Shadow the Hedgehog

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Nov 15, 2005
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 229 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 229
  2. Mixed: 75 out of 229
  3. Negative: 68 out of 229
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  1. PhilK.
    Feb 4, 2006
    1
    Why did I buy this game!!! 50$ in the garbage! Storyline is too short, gameplay is horrendous, and to top it off this is the easiest game ive ever played! It took me a 1/2 hour to beat campaign mode. Sega has taken a HUGE step backwards. Name anything that makes a game good I bet you they screwed up that part too, graphics, gameplay, an interesting story line, the list goes on and on.
  2. KendylKlownfish
    Apr 26, 2011
    4
    Even if you're looking for a little bit of life in Shadow the Hedgehog, I'd turn to the NGC version. The PS2 version emphasizes bad control and camera to a whole new level.
  3. NerdConsultant
    Oct 19, 2014
    1
    what the hell was sega on when they came up with this say what you like about sonic 06 and belive me it is a worse game on a lot of levels but at least that game didn't have a story that sucked no matter which way you picked and a final story that's just as bad with an awful retcon which i won't spoil for anyone sadistic enough to play through this rubbish

    couple with gameplay that    what the hell was sega on when they came up with this say what you like about sonic 06 and belive me it is a worse game on a lot of levels but at least that game didn't have a story that sucked no matter which way you picked and a final story that's just as bad with an awful retcon which i won't spoil for anyone sadistic enough to play through this rubbish

    couple with gameplay that sucks unless you're just aiming to get to the end of the level (with a few very rare exceptions) and you have a game that is really not fun    … Expand
  4. SenpaiEXE
    Oct 9, 2019
    1
    Shadow The Hedgehog is awful, stay away from it. Nothing about this game is good except the soundtrack. Level design trash, story lame as hell, Shadows controls feel like he had bananas instead of shoes, Lame characters that u will never care about, and the god awful endings that don't matter.

    Even Sonic 06 is better go play that game instead of this garbage
  5. VidyaBum
    May 6, 2015
    3
    I never cared for the guns, or for Shadow having his own "I'm so hardcore with guns & aliens" game.

    But this gets a 3 nonetheless: -Good points: .................thinking real hard right now... -Ammo mechanic is pretty nice -Bad points: -Slippery control -boring, overdone gameplay except for the guns system -TERRIBLE level design -terrible mission design -terrible mix of    I never cared for the guns, or for Shadow having his own "I'm so hardcore with guns & aliens" game.

    But this gets a 3 nonetheless:

    -Good points:
    .................thinking real hard right now...
    -Ammo mechanic is pretty nice

    -Bad points:
    -Slippery control
    -boring, overdone gameplay except for the guns system
    -TERRIBLE level design
    -terrible mission design
    -terrible mix of "I'm so hardcore" Shadow and the cute fluffy classic Sonic cast(no really, you get cutscenes about world domination and extermination and right after you get Tails' childish voice telling you "we're gonna beat the bad guys!")
    -stupid story
    -stupid cutscenes
    -stupid pretty much everything

    The should not be good but is:
    -I couldn't stop laughing at every cutscene
    -I couldn't stop laughing at the mix of Sonic world and ALIUMS
    -I couldn't stop laughing

