Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog series has been on a tear in recent years, and the momentum isn’t stopping anytime soon. As the beloved speedster continues to go fast from good ol’ Green Hill Zone to the newer landscapes of Golden Capital, the adrenaline rush never gets old, no matter who’s doing the racing.
But it’s hardly a solo affair – in spirit, at least. While the games are rooted in a single-player experience, Sonic is often accompanied by the lively company of Amy Rose, Tails, and Knuckles, each with their own story to tell. The red echidna proved to be the latest focus of attention, making his live-action debut in Sonic 2 (2022), before receiving a spin-off series on Paramount+, and kicking off the slate of Sonic projects for 2024.
Indeed, a busy time lies ahead for fans. Sonic Rumble switches up the standard formula with multiplayer fun, while Sonic X Shadow Generations adds a shiny new sheen to a familiar experience. More than just a remaster, it also bundles in an all-new adventure featuring Shadow the Hedgehog, the enigmatic fan favourite that acts as a foil to his blue-furred counterpart.
After all, Shadow Generations was a major influence on the 2024 marketing campaign dubbed “Fearless: Year of Shadow”, putting him in the spotlight to celebrate his prominent appearances in two separate outings. The other is in the upcoming film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where The Matrix star, Keanu Reeves, has been tapped to voice the character and breathe life into the latter’s full-fledged live-action debut.
It’s a significant milestone for Shadow, with the YouTube animated miniseries Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings bringing a stylish visual flair to his backstory. Peppered with crisp, high-octane action sequences, it introduces – or revisits, for series veterans – the major elements that play into the jet-black hedgehog’s lore, including his relationship with Maria and Black Doom, as well as the origins of his birth. There are small worldbuilding bits included, alongside the appearances of familiar faces and locations, such as Rogue, Omega, and the Space Colony ARK.
The three-part prologue serves to ease players into Shadow Generations, which depicts the storyline past the ending of 2005’s Shadow of Hedgehog and follows the titular speedster as he faces Black Doom, who schemes to take over the world. A nifty alternative for those who prefer a more comprehensive recap, the in-game Story Mode packs all of Shadow’s history into one place and under five minutes.
As this new romp marks his first major playable role since 2006, plenty of furnishings have been added to familiar beats. The plot runs parallel to the events of 2011’s Sonic Generations, with platforming shifting between side-scrolling and 3D gameplay and inheriting a similar control scheme. Shadow’s Chaos Control is back (in black), granting the ability to freeze objects and access alternate paths, but power-up transformations called Doom Powers allow him to navigate and defeat enemies in a more dynamic way that wouldn’t have been possible before.
Doom Wings, for instance, lets the user grow, well, wings and fly, while Doom Surf conjures up a Manta ray-like creation to be used for surfing on water. Then, there’s transforming into a monster to traverse other terrains with Doom Morph, followed by Doom Spears – enhanced Doom-influenced Chaos Spears – that can strike up to five enemies at once when launched. Doom Blast, used to kick enemies upwards, send them flying, and simultaneously warp Shadow to the position where they were launched, rounds out the five-ability kit, specifically designed to differentiate between his and Sonic’s play styles.
Another distinction in Shadow Generations is the addition of open-world elements. Following in the vein of Sonic Frontiers (2022) rather than the older Sonic Generations, the game features a 3D hub world where players can practice their newly unlocked Doom Powers, explore nooks and crannies, and uncover hidden secrets. In stages or zones that pit Shadow against Black Doom, the landscape will change from the original environment to a futuristic-looking sci-fi realm representing splintered time and dimensions.
Naturally, the villainous alien won’t be the only source of nostalgia. Longtime fans can look forward to familiar levels and bosses, including Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes (2003). Alongside Space Colony ARK, Rail Canyon, Kingdom Valley, Sunset Heights, and Chaos Island are also due to return.
Tying into the larger celebration, the DLC for Shadow Generations is adding an extra level based on the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie and a skin for Shadow that takes after his look in the adaptation. Surprisingly, Reeves will reprise his role for the expansion, which releases on 13 December, one week before the film’s premiere.
Most of the attention may be directed towards Sonic’s arch-rival, but that doesn’t mean the poster hedgehog has nothing fresh to offer. In addition to updated visuals and reworked cinematics, the Sonic Generations remaster will introduce new features like Drop Dash and Chao Rescue, more collectibles, and other bonus content.
Between Sonic Rumble, the live-action threequel film, and Sonic X Shadow Generations, the beloved franchise is basking in the glow of what’s arguably its strongest return to form. All bases are covered with the different experiences each project looks to deliver, and the narrow window between their releases certainly feeds into the excitement. Triple blessings are a rare affair, after all – much less one that’s fuelled by a persistent fan-favourite, second only to Sonic himself.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is available now for PC and all major consoles.
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