Sonic Stadium Review of SBK Unfavorable
Tristan Oliver | March 18, 2009
Joscelyne: “Seems like a demo disk”
It cannot be a good sign when the top Sonic fan site in the world gives poor marks on a Sonic title meant in part to celebrate in part Sonic fandom.
That is the conundrum presented in the Sonic Stadium’s detailed and extensive review of Sonic and the Black Knight, written by webmaster Svend Joscelyne, better known as Dreadknux. Like this site, no overall score or letter grade is given to a game, but Dread notes while he appreciates the game’s premise and presentation, the key components of execution, including longevity and gameplay, are given a “Thumbs down”.
In his review, Dread doesn’t deny that there’s plenty of material beyond the main missions to keep gamers occupied but questions whether unlocking all of it is really worth the experience. Harsh criticism toward the game’s control mechanics is also doled out, and there are even questions raised as to whether the game’s soundtrack–a component that has remained largely consistent through the Sonic franchise of late–works in the context of the game.
All in all, Dread’s words aren’t kind:
…you’ll be hard pushed to come back to Black Knight once you’ve nobbled the story. And even while you’re playing it you’ll feel no sense of actually playing a Sonic game. The experience is tiring and frustrating one moment, empty and soulless the next. This is the first time I’ve played a Sonic game and not felt any kind of depth or satisfaction. Even Sonic 06 felt like a full package, as bad as that game was. Sonic and the Black Knight seems like a demo disk, devoid of any real gameplay gratification at all. Older Sonic fans are likely to feel the same way, while ‘younger kids’ – this game’s target audience – are more prone to break their controllers by throwing them at a wall.
Our review of Sonic and the Black Knight is on its way.
Filed Under Sonic Scene
No wonder everyone was happy when they went down.
Why the hell that you don’t have any brains?
And no its not a bad thing when a top Sonic fan site gives a bad score to a bad shitty game. That means we don’t appreciate shit like this from Sonic Team or Sega.
Crysore you’re an idiot.
Go Svend we’re with you until the end.
They always say that the “younger ones” don’t know what a real Sonic game and stuff like that is. It still feels like a Sonic game beacuse od some elemts, but still it isn’t thet kind of Sonic game if you know what I mean. I ejoy it and I’ve some missions left and it’s really fun.
Sorry for 2 posts.
But still, they review isn’t bad and it’s their opinions. But hehe, the world isn’t coming to an end cus some fans didn’t like it.XD
3thmthm: whatever dude, thats your opinion, if you want to blindly follow your leader, not my problem.
I mean of course you wouldnt find any fimilar elements if sonics holding a damn sword in a authurian setting.
Crysore, my dear friend i’m not “blindly following” Svend or anybody else i’m just saying that Sega/Sonic Team have been feeding us shit for along time now and i think its time for somebody to step up and do what ever it takes to make Sega understand that we don’t want this and who’s better than the top/major Sonic fan sites?
I hope now you understand.
The last sentence he said were true to me.
I love the game. It’s fun, hard and has a lot of Sonic. Not Sonic the gameplay but there are still lot’s of characters and even some stages were you play like an old adventure stage.
This game is very good I don’t agree at all.
Yea man I get what your saying, it seems that sega is giving us everything but sonic, but also some gimmicks “might” work out, they should reserve the storybook series for the gimmicks and just stick with the main games.
I know how how you feel, I know how feels, it hurts to see sonic get bashed by every review out there.
I mean when unleashed came out everyone of the fans liked it but critics hated the game soely beacuse of the werehog, then they started useles polls to rub salt in the wound “chip most annoying character of 2008″”sonic needs to die” and more crap like that..so yea I do understand
Agreed with Crysore’s first comment entirely. I also agree with Werehog (for once).
Black Knight ain’t perfect at all, and yes there is problems with the controls, but even I feel that it doesn’t deserve most of the flaq it’s getting from everyone. Like what Werehog said, it’s fun, it’s fast and felt much more Sonicy than that Mario-with-Sonic’s-face-on Unleashed shit, even with the swordplay.
I’ve gotta know why people believed that Black Knight was gonna be like a traditional Sonic game in the first place. I mean, not only is there swordplay, but it’s also set in freakin’ Camelot, not the Green fuckin’ Hill Zone
There is some original Sonic in SatBK.
I am not exactly with Svend, 3thmthm.
Plus, it is one thing to not like what any video company is currently going with one of their video game character, but in this case, I am sure that many sites who find out about the existence of the Sonic Stadium one day and look into it will laugh at guys like Svend , especially through such immaturity from Svend himself and his followers/friends.
