Sonic X Shadow Generations PS5 Review. The original Sonic Generations launched in 2011 to celebrate the Blue Blur’s 20th anniversary, and for the most part, it was a solid platforming romp that managed to succinctly capture the best of Sonic’s 2D and 3D antics. Now, SEGA has decided to give it a fresh coat of paint for modern platforms and throw in an extra campaign starring Shadow the Hedgehog, which runs concurrently with the main story, while lobbing in a couple of nods to the most recent instalment, Sonic Frontiers.
Shadow as a character is an interesting thing. SEGA’s attempt to push him as a mature counterpart to Sonic was a bit mixed, as he came across a bit forced and Edge Lord-y. He’s always angry and full of conflict, his music is angsty, growling heavy metal, and everything he says is delivered with such pointed stoicism that he comes across a bit lifeless. Shadow’s debut standalone title also had him using guns, which is like a cardinal sin for many Sonic fans.
Despite all this, Shadow has his fans, and SEGA has seen fit to really push him this year as he’s also about to feature in the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie, voiced by Keanu Reeves. But is he worth revisiting Sonic Generations for, and is the overall package worth a punt?
Sonic X Shadow Generations Review
Shadow Has His Time In The Spotlight
Shadow’s campaign sees him plonked in a desolate hub known as the White Space, where he comes across some familiar faces from his past as time goes all wonky to the return of Black Doom (there’s also a handy recap of his story so far for those who haven’t followed the moody hedgehog’s antics). For the most part, it follows the same beats as Sonic Generations; you’ll restore colour to each world by completing acts, tackling challenges to acquire boss keys, scrapping with said bosses, and hoovering up collectibles.
So far so familiar, then, but Shadow X Generations does have some unique appeal thanks to the Doom Powers that the our anti-hero can unlock. While he’s still pretty fast on his feet – Shadow seems to ‘skate’ leisurely on his way as opposed to Sonic tearing up the track – his special abilities make him feel like a completely different character.
There’s five of them in total: Doom Spear, Doom Blast, Doom Morph, Doom Surf, and Doom Wing, each one unlocked as the story progresses. Doom Spear allows you to lob projectiles at foes; Doom Blast delivers a flurry of fisticuffs before knocking an enemy into a breakable wall or other foes; Doom Morph allows you to scale purple ooze to reach new heights; Doom Surf has Shadow traverse water more easily, and finally, Doom Wing sees our moody guy sprout wings.
All of these abilities work to make level traversal and combat that much more interesting beyond the usual bonking on enemies’ head and dashing through loops. Doom Blast in particular is pretty rewarding as you blast a foe back and teleport next to it, opening up new areas in the process, while surfing on water never gets old.
Later on, when you have multiple Doom Powers under your belt, navigating levels becomes more open and strategic as you string multiple abilities together. You’ll find yourself using Doom Spear to blast foes and then next you may need to use Doom Morph to scale an, ooze-covered wall; it’s quite a thrill to see Shadow seamlessly employ these abilities while maintaining speed, and keeps things fresh.
Vibrant Stages, Unique Powers & A Few Pitfalls
It’s unfortunate that the game’s speed is a detriment at times. Many of the stages are just so fast that you’ll probably end up dying as you won’t have time to react. I lost count of the number of times I plummeted to my doom or ran into an enemy because I was seconds too late to pull the trigger on a Doom Power or nail a landing.
The most egregious issues I had with Shadow’s missions is that he’s simply difficult to control at times. More than often he’ll be zooming about so fast even your homing attack won’t save you; objectives are highlighted as you progress, which is very helpful, but it’s all too easy to miss the timing and sometimes the lock-on fails completely.
As such, stages are very much a trial and error affair – something that is no stranger to Sonic games, admittedly – but it leads to frustrating moments and I couldn’t help feel that things were a little too unforgiving in places.
The stages themselves are superbly designed. Loops, grinding rails, springing across gaping chasms and cinematic camera swoops really help sell the sense of speed and verticality, and each level is very much unique in its approach. Whether it’s the futuristic neon glow of Space Colony ARK, the beautiful and lush Kingdom Valley to the industrial grind of Rail Canyon, Shadow’s stages are absolutely pulsing with colour and vibrancy, and longtime fans will have a kick out of recognising them from past titles.
The bosses meanwhile are a real highlight, and employ diligent use of your Doom Powers to overcome. Many of them are screen-filling juggernauts that are peppered with dynamic camera angles and multiple sequences to test your various abilities, and look great to boot.
As mentioned there’s heaps of collectibles to hoover up. Levels contain three different coloured tokens to grab, each one opening a corresponding item box in the hub. These contain pieces of artwork, music, story recaps and more, which are worth hunting down. Speaking of the hub, it’s not like the original Sonic Generations; White Space is a generously-sized 3D world packed with loops, rings, hidden items, bonus trials and other highlights, which recalls Sonic Frontiers’ vast open world.
Shadow’s campaign is about six hours or so in length, so it’s not the meat of the package – that’s for the remaster of Sonic Generations, which is here as you remember, albeit looking a lot prettier than before.
The Blue Blur Shines In One Of His Best Modern Outings Yet
Thanks to the time conundrum, there’s two Sonics you’ll be playing as: the modern chatterbox and his mute, 2D-era counterpart. The modern Blue Blur’s stages are stylised around the faster-paced 3D brand of Sonic, while classic Sonic’s stages are just as you would expect them to be: a nostalgic trip the recalls the early 90s Mega Drive games.
Both Sonics have a few differences, too. The modern version is able to perform a homing attack on foes, and can hit R2 for a boost of speed providing he has enough rings to charge it. Old-school Sonic meanwhile can do his iconic spin dash to charge up speed; his stage are also a little slower, encouraging a more platforming and even a sparkle of exploration without the cinematic flare of his modern counterpart. As such, even though you are playing in the same Zone, the acts feel unique depending on which Sonic you’re playing as.
Speaking of stages, Sonic Generations is an absolute barnstormer. From Green Hill, Chemical Planet, to Sky Sanctuary and City Escape, there’s more than enough variety here to keep you engaged, and I didn’t find them as unforgiving as Shadow’s with fewer cheap deaths.
They’re also packed with adrenaline-pumping set pieces, which do a great job at injecting a bit of flare into the proceedings to keep you hooked. Whether it’s bolting down a street avoiding a rampaging truck, using a whale’s nose as a springboard, or zipping down the side of a building at breakneck speed, Sonic Generations has some of the best modern stages of the franchise.
The levels look gorgeous too. The high-definition makeover has done wonders here; Green Hill’s lush vegetation and picturesque waterfalls pop with vibrancy, while Speed Highway’s neon-soaked roads and skyscrapers are sharper than ever, bringing to life the metropolis as you move at blistering speeds and springboard your way through gravity-defying manoeuvres.
Bosses show up periodically that offer epic scraps that really test platforming and combat prowess, but the Rival Battles – where you go up against the likes of Metal Sonic, Shadow & Silver for a Chaos Emerald reward – also really shine, offering unique and challenging clashes.
The best bit? Everything moves at a pulse-pounding, blistering frame rate with not discernible hiccups and a superb visual upgrade to boot.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a great package offering some of the Blue Blur’s best 3D stages to date, not to mention offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Shadow’s campaign is a welcome addition despite some issues with level design and its unforgiving nature, but overall, this is a must-have for Sonic fans looking to tide themselves over until the next big game, or perhaps those who didn’t find Sonic Frontiers their cup of tea.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is out on October 22, 2024 for PS5, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.
