Sega has been on a tear when it comes to their spiky blue mascot. Almost every year this generation there’s been a new Sonic game to look forward to. This time, Sega is bringing back easily one of the best Sonic games from two generations ago in Sonic Generations, but with a more rugged and dark feel thanks to his popular antagonist, Shadow. We got a chance to try it out at Summer Game Fest.
As fans have easily surmised, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remaster of Sonic Generations from the PS3 and Xbox 360 days, brought to the current generation with 4K and HDR support with the inclusion of some of Shadow the Hedgehog’s Greatest Hits.
I was a huge fan of Sonic Generations when it originally came out, and while I have my love for Shadow as well, I’m not gonna lie–I’ve never played any of the games in which you actually use Shadow aside from in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Sonic & All-Stars Racing.
The space levels still look good.
The demo at SGF featured two Sonic levels and two Shadow levels, and our guide recommended we do the Shadow levels first because that was the new content. Still, I had 30 minutes and I was feeling rusty and slow, so I needed “to go fast” and ended up going with the Sonic levels first–both of which were takes on Green Hill Zone.
If you don’t remember or haven’t played Sonic Generations, they were essentially remixed versions of the greatest hits from Sonic games both 2D and 3D. The first Green Hill Zone level was a side scroller, while the other Green Hill Zone level was the modern, hate-it-or-love-it 3D variation. Comparing the game now back to what it was on the PS3 or Xbox 360, I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it felt better or worse, but the good thing was the visuals made everything look new again. Sidescrolling Sonic using 4K HDR is an acquired taste that can be even more of a sensory overload than it was back then, but it’s also a Sonic special. Hearing the classic Green Hill Zone theme in its original form for the sidescrolling level, followed by hearing it remixed for its 3D counterpart was and remains a nice touch.
After getting my feet wet with Sonic Generations, Shadow Generations was definitely a little different. Remember, Shadow made his debut on Sonic Adventure 2 for the Dreamcast. By then, the series had already moved into 3D, so his greatest hits can only go that far back. The Shadow levels featured Space Colony Ark Act 1 and a boss battle with Biolizard–both of which came from Sonic Adventure 2.
Using homing jumps to scrape on Biolizard’s weak spot is still satisfying.
Despite getting some practice with Sonic, I honestly struggled a bit with both of Shadow’s levels. The re-design of Adventure 2‘s Space Colony was gorgeous, and while I thought playing the 3D take on Green Hill Zone was good preparation, I was definitely thrown off by the flow of Space Colony Ark. Shadow’s Chaos Control ability, which freezes time and allows you to use enemies as platforms, was a bit confusing to use at first, and I found myself having to jump back on the course a few times and popping the same ring box to finally get a knack for Chaos Control. Eventually, the level became smooth sailing, but because of how I horribly slowed things down earlier in the level, I didn’t get the S-Ranks that I got in the Sonic portion of the demo.
Moving on to the Biolizard fight, it featured some of the camera jank that the 3D games have been known for. The first phase of the fight forces you to jump to avoid shockwaves, followed by using the homing ability to eventually maneuver you way to Biolizard’s weak point. After a few rounds of that, the game teaches you about the Chaos Spear, which you can use to launch blasts of energy at attacks coming from the boss. This is used in the same way that McCree’s “High Noon” ultimate is used in Overwatch, and before I realized that, I did have my fair share of deaths before conquering the alien once and for all.
I finished my time with Sonic X Shadow Generations definitely impressed with how it looks, and I think the Shadow levels definitely give some much-added value to a game that’s otherwise more than a decade old, so this definitely will be on my radar when it comes out on October 25, 2024.
Sega has been on a tear when it comes to their spiky blue mascot. Almost every year this generation there’s been a new Sonic game to look forward to. This time, Sega is bringing back easily one of the best…
Sega has been on a tear when it comes to their spiky blue mascot. Almost every year this generation there’s been a new Sonic game to look forward to. This time, Sega is bringing back easily one of the best Sonic games from two generations ago in Sonic Generations, but with a more rugged and dark feel thanks to his popular antagonist, Shadow. We got a chance to try it out at Summer Game Fest.
As fans have easily surmised, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remaster of Sonic Generations from the PS3 and Xbox 360 days, brought to the current generation with 4K and HDR support with the inclusion of some of Shadow the Hedgehog’s Greatest Hits.
I was a huge fan of Sonic Generations when it originally came out, and while I have my love for Shadow as well, I’m not gonna lie–I’ve never played any of the games in which you actually use Shadow aside from in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Sonic & All-Stars Racing.
The space levels still look good.
The demo at SGF featured two Sonic levels and two Shadow levels, and our guide recommended we do the Shadow levels first because that was the new content. Still, I had 30 minutes and I was feeling rusty and slow, so I needed “to go fast” and ended up going with the Sonic levels first–both of which were takes on Green Hill Zone.
If you don’t remember or haven’t played Sonic Generations, they were essentially remixed versions of the greatest hits from Sonic games both 2D and 3D. The first Green Hill Zone level was a side scroller, while the other Green Hill Zone level was the modern, hate-it-or-love-it 3D variation. Comparing the game now back to what it was on the PS3 or Xbox 360, I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it felt better or worse, but the good thing was the visuals made everything look new again. Sidescrolling Sonic using 4K HDR is an acquired taste that can be even more of a sensory overload than it was back then, but it’s also a Sonic special. Hearing the classic Green Hill Zone theme in its original form for the sidescrolling level, followed by hearing it remixed for its 3D counterpart was and remains a nice touch.
After getting my feet wet with Sonic Generations, Shadow Generations was definitely a little different. Remember, Shadow made his debut on Sonic Adventure 2 for the Dreamcast. By then, the series had already moved into 3D, so his greatest hits can only go that far back. The Shadow levels featured Space Colony Ark Act 1 and a boss battle with Biolizard–both of which came from Sonic Adventure 2.
Using homing jumps to scrape on Biolizard’s weak spot is still satisfying.
Despite getting some practice with Sonic, I honestly struggled a bit with both of Shadow’s levels. The re-design of Adventure 2‘s Space Colony was gorgeous, and while I thought playing the 3D take on Green Hill Zone was good preparation, I was definitely thrown off by the flow of Space Colony Ark. Shadow’s Chaos Control ability, which freezes time and allows you to use enemies as platforms, was a bit confusing to use at first, and I found myself having to jump back on the course a few times and popping the same ring box to finally get a knack for Chaos Control. Eventually, the level became smooth sailing, but because of how I horribly slowed things down earlier in the level, I didn’t get the S-Ranks that I got in the Sonic portion of the demo.
Moving on to the Biolizard fight, it featured some of the camera jank that the 3D games have been known for. The first phase of the fight forces you to jump to avoid shockwaves, followed by using the homing ability to eventually maneuver you way to Biolizard’s weak point. After a few rounds of that, the game teaches you about the Chaos Spear, which you can use to launch blasts of energy at attacks coming from the boss. This is used in the same way that McCree’s “High Noon” ultimate is used in Overwatch, and before I realized that, I did have my fair share of deaths before conquering the alien once and for all.
I finished my time with Sonic X Shadow Generations definitely impressed with how it looks, and I think the Shadow levels definitely give some much-added value to a game that’s otherwise more than a decade old, so this definitely will be on my radar when it comes out on October 25, 2024.
by Danreb Victorio
