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. RatchetClank53
    May 14, 2012
    10
    OH NO, a positive Shadow the Hedgehog review? I am prepared for the hate. Regardless, Shadow the Hedgehog was released in 2005 and is the first Sonic related game in which the protagonist is not Sonic the Hedgehog and is a character introduced in Sonic Adventure 2. The purpose of the game is for players to find out more about Shadow than they originally knew of in SA2. This informationOH NO, a positive Shadow the Hedgehog review? I am prepared for the hate. Regardless, Shadow the Hedgehog was released in 2005 and is the first Sonic related game in which the protagonist is not Sonic the Hedgehog and is a character introduced in Sonic Adventure 2. The purpose of the game is for players to find out more about Shadow than they originally knew of in SA2. This information includes Shadow's past such as how he was created and more details about Maria. When it comes to the actual story, it gives you a different feel in each of the different sides you choose. I believe players disliked the story because they didn't want a different style in which you can play through different outcomes and have increased replayablility. Now let's get into the gameplay. Many people found the gun concept to be "Pointless", the speed of Shadow to be too slow, and the performance of the game graphics wise, but I found none of those to be an issue. the guns bring variety to the series, Shadow runs just as fast as Sonic and runs as smoothly as in SA2, and the graphics were not bad. Heck, even the split screen I found fun playing with my friends. The only minor issue I found within the game was, well, nothing. Overall, don't listen to the other reviewers unless you prefer everything to be the same rather than variety. That is why this game deserves a perfet 100.… Expand
  2. Zakthehedgehog1
    Oct 21, 2014
    6
    Muuaaaaa A Sonic The Hedgehog spin off i can t be dark, Muaaaaaaaa A Sonic Spin off if can t have guns and Vehicles , SHUT THE **** UP, ITS A ****ING SPIN OFF,
    Yes, The Levels are too longs
    Yes, Sometimes the camera it Doesn t helps But is a very entertaining game The Use of weapons an this game its not perfect but it isnt bad the Story is a its a little confuse but memorable for    Muuaaaaa A Sonic The Hedgehog spin off i can t be dark, Muaaaaaaaa A Sonic Spin off if can t have guns and Vehicles , SHUT THE **** UP, ITS A ****ING SPIN OFF,
    Yes, The Levels are too longs
    Yes, Sometimes the camera it Doesn t helps
    But is a very entertaining game
    The Use of weapons an this game its not perfect but it isnt bad
    the Story is a its a little confuse but memorable for the Sonic Standars
    Besides, ITS ****ING SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
    Its Not precisely a good game but , is acceptable spin off    … Expand
  3. Legendkiller250
    Nov 15, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I always wanted to play this game but never did i watched playthroughs and i only have little things to say The opening theme is badass but i think thats were the budget went like sonic o6
    Gun combat in a game about speeding throught the level is just going to slow you down
    Chaos control 2wise DONE youv beat the level welll done u happy you didnt even playit? nope;/
    Choseing good or bad is great :D so this game in one word???????????
    MEH    … Expand
  4. Silver1995
    Nov 18, 2019
    6
    Again an underrated game. Some say that the game is good, while others that the game sucks, it is better not to play it. But there are those people who, although they love this game, but appreciate this game soberly. I am one of those people.
    This game has many advantages, for example, graphics that look good for 2005, the soundtrack, not counting some songs, is pretty good, the plot with    Again an underrated game. Some say that the game is good, while others that the game sucks, it is better not to play it. But there are those people who, although they love this game, but appreciate this game soberly. I am one of those people.
    This game has many advantages, for example, graphics that look good for 2005, the soundtrack, not counting some songs, is pretty good, the plot with 11 endings pleases, I like the idea with weapons, vehicles, it’s a pity that the implementation of these ideas came out badly. But there are significant disadvantages to this game. A terrible English voice acting that bleeds ears, control, camera, aiming, all this was done terribly. And PlayStation 2 versions generally have very big problems with optimization. Perhaps due to the fact that PS2 was the weakest, in terms of power, console in its generation.
    But still, this game has potential and ambitiousness, like Sonic 2006. It’s a pity that not all developers succeeded in realizing it.
    My rating: 6.5 out of 10.
    (If there are errors, then I'm sorry, I used a translator)    … Expand
  5. 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.
  6. TonyR.
    Sep 8, 2006
    8
    It's okay. Still not the greatest game ever. Poor level design but cool guns.
  7. Hexnar
    Sep 8, 2013
    5
    It's a sonic game with a different main character. People complain of speed, 'cept we're not playing as Sonic here, are we? Nopers, not Sonic! The gun idea... Not so awesome, the battles, same. The levels for all sonic games were always quite straightforward, here you have a bit more space. The auto-targetting is terrible, camera is just like every other 3D sonic game released sinceIt's a sonic game with a different main character. People complain of speed, 'cept we're not playing as Sonic here, are we? Nopers, not Sonic! The gun idea... Not so awesome, the battles, same. The levels for all sonic games were always quite straightforward, here you have a bit more space. The auto-targetting is terrible, camera is just like every other 3D sonic game released since Dreamcast failure. I got this game for $1, I think I've gotten my money's worth out of it. Story line is a bit dull, but I don't care, the fast paced movements and puzzles in completing the different missions in each level give it variety and difference. Mediocre game, fun to play, can be frustrating, steep learning curve, there's no 'here's a training level to get you used to it' straight into the game. That's the only thing it's missing in my opinion.… Expand
