Shadow the Hedgehog

 GameCube
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 226 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 100 out of 226
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 226
  3. Negative: 60 out of 226
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  1. Animer6031
    Nov 16, 2016
    7
    The game is not BAD, but the history that you need to get the Last Mode is boring ! The guns has a good function on battle moment, but the fighting moviment don't help and in the most part of the game you are going to use the Homing Attack.
  2. KendylKlownfish
    May 6, 2011
    5
    Like the Sonic series itself in the mid 2000's, Shadow the Hedgehog flails under its amount of flaws. Pros: Fantastic visuals; excellent level design; great FMVs; lots of extras/secrets to unlock. Cons: Terrible control and camera; disappointing graphics; lacks any kind of speed; horrendous multiplayer.
  3. Mega_Panda
    Feb 18, 2014
    6
    Why...WHY DO I LOVE THIS GAME! I remember geting this game for christmas and loved it and i love it still, i even liked the guns, shadow moves and controles like butter and the level design is great. Shadow the Hedgehog gets a 6/10
  4. BlueSpeed
    Nov 26, 2015
    7
    Shadow the hedgehog is a bad game,but there is a good thing about this game.the good things are:Shadow got his own stories,and introducing 2 of shadow's powers that is Chaos Control and Chaos Blast,even though the controls are a little bad its still fun to play it,and the game introducing us to one of the greatest sonic music such as I am all of me,never turn back.Overall this is a goodShadow the hedgehog is a bad game,but there is a good thing about this game.the good things are:Shadow got his own stories,and introducing 2 of shadow's powers that is Chaos Control and Chaos Blast,even though the controls are a little bad its still fun to play it,and the game introducing us to one of the greatest sonic music such as I am all of me,never turn back.Overall this is a good game but it needs some work into this game.… Expand
  5. EpicLadySponge
    Jan 3, 2017
    5
    Shadow the Hedgehog is a game that brings unwelcome amount of maturity (And for an E10+ game, this is what you get? Please... save that for the M-rated games.), unnecessary edginess, and guns in a series all about a hedgehog with the ability to run as fast as a human can go. I'm too confused, is this supposed to be in the exact same franchise or am I just dreaming?
  6. JPK
    Aug 19, 2018
    6
    Umm
    As A Huge Shadow Fan, I Am Both Kinda Satisfied And Disappointed With This Game
    Pros: I Can See Where They're Trying To Go With Here By Explaining How Maria Died And The Conflict That Shadow Is Dealing With, The Line “Where’s That Damn Fourth Chaos Emerald” Makes Me Smile And Laugh Every Time, The Music, The Chaotix Are Hilarious As Usual, Eggman Is Always A Great Addition, Shadow Of    Umm
    As A Huge Shadow Fan, I Am Both Kinda Satisfied And Disappointed With This Game
    Pros: I Can See Where They're Trying To Go With Here By Explaining How Maria Died And The Conflict That Shadow Is Dealing With, The Line “Where’s That Damn Fourth Chaos Emerald” Makes Me Smile And Laugh Every Time, The Music, The Chaotix Are Hilarious As Usual, Eggman Is Always A Great Addition, Shadow Of Course Is A Badass At Times, This Game Also Took Risks, And Terrific Animation For Some Cutscenes, An Interesting Story Shows At Time.
    Cons: Tries WAY TOO DAMN HARD To Be Dark And Gritty (I Don’t Have A Problem With The Game Itself Being Dark And Gritty But The Effort Is Half Cooked), Sonic And His Friends Kinda Take The Focus Away From The Main Story And Derail The Tone It’s Supposed To Set (I Think Shadow’s Main Allies Should Have Been Rouge And Omega In This Game, Sonic Could’ve Made A Cameo), This Game Should’ve Been Rated Teen, WAY TOO MANY Endings, Confusing At Times, As I Mentioned Before The Tone CHANGES CONSTANTLY With It Being The Dark Shadow The First And The Light-Hearted Sonic Interfearing The Next, Sloppy Controlls At Times, Black Doom Is A Missed Opportunity

    Verdict: A Conflicting Game, All Of The Terrific Ingredients Are There, But Only 60% Of Them Ratify.    … Expand
  7. Sentai
    Jul 6, 2018
    5
    This game is s*** there is Shadow in the game OK but why? Why GUNS in this game?! Its just like a meme where a cute dog has two pistoles and shooting on people. Sonic Forces is better!
