Sonic x Shadow Generations

Whether you're a veteran player of the franchise or not, there's plenty of fun to be had here. The changes mostly improve on the original, and Shadow's campaign is a real blast. That's how we like Sonic, friends of SEGA.

Even 13 years later, Sonic Generations is still one thing above all else: pure and, most importantly, lightning-fast platforming fun! The great levels are packed with little details, the graphics and soundtrack are beautiful and Shadow's appearance makes the experience even better. Despite some minor flaws, this game is absolutely worthy of SEGA's video game legend.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a great two-for-one deal, but for us, the antihero's half of the package steals the show. While the remaster of the 13-year-old platformer is perfectly fine, Shadow's brand new campaign outshines it with much improved gameplay and level design. The older game definitely shows its age in some regards, but bundling together one of the most beloved Sonic titles with one of the best 3D entries in recent memory makes for a compelling double feature.

By offering this formula of two games in one, SEGA offers a great locomotive for the third film which will be released next December. True to itself, the excellent Sonic Generations has lost none of its brilliance, even if the new features are too light to be sufficiently striking in the minds. What Chao to find in the levels, rare new bonuses... we could have expected much more from a remaster. Fortunately, the part dedicated to Shadow is intended to be more ambitious, with a mini open world to explore and powers that boost the experience for several additional hours of play. Without being revolutionary, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a very good game, but which will, inevitably, have more impact on those who have never touched the original.

While I’d love to live in a world of Shadow Generations being the whole thing, there’s fun to be had with Sonic Generations as well. It’s just like putting a $200 collectible figure on the table next to an action figure you picked up at Walmart for a fraction of the price. The action figure is fun to play with, but you can just sit and stare at the collectible in admiration every time you walk past it. While it’s relatively short, Shadow Generations feels like someone took Sonic Frontiers and retroactively applied its secret sauce to an older 3D Sonic platformer, elevating it to heights previously unseen. Sonic Generations is a respectable remaster of a decent game, but pales in comparison. Thus, Sonic x Shadow Generations is definitely a masterpiece in the eyes of someone already on board with the series, but might feel noticeably uneven to newcomers or folks aiming to cautiously dip their toes back in feeding off hype for the latest movie. It’s over for everyone when that Keanu Reeves DLC drops, though.