With Sonic x Shadow Generations, I can now acknowledge that Shadow surpasses Sonic.

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Sonic is most likely the first person I ever loved. The Master System game was the initial one I became deeply engaged with, leading to collecting Sonic the Comic, drawing Sonic, reading Sonic tales, and purchasing Sonic apparel. Since then, I’ve always had a fondness for the blue blur.

Generations of Sonic and Shadow in the series Sonic X.

Publisher: The company known as Sega

Creator: Sega

Release date: October 25th, 2024.

Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.

However, having spent a significant amount of time playing Sonic x Shadow Generations, I have come to the realization that Shadow is superior to Sonic.

This doesn’t mean Shadow hasn’t always been an excellent character. He was presented in Sonic Adventure 2 as a dark and edgy version of the main hedgehog character, embodying the cool and edgy vibe of the Y2K era as the gaming industry evolved. He possesses Sonic’s quickness, yet he is reserved, enigmatic, and formidable. In Shadow’s game, he drives a motorcycle. Keanu Reeves will provide the voice for Sonic the Hedgehog in the upcoming film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Experience nostalgic 2000s vibes with Sonic x Shadow Generations – available to watch on YouTube.

Apart from that, it is evident that Sega has dedicated a significant amount of attention to the Shadow campaign that accompanies the remastered version of Sonic Generations. Shadow’s stages are more impressive, his range of abilities is more fulfilling to manage, and, to be honest, playing as a anti-hero is more enjoyable.

Supporting lower spec consoles is crucial in order to allow a large number of users to continue enjoying playing Sonic.

I had a hands-on experience with Sonic x Shadow Generations before and left feeling nostalgic. I had the opportunity to try out a new demo at Gamescom 2024, featuring a brand new Shadow level called Kingdom Valley, a new boss, and Sonic’s Chemical Plant Zone levels.

Kingdom Valley is inspired by the level with the same name from the unfortunate game Sonic ’06. Returning to this game level gives Sonic Team an opportunity to correct past mistakes.

Consequently, it contains many typical stage components such as sliding on water jets, breaking through stained-glass windows, and receiving help from a massive eagle, all presented in a fresh level layout. Similar to the Space Colony level played before, these features offer impressive visual displays and high velocity, blending smoothly into a cohesive rhythm.

One moment I’m toggling buttons to skate on a spiral of water streams, next I’m rushing down the rock barriers of the deteriorating castle scene before emerging over a waterfall. The levels in Shadow consistently provide excitement with a straight-forward delivery of thrills, along with hidden paths to encourage replaying and experimentation. Outside of the expansive open zones in Sonic Frontiers, Shadow’s campaign showcases some of the top level designs in any 3D game.

Sega has frequently faced challenges with responsive control, a problem that Shadow also experiences. His successful homing attack accurately indicates interactable objects, making it easy for me to guide Shadow in the correct direction without any issues. However, there is another minor but important distinction when it comes to managing the two hedgehogs. In Shadow’s case, the jump and homing attack controls are not combined like they are for Sonic. This not only gives Shadow an additional jump for more height or space while platforming, but also prevents any mix-ups between jumping and attacking. I had no trouble navigating levels as Shadow, allowing me to focus on improving my time and rank rather than struggling with the controls. However, I did notice some new Sonic players having difficulty.

Furthermore, Shadow is granted distinctive Doom abilities during this mission that enhance his skills and offer an additional level of excitement and exploration. While in Kingdom Valley, I was able to utilize Doom Spear and Doom Surf: one for targeting enemies with missiles and the other for riding over water rapids below the castle structures in the area. Shadow will later gain abilities like Doom Blast, Doom Morph, and Doom Wing, enhancing his moves beyond Sonic’s and showcasing his uniqueness as more than just a hedgehog duplicate. Along with his famous Chaos Control ability, he also has other powers such as slowing down time and creating new paths by timing it correctly with aligned platforms. Using this ability, Shadow can also pursue unique green light trails at incredible speeds.

The powers of Doom were effective against aerial enemies in Kingdom Valley: Shadow rides over the waves, shoots spears, stops time to attack enemies, and soars to new routes. This was expanded upon in more detail with the Metal Overlord boss (originally featured in Sonic Heroes), which was included as a separate level in the demo. Shadow pursues the flying mechanical creature over the ocean while surfing, throwing explosive barrels, and grinding rails before executing a leaping homing attack. The hedgehog’s speed makes them more appropriate for the linear, chase-oriented design of this battle than the previous Biolizard boss, with a later side-scrolling section also bringing some variety.

Once I finished the Shadow levels, I switched over to test out Sonic’s Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zone. They appeared charming in contrast. Maybe it’s because I know them well, but Sonic’s homing attack inconsistency, annoying enemy placements, and slower pace stand out compared to the fast-paced excitement of Shadow’s story. Certainly, the levels featuring the dark hedgehog are simply an extra component of the Sonic Generations bundle. However, while the game was initially meant to honor Sonic’s past, Shadow demonstrates significant advancements by Sonic Team 14 years later.