  8. babysnakest
    Jan 19, 2015
    9
    Metascore: 8.7/10
    This game had a great story. It had different branches of depth like different universes where Shadow the Hedgehog, the main character can go through. Shadow being in a completely destroyed world and the gunplay completelly outshades the game into more mature audiences. We can clearly see that SEGA was making another franchise. NOTHING TO DO WITH SONIC as a main    Metascore: 8.7/10
    This game had a great story. It had different branches of depth like different universes where Shadow the Hedgehog, the main character can go through. Shadow being in a completely destroyed world and the gunplay completelly outshades the game into more mature audiences. We can clearly see that SEGA was making another franchise. NOTHING TO DO WITH SONIC as a main protagonist.. It's not a Sonic game. They tried to popularize this new 'hero' as a new Sonic into a more mature audience. Speed may not be the main focus on this series. Shadow is a character of his own. The Graphics and Controls are the downside of this game. The Multiplayer was also a very good spendtimer with friends. I also have to state that the music of this game is awesome. SEGA tried to make a new franchise parallel to the Sonic's one, but they failed since the majority of people saw this as another Sonic game.    … Expand
  9. mrbadass
    Dec 9, 2013
    5
    the game is good it has that "shadow the hedgehog touch" the powers the amenesia ,it includes the sonic series characters.,
    on the other hand the game dosent sound like a sega game it seems like a" resistance game" for litele kids,the game has glitchs,bad grapchics,and the worst storyline EVER in a sega game you have three choices in each level you can achive the good ending by doing the    the game is good it has that "shadow the hedgehog touch" the powers the amenesia ,it includes the sonic series characters.,
    on the other hand the game dosent sound like a sega game it seems like a" resistance game" for litele kids,the game has glitchs,bad grapchics,and the worst storyline EVER in a sega game you have three choices in each level you can achive the good ending by doing the good side missions or you can do the bad missions to achive the bad ending or u can just go to the end of the level, sounds fun dosent it well it ISN´T ,IN SOME LEVELS there are easy side missions and others no, like how the hell can you only pass a level by finding 7 keys call me impacient but i have no time to find those keys and the grapchics,the enemies,the soundtrack DONT HELP but puting the anoying sides missions apart i say it wont bother you much.
    and now to the part of the game i like the multyplayer the game has great levels and soundtracks for the multyplayer ,the characters... are just shadow with diferent looks but the character dont mather altough a great multyplayer can comes with his flaws like the glitchs but if your looking for a game to play with your friends i would pick this game.    … Expand
  10. how_are_u
    Aug 20, 2014
    7
    I found this game very fun despite a few control errors and hard levels. If you're a sonic fan, get this. If you're a new sonic fan, you might want to play Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) for a while to get used to 3D Sonic controls and level design. Once you've played that., play Shadow.
  11. Sonic45X
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    Shadow the Hedgehog is probably one of the best Sonic games I've ever played. The level are fun, the controls are smooth, the music is awesome, the gun play is great and It's barely glitchy. The only thing that I don't like about the game is that the story is pure crap and it's graphics are jarring at best. Other than that, It's an awesome game! Yeah, it's far from perfect but I defidentlyShadow the Hedgehog is probably one of the best Sonic games I've ever played. The level are fun, the controls are smooth, the music is awesome, the gun play is great and It's barely glitchy. The only thing that I don't like about the game is that the story is pure crap and it's graphics are jarring at best. Other than that, It's an awesome game! Yeah, it's far from perfect but I defidently recommend this game to any PlayStation 2 owner who is a fan of the Ultimate Life Form.… Expand
  12. kaliam
    Apr 16, 2015
    10
    I loved the story more than anything! The best part is how your in game decisions (good, evil, or neutral) alter the story and change what stage you go to next. I probably played through the story over 100 times to get every possible scenario. The soundtrack was very fitting for the game! Loved everything about the story mode! (multi-player sucked, but I didn't buy the game for that)
  13. JudgeFargo
    Aug 26, 2015
    7
    I'll be the first to admit that Shadow the Hedgehog is not the best game in the Sonic franchise. There are some rather prominent problems with the game. Chiefly, the camera angles can be horrendous at times, with the game only giving you limited control over the camera at certain points (with the camera sometimes being locked in place in particular parts of certain levels) this can lead toI'll be the first to admit that Shadow the Hedgehog is not the best game in the Sonic franchise. There are some rather prominent problems with the game. Chiefly, the camera angles can be horrendous at times, with the game only giving you limited control over the camera at certain points (with the camera sometimes being locked in place in particular parts of certain levels) this can lead to some deaths that feel unfair to the player, as sometimes you fail to make a precise jump whilst dealing with a less than helpful camera angle. The level design is somewhat varied, however enemy and obstacle placement prevent you from hurtling along the level at high speed, slowing the game down somewhat. The gunplay, whilst an interesting feature in a Sonic game, can be awkward to handle at times, a lock-on feature would have done wonders for this game.

