Sonic X Shadow Generations is undoubtedly a game of great value for all fans of the blue hedgehog. Not only does it include one of the most beloved chapters of the series, Sonic Generations, originally released in 2011, but it also features an entire campaign dedicated to Shadow the Hedgehog, simply called Shadow Generation. This game carries forward the legacy of the early 2D episodes in horizontal scrolling, while also mixing things up and blending the experience with the 3D gameplay typical of more modern Sonic titles. However, the “shadows” of gameplay and somewhat outdated and imprecise controls are felt, particularly in the latter type of 3D levels, suggesting they could have used some finer adjustments.
The Heart in the Past, The Head in the Present
The first encounter with Sonic X Shadow Generations is immediately positive for long-time fans. The game mechanics present themselves as twin siblings to the highly tested format of the saga since its inception, featuring the hedgehog in the famous green and little brown island full of crabs, bees, climbs, descents, and loops. However, it’s clear from the very first exhilarating dashes at maximum speed that in Sonic Generations, there’s more, manifested in animations that shift the camera into the third dimension to better convey the speed achieved at the moment. Not to mention that right after finishing the tutorial level, the game reveals its partly referential and partly homage nature to the alternative and modern forms that gameplay has taken over the years.
While Tails, Knuckles, and the whole crew of Sonic are busy celebrating the hero’s birthday, just like in the original game, a tear in reality suddenly opens up, seemingly sucking everything in: characters, levels, and… colours. Players find themselves immersed in a blank void with only the lifeless skeletons of some iconic levels and locations, soon discovering that they have lost their essence as part of an evil plan hatched by a not-yet-identified enemy of Sonic. Moreover, they realize that to breathe new life into these levels and, gradually, the entire world, Sonic must conquer two parallel versions of each stage. The first is structured in 2.5D to honour the Sonic that everyone has known since the origins. The second, in 3D “frontal,” features a racing Sonic, guided by the player as if moving a racing car on a circuit, as seen in the more recent incarnations of the saga.
Thanks to this structure, the same as the original Generation, players can relive themes from iconic levels (some of which have been reused or used as the basis for new ones) in both 2D and 3D. There’s even the possibility to play through a variety of stages heavily borrowed from the most memorable chapters of the Sonic saga, including titles like Sonic Adventure 2 and even Sonic 2006, with the return of settings like the Space Colony ARK and Kingdom Valley. Regardless of the chosen setting, the feelings of speed and a frenetic energy that Sonic has maintained for XX years remain intact, supported by a solid technical and artistic department, and the current graphics engine (both in the original Generation and in this new polished version). This makes the attention to detail in every stage clear: from animations, effects, to enemy designs, classic elements like trampolines and others adapted differently depending on whether we’re in 2D or 3D. All levels of every type are therefore smoother and richer in colour, benefiting from superior visual quality and traversability compared to the original 2011 version.
The Shadow the Hedgehog Campaign is Excellent!
Among the new features introduced in Sonic X Shadow Generations compared to the original, the biggest is undoubtedly the addition of a complete campaign of about 5 hours (the original game took about 12, but had high replayability) featuring… Shadow the Hedgehog. One of the most interesting and beloved characters in the franchise, who will also appear in the upcoming third feature film. The dark hedgehog with a troubled past offers a more subdued and less sunny narrative, an appropriate soundtrack fitting the overall change in style (it goes without saying how much we love Sonic’s OSTs, right?), and above all, significantly enriched gameplay. Shadow stands out from Sonic not just for his darker personality, but also for his unique special powers, such as Chaos Control and Chaos Spear. These abilities, in his hands and thus ours, are central to gameplay that varies in quite an interesting way, especially in the 3D levels, which become even more complex and lively.
For example, Chaos Snap allows Shadow to teleport between enemies, overcoming obstacles that Sonic would have to avoid, forcing quick and tricky rhythm changes that are both a challenge (in a good way) to manage. The ability to “snap” like little Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph makes Shadow’s sections even more dynamic and less linear compared to those of the blue hedgehog. Then there’s the second power: Chaos Control: the ability to stop time and thereby open new paths and challenges, bypass traps or enemies, run over surfaces about to crumble but blocked until we free time from our control. Finally, Chaos Spear is simply a ranged weapon at our disposal. Shadow’s levels are important not just for the well-implemented changes to the character’s mobility, or because they include visual and audio variants that directly pay tribute to Sonic Adventure 2, or even because they are animated by the memorable music of Radical Highway. The campaign centred on the black hedgehog provides an opportunity to further explore and properly delve into the past of the anti-hero, linked to the events of the Space Colony ARK.
