Sonic and the Black Knight OST Review

  

Summary

Possibly due to its poor reception, the music of Sonic and the Black Knight sadly hasn't gotten as much attention despite its mix of "veteran" Sonic composers (including--among others--Jun Senoue, Richard Jacques, Fumie Kumatani, and Howard Drossin). 

The game's "otherwordly" setting proved an able excuse for themes of the past such as "Throw it All Away" and even "My Sweet Passion" to return. Unlike games such as Sonic Generations, however, this fan service isn't the entire OST. Actually, most of the music is new and takes on theme of its own. 

This game would be the last to feature "the Sonic band" Crush 40 for a long time, but they did make quite a few themes this time around, including both the opening and closing theme, as well as a cover of "Seven Rings in Hand" (the main theme of Sonic and the Secret Rings).     

I would also like to mention that the cutscene music is pretty epic and dramatic rather than filler like in some of the games. "Merlina: Queen of the Underworld" is one of my favorites. Interestingly a few scenes seem to be inspired by the "World Adventure" theme of Sonic Unleashed.   

There are also some very addictive alternatives, like the acoustic version of "Knight of the Wind" and the "Fan Art" version of "It Doesn't Matter."  

Best Song: Dragon's Lair

Runner-Up (s): Misty Lake, Deep Woods, Molten Mine, Crystal Cave, Titanic Plain, Knight's Passage, Shrouded Forest, The Caudron, Dragon Slayer, Far Away Avalon, Battle Menu, 5 Stars, Name Entry, Gallery, Blacksmith, Fan Art, Theme of Merlina, Calm After the Battle: Arondight, Showdown with King Arthur, Merlina: Her Wicked Smile, End of the World, Escape from Destruction, Into the Dark Hallow, Excalibur Sonic, Live Life Merlina and Sonic, all rival characters appearance music  

There were plenty of good options, and Molten Mine and Shrouded Forest were certainly fair possibilities. Even though it's cutscene music, I was even considering Merlina's theme, because I love the piano. Sometimes, though, epic guitar and drums just win out. 

Dragon's Lair is similar to its nearby stage, Crystal Cave, but more intense. The song starts edgy, a classic Sonic song. Then heightened up with drama, it becomes the mix of speed, tension, and heroism that matches the game so perfectly. 

Worst Song: Great Megalith

Runner Up (s): 

It's not that bad, and it gets better as it goes on. Still strong but repetitive and gets old fast.  

Best Vocal Song: Live Life

Runner-Up (s): With Me (Both Versions), Knight of the Wind, 7 Rings in Hand (Crush 40), Through the Fire, Fight the Night

100% convinced this is the best closing theme in any game. Probably the best Crush 40 song, too. As its title suggest, it's a reflective song about having potential and living life despite its inevitable end. While done in a happy tone, it can be quite sad. The other options were great, too, but "Live Life" remains my favorite. 

Worst Vocal Song: 7 Rings in Hand (Fairytales in Trance) 

Runner Up (s):N/a

I always forget about this one. It's a more relaxed, chill version of the song that really isn't bad, but not as good. For whatever reason, it strikes me more as "Silver and the Secret Rings." 

Final Ranking: S

Like with Sonic and the Secret Rings, this music is stunning. This title, however, is more serious and generally a step above. Like with Sonic Unleashed, it goes beyond even Sonic standards.

Its game exclusive Celtic influences make it unique and memorable, but at the same time I think that being so tied to "the Black Knight" type of sound rather than just the "Sonic" type of sound keeps it from being the best OST (yet between the BMG and various vocal themes, it seems pretty close).      

Quote of the Month

"I have no master...except the wind that flows free!"
-Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and the Black Knight

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

There are many opinions on what the "best Sonic" is. Though the characters of the Sonic series mainly stay the same, some have shown development. Including Sonic...at one time, anyway. 

ONE STEP FORWARD

From an Impatient Hero 

The classic games lacked dialogue but still showed personality. Sonic was very impatient, often tapping his foot or even jumping off screen. His appearance was also edgy with attitude put into his various poses. Even making him a teenager was a sharp contrast to Mario's goofy design.

He was a hero, firstly taking on Dr. Robotnik all by himself. Sonic was also a role model for Tails and didn't hold a grudge against Knuckles for all he did in S3.

In the Adventure series Sonic was more laid back, usually drawn into the conflict. Still thick with attitude, he didn't stick around often.

To a "Friendly" Thrill Seeker

By Heroes he was rushing to stop Eggman, though, eager for the thrill. This became a common scenario. The value of relying on others became more obvious for him.

Sonic made friends easily and was willing to help those who needed him. He also looked forward to taking on "new competition," and proving he was the fastest in any field.

To a Defender of Worlds 

Sonic never cared about the risk to him, though he would get angry at a foe, especially if his friends were in danger or harmed.

