Released in 2011, Sonic Generations was hailed as one of the best Sonic games of modern times. It came after a series of half-baked, experimental spin-offs and helped bring the series back to its roots with snappy, breakneck-speed platforming. It makes sense to remaster the game for a modern audience. And adding a side plot starring an all-new Shadow the Hedgehog is the cherry on top.
As a complete package, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a great successor and far more than the original game. If you’ve played Sonic Generations, don’t worry. This is a powerful remaster of the original adventure, with shiny new graphics. While the original game holds up well thanks to its cartoonish art style, here you’ll find more expressive faces, sharper environments, and a host of performance improvements that greatly improve gameplay.
For those looking for something new, Sonic X Shadow Generations offers plenty of that too, and the Shadow Generations chapter is an absolute joy. This side chapter is very robust, offering a completely separate campaign consisting of multiple levels and major boss fights. This is essentially the “B-side” of Sonic’s adventures, telling the story of what exactly Shadow was doing to most of Sonic’s generation.
Read: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer spotlights Shadow, Maria and Gerald Robotnik
The action begins with an incredibly funny cutscene of Shadow the Hedgehog deep in thought on a space station while Sonic and his friends enjoy a birthday party. Shadow is on a dark and serious quest, but he must be left alone to worry. Of course, then the Time Eaters appear and the entire Birthday crew is sucked into a black hole, leaving Shadow to face his greatest nemesis, Black Doom.
Screenshot: Game Hub
Shadow Generations is actually a light sequel to Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), continuing the struggle between Shadow and Black Doom across multiple dimensions inspired by past Sonic games (with certain levels One seems to be taking notes from the Black Knight).
Shadow the Hedgehog’s controls are similar to Sonic’s, but with a flashy twist that powers exclusive levels. First, Shadow can stop time, leading to all sorts of shenanigans with fast-moving obstacles and enemies. Each level adds new stakes as you have to think about the flow of time and the best way to optimize your shadow’s movement.
You can’t just overcome everything, speed up, and continue on your way to victory. You’ll have to plan your next steps, consider the Shadow’s abilities, and skillfully evade everything that’s thrown at you.
Later stages of Shadow’s journey also unlock additional abilities as Shadow “mutates” throughout the story in segments adjacent to Body Horror. This is a very interesting contrast. In the A-side story, Sonic meets his adorable younger self and travels through various dazzling worlds. On the B-side, Shadow absorbs living darkness and grows strange limbs while screaming in pain.
There are significant differences between Sonic and Shadow’s journeys in this adventure, but it’s these differences that make both stories so fascinating. Shadow the Hedgehog has always been a part of dark, edgy adventures, and Sonic X Shadow Generations continues this tradition.
Screenshot: Game Hub
The focus on darker subject matter means that Shadow Generations has a unique and compelling flavor, one that’s sure to appeal to fans of the titular hedgehog. While Sonic deals with the question of time, Shadow confronts a sinister god, travels through fantastical worlds, and faces off against a host of science-bending monsters in towering boss battles.
Sonic Team has done a great job of expanding the scope of Sonic Generations here, taking key principles from the original campaign and creating new levels that stretch your imagination and creativity. From the opening moments of Shadow Generations, you are greeted with eye-catching sights, including a kaleidoscopic world inspired by the reality-altering, mind-bending Doctor Strange series.
These worlds also have more cinematic lenses, with the camera frequently circling Shadow and shouting to the audience, “He’s so cool!” Look at the cool hedgehog! He’s doing flips! ” At least it’s really cool and Shadow steals the show here.
Sonic Team and Sega didn’t really have to try that hard to remaster Sonic Generations, but they did and we can all thank them for it. The original game was already great, but it’s even better in its enhanced form. Shadow Generations is a very valuable addition here, and it’s great to see Shadow getting another chance to shine incredibly well at a level that serves him well, and in the wider game.
4 and a half stars: ★★★★1/2
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release date: October 22, 2024
The PlayStation 5 code for Sonic X Shadow Generations was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. GamesHub reviews were previously rated out of 5. Rated out of 10 as of July 29, 2024.