I am not not saying that Svend and his fellow Sonic fans are 100% immature, but it would seem that that head macho of the Sonic Stadium and those who admire him just want a more retroized Sonic game because of how much they hate the most recent Sonic titles.
But in any case, not every Sonic game has to be made to please any Sonic fan. I can well accept Svend’s opinion, but that does not change how immature you are in accepting others opinions. Not only do you think that an old school styled Sonic game will help save the franchise, but even when the situation is not about the Sonic game, your best method, and only method in trying to debate to others about Sonic games in general are not so good.
When you and others of similar behavior are responding to someone who you don’t agree with; especially like you just did in response to Crysore’s post, 3thmthm; your only skill in showing disagreement, especially when you do not like about what that person, you either tell them that they are an idiot (how mature), get all butthurt about what someone said about someone in this Sonic community (Svend, in this case), or be flame, rude, disrespectful or just plain unaccepting and immature. In fact, in the case of your defending Svend, Crysore said something that you really could have ignored instead of showing butthurtedness and being really defensive. There is also no excuse for calling Crysore an idiot, because that makes you look no better, what so ever!
I can accept how guys like Svend feels about this game, but by now, I do not see how guys who make fan games, hacks or runs his own news site has come to be the most respected in the community. Seriously, how can they be so special about that? You may they are special and deserve that respect…
But with such wishful thinking of Sega making an all retro, 2D Sonic game or something along those lines, you are so deeply obsessed in wanting such a game, that when other fans show disagree, you act butthurt about what they think should be done with the series (that you don’t want to happen) that you don’t eve elaborate on why you disagree and make yourself look more foolish and immature by using your flaming methods in terms of disagreement.
Just because The Sonic Stadium is a big part of this community, does not mean that everyone would think the same way the people at TSS do about current Sonic games. Plus, for the most part, the Sonic Community makes up a portion of all other communities on the net. If you care to look into those communities to find out their opinion about current Sonic games instead of assuming that all of them share the same opinion with those in the Sonic Community, you’d be surprised to see how many people love the modern 3D Sonic games more than they like the classic games.
Plus, why does Svend want this no drama 09 to happen? He is part of the same kind of Sonic fans who whine about what Sega is currently doing with Sonic! Most of those old school Sonic fans (including Svend) are so deep in their opinion (which can still be respected by one another) have shown how you can contribute to such drama. Plus, with such immaturity and harsh attitudes among you guys; especially since you make a big part of this Sonic “community” will not make no drama 09 as possible to achieve as you think. Sure, even new school fans who love the 3D games more than the 2D ones may add to the drama along with the old school fans, but since this is proposed by a guy who seems no different from the old school fans who admire, follow and respect him; No Drama 09, in my eyes, is nothing more than a laugh!
I will calmly respect Svend’s opinion, but remember: as long as people in the Sonic community (not just Svend) can’t open up to accept (not just Sega adding new things in recent Sonic games) others’ opinion and not be more mature than calling those “others” idiots, this so called Sonic Community will be laughable not just within the gaming community, but to those outside the same community (and you’ll be laughed at more then you’d expect). And with more Sonic fans around who don’t think that the classics are that great, you’d make them look just as bad; even if they are not so immature as you think.
This may not happen soon, but keep these attitudes up, and it will most likely happen!
Sonication: How much did you write!? I can’t read all that!
Sonicforthewin: Yes it is and I like to homing attack this robots. I never played adventure but it was fun!
I think SEGA knows now that it’s time to take it easy with the gimmicks and just make some normal Sonic. The reviewers wont be happy until they make him just normal.
Even if I accept gimmicks they have to stop.
Sonication: GIANT… WALL… OF… TEXT…
And I read all that and agree.
I also have a question, why does the Sonic fanbase hate Mario (except me of course), he’s a pretty cool guy.
Who…..cares? It’s one opinion. One thing I completely disagreed with was though, that “Knight of the Wind”, was boring. It’s better than “Seven Rings In Hand”.
meh well, I trust the sonic stadium alot more than I would trust places like IGN, and Sega may actually listen if it’s Dreadnux speaking out instead of IGN reporter who guzzles 3 cheeeburgers and diet cokes per report (go sonic relief!! XD)
I don’t want to sound like a wet rag, especially because I won’t be telling my reasons why (need to shower), but this was the worst 3D Sonic game I have ever played. I truly didn’t think Sonic Team could fall any lower than their ’06 title, and in my opinion, Riders/Rivals, but by golly, they did.
Where is Sonic Rush 3? D=
My favorite thing about this game are all the nostalgia bombs.
Haha, so Sonic and the Good Gameplay gets bashed while Unleashed gets “okay” reviews from the media?