Everything is covered, even though the narrative is necessarily sacrificed compared to gameplay and races. Still, it discusses Shadow’s relationship with Black Doom, the mysterious antagonist of Shadow the Hedgehog, while also featuring many other significant supporting characters we’d prefer not to spoil. Shadow’s narrative is crucial and decidedly more dramatic and reflective compared to Sonic’s, with a more serious tone involving elements of revenge and redemption. We’re also pleased to report that the excellent voice acting and high-quality cutscenes fortunately do justice to the production… even in Italian, with superb dubbing from the cast of voices we’ve become accustomed to.
Perfect Aesthetics, but with a Lazy Camera…
Lastly, we must mention the technical aspect, even though we’ve already hinted that Sonic X Shadow Generations overall does not disappoint: thankfully! Given the speeds that can be reached with the hedgehog and the intricacies of certain stages, both early on and later, fluidity of the scene and responsiveness of the controls are crucial for enjoying the experience. The graphics are updated for next-gen consoles, guaranteeing 60 frames per second (at least on PS5 where we tested it), and the detail level, especially in 3D sections, has amazed us. The vibrant colours and smooth animations make the game a pleasure to watch, but the ears also get their share: the iconic tracks, such as Supporting Me and Live and Learn, amplify the nostalgic experience and always set the right mood, encouraging us to always do our best, reach the end of the tracks, and, hopefully, beat our previous record.
In this regard, we feel compelled to point out a few things, as Sonic X Shadow Generation is obviously not without slight and “medium” problems. While it effectively follows all our moves in the time trials of the 2D levels, the camera tends to get lost a bit in the 3D sections, especially during the more chaotic phases like boss battles, but not just then. Considering that the replayability factor in pursuit of better times and higher end-stage ratings is indeed as important as the gameplay mode following the plot, or perhaps even more: parallax errors when exiting a speed boost in a revamped level happen frequently because the camera doesn’t always keep up with the frenetic Sonic or the “teleporting” Shadow. It’s quite frustrating to fall into the void not because of a mistake on our part, only to lose the record we were chasing and have to start the stage from square one.
To put it mildly, it’s not always just a framing issue: in the same circumstances, when we’re moving at supersonic speeds and attempting a turn, a jump, or a more intricate manoeuvre, we’ve noticed that there are slight delays in command responsiveness to contend with. Again, this occurs practically only in the 3D sections. We don’t think this is an input processing issue, but rather a structural limitation of the game, which requires timings that aren’t always intuitive for executing the aforementioned high-speed manoeuvres.
Even when recognizing this and striving to improve reaction times, it can still be frustrating to get snagged on a step for not jumping at the right moment, especially if the right moment is well before the obstacle, making it difficult to see when to jump. Keep in mind: for hedgehog enthusiasts, these “delays” may sound like a feature, a prompt to memorize the levels and develop perfect muscle memory. Regardless, we felt it was worth mentioning for everyone else, who might wonder why a multidimensional hedgehog capable of breaking the sound barrier and flying would have issues with a staircase, a narrow passage after a straight away, or a jump slightly longer than usual.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic tribute to the series’ fans, blending nostalgia and the pursuit of modernity and innovation for the franchise. This mix, which was already present in the base game, is even more confirmed by this return of Sonic Generations with updated levels and the new Shadow campaign, solidifying the idea of merging old and new into a single experience, without “overdoing it” as seen in the Open World experiment from two years ago. Both the base campaign and Shadow’s offer high replayability, an interesting and growing challenge, and a duration that remains satisfying even when “going straight” and clearing each level only once.
While there are minor flaws, such as the camera in 3D phases, the overall experience is highly satisfying, especially for long-time fans of Shadow the Hedgehog. The black hedgehog confirms his place in the pantheon of the franchise’s best characters, and we finally learn more about his history, understanding him better. In short, with a combination of high speed, 3D platforming, and a stronger narrative, Sonic X Shadow Generations is an essential addition to the collection of any speed fan and demonstrates that the legacy of Sonic and Shadow continues to sprint into the future.