We are all familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog, who is Sega’s mascot and has led the ventures for the brand for decades. However, Sonic’s rival, Shadow the Hedgehog, has not seen much of the spotlight since his conception in Sonic Adventure 2, released in 2001 for the Sega Dreamcast platform. Since the sequel to Sonic Adventure, Shadow has appeared in cameos in a few games but is playable in storyline across only a few titles such as Sonic Heroes, his stand-alone title Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). So, with very few playtime opportunities for Shadow the Hedgehog, it is fair to ask if the new Sonic Shadow Generations is worth the time and money to dive into.
Sonic Shadow Generations 411
When you first play the game, you will find that it is two games in one. On one side, you have an updated version of the Sonic Generations video game originally released in 2011. On the right side, you will see the game titled Shadow Generations, which is Shadow’s second stand-alone game from the one released in 2005. If you select this option, you can get a quick storyline synopsis of the events that take place involving Shadow 50 years before the start of the game Sonic Adventure 2 (SA2) and the events after that game leading to the Shadow the Hedgehog video game of 2005. This story synopsis is not only important for those who are unfamiliar with the series, but it drops a hint at the end that the villains of Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) will return.
Ultimate Storytelling For the Ultimate Lifeform
When you play Shadow Generations, you find that Shadow is on board the Space Colony Ark from SA2, and he is communicating with Rouge the Bat, a comrade of his, who is attending Sonic’s party back on Earth. This is when you realize that the events of this game take place alongside the Sonic Generations installment of 2011. We learn Shadow is on the Ark to investigate an anomaly, and after hanging up on Rouge, an old villain appears, the alien Black Doom, who was defeated in the Shadow 2005 game.
To those unfamiliar, Shadow the Hedgehog was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, who is the grandfather of Sonic’s archnemesis. Professor Gerald used Black Doom’s blood to form Shadow, a weapon to be used for Black Doom’s universal conquest. Alongside Professor Gerald is his daughter Maria Robotnik, both of whom befriend Shadow. Secretly, Professor Gerald had no intention of having Shadow be a tool for evil, but in the course of military disruption from G.U.N. (The Guardian Units of Nations), Shadow was shipped off the Ark in a capsule by Maria who lost her life at the hand of G.U.N. soldiers, and Professor Gerald was taken capture by G.U.N. and placed into prison.
The events of SA2 reveal that Shadow was intended to be a hero, and the events of Shadow 2005 showed just that, where Shadow was able to take down Black Doom and his army, using the very weapon Professor Gerald created to destroy the alien army. Now, thanks to the villain of Sonic Generations called the Time Eater, Black Doom has resurfaced once again, along with other villains Shadow has defeated in the past. This distortion of time from the Time Eater brought back Maria and Professor Gerald as well, which was a huge surprise.
The Best Game In The Sonic Franchise
The distortion of time and space caused by the Time Eater brings back Black Doom and opens us up to the first stage called Space Colony Ark. The stage is absolutely gorgeous with so many moving parts as you race, grind, and jump through obstacles. Shadow is equipped with Chaos Control which freezes time and warps him through space, and Chaos Spears, which are energy beams that stun enemies, and unlock rooms. In addition, Shadow can boost at high speeds, along with more unlockable abilities yet to be seen.
The gameplay style is identical to that of Sonic Generations but has a playing format similar to that of the game Sonic Forces released in 2017, where the villain Infinite the Jackal can use the Phantom Ruby to warp space, which is now an ability of Black Doom. The stages have remixes of classic titles, along with an introduction of brand-new music scores. The voice acting is spot on, and this might be the most heartfelt Sonic game yet, due to hints of Shadow achieving closure with Maria and Professor Gerald. Could the events of the Time Eater cause Maria and Professor Gerald to live in the present timeline? Only time will tell.
Final Thoughts
So, is Sonic Shadow Generations worth buying? With positive feedback from the gaming community and near-perfect ratings all around from reviews like IGN, I believe you have your answer. The game is jaw-dropping and well-crafted. With this new installment to the franchise, let’s see if Shadow is worthy of his title as the Ultimate Lifeform.