THE IRONY OF IT ALLS.
Nintendo Power was right after all. ;D
Wow, fanboys are funny.
Svend Joscelyne: Look who’s talking! (not really trying to be rude or start something, okay?)!
@Sonication: Honestly mate, you are trying to be rude. You meant to be entirely rude the moment you inferred I was a fanboy several posts up, and I don’t appreciate that much.
As much as you’d like to think, I’m not a ‘retrofag’. My favourite Sonic game is Sonic Adventure 2. I created the Summer of Sonic convention, where the focus is on the later games. My reviews of Sonic Chronicles and Sonic and the Secret Rings have been more than positive.
The only reason I’ve marked Unleashed, 06 and SBK down is simply because I feel they fall short of the mark. I’ve never stopped people from voicing differing opinions – people have voiced on my site and forum about what I’ve said about the Sound, and that’s cool with me. That’s all subjective.
I also accept that people like Sonic 06, Unleashed et al, but liking a game and playing a -good- game are two different things. That, is not so subjective. I’m not suggesting or implying that TSS is a definitive source for saying what is truly good and bad, but we do look at games in terms of technical accomplishment as well as value for money (SBK is like £35-40 you know).
I also like playing Sonic Unleashed. Shocking, I know. Surely I would rather spit on it, right? Nope, I’ve been playing it solid the last few weeks. I like it. That doesn’t mean it’s entirely a -good- game though. When I wrote my review for TSS and other outlets, I had to look at the game in terms of whether it provides a satisfying experience. When I looked at it objectively, I found that Unleashed does-that-on-some-levels-but-doesn’t-on-others, and SBK simply doesn’t.
The drama and fanboyism comes when those who are butthurt by mere reviews come running in with pitchforks, and those who wish for my site’s demise for offering an opinion start dribbling on comments pages and forums. Trust me, the fanboyism isn’t with me, pal.
As I said elsewhere, I think if you tore away all the ’stereotypes’ about TSS, you’ll realise that we’re just a bunch of Sonic fans that enjoy playing some games, and don’t enjoy playing others. We don’t write articles ‘telling you what to think’, we write articles to encourage you to think for yourself, and spark debate. That’s all we’ve ever done. Whether we succeed or not is another matter entirely.
@Sonication: Can I also respectfully add:
“Most of those old school Sonic fans (including Svend) are so deep in their opinion (which can still be respected by one another) have shown how you can contribute to such drama.”
No drama’s come from us. I’ve contributed none of it. I wrote a review. You guys blew up. Mud is thrown at my site. Who’s the one overreacting and causing drama? Not me. I simply wrote a review.
Also, I don’t get where this idea has come from that TSS has removed anyone’s freedom to disagree with what we say. We have never done that. Ever. And if you think we have, then someone’s been lying to you.
Damn, Svend-san. You don’t mess around. ^^
I don’t think your a fanboy or “retrofag”. I just hate how people complain after every review, even if it’s a good one.
Well, Svend, believe what you want, but despite how you perceive it, I am not really criticizing you as you see it. You may disagree, but like I said, I am more open in respecting your opinion than being butthurt about it. I do accept it.
And I am not criticizing you for your style of being a Sonic fan. Mis-communication may have flooded that post, but I never said you were a retro fag, because despite what you may think, I see you less as a retro fag.
Also, I understand how badly my criticizing may have resulted in. I am honestly sorry if you were offended by this, but I was not really trying to be as harsh as you may think. My motives are much more complicated than you may think.
But basically, I was just trying to defend Crysone. I may have done better, but don’t stereotype me along with those who are offended by what you said. I actually accept your opinion, and am not as butthurt as everyone has.
But though I could have made a better post, I was sorry if I ended up offending you in some way. I was just trying to defend Crysone. No hard feelings, right?
Trying to defend Crysore? Why would you defend someone whose first response to this was “no wonder people liked it when the site went down”? It’s more than obvious Crysore isn’t a very nice guy.
I don’t see why everyone is getting so enraged by his review. Like Svend stated above, he’s only offering his own opinion – not trying to change yours.
Rael0505: Like I said, this situation here is more complicated than you may think.
He didn’t enjoy it? Oh well, that’s his loss. Hahaha…
I really enjoy this game, and keep coming back for more. Sure, it has some flaws, but the main experience is mostly exciting and full of action. And this was never meant to feel like a true Sonic game. It’s a spin-off. Sonic 06 on the other hand was meant to feel like a Sonic game, and in a bunch of ways, (not enough, though) it did, but that was far more of a half-assed game than SBK, and it shows. Also, the music is great!
Yes, this is coming from an oldschool Sonic fan, so I guess this is a rarity.