Review of Sonic X Shadow Generations

Bow your heads low, all hail Shadow.

I need to kick things off by making one thing clear: Sonic X Shadow Generations feels like it’s tailor-made for someone like me. Sonic Adventure 2 was the game of my youth, and by the time 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog rolled out, I was twelve and aware of its reputation, yet not jaded enough to dislike it. Shadow remains one of my all-time favorite video game characters, so seeing him take center stage in a new game is like a dream come true for me. I know, I must sound a little biased. After all, Shadow hasn’t been in the spotlight of a critically acclaimed title since his debut, and even Sonic Adventure 2 has gathered mixed opinions with time. Nevertheless, despite my enthusiasm, I believe Sonic X Shadow Generations deserves your attention as it stands as one of the most polished and assured Sonic games to come out in years.

Let’s rewind a bit and talk about the original Sonic Generations before diving into Shadow’s domain. How does it hold up thirteen years on? Personally, I’ve always considered it the best 3D Sonic game, a view that’s only been reinforced by countless revisits over the years. Split between Classic and Modern Sonic gameplay, Generations delivers nostalgia with a twist—one moment echoing the Genesis days and the next embracing the modern boost-style gameplay heralded by Sonic Colors. It was Generations that first got me interested in speedrunning, and I fondly recall countless hours in my freshman dorm trying to perfect my time in Chemical Plant Zone Act 2. This gameplay remains just as engaging, and my muscle memory quickly kicked in, nearly matching my old best of 1:48.

However, returning to grind through a fresh save file revealed some harsh truths. As much as I adore blasting through Generations’ stages, every non-stage moment honestly tries my patience. The story is pretty flimsy. The plot barely holds together with cutscenes that drag, and dialogue that limps along. Even Sonic comic writer Ian Flynn’s contributions couldn’t fully compensate without reworking the animations.

Adding to the frustration are the uninspired side missions and maddening boss fights that you have to slog through to advance. Sonic Generations still shines for those dedicated enough to chase their personal bests on stage replays. But for players seeking a fuller adventure in this style, I’d recommend revisiting Sonic Colors or its edgier cartridge-mate.

Shadow Generations is pitched as an alternate mode in the Sonic Generations remaster, but it’s so much more. Right from the start, it’s obvious that Shadow’s game isn’t built on the same engine as Sonic’s. It’s practically a sequel to Sonic Generations, offering a mix of old and new gameplay with familiar and beloved stages, yet with unique twists. Shadow’s arsenal of abilities brings a fresh depth to the gameplay that revitalizes the 3D Sonic formula.

One standout change is the addition of Chaos Control, allowing Shadow to manipulate time and teleport—a neat alternative to the usual homing attack. But the game-changer lies in his Doom Powers, drawn from his links to the villainous Black Arms. These allow him to toss foes like ragdolls, soar on demonic wings, and even morph into a gooey shape reminiscent of Spider-Man’s swinging. Such variety spices up the challenges, and the gliding power even impacts how levels are speedrun, necessitating separate rankings depending on its use.

Beyond these new mechanics, Shadow Generations vastly improves on what Sonic Generations struggled with. The hub world isn’t just a transitional zone—it’s a fully-fledged stage mirroring the revamped world of Sonic Frontiers. Sonic Team refined this area, trimming previous rough edges and making exploration intuitive, turning it into a playground for platforming and collect-a-thon enthusiasts.

The storyline—built from scratch by Ian Flynn—dives deep into Shadow’s lore, exploring his ties to Maria, Gerald Robotnik, and the malevolent Black Doom. If you’re as fascinated by Shadow as I’ve always been, this might just be the finest Sonic narrative yet. If you view Shadow as an edgelord, it might not hit quite as hard, but you’ll still notice the elevated production values that surpass past 3D Sonic outings.

However, the design constraints of Sonic Generations are perhaps the biggest limitation for Shadow Generations. Each Shadow level still splits into modern and “classic” acts. While Shadow’s segments aren’t terrible, Sonic Team hasn’t quite pinned down how his strengths translate into strictly 2D level design. Side missions remain necessary speed bumps, yet they’re much less irksome due to more focused development effort. Now, you tackle 10 crafted challenges instead of wading through 60 generic ones to unlock a boss. They might not be perfect, but they’re surely a cut above Sonic’s rough spots.

As for the Switch version, it’s serviceable, if not stellar. Shadow and Sonic’s experiences are almost distinct, resulting in varied ports. Sonic Generations displays impressive image quality but quirks in performance. With a solid 1080p in docked mode and 720p handheld, the visuals stay crisp even when the action gets heavy. However, a troublesome frame rate limit and pacing instability slightly marr the otherwise fine visuals, leading to uneven gameplay despite maintaining the frame pace.

In Shadow Generations, performance is steadier with a justifiable 30fps cap, reflecting the game’s ambition, which shares tech with the more modern Sonic Frontiers. The trade-offs lie in its dynamic resolution to handle the demanding open-world design. Docked mode resolution fluctuates between 720p and 540p, whereas handheld stretches between 720p and 360p. Techniques like FSR 2.0 help, yet aliasing at lower resolutions is palpable.

For me, both are manageable within the Sonic series expectations on this platform. It’s best that patch fixes address Sonic Generations’ frame pacing, but even with the current compromise, Shadow Generations remains impressive on the Switch, seamlessly pulling off visual switches right before your eyes.

Concluding on Sonic X Shadow Generations is tricky due to the yin-yang of experiences it offers. As a remaster, Sonic Generations is a bittersweet homage to its erratic origins. Its highs reaffirm its place as my franchise favorite, while its lows make it hard to universally recommend. However, Shadow Generations propels the Sonic franchise forward, building on its legacy into a sleek, refined adventure—the best the blue blur has seen in a decade.

Whether this duo appeals to you depends on your expectations for each part. In my view, it’s a new Shadow headliner with a classic bonus stitched in—a win-win and a noteworthy entry that nods to the past but hints promisingly at the franchise’s future.