Sonic X Shadow Generations Review – Cool in the Shade
A third successful Hollywood outing on the horizon, toy aisles a fever dream for every Master System owner in the early 90s’ – in 2024, it really does feel like the Sonic Renaissance is in full swing. This vibe might be helped by a 10-year-olds Sonic the Hedgehog themed birthday party I attended over the weekend, but still; Sonic is back in the cultural zeitgeist, and yet Sega hasn’t quite managed to capitalise on this ‘glow up’ in the gaming space critically. While 2023’s Sonic Superstars was received well enough despite playing it very safe, and 2022’s Sonic Frontiers was stretched very thin, it’s a relief to report that Sonic X Shadows Generations combines a bona fide Sonic modern classic with a worthy successor that manages to correct some of Sonic Frontier’s mistakes around open-world design.
Sonic X Shadows Generations welcomes players with a splash-screen showing two options; an enhanced version of 2011’s Sonic Generations and the all-new entry to coincide with 2024’s ‘Year of Shadow’, Shadow Generations. Rather than a sequel, Shadow Generations takes place alongside its predecessor, aping it mechanically in a number of ways while also incorporating an array of enhancements. As a word of advice, I’d recommend players complete Sonic Generations prior to jumping into Shadow Generations as there is a sharp difference in performance, visual fidelity and character abilities between both, making a jump backward far more awkward than a jump forward. Sonic Generations has held up well over the past 13 years and still has plenty to offer in a relatively tight playtime, showcasing some of the most memorable levels of Sonic’s first 20 years. It’s inclusion in this collection feels both deserved and mandatory; it would be unreasonable to release a ‘concurrent story’ game without giving new players the chance to experience the original, and also to combat complaints about a short runtime. Sonic Generations still clocks in at well under a dozen hours which felt less of an issue in 2011 than it does for many players in 2024, but the addition of a Hidden Chao in each level and allowing Classic Sonic to utilise the Drop Dash move gives new and returning players something more than just enhanced visuals.
Shadow Generations runs for around the same length, the whole package offering 10-30 hours or more depending on skill level and completionist tendencies – pushing through quickly is possible but perhaps best saved for subsequent playthroughs, especially given the structure of Shadow Generations. Level design in Shadow Generations is three-fold; there are the breakneck pace ‘3D’ Act 1 levels in which Shadow hurtles forward, Act 2 sidescrolling levels which tend to be a touch more measured and finally the open-world ‘White Space’ hub, which condenses the sprawling, sparse environs of Sonic Frontiers into something far more enjoyable to traverse thanks to a few upgrades to Shadows movement unlocked at intervals during the campaign letting him ‘Doom Surf’ across water riding the most emo manta ray you’ve ever seen and eventually fly. These ‘Doom Powers’ are not only entwined in the story, but give the team at Sega far more freedom when developing levels, most notably Shadow’s ‘Chaos Control’ time slowing ability which plays a key role in multiple Act 1 levels especially, while his Doom Spears and Doom Blast give new offensive ways to deal with enemy threats and obstacles. As a consequence, Shadow can become a more complex character to control than Sonic which may deter younger players coming in with their newfound cinematic Sonic appreciation.
The core loop of Shadow Generations is pretty tight; players need to beat both Act 1 and Act 2 levels of an area, then complete six Challenges in order to acquire three keys before they can unlock a portal to the Boss arena. While repetitive, the variety of level environments and more importantly, the addition of the White Space open-world invigorates longer play sessions in a way that Sonic Generations isn’t quite able to match. It’s feasible to speed through the game in a handful of hours, but taking it at a leisurely pace tends to be more rewarding in regards to collectible items and trying out the many ‘lines’ the developers have littered throughout White Space, with Shadow’s Doom Powers providing more ways to explore which very much elevates the overall experience of Shadow Generations, alongside the increase in visual fidelity and crisp performance on the PS5 when selecting Performance Mode which certainly compound this feeling.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve enjoyed playing a Sonic title this much, with both halves of Sonic X Shadow Generations combining to make a great package. My only issue is that a value proposition which relies on both halves being satisfying to play is heavily reliant on playing Shadow Generations second as in switching between both titles for the purposes of this review, I sorely missed the additional abilities. While already exceeding a million sales, I expect those numbers to surge once again before Christmas as Sonic X Shadow Generations would make a great gift for anyone excited to purchase their advance tickets to Sonic 3 as soon as possible, not to mention a promised Tokyo level coming as DLC to promote the film. To cap it all off, the White Space areas have done what I once thought impossible; excited me for the prospect of a Sonic Frontiers sequel.
Sonic X Shadow Generations was reviewed on a PS5 console using code kindly supplied by the publisher.