In games like Unleashed and The Black Knight, Sonic still had attitude and impatience but was also more serious when faced with the weight of certain situations.

"Development" 

While his 90s-based personality was largely the same, Sonic was changing. Sonic started as a hero, of course. An impatient one who gained an appreciation for friends yet became a leader and helped inspire others. Carefree, the hedgehog found fun in his adventures, but began to recognize the difference between an easy fight and a true threat. Sonic was not afraid to fight until the end to save his world (or someone else's).

So though Sonic seems static from a far, his fights with Eggman and other foes left him more mature over the years. It's possible that Sega could have taken this further. But we'll never know because...

TWO STEPS BACK

A Joker

Sonic Colors over-saturated Sonic's humorous nature, and since the game was well received (for reasons I'll never understand), this affected Sonic's future. While always having a bit of the 90s with him in the past, he seemed to adopt 2010 instead ("EPIC").

Ultimately their were so many jokes that they weren't very funny, and the plots became lighter and impossible to take seriously. With the tension gone, there was little reason to play the games or see them as unique.

A Lonely Extrovert

Sonic largely ditched the "leader" idea, not even relying on long-time bud Tails much. He left the fox to do technical work alone instead.

In Sonic Rush Sonic convinced Blaze that relying on others was not only okay--but necessary sometimes. Yet in every game since Sonic Colors he only allowed his friends supporting roles (with the exception of racing spin-offs).

He trusts "classic" Sonic, but that was himself!!! And in Forces he begins to trust the Avatar, but why would "buddy" get priority over longtime friends like Tails or even close rivals like Shadow?  In 06 Shadow admitted he couldn't take on Solaris with out help from Sonic--would Sonic admit the same about Shadow? Not the 2010s, it seems.

When Sharah was seemingly killed in Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic turned dark; he was fueled by the emotions sorrow, anger, and hatred of the World Rings. Yet when his closest friends are all consumed by the "Time Eater," calling out to him...all he says is "not cool."

It's hard to even know if Sonic cares about anyone anymore. In the rare occasions when they are around, Sonic hardly interacts with them.

A Ego Maniac

Sonic is still heroic, but he gained an ego over his many wins. While in Sonic Adventure Sonic had simply left instead of taking credit, and in Sonic and the Black Knight the hedgehog actually passed a test over chivalry, from Colors-on Sonic has excessively bragged that he will always beat Eggman.

He also dismissed the Time Eater as a threat, sighting past wins and claiming it was "no different."

Sonic's always tried to be the best, but he didn't insist upon it like Jet. At least he didn't before. Somehow Sonic became overconfident.

Though TSR arguably portrayed Sonic better (since he was working with his team again), he kept blabbing about racing (winning).

And Stoic

Though Sonic Forces was an attempt at a deeper plot, the blue blur wasn't back on track. The character had been "tortured" and declared "dead," but his personality revealed him as completely nonchalant and even a bit crude.

"Un-Development"

Overall Sonic has been shallower than ever before. "Colors Sonic" (2010) is virtually indistinguishable from "Forces Sonic" (2017). And his unconcerned behavior is unnatural, at this point.

Sega didn't learn from their mistakes, they listened to people complain about them. Instead of thinking about how they could have been improved, Sega simply ignored any game rated poorly without understanding "why."

They choose what was a well-received gameplay style, and cut off most of the characters. Meanwhile they watered down the plot since "simpler" competitors like Mario were well received. Colors wasn't a reboot of any kind, but after it's success Sega acted like it. 

Sonic's become static as a consequence. Hopefully Sega will listen to the complaints about Sonic in Forces and guide the character back--because otherwise he'll never change. 

There's no doubt that each of the cartoons helped bring his personality to focus, no matter if "Thrill-Seeker" or "Ego Maniac." The comics deserve some credit as well. While the new Movie and IDW have shown some potential in trying to reform the character, Sega itself fears risk.

Cover vs Original: With Me

"With Me" is generally Merlina's theme--though some parts fit Sonic--and it plays in the fight against the Dark Queen.

With Me (All Ends)

This rock-backed song is notable for two rare reasons: it's a battle song other than the main theme (something that only happened once before, with "What I'm Made Of"), and it has female vocals (which was not as common in the Modern Era). It's lyrics are chillingly fitting and align with Merlina taking over to create her eternal world. 

Cover (Crush 40)

Similar in style, the obvious difference is the vocals, which are male and a bit more "familiar" since it's Crush 40. Differing with a more distorted manor, "Me" is now drawn out and the "with me" changes as it's repeated. The equal determination could just as easily fit Sonic "being the bad guy" and challenging Merlina.

Winner: TIE.

Try as I might to pick between the two, it's proved impossible. Both fit the scenario and lyrics perfectly. Both instrumentals and guitar solos are awesome. The distinct female vocals give the original an edge. However it's cancelled out by the distorted (and catchy) Crush 40 chorus.

