Let’s take a moment to appreciate Shadow, the spotlight-stealing hedgehog.
Note: This review was put together by Melanie Zawodniak based on the PlayStation 5 version of the game. Details about the technicalities of the Switch port were provided by John Rairdin.
I’m just going to come out and say it: Sonic X Shadow Generations feels like it was tailor-made for someone like me. Sonic Adventure 2 had a special place in my heart growing up, and when Shadow the Hedgehog hit the shelves in 2005, I was at that age—twelve—old enough to hear the criticism but young enough to still enjoy every minute of it. Shadow’s always been one of my top video game characters, so seeing him taking center stage again is nothing short of thrilling. Yeah, I might sound a bit biased, and I get that Shadow hasn’t really been the lead in a top-rated game since his debut. Even Sonic Adventure 2 has sparked a fair bit of debate over the years. But trust me, there’s a solid reason to give Sonic X Shadow Generations a shot because it’s one of the most meticulously crafted and assured Sonic games in ages.
Now, let’s rewind a bit—how does the original Sonic Generations stack up more than a decade later? I’ve long held the belief that it’s the best of the 3D Sonic titles, and replaying it over the years has only cemented that opinion. Sonic Generations elegantly splits itself between Classic Sonic’s nostalgic Genesis-era gameplay and Modern Sonic’s adrenaline-pumping, boost-driven style that came to prominence in Sonic Colors. This game is what initially drew me into speedrunning, and I still fondly remember my freshman year, tirelessly perfecting my time on Chemical Plant Zone Act 2. Even after all these years, that experience holds up. My muscle memory kicked in right away, letting me get close to my best time (In case you’re wondering, it’s currently 1 minute and 48 seconds).
That said, starting fresh with a new save file was a stark reminder of a truth I’ve managed to overlook: while racing through Generations’ stages is exhilarating, the rest of the game can feel like a chore. The story isn’t doing it any favors either, with a flimsy plot overly reliant on cutscenes that don’t say much and are bogged down by awkwardly-paced dialogue. Ian Flynn, a veteran writer from Sonic’s comic book universe, did what he could to spruce up the script, but without reanimating the cutscenes, there was only so much he could do.
Besides the story, less-than-thrilling side missions and some downright annoying boss fights slow the gameplay down. Sonic Generations is a fantastic experience for those of us who love replaying levels to best our previous times. However, if you’re craving something deeper and more consistent in a similar style, Sonic Colors or the more mature counterpart on the same cartridge might be a better choice.
Shadow Generations isn’t just another mode tacked onto a Sonic Generations remaster; oh no, it’s so much more. Right from the outset, you can tell it doesn’t use the same engine as Sonic’s half of the equation. It’s more accurate to describe it as a full-blown sequel, with a remaster of the original added for good measure. Shadow Generations maintains the brilliant blend of behind-the-back and side-scrolling gameplay, drawing inspiration from beloved past levels, but it isn’t merely a different coat of paint with some added stages. Shadow comes armed with an array of new abilities that inject a fresh depth into the classic 3D Sonic blueprint.
The biggest shake-up is Chaos Control, which lets Shadow freeze time and teleport between enemies instead of relying on the homing attack (please don’t debate lore details in the comments, Shadow’s teleportation and Chaos Control are quite the tangled mess). But it’s the Doom Powers he inherits from the evil Black Arms that truly steals the show. With these, Shadow can hurl foes across the stage, glide with demonic wings, or transform into a sticky blob reminiscent of Spider-Man’s web-swinging. These abilities significantly diversify the game’s challenges, with the glide feature impacting platforming so much that levels have separate speedrun rankings based on whether it’s enabled or not.
Shadow Generations also makes strides where Sonic Generations falters. The hub world has been expanded into a bona fide stage. Sharing similarities with Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Team has polished away some of that game’s rough spots. The button-mashing combat of Frontiers is toned down, and the map’s design is far more intuitive, making navigation a breeze. Unlike Frontiers, where exploration sometimes felt tedious, I find myself revisiting Shadow’s overworld, eager to tackle platforming challenges and uncover hidden collectibles.
Ian Flynn’s narrative prowess shines in a story meticulously crafted from scratch. It delves into Shadow’s backstory with Maria and Gerald Robotnik, alongside the menacing Black Doom. If, like me, you see Shadow as one of gaming’s coolest characters, you might find this to be the pinnacle of storytelling in a Sonic game. But if Shadow seems more like a standard edgy character to you, then the story might not resonate as deeply. Regardless, its execution is a significant leap forward for Sonic’s 3D narrative landscape.
The key issue with Shadow Generations is its tethering to Sonic Generations’ framework. Each Shadow stage comes in both modern and “classic” flavors, and the classic ones, while serviceable, don’t quite capture Shadow’s strengths in the strictly 2D context. The compulsory side missions remain pace-breakers, though they’ve improved with more focused resources, offering ten carefully crafted challenges you need to complete instead of the previous game’s 60 scattered ones. Though not perfect, they represent a marked improvement over some of Sonic’s less polished segments.
As for the Switch port, it performs acceptably, though it’s not outstanding. Essentially, you’re dealing with two distinct games, and they’ve been handled differently. Sonic Generations fares well in the image quality department, maintaining a steady 1080p in docked mode and 720p in handheld, never deviating from these resolutions even during graphically intense scenes. While there’s no anti-aliasing, the game’s brisk pace means you’ll rarely notice it, except when the action halts or during cutscenes. The major stumble is the 30 fps cap plagued by frame pacing issues, creating a slightly uneven feel to the motion, despite achieving a steady frame rate.
In contrast, Shadow Generations doesn’t suffer from this frame pacing hiccup. Here, the 30fps limit feels justifiable given its more ambitious demands. Utilizing tech similar to Sonic Frontiers, Shadow Generations is distinctly more modern, supporting features like ambient occlusion and screen space reflections while offering more open-ended exploration. That graphical ambition means concessions on Switch, where resolution dynamically adjusts based on the scene. Docked, it ranges between 720p and 540p; handheld, it can swing from hitting 720p in simpler scenarios to dropping to 360p. Fidelity FX Super Resolution 2.0 helps smooth out the lower resolutions, though aliasing remains noticeable at times.
Despite these concessions, both versions are playable and align with what we’ve come to expect from Sonic titles on the platform. A patch could smooth out Sonic Generations’ frame pacing, and if that happens, there’d be little left to fault. Shadow Generations’ compromises, given its content, are understandable. The level transitions and visual effects it pulls off seamlessly on the Switch are truly impressive.
So, how to sum up Sonic X Shadow Generations? It’s tricky because each side of the game offers a distinctly different experience. As a remaster, Sonic Generations reminds us of the original’s mixed bag approach—a true treat for its best moments, though not without its stumbling blocks, making it a recommendation best reserved for the franchise’s die-hard fans. On the flip side, Shadow Generations strides boldly forward, building on its predecessors with a clear eye toward creating the most polished Sonic experience in years.
Whether Sonic X Shadow Generations is worth your time depends largely on what you expect from each segment of the package. For me, seeing it as a new game with Shadow in the lead and a remaster thrown in makes it an incredibly appealing package. While it takes a long look back at Sonic’s history, Sonic X Shadow Generations leaves me more optimistic for the series’ future than I have been in a long while.
