When the original Sonic Generations launched in 2011, the series was undergoing what felt like the start of a renaissance. After the 2000s were plagued with mostly mediocre, if not outright awful, Sonic titles, 2010’s Sonic Colours managed to be the first mainline entry in a long while that was considered unanimously good by fans and critics. The following year, Sonic Generations kept the momentum going, celebrating the blue blur’s 20th birthday with re-imaginings of fan favourite levels from previous games – it even brought back his classic self from the Mega Drive days.
Now, in 2024, it feels like history is repeating itself, with the series undergoing another such renaissance. After the 2010s were plagued with mostly mediocre, if not outright awful Sonic titles, 2022’s Sonic Frontiers managed to be the first mainline entry in a long while that was considered unanimously good by fans and critics. With this being followed up by a remaster of Sonic Generations, fans must be feeling a sense of déjà vu. Which is fitting for a game involving time travel.
However, with the game’s 20th anniversary premise no longer as relevant, the focus is more on Sonic’s dark doppelganger Shadow the Hedgehog, who’s been stealing the spotlight in most of the marketing material so far.
What is Sonic X Shadow Generations?
Aside from giving returning players new content to enjoy, Sonic X Shadow Generations serves double duty as both Shadow-themed fan service and an introduction to the character for new fans, ahead of his appearance in the third live action Sonic movie out in December. There’s also going to be some smart cross-promotion with movie themed DLC, consisting of a level based on Tokyo and an alternate skin that gives Shadow the voice of Keanu Reeves.
For anyone worried this might be a Sonic Colours: Ultimate situation, which infamously launched in quite a buggy state, you can breathe easy. This Generations remaster is mostly a straight conversion of the original, meaning everything good about it has been maintained and there’s no new bugs and glitches to hamper its legacy (at least on the PlayStation 5 version we experienced).
The level design is still mostly very good, with each act offering multiple routes to take, encouraging players to figure out the fastest way to the goal and search for the five hidden red star rings that unlock concept art and music. The graphics have also been nicely upgraded, complete with improved performance and 4K support, and loading times are as fast as Sonic is. So much so that you won’t have enough time to read the hints plastered on the loading screens.
There are a handful of quality-of-life touches too. For starters, both Sonics now sport the drop dash ability introduced in Sonic Mania, which we’re sure speedrunners will find plenty of use for. For some reason, though, it’s treated as an equippable for Classic Sonic (both Sonics can unlock optional skills that provide unique benefits), meaning it doesn’t work during side missions. Modern Sonic also uses the same control scheme from Sonic Frontiers (where the homing attack is on a separate button rather than the jump button), which is handy for anyone who’s grown accustomed to it. But there is a legacy controls option for those who prefer it.
We did need to unlearn the habit of using Sonic’s boost in the air to gain extra distance. While that was a viable technique in Frontiers, for reaching platforms just out of reach, Generations’ boost is far stronger, meaning we were often overshooting our destination and, sometimes, falling into a bottomless pit. We won’t hold that against the game, though, since you’re clearly not meant to boost wherever and whenever you want.
At the very least, Sonic handles as well as he did in the original and while Classic Sonic still doesn’t feel quite like his original Mega Drive self, we adjusted quickly enough. We sometimes even enjoyed a few of the classic acts over their modern counterparts.
Unfortunately, all of Generations’ weaknesses are back in full force too. There may not be any new issues, but the old ones have not been ironed out. Occasionally, Classic Sonic loses all momentum when going round what should be automated loops (we swear one specific loop in Seaside Hill Act 1 never worked properly). A couple of times, it felt like Sonic got briefly stuck to walls in the 3D sections, and once an enemy somehow smacked Sonic so hard we flew out of bounds and died. The camera seemed to not want to play ball during the Egg Dragoon boss fight, with it sometimes veering to the side so we couldn’t see the boss at all.
These are the sorts of issues that aren’t serious enough to spoil the experience (there have been far buggier Sonic games in the past) but they remain frustrating all the same and can impact an otherwise good run.
We also want to call out Planet Wisp Act 1 for being the worst level in the game, thanks to its forced use of the pink Wisp power that turns Sonic into a spiked ball that can attach to walls. It simply does not handle smoothly and replaces whatever music track you’ve picked with an incessant whirring that you’re forced to listen to frequently, due to how often the power is required. Plus, the final boss remains a brainless bore of a battle, with Sonic’s friends shouting useless advice as you constantly boost forward until the game decides you can hit the boss. It was a dismal conclusion to an otherwise solid game 13 years ago and it’s still just as bad here.
As for brand new additions, there really aren’t any aside from the Chao (the Sonic equivalent of Tamagotchi) that are now hidden in every stage. They are quite deviously hidden, but you get no reward for finding any of them besides a trophy/achievement. For whatever reason, most of the dialogue has been jarringly rewritten too, which feels very random since it doesn’t really change or improve what was already a bare bones plot. Some of the cut scenes have seen slight changes too and while they’re harmless, we couldn’t help but be remind of the same needless revisionism seen in the Star Wars Special Editions.
How much new content is in Sonic X Shadow Generations?
Let’s be honest, though, most of you reading this only care about the Shadow stuff, right? While it may be tempting to jump into that portion straight away, we actually advise you play the Sonic side first. If Sonic Generations is a delicious roast dinner let down by a few undercooked veggies, Shadow Generations is the far tastier and rich dark chocolate dessert.