I didn't really want to have a "tie." If forced to pick...I'd probably choose the Crush 40 version. However the All Ends version better suits Merlina. 

Best Villain? Part 5: Relatable?

It's been said that a great villain needs a great motive. Two characters stand out, in the Sonic series...

Professor Gerald Robotnik used to be a kind man who wanted to perfect the world through "the power of science." He wanted to help and protect the people of Earth.

That all changed with the Ark shut down and the death of Maria Robotnik. Imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, Gerald went insane and became intent on destroying the planet he once strived to protect. He was later put to death, but not before setting his revenge plan into motion...

Despite his cruel actions his reputation was later respected once again after "Project Shadow" and his Eclipse Cannon proved vital in the Black Arms Invasion. Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Eggman) always looked up to his "brilliant" grandfather and called him "a great scientist."   

Merlina was introduced as a sadder version of Sharah, but really she was behind the world's darkness. She used deceit to get her hands on the sacred scabbard of Excalibur, which would grant her the power to create an "Eternal Kingdom."

Merlina was saddened by death and endings. She knew how the Arthurian legend ended: with King Arthur killed. Life became futile to her. Even flowers were "destined to wither."

She grew to hate the idea and wanted to create a better story--one that never ended. She becomes a powerful entity that seems unstoppable. Her corruption was understandable--Sonic even admits it seems like he's the "bad guy," but he doesn't mind it.

Because Merlina was wrong. Everything has to end, and if it doesn't than it's not special. It loses what made it wonderful in the first place. After her defeat Sonic helped her understand this.

Merlina and Gerald both suffered from grief and wanted to fix the world in their corrupted eyes. For Merlina, it was making it everlasting, no matter the cost. For Gerald it was destroying it, no matter who would be destroyed with it.

Both came terrifyingly close to their goals.

Sonic and the Black Knight Reveiw

Rank...at the end.
What good is a review that goes on forever?!

Summary

The second edition to the storybook series had many shockingly good moments.

Characters and Voice Acting

The 4kids group's last appearance would be a spectacular send-off. Jason Griffith's Sonic voice was perfect. Thanks to both script and good acting, the "other versions" of the characters (Lady of the Lake, Lancelot, Percival, etc) are able to sound similar to their normal counterparts but with more nobility or maturity. The new comers (voicing Caliburn, Merlina, etc) also do well.

"King Arthur" was kind of a lame villain, but I was very happy with the later plot-twist. I really like Merlina and how she is relatable despite being in the wrong.

Caliburn seemed strange at first, but I like how unique his character is. No, I'm not talking about the fact that he is a talking sword. He becomes Sonic's mentor, a position that has never really been seen in the games before.

I was glad this game included more "other version" characters than Secret Rings. It's both comical and interesting to see these characters. It was especially nice to see Percival (Blaze) since she's usually side-lined in favor of Silver. Being able to play as these rivals was a welcome surprise.

Sonic himself was on point. He was showing-off making jokes, and suddenly he was serious.  Refusing to give in, Sonic was willing to fight until the end. Plus, he actually proved he has the chivalry of a Knight. This version of Sonic really had what it took to be a hero. 

Plot

The story has elements similar to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also keeps itself unique. As mentioned, the characters are on point and the dialogue is great.

The beginning cutscene is epic, but the beginning of the game is a bit slow. Time is taken to establish elements, which is good but still "slow" for a Sonic game. The scene with Merlina and the flower was perfect, and introducing Caliburn was humorous.

The rivals help the story pick up a bit, and the false climax with "King Arthur" is similar to the Secret Rings, as expected. Still, it doesn't feel as if everything is resolved...

Because that's not the end! Black Knight is similar, but not equal to the Secret Rings. Merlina takes a stance that sets up the main theme of wanting an "eternal" world and Sonic trying to be "the bad guy" to stop her. The ending is satisfying and handled better than the "mountain of handkerchiefs" line from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The bonus with Sonic telling the story to Amy is also a delight. 

Music

The music matches the setting and takes on an "older" mood while keeping a heroic theme. Though the instrumentals are appropriate, they are generally slower than that of a typical Sonic game.

Meanwhile the vocal tracks are outstanding. Crush 40 created the perfect theme for the game, "Knight of the Wind," as well as the beautiful closing, "Live Life." "With Me" and other songs in the game also fit quite well.

Graphics and Visuals

The graphics for gameplay are barely an improvement over 2007's Sonic and the Secret Rings. Nasty. A shame because the architectural level design is quite nice.

The CG cutscenes are alright but have not aged as well as others from around the same time.

The 2-D cutscenes are beautiful, though. I like the similarity to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also the contrast like the darker, inkier look. As with the last, it's a brilliant way of tieing in the "Story" and not having uglier, poorer quality scenes. It's reasons like these that make the storybook series missed.

