Sonic X Shadow Generations contains both a stellar remaster of one of the best Sonic games and an excellent Shadow the Hedgehog-oriented campaign that paints an exciting and optimistic future for the 3D side of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Developer: Sonic Team
Price: $50
Platforms: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review
I was obsessed with Sonic Generations when it was first released in 2011. As someone with a long and deep history with the franchise, playing through updated versions of its best stages was a premise that had me playing it over and over. Thus, the idea of remastering a celebration of the series and packaging it with a new Shadow story ticked off every box for potential excitement. Thankfully, this excitement wasn’t misplaced, as Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remarkably strong game.
The premise of the Sonic Generations half of the title is that a bevy of beloved levels from previous Sonic the Hedgehog games have been remade into updated 2D and 3D stages. All of these levels hold up incredibly well, with both Acts of each one feeling diverse and full of branching paths. The movement and flow feel as good as they did 13 years ago, while the levels are all incredibly diverse in their theming and presentation.
There are also various challenge stages to take on in Sonic X Shadow Generations, many of which have unique gimmicks or some of Sonic’s friends taking part. These help break up the flow of the game while also showing off some unique takes on the formula. The boss fights and rival battles are a blast as well, utilizing beloved characters like Metal Sonic and Chaos in exciting fights that serve as highlights of the game.
There are some minor dialogue changes throughout this version of the game, but none of them were noticeable enough to derail the plot or come off as out-of-character. All-in-all, Sonic Generations holds up incredibly well in this remaster. I did notice a couple of new small bugs once or twice while playing, but they weren’t enough to derail the experience.
Then there’s the Shadow side of Sonic x Shadow Generations, which is likely the best part of the game. The story shows where Shadow was for the duration of Sonic Generations and implements story aspects from the divisive 2005 game Shadow the Hedgehog. As a person who 100%ed that title long ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Black Arms return in a much better game.
“It’s a rip-roaring good time filled with cinematic moments and colorful settings, and it had me riveted the entire time I played.“
Like Sonic, Shadow’s campaign takes him through iconic Shadow levels from previous games, with a 2D and 3D-oriented Act. These are all linked in a huge 3D hub world that takes inspiration from Sonic Frontiers in the best way possible. It’s fun to explore the hub and unlock new art and music from past games in between levels, and like with Frontiers, it’s a blast to just run around such an open area at such high speeds.
The new story of Sonic X Shadow Generations is top-notch
The story of Shadow Generations is a moving examination of the character and his relationships with many of the important figures in his backstory, including Gerald and Maria Robotnik, Black Doom, Rouge the Bat, and more. There are a lot of solid moments throughout that dive into who and what Shadow is while giving us plenty of opportunities to see him being as badass as one could hope.
Shadow gets a wide variety of powers in his Sonic X Shadow Generations story, which helps make his section stand out from Sonic’s gameplay. Some levels have Shadow flying with goopy wings, while others involve surfing on a stingray or teleport-punching aliens. It’s a rip-roaring good time filled with cinematic moments and colorful settings, and it had me riveted the entire time I played.
Both sides of Sonic X Shadow Generations have brilliant music, with the main meat of the soundtrack being top-notch remixes of past tracks. I’ve been listening to Sonic’s side tracks for years, while Shadow’s has introduced me to new remixes that I can’t wait to add to my regular rotation.
The Final Word
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic package that features a great remaster and an excellent all-new story that takes the best lessons from Sonic Frontiers. If 3D Sonic games going forward are like this one, it’s going to be a bright future indeed.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