  8. Edork
    Nov 12, 2012
    5
    I don't think this game is as awful as the 51% critic approval rating might suggest. That's not to say it's a good game, though. The dialouge is terrible and the tone is more vapid and trashy than dark and mature, which it strides to be. The camera sucks and the controls can be really slippery. However, this game does offer some neat level designs, challenging boss fights, and the music,I don't think this game is as awful as the 51% critic approval rating might suggest. That's not to say it's a good game, though. The dialouge is terrible and the tone is more vapid and trashy than dark and mature, which it strides to be. The camera sucks and the controls can be really slippery. However, this game does offer some neat level designs, challenging boss fights, and the music, while forced, is really catchy and fits each stage you're in. The CG cutscenes are great to look at, too.… Expand
  9. sprintinmario
    Jul 14, 2014
    5
    So Shadow the Hedgehog was released for the Nintendo Gamecube about 4 1/2 months after Resident Evil 4 was released for the same system. SO I must ask why did Shadow the Hedgehog look so bleak, barren, and uninteresting. The controls are so Freaking slippery I died like 8 times because Shadow would go careening of the damn cliff because of the freaking controls. Multiple pathways soundsSo Shadow the Hedgehog was released for the Nintendo Gamecube about 4 1/2 months after Resident Evil 4 was released for the same system. SO I must ask why did Shadow the Hedgehog look so bleak, barren, and uninteresting. The controls are so Freaking slippery I died like 8 times because Shadow would go careening of the damn cliff because of the freaking controls. Multiple pathways sounds interesting and multiple endings would help that BUT none of the normal endings matter because theres a lasting freaking story segment that has Shadow save the day anyway. I also must ask why the hell do they make us unlock every none cannon ending before we get to see the last freaking story that is Cannon to the sonic universe. That means that you have to have to play through the game more then once. Now that doesn't sound to bad but each path has two endings and you think you could pick the last stage and then choose the other mission to get the other ending BUT NO you have to play the same goddamn path again till you get to the final level then chose the other mission to get the other ending you have to do that 12 GODDAMN TIMES TO SEE THE TRUE ENDING meaning youll see the first level Westopolis 12 FREAKING TIMES. It's annoying as hell and it gets boring after the third or fourth playthrough.. In this game your primary game of getting around is "walking around in a 3-D enivorment" shooting alines with guns. YES YOU USE A FREKAING GUN IN A SONIC GAME. The models are ripped straight from Sonic Hereos so they don't look to bad but they look awful in cutscenes. The gunplay works fine but its a bit weird. The bosses are boring and repetitive and the muysic is even worse except for "I AM" and "Never Turn Back".

    Overall this game is just **** Bleak graphics, uninteresting level design, and repetitive mission structure makes this a game I never want to touch ever again.    … Expand
  10. Untitled94
    Oct 30, 2016
    7
    The game is one of the best spin-off Sonic games. The idea of Shadow The Hedgehog was pretty good. Combining the Sonic gameplay with 3rd Person Shooter elements. While the final game wasn't the best, it's still a lot of fun. Using the weapons in the game can be very satisfying, though the fact that they disappear after the ammo is out is a little dumb, weapons aren't that hard to find. ForThe game is one of the best spin-off Sonic games. The idea of Shadow The Hedgehog was pretty good. Combining the Sonic gameplay with 3rd Person Shooter elements. While the final game wasn't the best, it's still a lot of fun. Using the weapons in the game can be very satisfying, though the fact that they disappear after the ammo is out is a little dumb, weapons aren't that hard to find. For a Sonic game, it plays very well, there's just the occasional slow down moments, like in any Sonic game. People say it's "Un-Sonic-y" to have to slow down to solve stuff in Sonic games, when really, that's been around since the first game. This game is a bit too serious for a Sonic game, but it still had some cool and dark moments in it. The writing is OK. I mean it's not all bad, but damn, it looks like whoever wrote the script for this game wasn't the best at it. Overall, this is a good game. Not great, but good.… Expand
  11. MisterNoodles
    Jun 18, 2013
    5
    It's okay I guess. But I had two major problems with it and no one of them is not the controls even though they were pretty bad. My main two problems with this game are Shadow and guns. The two really don't work out together right? My problem with Shadow is he swears frequently, but isn't this game rated E10+. Well apparently it shouldn't, because Shadow swears nearly every single time heIt's okay I guess. But I had two major problems with it and no one of them is not the controls even though they were pretty bad. My main two problems with this game are Shadow and guns. The two really don't work out together right? My problem with Shadow is he swears frequently, but isn't this game rated E10+. Well apparently it shouldn't, because Shadow swears nearly every single time he gets hit and trust me you will get hit a lot. Now problem with the guns is basically self explanatory. Their guns what the heck are they doing in a Sonic/Shadow game I mean the ultimate life form needs guns to fight.
