll. Seems anticlimactic, right?
No. Because… These are fake credits. Yes, it’s still credits for the people who worked on the game- but the game isn’t over yet. Merlina then proceeds to take the Excalibur scabbard and to become the new queen, and that Arthur was an illusion. Sonic tries to fight her, but is too weak and Caliburn breaks in half. Sonic’s determination and the power of all the swords transform him and Caliburn into Excalibur Sonic, another new form. Then you defeat her in the final boss- and it’s over. Sonic gives her a flower and says to live life to the fullest while it lasts. Sonic is said as King Arthur and the real credits roll. In the post credits scene Sonic tells his adventure to Amy but she jumps to conclusions and lies that he forgot their date. We see the book title change from “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” to “Sonic and the Black Knight”, just like the first game.
Id rate it a 7/10, could still use better controls and some polish.
