A consistent frame rate also makes running at top speed through each of the games stages an absolute joy to behold. Although the levels in each area rarely differ from one to the next, they are packed with little details that – when speeding through at a hundred miles a second – can often go unseen. Those who endured Sonic Unleashed will know all too well of its seemingly last-gen visuals, but Black Knight is something of a marvel – at least to look at. Similarly surprising is the level of care that has gone into the presentation of each level. Still, it provides the foundation for a fairly enjoyable romp through medieval times, and although it’s unlikely to win any awards for its dialogue – a constant barrage of one-liners from the increasingly irritating hedgehog – there are some interesting plot twists along the way. It makes as much sense as a bottle of chips, especially considering that the knights of the round table all appear to be characters from previous Sonic games, and the blacksmith just happens to look like Tails. Switching the Arabian Nights theme for the Arthurian setting of Camelot, Black Knight sees Sonic summoned to the mythical land by the mystical Merlina (Merlin-a, do you see?), desperate for somebody to save her from King Arthur, who has become an evil black knight under the influence of a tainted blade. Unlike the recently released ‘Sonic Unleashed’, Black Knight is part of a separate universe, a follow-up to Sonic and the Secret Rings, released back in 2007. That was until I played Sonic and the Black Knight. Sure, I’ll sometimes grit my teeth as another Ken defeats me by spamming the fireball, and yes occasionally I’ll put the controller down and close my eyes for a few seconds having fallen – once again – to my doom in Tomb Raider, but I’ve never thrown a pad with rage. Being a pretty patient person has lead to a vast collection of fully working – never damaged – gaming peripherals. During the twenty or so years that I’ve been playing video games, not once have I felt the urge to throw a controller in anger.

Sonic and the black knight characters