Sonic X Shadow Generations is two games: a remaster of the 2011 game and a brand new game in 2024. Still, both games are oddly similar, with most of their levels built on the backbone of 2000’s Sonic games. In that respect, these games inherit some of the shortcomings of the Sonic games, such as unnecessary additional mechanics and bland stories, but at the same time offer a fun platforming gauntlet with memorable music and gameplay. It also does the things that it did well. An exhilarating sense of speed.
If you’ve already played Sonic Generations, you know what you’re getting in the first half of this package. Sonic’s adventures haven’t changed much. The most notable thing is that it’s a remaster, so the visuals are better. Watch as the blue hedgehog teams up with his past self and speeds through a collection of levels inspired by his many previous adventures. Each level has two acts, the first sees past Sonic racing through a 2D level, and the second sees modern Sonic running through the same space in 3D. Sonics of the past control similarly to the original games from the ’90s, while modern Sonics utilize mechanics added to the series in the 2000s, such as homing attacks and dashes. The entire collection celebrates Sonic’s career through 2011.
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Now playing: Sonic X Shadow Generations Video Review
In 2024, Sonic Generations feels outdated. The classic Sonic levels remain a timeless throwback to the hedgehog’s origins, but as the series’ gameplay has continued to change over the past decade, the second half no longer represents an accurate representation of modern Sonic. It doesn’t feel like I’m doing it. While this doesn’t completely ruin the original experience, it does make Sonic Generations’ ending feel unsatisfactory, as if the journey through Sonic’s greatest hits had suddenly stopped midway through. The three-hour experience feels hectic in a way that didn’t exist in 2011.
However, the biggest appeal of Sonic X Shadow Generations is that half of the game is Shadow Generations. This is a brand new part of the game and serves as an accompanying story to Sonic Generations. Shadow Generations follows Shadow the Hedgehog and continues his story arc that began with 2001’s Sonic Adventures 2 and continued through 2003’s Sonic Heroes, 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog, and 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Close. This thread was largely removed from the Sonic franchise and hasn’t been revisited in any significant way since.
Sonic Generations is a remaster, so it’s the same game, but prettier.
Still suffering from amnesia and seeking answers about his origins and purpose as the ultimate life form, Shadow is drawn into the same timeless space where his friends were during the events of Sonic Generations . There, threats from Shadow’s past still exist. Notably, Black Doom, the demonic alien warlord responsible for the Shadow’s creation, returns after dying at the hands of the Shadow during the events of Shadow the Hedgehog. A part of Black Doom continues to live in the Shadows and wants the hedgehog to relive important moments in his life – so he remembers who he is. , would unleash the power of Doom. When Shadow fully embraces these abilities, he truly becomes the ultimate life form, and Black Doom takes over his body, allowing him to live again. Shadow also joins forces to unlock new Doom powers in hopes of becoming strong enough to destroy Black Doom forever.
This is a good enough storyline that many Sonic fans may have forgotten about (or perhaps never even lived up to, considering the final chapter of this story took place in a 2006 game). It’s a great conclusion, but Sonic games are rarely remembered for their stories. . Rather, much like Sonic Generations did with Sonic, the story of Shadow Generations focuses on Shadow’s most memorable moments and his past with other artificial lifeforms that are considered rivals for the title of “Ultimate Lifeform.” It’s a great opportunity to revisit the boss battles of. , like Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2. When Shadow faced off against Metal Overlord and Clash 40’s “What I’m Made Of…” started playing, I grinned like a kid again, remembering the time I lost to Sonic. My hero when I was 10 years old.
To be honest, I didn’t think we’d see a continuation of Shadow’s amnesia arc.
If we look beyond the layers of nostalgia, our understanding of Shadow Generations is different. If the Sonic games of the 2000s were your favorite games, you’ll enjoy Shadow Generations. But if your platformer tastes lean toward a more modern feel, Shadow Generations doesn’t offer anything new or noteworthy that hasn’t already been seen in other games.
The game builds on established Sonic mechanics, giving Shadow a Chaos Emerald from a jump and using Chaos Control to freeze time for a few seconds to stop approaching enemies before they can surround Shadow. It can be delayed or stopped long enough to jump between moving platforms. they. You can also use the Chaos Spear to stun invincible enemies or hit distant switches. In both cases, these abilities further enhance the Sonic game playing experience and create room for more types of basic puzzles that don’t affect the flow of the race through the stages. Both help maintain a sense of speed from start to finish, but experimenting with timing can also add a bit of tension to a mostly linear level.