    Overall it's okay, but don't let kids play this    … Expand
  12. celebi734
    Dec 21, 2014
    5
    Shadow the Hedgehog is a mediocre action game with some high points and low points. First the high points. For a Gamecube game the graphics are quite nice and have a decent amount of draw distance. The story is actually pretty cool with multiple routes you can take, if you want to be a good guy you can, if you want to be a bad guy you can, if you want to be a badass rouge you can. Some ofShadow the Hedgehog is a mediocre action game with some high points and low points. First the high points. For a Gamecube game the graphics are quite nice and have a decent amount of draw distance. The story is actually pretty cool with multiple routes you can take, if you want to be a good guy you can, if you want to be a bad guy you can, if you want to be a badass rouge you can. Some of the bosses are pretty fun to fight and look pretty cool and the soundtrack is really good. Now the low points. A lot of the characters annoying and most of them unlikable with the exception of Shadow and the main villain (who's name I can't remember). The gameplay doesn't feel like a Sonic game because you get to use guns, and while you don't have to use the guns a lot of the enemies in this game can take a lot of hits so you have to use the guns almost all the time. The controls are pretty bad and the camera is horrible. The game offers multiplayer which may sound cool, but it's very boring. How boring? Metroid Prime 2's multiplayer is more fun. The game is also very hard. If I wasn't already a big Sonic fan I would've given Shadow the Hedgehog a 4.… Expand
  13. darkfury45
    Mar 30, 2015
    5
    If the gameplay and controls weren't so slippery, more people could appreciate Shadow's final moments as a good character before being butchered. The story is good, the cutscenes and bosses are nice, and although the graphics are rather lacking it's a rather reasonable looking game. The controls and physics need to be fixed to make this game fully worth the price.
  14. FRG
    Jul 24, 2013
    7
    Good game,but not the best of sonic's games,give a decent experience and a good fun,that may be the only good game of sonic in the console of mid 00s.
  15. YellowMan64
    Sep 19, 2013
    7
    Shadow The Hedgehog has guns in it, that's probably the worse part of the game. The other parts of the game are fun, which is a good thing. Some of the levels could be boring, but some of them were good. I would say It's a good game, and not something like "OMG TIS IS TEH BESTEST SANIC GAME EVAR LIKE RALLY!"
  16. ThatCooperGuy
    Jun 27, 2015
    5
    My Sonic collection comes full circle with "Shadow the Hedgehog".
    This game sucks, but it was technically the first Sonic game I ever actually played (back in 2006 on my Xbox Original). I figured I'd buy it some time in the future and play it again. It's story is the worst part and the gameplay is kinda a mix of decent and boring...
    I don't regret this purchase, just like I don't regret    My Sonic collection comes full circle with "Shadow the Hedgehog".
    This game sucks, but it was technically the first Sonic game I ever actually played (back in 2006 on my Xbox Original). I figured I'd buy it some time in the future and play it again. It's story is the worst part and the gameplay is kinda a mix of decent and boring...
