Back in 2011, Sonic Generations was heralded as a return to form for SEGA’s spiky mascot. After a spate of poorly-received games, Sonic Team finally brought the hedgehog back with this simple and reflective title, celebrating the character’s 20th anniversary. 13 years later, this fan favourite has returned with a remaster on modern platforms, and while it’s perfectly serviceable, the real draw is a brand new campaign starring the edgy antihero, Shadow the Hedgehog.
The pair of games are bundled together in Sonic X Shadow Generations, a package that’s well worth the asking price if you’re a fan. The remaster of Sonic Generations saves a beloved title from being stuck on PS3, and it’s fine; the boost to performance is welcome and it looks reasonably nice in motion. However, there are still one or two spots where the game judders or the frame rate dips, and some cutscenes only serve to highlight its age.
These are superficial annoyances, though — the game itself is as you remember it, with additional Chao to find and collect in each level. The game plays exactly as it did at the time, which is to say the Classic Sonic levels have slightly funky physics but are broadly enjoyable, while the Modern Sonic stages represent some of the best ‘Boost’ style gameplay in the series.
Having said that, we still have some issues with how 3D Sonic operates here; stages are intended to be played many times as you memorise their layouts and optimise the run, but before you reach that point it can be painful. Obstacles that stop you dead, enemies you couldn’t have seen coming, and unpredictable physics can cause a lot of frustration. It can all feel too fast and chaotic at times. However, when you do find a rhythm, it can be a lot of fun, and hurtling through stages based on zones from throughout the series’ history remains charming.
While the remaster will pull in fans of the original, it’s the all-new Shadow Generations that really sweetens the deal. With a story running parallel to the events of Sonic Generations, the black and red hedgehog also gets pulled into the Time Eater’s shenanigans, leaving him in a white void featuring locations from his past. As well as dealing with that, it appears that Black Doom is back on the scene. Awakening strange, alien abilities as he goes, Shadow’s got plenty to scowl about.
Based upon the foundations laid down by 2022’s Sonic Frontiers, Shadow Generations feels far smoother to play than the remaster. Moreover, Shadow is frankly a more interesting character to play as compared to Sonic’s streamlined Generations move set. He matches the blue blur’s speed and homing attack, but has access to a projectile that can stun enemies, and Chaos Control, which builds up as you defeat enemies and can then briefly pause time, allowing you to dodge hazards or use them as platforms. You can also find light trails during this phase that let you dash through a portion of the level.
On top of that, Shadow will gradually unlock a new range of Doom powers as you progress. Doom Spears upgrade his projectile so he can target several enemies at once, while Doom Blast launches certain foes into the air, knocks them back, and then teleports you to where they land. Another, Doom Surf, allows Shadow to traverse water, which comes in handy when the hub world starts to expand.
Again, the influence of Frontiers is clear here. Instead of Sonic Generations’ side-scrolling hub, Shadow is treated to a fully 3D space that gradually grows larger as you play through stages. It’s not an enormous environment when all is said and done, but it is a more interesting one to explore. Shadow’s Doom abilities make it a fun place to zoom around, and there’s some extra things to see and do.
Instead of Red Rings, each stage contains three tokens to find — each one able to unlock chests in the hub world, which contain music, artwork, and more for the Collection Room. You can also track down rocket parts in the hub, which you can return to Cubot and Orbot, rewarding you with yet more goodies. It all feels quite cohesive, and certainly more focused than Frontiers.
Structurally, Shadow Generations has much in common with its stablemate. You’ll blast through 3D and 2D stages based upon zones from various titles Shadow has appeared in (and one he hasn’t), and in between you’ll explore the white space, where challenges award you keys that open up boss fights. It’s great seeing some classic stages revisited; franchise fans will relish rocketing through levels from Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Forces, and more.
The level design itself feels like a step above, too. Staples of modern Sonic are here — alternate pathways leading to shortcuts, auto-pilot sequences of springs, and plenty of spectacle surrounding the core action. However, thanks to the improved controls and pacing, the typical headaches associated with 3D Sonic are largely cured. You’re still rewarded for skilful play and learning the layouts of each level, but doing so is more fun in Shadow Generations because you don’t run into those momentum-halting walls or traps. Shadow can feel a little slippery on occasion, but overall we enjoyed playing his side of things much more than Sonic’s. Building off of what was achieved in Frontiers, the chaos of previous titles finally feels under control.
It also helps that Shadow’s additional abilities make his stages more varied. As you unlock them, future acts will incorporate them, and while these powers are only useful in certain places, they diversify the design and stop things from becoming too samey. Doom Wing, which lets Shadow glide, can be activated in every level once unlocked, and it warrants its own score/time records, as it allows for a very different playthrough of each stage.
The bosses should get a quick shout-out as well. They’re few in number, and don’t present a great deal of challenge, but the fights are fun and varied, again making decent use of Shadow’s new moves. It’s also just neat to see throwbacks to past antagonists.
Conclusion
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a great two-for-one deal, but for us, the antihero’s half of the package steals the show. While the remaster of the 13-year-old platformer is perfectly fine, Shadow’s brand new campaign outshines it with much improved gameplay and level design. The older game definitely shows its age in some regards, but bundling together one of the most beloved Sonic titles with one of the best 3D entries in recent memory makes for a compelling double feature.