    Not worth playing, definitely worth trying to see just how silly it can get.    … Expand
  6. SolidSnivy
    Mar 22, 2015
    3
    OK, this is going to be tough...
    So this is a game about Shadow, the black and crimson Hedgehog first seen looking like a badass in Sonic Adventure 2. This game seeks to follow his past, and provides a plot where Sonic Heroes didnt.
    But lets talk about the gameplay! So the main addition to this game are...guns. A kids character using guns. Already we're in the yellows. What is the sense    OK, this is going to be tough...
    So this is a game about Shadow, the black and crimson Hedgehog first seen looking like a badass in Sonic Adventure 2. This game seeks to follow his past, and provides a plot where Sonic Heroes didnt.
    But lets talk about the gameplay!
    So the main addition to this game are...guns. A kids character using guns. Already we're in the yellows. What is the sense in giving a kids character a gun!? And dont hit me back with the "it's a more mature game/character" excuse, SA2 was for the lower maturity, as was Heroes. They both feature Shadow as well, children will see the familiar character and want to buy it. So the shooting system...well, its all Auto-Aim. So you have to be near the enemy to shoot them. If you can see them, that is, due to the wonky camera!
    As for the homing attack...well it does decent damage but onoy seems to be capable of hitting three targets before just flying off wherever. And by "wherever", 9/10 times it means into a bottomless pit.
    This being the PS2 version, there is Co-Op! But it is never really explained. You can play as any support character, minus Charmy the Bee, with the second controller. Kinda like Sonic 2 and Adventure.
    For spoiler reasons, i wont go over the plot, but youll find it confusing and strange. Also, you need to play the game TEN TIMES OVER to unlock the last story! Even Heroes only did that 4 times!
    Controls and movement are slippery as ever, like in Heroes. Even the graphics are pretty much the same, but due to the darker colours and other crazy stuff, it looks...uglier. Even Super Shadow looks disgusting. And you should know by now that mentioning Super Shadow isn't a spoiler.
    Not much else to say really, just that the 2P mode is pretty weak, in level missions can be a total pain and doesnt the quote " Those Black Aliens are out of control!"......sound JUST a little bit racist?
    This game is Evil!    … Expand
  7. meyerpark
    Aug 9, 2022
    0
    Shadow the hedgehog was a great game but kinda overrated on ps2 lolol. This game needs a remaster or remake though
  8. heytherebigboy
    Mar 29, 2014
    0
    Wow, is this even a game? Have these people ever played a Sonic game? What is the problem you ask? Well Shadow doesn't have enough guns. Also this game lacks the snorting of cocaine and the administering of heroine and other happy drugs. This is the way I think the game should've went. First, Shadow is seen at the trap house, making his daily roundabout, when all of a sudden, Dr. EggmanWow, is this even a game? Have these people ever played a Sonic game? What is the problem you ask? Well Shadow doesn't have enough guns. Also this game lacks the snorting of cocaine and the administering of heroine and other happy drugs. This is the way I think the game should've went. First, Shadow is seen at the trap house, making his daily roundabout, when all of a sudden, Dr. Eggman steals his '64 Cherry Red Impala with all sorts of suspensions and 400 inch rims. Shadow is not happy with this, and gets his glock ready. He then shouts, "hey foo, give me my muda-fcking ryde back!" And then the game ends. That would have been better than this weak excuse at a video game. Well, that's all.… Expand
  9. KeenanS
    Jun 8, 2009
    4
    Shadow the Hedgehog had great potential to be something cool, but in the end all we get is a disastrous third-person action title with slopping platforming and running and a lame protagonist trying to be the iconic Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud. The gameplay is atrocious thanks to the bad camera and rotten controls which will make you die several times. The storyline is among the worst Shadow the Hedgehog had great potential to be something cool, but in the end all we get is a disastrous third-person action title with slopping platforming and running and a lame protagonist trying to be the iconic Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud. The gameplay is atrocious thanks to the bad camera and rotten controls which will make you die several times. The storyline is among the worst ever told in the history of storytelling; essentially it's a defecation of storytelling. The voice actors were horrendous and the dialogue was even worse. The graphics bounce back and forth between okay and downright ugly. This game is an uneven and cluttered mess of bad design choices that even the most adamant Sonic fans will hate it. If the rumored sequel is true, they better damn well fix all the problems with the first game, or better yet just don't release it!… Expand