The gameplay loop is mostly identical to Sonic Generations, with Shadow going through reworked levels and fighting bosses from previous games, but there are plenty of stark differences. For starters, Shadow now handles more similarly to how Sonic did in Sonic Frontiers, carrying over the slightly weaker boost and double jump (two things we sorely missed in the Sonic portion), allowing for far smoother platforming. In addition, his homing attack has Shadow warp from enemy to enemy, allowing him to even bypass laser gates and barred walls, so long as there’s an enemy on the other side; he also has a chaos spear projectile to stun enemies and activate switches.
Throughout the adventure, Shadow unlocks new doom powers, such as a multi-projectile attack and the ability to soar through the air with a pair of wings that look more like they’d belong on Venom from Spider-Man 2. Sonic Team has attempted to give Shadow distinct gimmicks in the past, like guns and vehicles, but these doom powers are easily the devs’ best effort so far, either feeling like natural extensions of Shadow’s move set, like the doom spears, or allowing for new and interesting level design.
The doom surf ability, where Shadow summons the edgy cousin of the manta ray from Super Mario Galaxy to travel across water, is a little stiff and it took us a while to get the hang of the doom morph’s swinging capabilities, but they’re all completely functional and lack any of the jank seen in gimmicks from previous games. We honestly wouldn’t mind seeing these powers be refined and brought back for a future game.
Shadow’s best ability by far is Chaos Control. By filling a gauge by defeating enemies, Shadow can stop time for several seconds, allowing him to avoid obstacles and open up new shortcuts. For example, you can freeze missiles in the air and run across them as platforms. It even stops the in-game timer, making optimal use of this ability mandatory for obtaining S ranks.
Is Sonic X Shadow Generations a good remaster?
The level design may be some of the best the series has had in a long while. Not only does each act have multiple routes, like in Sonic Generations, but every stage feels like an improvement on their inspirations. There are no awkward platforming sections, individual level gimmicks work like they should and aren’t too intrusive, and there are no ‘gotcha’ moments that punish you for not knowing the level layout on your first go.
Sunset Heights from Sonic Forces, for example, has seen a substantial glow-up and we enjoyed seeing how Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers was adapted into a traditional linear stage. A few also see the stage warp into a surreal cityscape that wouldn’t look out of place in a Doctor Strange movie; a technique that keeps things exciting and vibrant.
Shadow also gets a more involved hub world. Rather than the basic 2D plain Sonic has, Shadow’s is akin to the open world areas of Sonic Frontiers. While not as big, it’s still jam packed with mini-challenges to complete, fun and fast methods of traversing it, and it serves as a good training ground for the doom powers. It’s also littered with crates you can open, with the tokens found in the stages and side missions, which reward you with concept art, music, and summations of Shadow’s previous adventures.
As for the negatives, Shadow’s boss fights are something of a weak spot. While by no means bad, they’re not particularly complex or difficult, mostly relying on fan service and spectacle. Long-time fans will get a kick out of them though and we’ll give the final boss credit for being much better than the one in Sonic Generations.
Another issue is that the whole adventure isn’t particularly long. We cleared the main story in roughly four hours (same as Sonic Generations), although it’ll still take you a while to 100% it. This is especially true since the map in the menu isn’t particularly intuitive (there’s no option to scroll it and you can only zoom in on where Shadow is) and while it does mark discovered chests, it doesn’t tell you what type they are. The aforementioned tokens come in three types and often we’d collect a new one, head to an unopened chest, and be annoyed that it wasn’t compatible with the token.
As for the story, it’s no more complex than Sonic’s, but it also takes itself a lot more seriously, with Shadow’s exchanges with his resurrected alien arch enemy Black Doom sorely lacking humour. Some will balk at the sincere attempts at melodrama, but anyone who grew up playing Sonic games in the mid-2000s or enjoyed Frontiers’ writing, will eat up all the character moments, especially since Shadow acts more like the tortured anti-hero he was introduced as, rather than the generic grumpy rival he’s been the last decade. There are also journal pages written by Shadow’s creator, Professor Gerald, you can collect that add untapped details to the series’ lore, which the most die-hard of fans will definitely appreciate.
In the run-up to its release, some have jokingly described Sonic X Shadow Generations as a Shadow the Hedgehog game with a free Sonic Generations remaster attached. Honestly, that’s not an entirely inaccurate way to describe it. While the original Sonic Generations still (mostly) holds up, Shadow is undoubtedly the star of the whole thing and for what is essentially bonus content, Shadow Generations has wound up being one of the best 3D Sonic games ever made.
It makes a strong argument for making Shadow playable again in the eventual Sonic Frontiers 2 or giving him an entire game to himself. At the very least, Sega and Sonic Team have succeeded in hyping Shadow up for his eventual movie debut, crafting an experience that fans old and new will love.
Even so, we can’t help but feel a little hesitant. Don’t forget, all the goodwill the original Generations garnered was squandered by the likes of Sonic Lost World and Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric. Hopefully, history won’t repeat itself and Sonic’s final line to his past self – ‘Enjoy your future! It’s going to be great!’ – will turn out to be accurate.
Sonic X Shadow Generations review summary
In Short: A competent remaster of one of Sonic’s better mainline outings comes bundled with an even better Shadow-centric adventure, that makes up for its short length with fantastic levels, tight controls, and fun new powers.
Pros: Everything good about the original Sonic Generations is still here, but the Shadow portion steals the show. Both games have strong level design and offer plenty of side content. Long-time fans will appreciate all the fan service.
Cons: The Sonic portion has its fair share of jank and neither game has very good bosses. The new Chao rescue missions and dialogue rewrites feel wholly unnecessary. Shadow portion could’ve done with a better map.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £44.99
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Release Date: 25th October 2024
Age Rating: 7
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