    The good points however are that, to begin with we get some further backstory about Shadow as a character, something that is more than appreciated by long time fans, as Shadow was still quite the mysterious character after his Debut in the Sonic Adventure series. The levels, as mentioned earlier, are quite varied, with levels based on cityscapes, haunted castles, theme parks. space stations, industrial facilities and secret bases to name a few. Going back to the story, one review mentioned that the story is somewhat short, whilst this is true, this is also due to the fact that the game has multiple endings, which unlock multiple special items to be used in the game, giving the game an element of replay value.    … Expand
  14. EpicLadySponge
    Feb 2, 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?
  15. Shadow1
    Mar 24, 2016
    10
    This good game . Almost on par with Sonic Adventure . In Shadow the hedgehog . Interesting and strange gameplay . This is shooter , platformet and action-adventure . Good soundtracks . Special I am all of me , Chosen one and All hail Shadow . Very interesting storyline . Dark levels is not bad . graphics in Sonic Heroes . PS2 , GC and Xbox have this game , but Shadow the hedgehog better onThis good game . Almost on par with Sonic Adventure . In Shadow the hedgehog . Interesting and strange gameplay . This is shooter , platformet and action-adventure . Good soundtracks . Special I am all of me , Chosen one and All hail Shadow . Very interesting storyline . Dark levels is not bad . graphics in Sonic Heroes . PS2 , GC and Xbox have this game , but Shadow the hedgehog better on PS2 than SHadowThe hedgehog on XBOX and GC . poor 9 of 10… Expand
  16. Maxreviews420
    May 13, 2016
    5
    When I first got this game I enjoyed it but there is still a lot bad with it like the ice movement physics, graphics and even level design is horrible but I didn't have many problems with the gunplay but still this is just Ratchet and Clank as well as a telltale game put together in a bad package because this game had much more potential than this
  17. Coreyhardie
    Aug 5, 2016
    7
    You do have to wonder what hell they were thinking with this concept but it liked it, as strange as that is, good replay value, soundtracks badass, the gunplay is actually solid. Still what were they smoking?
  18. shadowhedgehog
    Sep 22, 2016
    10
    the best game ever with the best character ever i dont play many gun games but this is so good i make and exception and u can choose to be hero or villain or neutral what other sonic game does that i ask that gives it another edge
  19. MasonDavidson
    Oct 21, 2017
    5
    Shadow the Hedgehog is slightly below average. People hate this game and often count it as one of the worst games ever made, but the retroactive hate for this title is somewhat a product of revisionist history. When this was released the general consensus was that it was more or less fine, the light swearing, dark tone and use of guns was an odd departure for a Sonic-branded title and lentShadow the Hedgehog is slightly below average. People hate this game and often count it as one of the worst games ever made, but the retroactive hate for this title is somewhat a product of revisionist history. When this was released the general consensus was that it was more or less fine, the light swearing, dark tone and use of guns was an odd departure for a Sonic-branded title and lent the game some novelty value, it wasn't broken or fundamentally unplayable like some other games in the series, but it was still unpolished and uninspired, at the end of the day it all culminated in a game that was a memorable sort of mediocre.