    I don't regret this purchase, just like I don't regret buying Sonic '06.    … Expand
  17. SonicAndMegaMan
    Jan 15, 2014
    5
    A good concept at start from sonic team bur overall a very average and poor game with many holes it the story plot. Really a sonic game rated E10+... real good idea to add minor curse words to a game about a blue hedgehog. Shadow got so popular it was worth its own game? this game isn't horrible but it's not good i'll tell you that much. Damn this was so not a sonic game and **** theA good concept at start from sonic team bur overall a very average and poor game with many holes it the story plot. Really a sonic game rated E10+... real good idea to add minor curse words to a game about a blue hedgehog. Shadow got so popular it was worth its own game? this game isn't horrible but it's not good i'll tell you that much. Damn this was so not a sonic game and **** the people who say no it was a shadow game huehuehue. No it wasn't it's a spin off. A dark gimic that was a commercial failure with the worst oppening 3d sonic level of all time. All i can give this game is that the gun play was fun and the story was bland but not aweful. The worst thing is the bland soundtrack the theme's in this game sucked. But hey it's better than Sonic the hedgehog (06)… Expand
  18. SlyguyReviews
    Sep 21, 2014
    6
    This is not a bad game. great shooting mechanic, the controls are a little slippery, multiple endings. the missions at times can take a long time. Warning DONT TRY TO SPEED RUN you will get tired of it so take little by little. The story is average and the endings are pretty good. If you can try this game out.
  19. TSDG
    Apr 12, 2015
    7
    DECENT, It felt good, but not for the single player mode that once made me sick for being in stages too long, but I wish the multiplayer mode was online, considering the GameCube wasn't capable of it, hopefully it gets a sequel with online multiplayer!
  20. MaxShibe
    Sep 7, 2019
    5
    Slippery Gameplay, mediocre story and really repetitive. Not that good at all.
  21. Xcaliber
    Feb 13, 2018
    6
    This game coming after the wonderful but flawed Sonic heroes had a lot to live up too, but it was quite the disappointment. the story is hilariously edgy and feels like the design team just fished watching the matrix movies! the presentation while less colorful than previous titles looks great (mostly) and the soundtrack is pretty good but a bit generic sometimes. the gameplay is prettyThis game coming after the wonderful but flawed Sonic heroes had a lot to live up too, but it was quite the disappointment. the story is hilariously edgy and feels like the design team just fished watching the matrix movies! the presentation while less colorful than previous titles looks great (mostly) and the soundtrack is pretty good but a bit generic sometimes. the gameplay is pretty good with lots of enemys to fight and stages to platform through. the controls are kinda slippery but are quite easy to get used to and aren't as bad as some say they are. the alternate endings aren't that great so I just recommend doing a standard neutral playthrough unless you want 100%. there is also some local multiplayer that is pretty fun but nothing to special.Overall this game is OK but very flawed and I recommend if you're a hardcore sonic fan or wanna get into the series.… Expand
  22. ZXSth
    Mar 6, 2023
    5
    Unlike Sonic the Hedgehog (the one from 2006), Shadow the Hedgehog's most egregious sin is not being outlandish or outrageous, in my mind - the game is simply frustratingly lacklustre. Funnily enough, I did not find a serious portrayal of a gun-wielding anthromorphic hedgehog all that hilarious or ridiculous. In fact, the far more outrageous prospect was playing through the same stagesUnlike Sonic the Hedgehog (the one from 2006), Shadow the Hedgehog's most egregious sin is not being outlandish or outrageous, in my mind - the game is simply frustratingly lacklustre. Funnily enough, I did not find a serious portrayal of a gun-wielding anthromorphic hedgehog all that hilarious or ridiculous. In fact, the far more outrageous prospect was playing through the same stages numerous times in order to achieve the game's final ending, which I could not bring myself to do.

    This game demands a lot of time from its players, and it does not respect it at all. It also offers a rather lame experience across the board: A repetitive and par-at-best single-player experience; a pointless narrative; terrible writing; too many characters that are poorly voice-acted and entirely inconsequential to the equally inconsequential story; and one of the most forgettable and unengaging two-player modes I have ever seen in a video game.

    Where Sega was arguably able to provide a marginally better characterization of Shadow in Sonic '06, this game spits on anything that might have verged on interesting or evocative about the character by creating this low-effort video game. It is playable and tolerable, but barely anything more than that.    … Expand
  23. Diego9028
    Dec 10, 2019
    7
    Es un juego un poco alejado de la saga principal de Sonic pero que cualquiera puede disfrutar si le interesa descubrir el pasado de Shadow.