The gallery also has some nice 2-D unlockables.

Gameplay and Controls

It's true, gameplay is not very smooth. Being on the Wii always seems to bring up this problem...The remote as well as the nunchuck must be used, which is a bit of a hassle.

The similarities in style to Sonic and the Secret Rings (in this area) were probably a mistake.

It takes a while to adapt to the different controls, swords, and styles. It takes too long, especially for a new player. Generally the boss fights are easy enough, though, to balance this.

The game is slower than a normal Sonic game but faster than comparable sword-based Wii games like The Force Unleashed.

Generally the missions are less annoying than in Sonic and the Secret Rings. Some of the differences between characters were awesome, but others (like the jump) could be hard to adjust to. There should have been more instructions explaining moves (like Gawain's wall-climb). The many different swords available were a plus.

The combination of typical Sonic speed and the newer, slicing fight element was interesting, but could have used improvement. Still not as bad as critics claim, though.

Final Thoughts

• This story is beautiful. The art is beautiful. The characters are perfect. I doubt anyone who actually played through could hate the game. 
• It's hard to believe Sega finally made Sonic 100% in-character and perfect...only to give the character a massive rude, egotistic, and over-joking personality change.    
• And because of Sega's over-reliance on critic opinion in the 2010s, "Black Knight Sonic" hasn't been seen since 2009 and "Colors Sonic" was permanently rooted into the character. 
• I'd like to see more characters like Merlina, who are relatable but misguided. A combination of Merlina and Mephiles would be very intriguing. 
• Along those lines Eggman's absence was a slight bother story-wise since he's usually always there...
• It would have been cool to see Jet and Silver, too, but I'm glad they stuck with Shadow, Knuckles, and Blaze when they decided to narrow it down.     
• IGN is an outrageous crime. 

Rakning (S is best, E is worst): A

The story is one of the best; the cutscenes were beautiful; the voice acting was great; the new characters were unique. I'd like to give this game an S. But I can only ignore gameplay so far.

It's okay after a while, but it doesn't have the same flow as an S-rank level game, so for being almost perfect (but not quite), Sonic and the Black Knight receives an A.

AS I SIT. AS I STAND. BY THE TABLE I COMMAND...

Chilidogs

Sonic's favorite food is chilidogs. This was a re-occurring case in the Sonic cartoons and comics that even influenced the games. Starting with Sonic Unleashed (2008), the food was officially his favorite and would make subsequent appearances. 

90s

The origin of Sonic's love of Chilidogs began in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, appearing often in the series. Tails was also a fan.

Sonic the Hedgehog ("Sat Am") also incorporated the element into many of it's episodes. The comics followed suit, though they appeared less frequently as the series continued. 

Sonic Underground immediately picked up the idea again when it aired. It wasn't unusual for Sonic to gulp down chiligdogs in large quantities.

2000s

"Pretty Tasty"

Sonic X was the first cartoon to largely ignore the tradition, possibly because it was the first series not by DiC Entertainment or the first not made under "western" cannon. However there was ONE in the episode "How to Catch a Hedgehog" (it was not called so by name, just seen). It was clearly at least a cameo-reference. 

When food became a large part of Sonic Unleashed, Chilidogs were described as Sonic's favorite. Sonic could also earn different versions of dogs by doing missions.

Again they were shown as Sonic's # 1 food in Sonic and the Black Knight.

2010s

Tails gives Sonic one as a gift in Sonic Generations, and it's shown as a popular food item at Sonic's birthday party. Though somewhat referenced in dialogue, Chilidogs kinda' disappeared.

Luckily Sonic Boom carried on the "Chilidog tradition" and used it in the show. However the writers were originally on the fence about whether they should have.

Sonicomics: "Knight Time" (Sonic and the Black Knight)

"Did you know? Each rival is based on Arthurian legend and resemble Sonic's Rivals." Yes. DID YOU know the Jet and Silver were supposed to have roles in the story but got cut due to time?

"Another Time, Another Place."

WTF?

I like Sonic and the Black Knight. The story was so good!

Yet all this adaptation is only the 1st cutscene. Literally. Word-for-word. How is Ian Flynn even considered a "writer" for this?

If the art was top notch, I'd be okay with this. But it's average at best. Yardley's pencils are bland and fail to convey the action and movement of the opening. It doesn't try to mimic the story book style at all, opting for shades akin to the main comic. The colors are stale and inaccurate. Only positive portions are the amour--it looks a lot better than Merlina.

This comic is pointless. It changes nothing and makes the cutscene look ten times lamer than it is.

Score (S=the best, E=the worst): E

Disappointing. I hate to have that score since I enjoyed the game so much, but it's nothing but untapped potential.

Quote of the Month

"It was never about chivalry for me."
--Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and the Black Knight