2024 in Review: Finally, a Good Shadow the Hedgehog Game
Sonic x Shadow Generations is loving celebration of Sonic's 3D era
Sonic X Shadow Generations has catapulted to the top of the crop when it comes to the seemingly endless wave of remakes and remasters. The package not only delivers a solid remaster of Sonic Generations, but also includes a phenomenal new game Shadow Generations.
Now, if you’re a Sonic fan like me you know that most games post Sonic Heroes have fallen into two camps: “we’re so cooked” or “WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK.” 2011’s Sonic Generations was the most back Sonic had felt in nearly a decade, as it was the second in a one-two punch that included 2010’s Sonic Colors (I still need to play that remaster).
Sonic Generations has the classic 2D Sonic partnering with 3D Sonic through some time-y, wime-y villain shenanigans. The traditional Act 1/Act 2 structure of old Sonic games is here with a twist: the first act presents an iconic Sonic level in 2D and the second brings it into 3D. It’s an incredibly fun gimmick as you get to experience some classic 2D stages in 3D for the first time and vice versa.
As this is a remaster, don’t go in expecting Resident Evil 4 (2023) levels of graphical improvement. The game still looks pretty good and if I’m being honest, Sonic games have always gotten by more through appealing art styles than graphical fidelity. Outside of the text bars during cutscenes, it more or less holds its own with most modern Sonic games in the visuals department.
If you played Sonic Generations, this is a great way to revisit an old fave. If you haven’t, it’s the best way to experience it for the first time.
But now it’s time to talk about the real star of the show: Shadow Generations.
Shadow Generations is a worthy showcase of the gun-toting hedgehog, a solid sequel to Sonic Generations, and a heartfelt celebration of Sonic’s 3D era.
While the hub world in Sonic Generations is modeled off his 2D iterations, the white space in Shadow essentially acts as a smaller-scale take on Sonic Frontiers’ open world. As someone who greatly enjoyed Sonic Frontiers — jank and all— I loved how they integrated that game’s mechanics into Shadow Generations.
I was very impressed with the amount of abilities given to Shadow. This wasn’t just a copy and paste of the Sonic Generations, Sonic Team did a fantastic job expanding upon it with everything they’ve learned in the decade-plus since its release.
Outside of Shadow’s standard Chaos Control ability which stops time and can open new pathways through levels, the game also introduces new Doom abilities. Shadow acquires these as you progress through the game. These new powers provide another fun wrinkle to how you traverse both the hub world and some of the stages, making for some fun and interesting combos.
Shadow is an icon born of Sonic’s 3D era, so one of the real joys of Shadow Generations is playing through 2D Shadow stages. To my knowledge, this is the first time Shadow has been in a 2D game and they do a solid job mapping his abilities to the format.
The level design gets delightfully trippy, with the back half of many stages evolving into a kaleidoscopic deconstruction of some iconic Sonic stages. You’ll often see buildings and cityscapes fold into each other in way that leads me to believe Sonic Team had Doctor Strange on repeat in the studio.
One of the more disarming elements of Shadow Generations is its emotional core. The game isn’t a tearjerker by any means, but it does use the time elements to add an interesting wrinkle to Shadow’s tragic origin. I didn’t go into this game expecting any character growth, but Shadow Generations surprisingly delivers it. It’s small, but dammit, it’s there.
I can’t lie though, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a very short game. Each campaign took me six hours to beat individually. Now, I don’t put much stock into a game’s length if I’m having fun, and Sonic x Shadow was a delightful way to spend a weekend. There are plenty of collectibles in both games, and the speed ranking system should be catnip for speed runners, so there is a light degree of replayability if you’re the type that needs to 100 percent everything.
As an older gamer whose life stays lifing, I’m never mad at a game I can beat in a reasonable amount of time. If you want the most hours per dollar, you may want to wait for a steep discount.
Your mileage for Sonic x Shadow Generations likely varies by how much of a Sonic fan you are. If the sight of Shadow with a gun in the most recent Sonic 3 trailer awoke your inner 12-year-old, this game is for you. I loved every minute I spent with Shadow Generations, and I’m so happy that 2024 didn’t only give us his big-screen debut, but finally delivered a game worthy of his icon status.