  24. p_ulisses
    Jun 29, 2020
    5
    When I was a kid and was playing in the PS2, I thought this game was the best thing mankind ever made. And then, we grew up, see the series visual identity and mechanics completely distorted and make a "bruh" face. Still, I have some affection for it, since it's nostalgic. But the game has a lot of problems, like glitches, poorly made graphics, a unbalanced soundtrack with some outstandingWhen I was a kid and was playing in the PS2, I thought this game was the best thing mankind ever made. And then, we grew up, see the series visual identity and mechanics completely distorted and make a "bruh" face. Still, I have some affection for it, since it's nostalgic. But the game has a lot of problems, like glitches, poorly made graphics, a unbalanced soundtrack with some outstanding songs and forgettable and generic others, and the worst defect I think it has: the insertion of guns in the franchise, used by one of the protagonists, to pass a "cool and edgy" feeling to the children but when you grow up, the only thing you can feel is cringe. At least, I can enjoy the game's level design. Some stages are linear, but others are well inspired and cool to explore (not you, Lost Impact). I see a lot of people say this game has a good story. It's just laughable.… Expand
  25. Knight678
    Jul 24, 2021
    7
    Yes I gave Shadow a 7 because of the Gameplay,Alternative Endings,Ties into Sonic 06 by explaining why he became a agent if you play the expert mode,Ost and it's very fun to play through if you don't do all 10 endings.The only problems i have with this game is some of the dialogue,almost dead and wonky controls but apart from that it's a solid underated gem that should be ported
  26. ibblue07
    Jun 20, 2022
    7
    Giving Shadow a gun is almost like giving Goku a gun. I know it sounds silly, but he literally doesn’t need a gun if he already has Chaos Abilities at his disposal. I feel like they did it just to make Shadow The Hedgehog more edgy. However, I will say that the alternative endings are cool and makes the game feel more dynamic. Though trying to actually get all of these endings will be aGiving Shadow a gun is almost like giving Goku a gun. I know it sounds silly, but he literally doesn’t need a gun if he already has Chaos Abilities at his disposal. I feel like they did it just to make Shadow The Hedgehog more edgy. However, I will say that the alternative endings are cool and makes the game feel more dynamic. Though trying to actually get all of these endings will be a rather bumpy ride.… Expand
  27. FeelStar
    Nov 25, 2022
    5
    Shadow the Hedgehog is a incredible odd title that's often hated among most, I however played through it and found myself thinking it was quite alright. The game misunderstands a lot of what made some of the earlier titles good but also has aspects that go underseen by people nowadays too. The controls are the biggest problem, controlling shadow in the game is something that will turn offShadow the Hedgehog is a incredible odd title that's often hated among most, I however played through it and found myself thinking it was quite alright. The game misunderstands a lot of what made some of the earlier titles good but also has aspects that go underseen by people nowadays too. The controls are the biggest problem, controlling shadow in the game is something that will turn off most, but if you can push through it, the level design in some places and banger soundtrack and graphics might make you think otherwise. The story is also enjoyable too for how completely dumb every character acts in the game, mixed with moments of really good writing too. The gameplay is not very good, but the moments of good design and genuinely enjoyable music, graphics, & story makes this game quite the ok title for me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best GameCube Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2005
3
#3 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 22
  3. Negative: 10 out of 22
  1. Thunderbolt
    40
    From its stripping down of the series' most successful gameplay elements to its obviously desperate addition of weapons and 'street' cool this is still a product of a development studio with a good imagination. But also, it seems, a lazy one only too happy to jump on the same GTA bandwagon that's currently carrying way too many developers.
    Read full review
  2. AceGamez
    40
    The poor controls, tricky camera and an irritation-filled gaming experience is unfortunately what Shadow the Hedgehog is presented as, and this doesn't deserve to be found under too many Christmas tree's this year.
  3. Nintendo Power
    80
    An enjoyable, high-octane adventure. Naysayers be damned. [Jan 2006, p.111]
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