Sonic x Shadow Generations Review — The Ultimate Lifeform

Growing up, I was never really a “Sonic kid.”

That’s not entirely true. I loved playing Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog on my PlayStation 2 and got really into Sonic Riders when visiting neighborhood kids who owned a GameCube. Despite this, I never felt comfortable admitting I was a Sonic fan and hid from the franchise in self-imposed shame, worried I wouldn’t be perceived as “cool.” There’s an undeniable magnetism to Sonic’s world and characters, though, and as I grew older and less influenced by the opinions of others, my interest swung back in full force, amplified by some of the more recent and impressive Sonic media like Frontiers and the comics (Surge the Tenrec is cool, period).

Suffice it to say, Sonic x Shadow Generations got me hyped. It was released during what I’d call my personal “Sonic Renaissance,” as the franchise has been ever more present in my mind. If Sonic x Shadow Generations is any benchmark for what we can expect from future Sonic releases, then the franchise won’t have any trouble keeping my interest.

Sonic x Shadow Generations is sort of two games in one.

Shadow Generations is the title’s selling point and most likely what got most Sonic fans (myself included) interested. A brand-new, stand-alone story starring Shadow the Hedgehog, the game can be seen as a sort of sequel to Sonic Generations and features a story that runs concurrently with that game’s plot.

This honestly could have been enough to sell the game on its own and, frankly, is the part I spent most of my time in, but Sonic Team and Sega decided to treat us by packaging it with a remaster of Sonic Generations. Hence, the “Sonic” in Sonic x Shadow Generations. You get two games in one for the industry-low price of $50.

Generous, though that may be, I would call it nothing more than a marketing gimmick if Shadow Generations wasn’t a good, stand-alone title. It would be incredibly easy, and not unheard of in the industry, for Sega and Sonic Team to release a half-finished game and package it with a graphical remaster of a popular title to skirt attention away from it. Thankfully, this is not the case.

Jumping right into Shadow Generations, I was shocked by how much it felt like a true Sonic game. Even more so, I was surprised by how much it felt like a Shadow game.

Shadow Generations follows our titular Ultimate Lifeform as he continues his battle against Black Doom, his space-alien DNA donor and one of the “big bads” of the Sonic franchise. The story takes place across six fast-paced, highly cinematic levels that see Shadow dashing, rail-grinding, and blasting his way through Doom’s minions with new, dark powers.

Any good Sonic game has a good sense of speed, and Shadow Generations is no exception. Each level throws you forward across cleverly designed tracks at a delightfully breakneck pace, giving that classic Sonic-game feel of being too fast to stop while carefully placing obstacles and paths in your way that require quick thinking and reflexes. Shadow’s paths are made more complicated with the addition of flight, ranged attacks, and mechanics that, while initially easy to learn, become complicated to master as the game challenges you to use them quickly and in unexpected ways.

Each level, in classic Sonic fashion, is inherently highly replayable, as the speed makes it hard, if not impossible, to anticipate every path or obstacle ahead, especially if you’re trying for the best time and collecting as many rings as possible.

As I said before, there’s an undeniable magnetism to Sonic’s world and characters. A good Sonic game understands this and, beyond just flashing colors and a sense of speed, will treat you to cinematic moments and lull you into a determined trance with an awesome soundtrack. Shadow Generations gets this and executes it phenomenally. Your high-speed races are occasionally and seamlessly interrupted by striking visuals and incredible little cutscenes that really give a feel for the drama, tension, and high-octane action Shadow is experiencing.

Shadow Generations nails the feeling of a Sonic game and also executes on that particular feeling that is Shadow the Hedgehog—a vibe I haven’t seen executed this well since the PlayStation 2 title of the same name.

Shadow the Hedgehog is a dramatic character. Anyone who disagrees is either mistaken or afraid to admit it. Shadow Generations understands this and fills his screen time with the dramatic visuals and intense subject matter that a Shadow game deserves. Our resident hedgehog-alien-clone fights off an otherworldly, downright cosmic-horror invasion, unlocks body-horror-esque mutations and powers, and deals with his personal losses and anger issues as he shoots, bashes, and destroys his way through levels. It is edgy, it is cool, and I love it. Anyone who isn’t embarrassed to admit that Shadow the Hedgehog is a badass will fall in love with every moment of his screen time.

While Shadow Generations can run a bit short, totaling about six hours if you’re not a completionist, I think it’s a phenomenal piece of Sonic media and an excellent benchmark for the franchise moving forward. The fact that it’s packaged with a remaster of another beloved Sonic game is simply icing on the cake. Sonic x Shadow Generations is a great game, sold at a great price, and one that I highly recommend to Sonic fans and soon-to-be Sonic fans.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Sonic x Shadow Generations is available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.