  10. bolt7
    Sep 16, 2010
    3
    A thoroughly uninteresting mess that takes itself far too seriously, Shadow the Hedgehog destroys everything that made Sonic popular in the most violent ways it can. Story is bad, controls are slippery and the gun play is awful- there is absolutely no reason to concern yourself with this title aside from the pretty rockin' soundtrack.
  11. Stealthgear
    Jun 21, 2015
    1
    This is the worst unfinished concept for any game I've ever seen on the Ps2. Yes, it is objectionable to have a clone of Sonic who is armed. Sonic, who they started pushing as a kids character, is in this game and is friends with him. The first level has a demonic voice telling you to eliminate all the humans. You can just press forward and win. Twitchy controls make it so you barely seeThis is the worst unfinished concept for any game I've ever seen on the Ps2. Yes, it is objectionable to have a clone of Sonic who is armed. Sonic, who they started pushing as a kids character, is in this game and is friends with him. The first level has a demonic voice telling you to eliminate all the humans. You can just press forward and win. Twitchy controls make it so you barely see whats happening. There is no gameplay anywhere in this. The other reviewers with positive scores are not real gamers. This does not qualify as an actual game. This is some kind of derivative of Sonic Heroes style game which was also poor. The engine Sega has been using for 3d Sonic has just been wrong for over a decades time. I hate this game.… Expand
  12. Longanimals
    Sep 23, 2015
    0
    Felt like a poorly done batman game compared to Sonic the Hedgehog. Horrible story, Horrible physics, and the whole "Multiple Endings" BS wanted me to go play Mass Effect. Seriously, what's the point to multiple endings if there is ONE CANONICAL STORYLINE. Sega messed up big time. I'd rather play '06 than this load.
  13. fujitanaoto00
    Sep 28, 2016
    4
    O jogo em si é fraco, tendo pontos so pela historia que qualquer fã do universo sonic deveria conhecer, apesar de chegar depois do heroes, parece muitas vezes ter gráficos piores.
    É facil cair ao usar o ataque teleguiado e o uso de armas pareceu muito falho, o jogo também tenta ser pesado demais para a serie sonic, como visto no final da opening com shadow
  14. ashketchum
    Apr 25, 2018
    2
    Perhaps the most edgy game that I have ever played. When I first played Shadow the Hedgehog, it jarred me for several reasons; a disturbing atmosphere, bad controls, but most of all, it just felt so boring. Shadow is very different from other Sonic games, and the main difference that you will likely notice first is the guns. Honestly, the addition of guns in itself was, I feel, a poorPerhaps the most edgy game that I have ever played. When I first played Shadow the Hedgehog, it jarred me for several reasons; a disturbing atmosphere, bad controls, but most of all, it just felt so boring. Shadow is very different from other Sonic games, and the main difference that you will likely notice first is the guns. Honestly, the addition of guns in itself was, I feel, a poor creative choice, but if the mechanics were good, I wouldn't have any problem. However, the game mechanics were poor, and the gun controls felt almost unnatural. Add to this bland level design, a forgettable soundtrack and a story that is even less linear than the game itself, Shadow cements itself as probably one of the weakest Sonic games ever created.… Expand
  15. TheReaperX
    Oct 26, 2018
    0
    absolute whorst sonic game EVER. The graphics are trash, the gameplay is terrible and the story isnt interesting. Stay away from that awful game, not because its so brutal etc.
  16. pur__0_0__
    Apr 16, 2022
    0
    You know what they say, the more the merrier!
    You know what they say, the more the merrier!
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    You know what they say, the more the merrier!    … Expand
  17. BoBBoBBy
    Aug 8, 2006
    0
    COMPLETE disapointed I think I am really losing intrest in the Sonic Team's work they have run dryer than dirt and I really loved Sonic,so sad :( Oh yeah and the multiplayer was the one thing I was hoping would be good after playing the fucked up single player but it SUX there is nuthin!
  18. BenV.
    Nov 13, 2005
    0
