Sonic the Hedgehog games have always struggled with 3D platforming. Sonic Team recently found an open-world formula that works with Sonic Frontier, but before that, the game I always pointed to as the one that did it best was Sonic Generations . This celebration of all the mainline Sonic games up to that point features the best 3D platforming in the series to date, as well as a return to 2D platforming that actually feels like a classic game with modern graphics. It was a fun experience that brought both.
I had high hopes for this remaster of one of the better games in the series, and it’s safe to say I was even more excited about the many new levels in the Shadow Generations expansion. Unfortunately, Sonic X Shadow Generations is all about disappointment today. The new one was not at all what I expected.
Sonic x Shadow Generations / Sega
First of all, it’s shorter than I expected. It takes just four hours to complete the six new zones and all the side missions (required to unlock the bosses), and the extra collectible content isn’t worth sticking around for. Just like in the main game, you can find music clips, artwork, and other small bonuses by finding keys in levels and unlocking treasure chests hidden throughout the hub world.
This hub world is completely 3D, unlike the main game, and therein lies the problem. Whereas the base game’s 2D hub world was easy to navigate with few platforming challenges and easy transitions between side challenges, Shadow Generation’s hub world is less cohesive and doesn’t offer much reason to explore. No, the content is just vastly spread out. .
Whatever Sonic Team learned about good open world design from Frontier, they clearly forgot when designing this, as there’s just no fun to navigate through this hub. Each time you defeat a boss, you gain new powers and unlock more worlds, surf on the water, glide through the skies, or launch Splatoon to become a squid and explore dark ink. You can even swim inside.
Sonic x Shadow Generations / Sega
I don’t think any of these are terrible individually, but they’re not very fun to use in the hub world. The challenges were more carefully crafted in the levels, which made things a little better, but I still think something simpler focusing on the main game’s excellent 2D and 3D level design would have been better.
If you’re expecting classic-style 2D platforming from Shadow, you’ll be disappointed, as there are some levels played entirely from a 2D perspective, but the main “classic Sonic” style gameplay isn’t used. Please be prepared for this. game. 2D Shadow still has access to abilities like boosts and homing attacks that are staples of “Modern Sonic” gameplay.
Shadow Generation’s levels are a step down, even the 3D levels, as it tries to kill the momentum towards cheap puzzle platforming that isn’t particularly satisfying. Of course, there are moments. Ironically, I found the levels based on Sonic ’06 to be the best for challenging speed and quick reaction platforming challenges.
Sonic x Shadow Generations / Sega
Additionally, I think it’s great that the team was able to create new generation-style levels for games released since then. Even if it didn’t make sense because Shadow wasn’t in Sonic Frontiers, there’s no denying that it has enough Sonic marks to jump out at you when you see there’s a level based on Frontiers.
However, the mission to erase the Sonic Team game continues, so you lose points if you don’t have any Sonic Mania levels. Tell me you don’t like the full 3D art style of Studiopolis Zone. It would be amazing and we will never forget being robbed.
But the feeling of wasted potential extends beyond my obsession with Sonic Mania, as it completely ignores a very simple way to please fans. The story of Shadow Generations runs parallel to Sonic Generations, so we get this glorious moment where the game teases the possibility of playing from a reverse perspective during the Sonic vs. Shadow boss fight, but in the end, it all comes down to is just one short cutscene.
Sonic x Shadow Generations / Sega
A few small moments provide fleeting nostalgic pleasure, but not everyone hated playing Sonic ’06 as much as I did to get excited about references and boss reveals. Did Sonic Team intentionally make all of 2006’s films into hilarious pranks, the best part of a disappointing experience? Also, I don’t have a super shadow, so what’s going on?
When it comes to the Sonic Generations side of the experience, it’s as easy as remastering. It’s the same game in all its original glory, but this time the graphics shine a little bit more, but it still falls foul of some strange decisions.
Sonic x Shadow Generations / Sega
First, they removed lives from the game – that’s good – but they didn’t remove the +1 life item from the skill shop – that’s bad. They’ve added collectible chaos to each level you have to find – that’s a good thing – but there’s no Chao Garden and you can only see photos in the gallery – that’s a bad thing.
That leaves me in a difficult position. At its core, this is still Sonic Generations, so I can’t say I had a bad time playing it. If you’ve never played it before, I definitely recommend picking this up. However, if you already own Sonic Generations, which I’m sure most people interested in this game do, you’re not willing to pay $50 for some new levels that are okay at best. There is no.
At this point, it’s impossible to predict what Sega will try with the next mainline Sonic game, but whatever it is, I really hope it’s Sonic Frontier and not Shadow Generations.
Version tested: PS5
