Sonic x Shadow Generations review: one of the best games in series history, and Sonic Generations

Sonic x Shadow Generations bundles nan original Sonic Generations and a caller Shadow Generations run successful 1 thrilling package. Whether you’re a instrumentality of Sonic’s rival-turned-ally aliases not, his broadside of nan crippled is filled pinch immoderate of nan best, astir well-designed levels successful nan series’ 3D history. It’s a chunky portion of content, too, pinch plentifulness of optional challenges and unlockables to collect. In fact, Shadow Generations is truthful bully that it makes Sonic’s half of nan crippled look somewhat amateurish successful comparison.

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

Sonic x Shadow Generations is somewhat analogous to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, packaging a remaster of a beloved bid crippled pinch a marque new, decently sized campaign. And it’s that campaign, Shadow Generations, that unsocial makes this compilation of lightning-fast platformers worthy checking out.

Shadow Generations is simply phenomenal, showcasing immoderate of nan champion 3D level creation nan bid has seen since Sonic Adventure 2 way backmost connected nan Dreamcast and GameCube. You’re getting 12 levels crossed 6 unsocial stages, each wrapped up successful a compact hub area packed pinch collectibles and optional challenges. And of course, having moreover much fantabulous remixes of fan-favorite Sonic tracks is ever going to beryllium a invited addition.

Shadow Generations is specified a high-quality acquisition from commencement to decorativeness - truthful overmuch truthful that it honestly makes Sonic Generations feel comparatively anemic successful comparison. This is nary responsibility of nan 2011 game, of people (the larboard present is genuinely fantastic) but I had decidedly little nosy revisiting what I erstwhile considered to beryllium 1 of nan best Sonic games successful comparison to its caller sibling.

That mightiness beryllium down to nan truth that its remaster present has seen very fewer changes beyond nan re-recorded voiced speech and an wide bump successful solution and image quality. Sonic Generations is still very overmuch worthy playing, but remains dragged down by nan comparatively mediocre Classic Sonic stages and mostly boring broadside challenges required to unlock nan leader fights.

That said, you’re still getting tons of awesome Sonic (and Shadow) contented here, particularly arsenic it's not a full-priced game. Not only does that make Sonic x Shadow Generations much easier to recommend, but I tin confidently opportunity that your clip and money are worthy it for nan Shadow information of nan crippled alone.

A Shadow of myself, conscionable who americium I?

Let’s footwear disconnected pinch Shadow Generations, as I reckon that’s wherever astir of you are going to commencement particularly if you’ve already played Sonic Generations. Shadow’s run does return spot alongside Sonic’s - alternatively of celebrating nan bluish hedgehog’s birthday, Shadow is investigating a disturbance connected nan Space Colony Ark from Sonic Adventure 2.

Back connected Sonic’s side, nan Time Eater thrusts him and his friends into a purgatorial dimensional rift arsenic it does successful nan original Sonic Generations. For Shadow, nan change causes him to travel look to look pinch Black Doom, his arch-nemesis and main antagonist of 2005’s Shadow nan Hedgehog. From here, Shadow attempts to flight Space Colony Ark, only to find himself successful an quiet hub world each of his own.

The communicative is reasonably straightforward present and handles Shadow’s tragic past successful a beautiful safe and inoffensive manner. That’s not to opportunity it’s ineffective - his reunion and closure pinch Maria and Gerald Robotnik is genuinely rubbing and nan last segment is masterfully done (even getting maine to good up a small bit) - but you shouldn’t spell successful expecting thing particularly bleak. Personally, I deliberation that’s for nan best; Sonic Frontiers showed that nan bid tin beryllium tin of sincere, reflective storytelling, and you’ll find much of that successful Shadow Generations.

All hail Shadow

If you were disappointed by nan short magnitude of stages successful Sonic Forces and Sonic Frontiers' Cyberspace segments, then you’ll beryllium happy to cognize Shadow Generations’ levels are overmuch lengthier and robust. On average, a azygous level will return you betwixt 5 to six minutes your first fewer times through, and each has a plethora of alternate routes to research and a fistful of collectibles to find.

The six stages successful Shadow Generations are divided into 2 acts. Act 1 is typically nan much awesome one, fixed they are afloat 3D from commencement to finish. Most of nan Act 2 levels are broadly side-scrolling, but consciousness overmuch much move acknowledgment to - erstwhile again - intricate level creation and immoderate ace clever 2.5D camera work. These levels whitethorn play retired successful 2 dimensions, but they judge don’t consciousness for illustration it.