    A complete rip-off of other much better games. You would think that combining platforming gun combat from the Ratchet and Clank series as well as "good and bad" choices from games like Fable would make a great game, but not with this. Easily the worst game this year. Sega has failed its fans once again. Here's the Bad. The gameplay is atrocious with barely any variety; your choices A complete rip-off of other much better games. You would think that combining platforming gun combat from the Ratchet and Clank series as well as "good and bad" choices from games like Fable would make a great game, but not with this. Easily the worst game this year. Sega has failed its fans once again. Here's the Bad. The gameplay is atrocious with barely any variety; your choices amount to nothing; the camera never works properly; the auto targeting reminds me of Drakes of the 99 Dragons; and the main character and story are as dull and unoriginal as ever. The Good? None really, except that it shows that Sega has no reason to exist in the gaming market. If you're simple, read this: Do not buy, rent, or get near Shadow of the Hedgehog.… Expand
  19. SunnyS.
    Dec 17, 2005
    0
    Just read the reviews and you'd understand. Crappy graphics, rubbish gameplay (like sonic heroes), really cheesey voice acting etc.
  20. JohnB.
    Feb 1, 2006
    0
    Sega never learns...nor do the fans that continue to root Sega on for its terrible games. Sonic died back in 94 and will never come back as long as money continues to loom over Sega's shoulders.
  21. DragonKnight
    Apr 27, 2006
    0
    Oh please, will someone please hunt this hedgehog down and shoot it. I thought the Adventure titles were bad, this makes them look like they're amazing revolutionary games. This game has poor, ugly, disgusting graphics. it has annoying, irritating, bothersome, horrid sound. The story sucks and the good/evil deal is just an annoying gimmick. The story is dull, you really don't Oh please, will someone please hunt this hedgehog down and shoot it. I thought the Adventure titles were bad, this makes them look like they're amazing revolutionary games. This game has poor, ugly, disgusting graphics. it has annoying, irritating, bothersome, horrid sound. The story sucks and the good/evil deal is just an annoying gimmick. The story is dull, you really don't care about any of these mascots now just pleading and begging for death after being humilated with such filth that are their recent games. The gameplay isn't fun in any regard. The shooting is as bad as it gets, not only is it out of place and completely ridiculous, it is horribly broken and takes many shots before you hit your wretched target. Do not buy, do not rent, just try and forget it exists. Not only this game, but every Sonic game that was made after 1994.… Expand
  22. NickM.
    Jul 9, 2006
    3
    This game goes somewhat off the point of the sonic francise, which is speed. I feel that there was too much guns and not enough speed. The gun idea was.... somewhat a good idea, but it could be better. To make the game worse, camera and controls!
  23. TomK.
    Jan 22, 2007
    0
    There's a reason why so many people here in the UK run over hedgehogs on country roads. A black emo hedgehog with a crap pistol does not a good game make. Let this animal join the black parade early.
  24. SS
    Dec 2, 2007
    2
    Avoid this game at all costs... I beat it, and I'm not proud of it. The Sonic series and it's fans deserves better than a platformer with slipshod control and an even worse shooter. Shadow was cooler in SA2, enough said. May Sega stop making pointless spinoffs and get Sonic The Hedgehog back on track. If not, well there's always Super Smash Bros Brawl.
  25. RiverFilms
    Mar 13, 2022
    4
    I remember enjoying this game a lot as a kid simply because it was different from the games I normally played, with it being edgy and also my introduction to the Sonic franchise. I would play the multiplayer with friends quite often since they had never seen this game before as well, and yet it may not have been a hit among them it was still fun for a few rounds.
  26. E-TEAN-S
    Jun 15, 2022
    3
    I don't mind the controllers or the edgy stuff, but the level desing and the boss desing it's the worst i seen in my live

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
12
#12 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 28
  3. Negative: 18 out of 28
  1. GameSpy
    40
    The lack of speed is a real problem here.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    47
    A long list of shortcomings, from stupid level design, unrefined controls and useless gunplay to disappointingly outdated graphics.
    Read full review
  3. Cheat Code Central
    50
    Unlike last years popular and more importantly, playable, "Sonic Heroes," Shadow The Hedgehog is a misstep in almost every direction.
    Read full review
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