    It's a fairly brief game to play through to one ending, I was able to start a single playthrough and beat it in about an hour and a half without the use of any exploits, but the branching paths and multiple endings make this game around 12 hours to truly complete when all is said and done. Unlocking those branching paths can be a pain though, considering the player is required to complete specific objectives to unlock new paths but often the game will speed you past those objectives with no way of backtracking, forcing you to either repeat a level or just deal with the new path you've been set on.

    The level design ranges from fine to counter-intuitive, which isn't unlike most other 3D Sonic titles, often you're encouraged to go fast but then punished afterwards for doing so, the worst levels are guilty of requiring the player to take a slow and deliberate approach to gameplay for more precise platforming and combat, but the game becomes more mundane when played this way and is not really fine tuned for this sort of play. Often the game bombards the player with different objectives, directives and instructions at the same time and makes it massively easy to accidentally do the wrong thing or hit the wrong enemy because of the generally imprecise controls, especially when it comes to attacking.

    With all this you'd think I hate this game and believe it or not I actually don't. It's story is ludicrous, it's a product of all the cringe-inducing angsty tropes of its era, it has a weird anti-charm about it that makes it sort of endearing and novel to mess around with in the modern era. As bad as it is, if you happen to come across a copy of this title for a couple bucks I'd actually recommend it just on its novelty and humor value alone, plus it actually has some relatively fun local multiplayer I still bust out on occasion.    … Expand
  20. CyberRobotnix
    Dec 15, 2017
    7
    This game is the first Sonic game to have a multiple ending system and it is also the first game being aimed at adults instead of childrens.

    This game also has many kickass musics. The gameplay is a hit or miss to me, personally the gameplay was fun even though it was a bit broken. The game has a few glitches and some AI problems, that's pretty much why I give it a 7/10 instead of    This game is the first Sonic game to have a multiple ending system and it is also the first game being aimed at adults instead of childrens.

    This game also has many kickass musics.

    The gameplay is a hit or miss to me, personally the gameplay was fun even though it was a bit broken.

    The game has a few glitches and some AI problems, that's pretty much why I give it a 7/10 instead of 9/10. The other problem of this game that makes it not get a 10/10 is that sometimes it is kinda repetitive.