Upon charging up a gauge by defeating enemies, Shadow tin telephone upon nan powerfulness of Chaos Control. This freezes time, enemies, and obstacles for astir 5 seconds, and it tin beryllium utilized cleverly to scope caller routes successful a shape if activated astatine conscionable nan correct time. Much of nan nosy successful Shadow Generations comes from playing levels aggregate times and learning nan champion moments astatine which to execute Chaos Control successful bid to observe shortcuts you had nary thought were there. Level creation successful this respect is, overall, highly thoughtful, and uncovering caller paths and shortcuts is simply a satisfying reward.

Then there’s nan unfastened zone, known arsenic White Space. This is simply a ample representation that Shadow tin research astatine immoderate clip erstwhile not successful a stage, itself filled to nan brim pinch collectibles and platforming challenges. By collecting music, artwork, and communicative emblems successful each stage, you tin walk them to unlock a wealth thorax successful White Space, which will successful move make a applicable portion of contented disposable to position successful nan Collection Room. There are 96 of these chests to find successful nan overworld, giving you plentifulness of optional contented to discover.

White Space is awesome nosy to conscionable tally astir and vibe in. While I do wish location was an action to perceive to nan euphony you unlock while exploring it, it’s nevertheless a spot you’ll walk a batch of clip successful if you’re shooting for 100% completion. On that note, playing done each nan stages for nan first clip will apt return you astir 4 aliases 5 hours. But going for afloat completion could easy return you upwards of 10-12; there’s conscionable that overmuch to find and do.

Touching connected Sonic Generations

If you’ve ne'er played Sonic Generations before, past you’re getting exceptional worth for money successful Sonic x Shadow Generations. The full 2011 crippled is coming and accounted for here. If you’re unfamiliar, that’s 9 stages, surgery into 2 abstracted acts - 1 for Classic Sonic and different for Modern Sonic. The erstwhile is simply a side-scrolling affair, while nan second is much akin to nan 3D ‘boost era’ titles of nan clip for illustration Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors.

Sonic Generations now has upscaled solution and a much unchangeable 60fps framerate by measurement of nan caller capacity mode (a 30fps value mode is enabled by default, though I powerfully urge making nan move to capacity for amended responsiveness). Voiced speech has besides been re-recorded pinch nan existent formed of Sonic voice actors, and it’s overmuch amended than what we primitively had pinch an wide stronger direction. There is besides a caller collectible successful each shape successful nan shape of Chao - adorable small creatures who’ll look successful nan overworld erstwhile rescued. They’ll besides unlock immoderate bonuses successful nan postulation room, too.

Besides that (as good arsenic nan summation of nan driblet dash for some Classic and Modern Sonic), very small has changed successful Sonic Generations. While still an fantabulous crippled successful its ain right, nan deficiency of changes only exposes its flaws moreover more, especially when stacked up against Shadow Generations. 

Sonic Generations - past and now - simply misses nan people connected galore fronts. The Classic Sonic stages conscionable don’t consciousness very bully to play, pinch awkward physics and momentum that are a acold outcry from nan smoothness of nan original Mega Drive trilogy. Level creation is besides very hit-or-miss for some Classic and Modern, nan second of which besides has an abundance of side-scrolling segments that do not mesh good pinch Sonic’s expertise to boost astatine precocious speeds. As for Classic, nan section of position is simply a small excessively constrictive for comfort, making moving into unexpected hazards a communal occurrence. 

Accessibility

There aren't a ton of disposable accessibility settings successful Sonic x Shadow Generations, aside from a reasonably robust magnitude of options for nan camera. Here, you tin set sensitivity and region from nan subordinate character. 

There is besides an action to set nan deceleration velocity successful Shadow Generations, allowing you to group nan momentum to your liking. Subtitles are present, too, arsenic good arsenic options for voiced speech successful a assortment of languages including English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese. I deliberation an action to amended item enemies, obstacles and imaginable pathways would beryllium really beneficial here, particularly fixed nan high-speed quality of nan game.

Should I play Sonic x Shadow Generations?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

How I reviewed Sonic x Shadow Generations

I played Sonic x Shadow Generations for astir 12 hours connected PS5. That was capable clip to decorativeness some included games and get adjacent to 100% completion successful Shadow Generations. I besides spent immoderate clip collecting Chao and filling retired nan postulation room successful Sonic Generations. I played nan crippled pinch a DualSense Edge controller connected my LG CX OLED TV, often making usage of nan JBL Quantum 910P gaming headset to perceive to nan game’s exceptional postulation of remixed Sonic tracks.

First reviewed October 2024.