‘Sonic x Shadow Generations’ game review

Sonic x Shadow Generations
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Sega’s blue mascot, Sonic, is almost as iconic as Nintendo’s Mario. During the console wars of the 1980s and 1990s, these two mascots battled head-to-head in a David-and-Goliath story. If you are curious about the origins of Sonic, Console Wars by Blake J. Harris offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look, told from the perspective of Sega’s Tom Kalinske.

Fast forward to 2011: Sonic Generations brought back the beloved blue hedgehog, uniting classic and modern Sonic in a single adventure. Today, with successful movies and a new Sonic film featuring Shadow (played by Keanu Reeves), Sonic is as relevant as ever.

The story of Sonic Generations follows Dr. Eggman Robotnik and a mysterious villain manipulating time, causing rifts that merge classic Sonic with his modern avatar. It is a perfect setup for a nostalgic yet refreshing journey through Sonic’s greatest hits. Meanwhile, Shadow the Hedgehog, who debuted in Sonic Adventure 2, also takes centre stage. Created by Dr. Robotnik’s grandfather, Shadow confronts his past while battling Black Doom, a nemesis determined to conquer the world.

This double feature blends two games seamlessly. Sonic’s adventure is a remastered version of 2011’s Sonic Generations, featuring polished graphics and iconic levels. Classic Sonic’s 2.5D side-scrolling gameplay is a delight, though transitioning to 3D with modern Sonic can feel jarring. For fans of 3D platformers, however, it is a thrill.

Shadow the Hedgehog’s campaign is where the real meat lies and the design is admittedly better. Featuring a much darker tone, Shadow’s story takes you across mind-bending levels. Think of Inception’s buildings or Doctor Strange’s Mirror Dimension, where reality itself bends in some interesting level of design. The interesting part is that Shadow’s story is tied to his appearances in the past games, allowing you to live his adventure.

In addition to the usual traversal powers, Shadow gets new Doom powers, the most interesting being Chaos Control, which allows you to stop time to find hidden secrets. The others allow you to sprout wings, surf, and much more. Pairing the excellent level design with some thoughtful powers adds another dimension to a game with just Sonic’s speed running. All expertly tied across several games, instead of just being shoehorned in, makes it all the more entertaining.

Sonic x Shadow Generations is an action-packed adventure for not only a Sonic fan but also those looking for a competent adventure game. I played it on the Switch, and it was a superb companion for those long commutes. It did run pretty well on the slightly long-in-the-tooth hardware. That said, if you own a Steam Deck or ROG Ally, it is also available on PC. Portable is the best format for this game, though it also looks great on your massive TV.