Sonic X Shadow Generations Review: Back in Black (and Red and White)
A fine remaster of Sonic Generations is joined by stellar new content starring Shadow.
Posted 8 days ago
Platform reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Pros
- 2D and 3D levels offer unique gameplay
- Both versions of Sonic play differently
- Shadow content is amazing
Cons
- Sonic content is lackluster
- Awkward camera angles at times
- Shadow doesn't have a gun
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone 10+
ESRB Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
ESRB Interactive Elements: In-Game Purchases
Review code provided by the publisher.
Remastering a game is sometimes a double-edged sword. Studios risk potentially ruining a game's memory if done wrong, but if done well, the result could remind people why the original was so beloved in the first place while experimenting with new mechanics and topics. Luckily, Sonic x Shadow Generations falls under the latter outcome. It brings the 2011 game Sonic Generations back for a new audience to enjoy, while introducing just enough content for long-time Sonic fans to justify returning to a game that came out over 10 years ago.
Playing through the Sonic Generations portion of the game was enjoyable. The one vital thing Sonic games must do is ensure that players are always moving as fast as possible. The Sonic portion does just that while becoming a visual spectacle for players to enjoy. Nothing beats running through layers of hoops just to be greeted by an explosion that'll launch you to a helicopter and carry you to the next objective in the level. Although these kinds of set pieces aren’t new, they’ve become a staple of the series, and it's hard to imagine how a Sonic game would look and feel without them.
The Sonic Generations gameplay and story are more or less similar to those of its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 predecessors. But it was still enjoyable to relive these levels with a fresh coat of paint. Running through iconic levels from the Sonic franchise was fun – it felt like the equivalent of listening to your favorite artist's "Best Of" album, in the sense of playing some of the best stages from across the franchise.
As part of the game’s story, Sonic's timeline has been tampered with, and as a result, you get to play as both his modern-day 3D version and the classic 2D Sonic. To progress further in the story, you have to complete the same level twice, with each version offering a unique take on the stage. This can almost make these feel like two separate games.
That being said, not every level transfers well into 3D, with some of the controls feeling awkward. The same can also be said about specific levels in 2D. Even though the game encourages you to race to the finish line, that doesn't mean it will always be easy. Going fast sometimes became an issue because the second the boost button was pressed, Sonic would launch off a cliff and load right back to the nearest checkpoint, forcing me to try again.
©Sega / Restart
Though much of the Sonic portion of the game remains unchanged, there's a new art room and statue room players can visit, but they don’t offer too much other than pretty pictures accompanied by some text explaining what you're looking at. It's really nice to see these characters presented in such a fun way, but with this being the only new content in the Sonic Generations portion of the game, it may be hard to convince fans to take the time to replay it if they’ve already beaten it once in the past.
The Shadow portion is where Sonic x Shadow Generations truly shines. The Shadow story isn't just thrown into the game as a filler, but even if that was the case, it wouldn't have ruined the experience of playing a mode that's purely dedicated to him.
It’s been too long since Sega released a standalone Shadow game, and here, it felt like the team was trying to gauge if they could successfully do it while staying true to his character. When playing as Sonic, the game does enough to make both versions of him stand apart from each other. The Shadow portion feels like something completely different within itself. Even though a large portion of his game is in 3D and involves him running fast, those are the only things he has in common with his blue counterpart.
©Sega / Restart
What really helps separate the two characters is the tone in which each character and mode is presented. Even though Sonic faces an evil opponent, the feeling is upbeat and happy. Shadow, however, feels a lot more mature. This can be identified in various ways, such as Shadow's origin story being heavily tied to evil entities who want to inflict as much damage as possible on the human race.
On top of that, the way Shadow and his enemies speak to one another is more serious. Usually, with Sonic, you'll hear him say a witty one-liner here and there, while Shadow is more grim and will often threaten his enemies.
Shadow's music is also entirely different from Sonic's, as you might expect. Sonic has a lot of great songs in his portion of the game, but many of them make you feel joyful. That's not the case for Shadow – his music will make you want to wear black eyeliner and walk down to your local Hot Topic. And that's exactly how it should feel when capturing Shadow's tone. He's very edgy and emo to the point where it's funny, and Sega doesn't shy away from that, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Shadow Generations also introduces lots of new mechanics to help spice things up. For starters, Shadow has access to Chaos Control, which allows him to slow down time for a few seconds. This feature saved me so many times because I often ran carefree, and running into a giant laser became a common thing for me. But this ability saved me from potentially losing all of the ringsI had collected up until then.
©Sega / Restart
Often, Shadow is referred to as "The Ultimate Life Form," and Sega does a great job of making sure players feel like it, too. As you progress through the game, Shadow becomes surprisingly strong. Even though he's not using a pistol to slay his enemies, he's just as dangerous, because he's now equipped with boots that shoot beams toward his enemies and wings that allow him to fly across the area. Let's also not forget the new fighting combos he learns on the fly to help clear hordes of enemies at once.
The power trip doesn't end after you beat a level, either. You're taken to a hub between levels that’s similar to the one in the Sonic game, but with a few major differences. You can still explore the area, but it's more combat-focused. This is a great way to practice the new abilities you unlock and potentially learn new combos.
As a long-time Shadow fan, seeing all of the Easter Eggs Sega put in the game was a pleasant surprise. Even though this didn't change my overall opinion about the game, it was nice to know the developers did their homework and decided to sprinkle in a little more love for older franchise fans.
©Sega / Restart
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fun game to play. Even though the Sonic content lacks luster, it's polished enough to be enjoyable despite having awkward controls at times. But while Sonic's name is first on the box art, the true reason to invest money into this one is for Shadow’s portion, because it introduces so much more content, such as new story beats, mechanics, and ways to travel.
In the Sonic community, 2024 has been dubbed "The Year Of Shadow" because of this game and his appearance in the upcoming movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Hopefully, Sonic x Shadow Generations isn’t a one-and-done thing for Shadow, because fans have been asking for another standalone game for what feels like a lifetime.
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Release Date: October 25, 2024
