Sonic X Shadow Generations: An In-Depth Review

Bow your heads low, all hail Shadow.

I should make it clear from the start: Sonic X Shadow Generations feels tailor-made for a fan like me. Sonic Adventure 2 is a cherished memory from my childhood, and when Shadow the Hedgehog hit the shelves in 2005, I was right at that ripe age of twelve—old enough to understand its reputation, yet young enough to enjoy it regardless. Shadow stands among my all-time favorite video game characters, so seeing him take center stage in a fresh game has me over the moon. Sure, I might sound a little overzealous. Shadow hasn’t truly shone since his debut, and even Sonic Adventure 2 has drawn mixed opinions over time. But my enthusiasm aside, Sonic X Shadow Generations deserves attention for being one of the most refined Sonic titles in years.

Let’s start by looking back: how does Sonic Generations fare thirteen years later? I’ve always thought of it as the quintessential 3D Sonic experience—a belief only reinforced by revisiting it over the years. The game splits its gameplay between Classic Sonic, transporting players back to the Genesis days, and Modern Sonic, with its forward-boosting action reminiscent of Sonic Colors. It’s this game that got me into speedrunning, vividly recalling countless nights in my college dorm obsessively trying to shave seconds off my Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 time. And yes, the gameplay holds up beautifully, allowing me to almost match my old personal best in no time (currently clocking in at 1 minute and 48 seconds, for those curious).

However, starting over with a fresh save file highlighted a undeniable truth: while I relish going through Generations’ stages, everything else feels like a chore. The narrative is lackluster, with a flimsy plot and cutscenes that manage to say very little, and do it slowly too. Sonic’s comic tie-in writer Ian Flynn has jazzed up the dialogue, but without new cutscene animations, he was limited in what he could enhance.

Beyond the storyline, progress is bogged down by half-baked side missions and bosses that can frustrate more than entertain. The game continues to shine for those eager to replay levels and improve their times; however, if you’re after a more consistent Sonic adventure, Sonic Colors or Shadow’s newer outing on the same disc might be more your speed.

Moving to Shadow Generations, it’s billed as an alternate mode within a Sonic Generations remaster, yet it feels like much more. Right from the start, it’s evident that Shadow Generations doesn’t run on the same engine as Sonic’s portion. In reality, it’s closer to a sequel, mixing the beloved behind-the-back and side-scrolling styles in refreshed stages from past games—plus, it boasts new levels. Shadow’s new abilities bring exciting shifts to the tried-and-tested framework of 3D Sonic.

The prominent addition here is Shadow’s Chaos Control, letting him halt time and zip between foes instead of using a traditional homing attack (which is up for debate, lore-wise). But his Doom Powers, connected to the Black Arms, take center stage. These abilities let him launch enemies, glide with demonic wings, and shapeshift into a swinging blob, Spider-Man style. This variety enhances the game’s challenges and changes how platforming works, so much so that each level has distinct speedrun rankings based on whether these powers are used or not.

Shadow Generations also smooths out Sonic Generations’ rough spots. The hub world isn’t just a filler; it’s an elaborate stage in its own right, reminiscent of Sonic Frontiers but with improved design. Gone is the monotonous button-mashing combat, replaced by intuitive traversal across a tightly crafted environment. Where Frontiers’ layout could irritate, Shadow’s areas are inviting, encouraging exploration with enticing hidden goodies.

Ian Flynn, crafting the narrative from scratch, elevates Shadow’s story, delving into classic elements like Maria and Gerald Robotnik, along with Black Doom. How engaging this tale is largely hinges on your perception of Shadow. If you’ve admired Shadow’s cool factor like I have, you might find it the series’ strongest tale to date. If Shadow’s edge feels over-the-top, it may not resonate as much, but there’s no denying the step up in production quality from previous 3D Sonic stories.

Even so, the game faces limitations from its Sonic Generations roots. Each Shadow stage also splits into modern and classic acts. Unfortunately, classic-style stages haven’t yet been fine-tuned to harness Shadow’s abilities in pure 2D scenarios. The carry-over pace issues from mandatory side missions are present but improved, with select, focused challenges replacing a slew of mediocre ones. Though not ideal, these segments are a noticeable upgrade from the shortcomings in Sonic’s journey.

The Switch port is satisfactory, though not extraordinary. Each game, effectively being its own standalone title, handled differently in the transition. Sonic Generations presents well visually but shows quirks in performance. It retains solid 1080p resolution when docked and 720p handheld, without dynamic scaling. However, the 30fps cap, post-Sonic Superstars, accompanied by frame pacing issues leads to a mildly uneven feel, especially when movement should be fluid.

Shadow Generations, on the other hand, maintains the same frame rate cap but fares better due to its built-for-Switch demands, showing tech akin to Sonic Frontiers. It’s a substantial visual leap from its predecessor, featuring modern graphical enhancements. Still, compromises come into play—dynamic resolution adapting to on-screen demands. Docked mode ranges from 720p to 540p, and handheld varies between 720p and 360p. Anti-aliasing technologies attempt to curb aliasing, yet aren’t entirely successful at lower settings.

Both versions remain playable, fitting within the expected performance envelope for Sonic on this platform. While a patch might fix Sonic Generations’ frame pacing, as it stands, the trade-offs for Shadow Generations’ impressive feats—like flawless transitions and eye-catching scene swaps on Switch—are reasonable.

Concluding thoughts on Sonic X Shadow Generations is tricky due to how distinctly each half differs in experience. As a remaster, Sonic Generations recalls the unevenness of its original incarnation: its peaks make it a personal favorite, while the valleys render it hard to recommend to anyone but ardent Sonic devotees. In contrast, Shadow Generations advances the Sonic legacy, heightening its predecessors’ blueprints with polish unseen in recent decades.

Deciding the value of Sonic X Shadow Generations relies on your anticipation for each section. Personally, I regard it as a new Shadow-centric game with an included remaster, and judged this way, it’s remarkable. While it looks fondly on the past, Sonic X Shadow Generations signals the best glimpse into the franchise’s future I’ve had in quite some time.