Gosh people, Sega actually pulled it off. After the disappointment of Sonic Forces, the glitching Sonic Colors Ultimate and the savage nature of Sonic Frontiers, the publisher has delivered what is arguably the best 3D Sonic game to date with Sonic X Shadow Generations. It gracefully returns to a beloved modern classic while introducing an additional campaign that we almost dismissed as a quirky bonus, but actually ended up being the star of the show.
Since some Nintendo fans may not have experienced the 2011 console version of Sonic Generations (with a 3DS limited release), the general gist is that the ‘classic’ and ‘modern’ versions of the Blue Blur team up to fight against an entity known as ‘The Time Eater’ after merging their timelines and trapping them in the mysterious ‘White Space’. The two must revisit iconic stages from the franchise’s history, with Classic Sonic racing along a 2D plane and Modern Sonic blasting his way through 3D environments.
Stages pay tribute to the Sonic series as a whole and include reliable classics from the original 2D era such as Green Hill and Sky Sanctuary, while special attention is paid to 3D games with City Escape, Seaside Hill and Planet Wisp. Revisiting these areas with a fresh coat of paint is a real treat, and Generations does a great job adapting each stage for 2D and 3D play; It’s true that Green Hill is overused at this point, but there’s something quite magical about speeding through such a familiar setting in a new way.
Progression is a case of completing two acts from each stage before solving several levels of challenges to unlock boss keys. These challenges offer different tasks such as racing against your double, completing a stage with only one ring, and more. Some of the challenges can be a little frustrating, but for the most part they’re fun, bitesize takes on the main stages that round out what would otherwise be a fairly short game well.
In terms of changes from the original Sonic Generations, it’s not much. There’s a bunch of Chao hidden in stages for you to collect, but if you might have been hoping that might lead to an unlockable Chao Garden mod, then unfortunately our seemingly endless wait continues. Other than that, yes, there are a few changes to the game’s dialogue and cutscenes, but it’s not really anything that should color your overall opinion of the experience if you’re a generation veteran. The main stages for Classic Sonic also use the Drop Dash ability, but it has been removed for challenges.
We suspect, however, that the main draw for many players will be the addition of Shadow Generations, a brand new five-hour campaign that takes place directly alongside Sonic’s. We’re going to come right out and say it: this is a 3D Sonic game at its absolute best. It’s clear that Sonic Team has learned a few lessons from Frontiers, delivering an intimate experience with some of the best 3D stages we’ve ever seen, with a central world that’s a joy to explore.
Shadow Generations has a lot in common with its big brother: you’ll take part in several stages based on past Sonic titles such as Radical Highway, Space Colony ARK and Sunset Heights, with progression tied to completing full levels, challenges and boss battles with enemies such as are Biolizard and Metal Overlord. Each stage has two acts and, like Sonic’s campaign, they are designed to highlight both 2D and 3D gameplay.
The main difference is how Shadow controls. Basic functions like movement and jumping are mostly the same, but Shadow also has access to a growing library of ‘Doom Powers’ alongside his trusty ‘Chaos Control’ ability. The latter essentially allows you to slow down time while maintaining your own speed, allowing the Shadow to jump on speeding projectiles, dash across crumbling stages, and more. What’s neat is that, during challenges, Chaos Control will also cause the timer to freeze, giving you a much-needed boost if you want to achieve an S-rank.
Doom Powers, meanwhile, are earned gradually as you progress through the game, with each new level including at least one instance where their use is mandatory for success. Soon you’ll be riding the waves with the Doom Surf, soaring through the skies with the Doom Wing, and even transforming into a bizarre squid-like creature with the Doom Morph ability, allowing you to traverse all-new terrain.
Honestly, it would have been too easy for Sonic Team to completely mess up Doom Powers, adding a bunch of new abilities to a franchise that has historically worked best when its core mechanics were kept to a minimum, but we loved using Doom Powers and I hope it expands in the future.
Despite the welcome changes to the gameplay, the stages themselves are the true highlight of Shadow Generations. Each is like its own roller coaster ride, with environments that frequently change around you in real time as you make your way to the finish line. In a big change to Sonic Generations, the camera has also been moved back a bit, giving you a better view of the world around you. It sounds like a pretty minor tweak in theory, but the altered view allows you to see incoming threats from a greater distance, giving you more time to react accordingly and maintain crucial momentum.
The levels are also quite large and will often take around five or six minutes on your first go through. Those challenges, meanwhile, can be completed in a minute or two at most. Note that the Cyberspace levels from Sonic Frontiers can easily be beaten in under a minute in most cases; the stages in Shadow Generations (and indeed Sonic Generations) are much longer and, in our opinion, much more interesting.
Similar to the main game, Shadow Generations also includes a ‘White Space’ environment from which you access each stage. However, unlike the 2D presentation in Sonic Generations, this is a Frontiers-inspired 3D space that you can explore to your heart’s content. It’s a lot smaller in scope than anything you’re likely to see in Frontiers, but it’s also much denser with things to do, which makes exploration infinitely more enjoyable. Secret paths will lead to new areas, while locked boxes are scattered throughout the world, giving you access to music and artwork from Shadow’s history with the franchise. Some have already compared it to the overworld seen in Bowser’s Wrath, and we wholeheartedly agree with this comparison.
Any worries about the game’s performance on the Switch can also be dismissed. Yes, both Sonic and Shadow Generations run at 30 frames per second instead of the 60 frames per second seen on other platforms, but throughout it remains rock solid with barely any fluctuations. The visuals are also a treat, with the outrageous appearance that plagued Frontiers completely eliminated here, making both the White Space hub world and the main stage a joy to behold. And of course, as always, the music featured throughout both games is absolutely stellar, perfectly remixing the original versions without losing their catchy essence.
Conclusion
In what can only be described as a monumental return to form for both hedgehogs, Sonic X Shadow Generations combines two excellent campaigns to create what is arguably the best 3D Sonic game to date. The remastered Generations content remains a delight, taking you through some of the series’ most iconic stages, but Shadow’s new chapter represents the franchise’s 3D gameplay at its best. It introduces a bunch of awesome new abilities while featuring some of the most creative stages we’ve ever seen, and we’re happy to keep repeating to hit those crucial S-Ranks. Alas, still no Chao Garden, but we’ll keep hoping and praying for its inclusion in the future. The future looks bright for 3D Sonic.
