Before the arrival of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie this December, Paramount+ is streaming a special six-part series starring Knuckles the Echidna, voiced once again by Idris Elba. He's also joined by Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) and multiple other cast members.
Now that the Knuckles series is out, we've put together a round up of some critic reviews to see how the show has been received so far. It's also worth noting the first episode of the live-action series is now available to view for free in select regions on YouTube.
So, what did the critics think? GameSpot gave the series 6 out of 10 calling it an "endearing family comedy" but a show that doesn't really give Knuckles much of an arc:
"As a continuation of the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe, Knuckles feels slight... Knuckles himself doesn't have much of an arc. He just feels a little more comfortable calling Earth his home. As a generally family-friendly buddy comedy about a lovable loser [Wade Whipple] who gains some confidence, though, Knuckles works pretty well. It goes down smooth and provides some laughs with occasional not-too-violent fight scenes, but it neither attempts nor succeeds in delivering anything more."
IGN gave it a glowing 8 out of 10 and summed it up as a "chaotic bonus level":
"Knuckles is an absolute riot. Wade Whipple’s over-the-top antics give the stoic echidna a much-needed foil, and the result is a laugh-a-minute road movie that just happens to be a six-part miniseries. It’s bold, creative, and takes some big swings. And there’s some heartwarming payoff, too, as Knuckles and his hapless human sidekick grow ever closer with each passing episode. Knuckles really nails what made Sonic and Sonic 2 so great, but with its own unique style and a bit of ’80s flare."
Collider delivered a score of 5 out of 10 and thought it might have been better as a movie:
"Sometimes, it feels like the Sonic films, with its use of larger-than-life characters in a real-world setting, but it loses focus to the point where Knuckles feels like a guest star in his own series. The cost of making an entirely CGI character for six episodes is expensive so that likely affected when and where Knuckles was used, but that means the episode count should've been scaled down or the project should have been changed from a series format."
Empire said Knuckles was fun filler until Sonic 3 arrived, awarding it 3 out of 5 stars:
"This is more ‘Wade’s World’ than ‘Sonic 2.5’. Still, Knuckles’ solo side-quest proves fun filler fluff as fans await the arrival of Shadow in the threequel."
And GamesRadar+ also gave the Knuckles series 3 out of 5 stars labelling it a "confident trial run for Sonic 3":
"At times, Knuckles is a shadow of the Sonic movies. But when it really gets rolling, the Paramount Plus series delivers an earnest and energetic mini-cinematic adventure starring everyone’s favorite echidna and his hapless protege Wade Whipple."
Once again you can now watch the first episode of Knuckles for free on the Paramount Plus YouTube channel in select regions. Listing for a physical release of this series have also been spotted online, so if you don't want to subscribe to Paramount+, you can always wait for the hard copy.