    I recommend it, but if you are interested into the franchise you should start off with Sonic 3 and knuckles, Sonic CD, Sonic Mania or Sonic generations (for a more modern gameplay).    … Expand
  21. Declankearns
    Apr 23, 2019
    7
    So many people hated this game because of the frustrating controls and the fact that that you have to beat the game 10 times to finish the game (which just baffles me because there are far worse games). As a kid I actually liked the game and even today it falls under the genre of "guilty pleasure" (for some gamers). Despite its flaws, the game has a decent soundtrack, good replay value,So many people hated this game because of the frustrating controls and the fact that that you have to beat the game 10 times to finish the game (which just baffles me because there are far worse games). As a kid I actually liked the game and even today it falls under the genre of "guilty pleasure" (for some gamers). Despite its flaws, the game has a decent soundtrack, good replay value, Shadow gets lots of character development and proving to be a fun game in the end. Its definitely not one of best and its definitely not one of the worst. But we can all agree that its a 100000 times better than Sonic 06.… Expand
  22. DJGTheHedgehog
    Jun 15, 2018
    10
    Never in my life have I played a better Sonic game in all my life. Black Doom is one of the best video game villains of all time. The choices and freedom you have in this game is amazing. Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the best developed characters of all time. This game blows Revenge of the Sith (PS2) way out of the water with it's combat. You can choose to kill soldiers or hellish aliens.Never in my life have I played a better Sonic game in all my life. Black Doom is one of the best video game villains of all time. The choices and freedom you have in this game is amazing. Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the best developed characters of all time. This game blows Revenge of the Sith (PS2) way out of the water with it's combat. You can choose to kill soldiers or hellish aliens. 10/10 I've never played a game where you have to play the first level 326 in order to get 100%. Westopolis > Coruscant… Expand
  23. MattTGM
    Aug 3, 2018
    7
    While the game has many flaws, it is still a fun experience. The mechanics are better than everyone makes them out to be, and while the controls are not the greatest, they are still serviceable. This is a game that gets far too much hate, it is still very enjoyable. Also, the soundtrack is great.
  24. Nameless2131
    Feb 6, 2020
    8
    10/10 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  25. Antropo_Mix
    Sep 3, 2019
    7
    Well, Shadow The Hedgehog no is so bad at all in my opinion. Have good music, great graphics (well, because that and some visuals effects the FPS...) and holy sh*t, more than 100 routes! I know who have some things who are bad like the waiting time (like 1 minute to play the next stage) but is a GOOD GAME. No is perfect, of course, but I think is acceptable to play (also have multiplayer,Well, Shadow The Hedgehog no is so bad at all in my opinion. Have good music, great graphics (well, because that and some visuals effects the FPS...) and holy sh*t, more than 100 routes! I know who have some things who are bad like the waiting time (like 1 minute to play the next stage) but is a GOOD GAME. No is perfect, of course, but I think is acceptable to play (also have multiplayer, you can control 2 OW THE EDGEs with you friend!). In my opinion one of the best Sonic games in PS2 (no counting Sonic Mega Collection).… Expand
  26. carracer_gamer
    Oct 3, 2019
    6
    this is an ok game but it did not go well because i an explosion happened or something fast happened the game looked like it was about to freeze and it is buggy
  27. MemoTortas21
    Apr 15, 2020
    10
    Amé este videojuego cuando era niño, y actualmente me sigue gustando muchísimo, era algo diferente a lo de la época, tenía muy buenos gráficos, y las batallas son más que entretenidas con una dificultad justa, lo que más me entretuvo era jugar el multijugador con mi hermano
  28. GrandBalaxon
    Jun 27, 2020
    8
    Ok, I got why people don't like this, but I'm not one of them. I had a lot of fun playing someone not a Sonic for the first time in my life. The second time was Sonic Heroes and this game has become the best Sonic game for me.

    Aw, and the two players mode was great. I had a lot of time spent with my friend and sister battling with each other in those mode. The memories =)
  29. Floch
    Jul 1, 2020
    9
    Meu jogo favorito do PS2, entendo que muita gente não gosta desse jogo mas pra mim isso é completamente impossível, amo muito esse jogo apenas queria um porte pro computador.
  30. DaniilBog
    Feb 6, 2021
    9
    Ru//Eng
    Это неплохая игра про Шедоу. Она явно не заслуживает такого (отрицательного) отношения. Проблемы с камерой и прыжками в пустоту проходят буквально через пару уровней, и я могу вспомнить только пару уровней, в которых было слишком много пропастей. Возможность пройти свой уникальный путь (из 361) действительно увлекает. Оружие очень полезно, может быть за исключением гранатомётов    Ru//Eng
    Это неплохая игра про Шедоу. Она явно не заслуживает такого (отрицательного) отношения. Проблемы с камерой и прыжками в пустоту проходят буквально через пару уровней, и я могу вспомнить только пару уровней, в которых было слишком много пропастей. Возможность пройти свой уникальный путь (из 361) действительно увлекает. Оружие очень полезно, может быть за исключением гранатомётов (они не имеют авто-аима), транспорт действительно не нужен в этой игре, но тебя не заставляют использовать его, так что я не могу назвать это проблемой. Само строение уровней разнообразно, задач не много, но они разнообразны. Эта игра стоит того чтобы пройти её хотя бы пару раз.
    //// WARNING Google translate/////
    This is a good game about shadow. She clearly doesn't deserve this (negative) attitude. Problems with the camera and jumping into the void go through just a couple of levels, and I can only remember a couple of levels where there were too many abysses. The opportunity to go your own unique way (out of 361) is really exciting. Weapons are very useful, maybe with the exception of grenade launchers (they don't have auto-aim), transport is really not needed in this game, but you are not forced to use it, so I can't call it a problem. The structure of the levels itself is varied, there are not many tasks, but they are diverse. This game is worth it to pass it at least a couple of times.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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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