Shadow’s new Doom powers allow him to interact with the environment in a variety of ways.
In addition to Chaos Control and Chaos Spear, Shadow unlocks new Doom powers over time that aid in the way he moves. Perhaps most interesting is the skill that allows Shadow to knock certain types of enemies far away, then teleport them to the unlucky victim to attack them again, acting more as a means of traversal than combat. In some cases, Shadow has options on where he can knock enemies, allowing him to decide where to go next to complete the level. This rarely happens, but every time it pops up, it makes me want to replay the mission again just to see if I could complete the stage faster if I had one of the other choices.
However, most of Shadow’s new abilities aren’t all that fun to play with. Shadow eventually transforms into a slimy slug-like creature and swims through the mud, unlocking a skill that allows Spider-Man to swing from a ball of slime. This is weird and awkward, ruins the sense of speed every time, and frequently appears like this: This is an essential part to progress through the stages. To make matters worse, the endgame’s Doom abilities are particularly unwieldy and difficult to use, requiring you to control Shadow at a slightly too fast speed, and regularly causing you to climb over the stage’s guardrails and fall into the abyss, ending up at the final checkpoint. You can see him being forced to restart. . This particular Doom ability caused me to get frustrated and die many times near the end of the game, but what finally allowed me to get through the final level was to use it in a way that the game clearly didn’t intend. It was awkwardly jumping over obstacles without using it. In a game built around a platform that revolves around going fast, it’s understandable that abilities designed to go even faster would be appealing, but they come at the cost of going too fast and forcing you to course-correct. More than usual when I have to slow down, I feel like this mechanic could have been avoided entirely.
Chaos Control and Chaos Spear are both great powers that enhance your gameplay experience.
These abilities of Doom feel oddly juxtaposed to the feel of Shadow Generations being a trip down memory lane for Shadow, as they are skills that Shadow has never had before. By comparison, Sonic Generations features mechanics inspired by Sonic’s adventures, from Sonic Colors to colorful aliens that give Sonic unique abilities. Indeed, if Shadow Generations did the same thing, it would be yet another Sonic video game where the protagonist smashes fools with pistols and assault rifles. Because one of Shadow’s most notable traits is that he’s not afraid to shoot people. And I saw Sonic. The team doesn’t want to go down that path again. But it still feels very out of place to see Shadow utilize abilities he’s never used before when the game is about celebrating Shadow’s journey reminiscing about his previous adventures. .
These new abilities are available within the hub that Shadow returns to between each stage. Here, abilities have a better feel, the 3D space turns into a playground, and Shadow accumulates Doom traits, allowing you to explore the space further. Each time you gain a new ability, you can progress further and find collectibles or, more importantly, small challenge levels that you need to complete to earn the key that opens the door to the boss room. .
To unlock more parts of the hub area, you need to color past the shadows.
Challenge levels include various tasks that require you to pass through parts of the main stage with specific restrictions or tasks. For example, a challenge level may require you to complete the level with only one ring. This means that you can only tolerate one mistake, while other levels may require you to reach the goal within a time limit while defeating a certain number of specific enemies. . These add interesting skill challenges that shake up the established formula between the main levels, and help alleviate what I imagined to be an otherwise repetitive game.
Aesthetically, Shadow Generations doesn’t have any bad levels and continues Shadow’s adventures through fantastical locations and sci-fi factories. All of this is visually pleasing, especially when running at full speed, with its bright colors and careful signage guiding you intuitively toward the goal, aiming to achieve the fastest time possible. The music is also great. Most of Shadow’s past adventures have featured rock music perfect for the most anxious teens, and he’s kind enough to change the music on any stage to “All Hail Shadow” or “I Am…All You can change to past songs such as “. It’s about me. ”
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a strange package. Sonic Generations, on the other hand, is a remaster of a great 2011 game that now feels a little dated. And for another, Shadow Generations is the conclusion to a story that the series hasn’t had much interest in since 2006. As someone who fell in love with Sonic games, especially in the early 2000s, this collection feels like it speaks directly to me. However, this work also feels very similar to the protagonists who have wandered into a timeless place and wish to return to a nostalgic era. While it’s a fun enough trip down memory lane, this journey includes all the speed bumps you’d expect from a game from that era.
