Highlights

  • Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remastered version of Sonic Generations with an extra campaign featuring Shadow. It bridges the gap between the original game's story and offers a new solo adventure for the dark hedgehog.
  • The length of Shadow's campaign in Sonic X Shadow Generations could potentially be similar to the base game, making it two experiences in one. The trailer hints at changes in gameplay mechanics for Shadow, potentially teasing future developments for the series.
  • The new story for Shadow's campaign takes inspiration from the base game and recent releases, allowing the Sonic series to experiment further. Overall, the approach is similar to how Bowser's Fury expanded the Super Mario games, as it seems to offer different mechanics and is a long experience in its own right.

With Sonic X Shadow Generations releasing sometime in fall, the fan-favorite anniversary title is being remastered with an extra campaign. Just as the title implies, Sonic X Shadow Generations bridges the gap between the original story of the game and an entirely new solo adventure starring the blue hedgehog's rival, Shadow. While only one trailer has been revealed so far, it appears that while Classic and Modern Sonic were running around to fix time, Shadow was battling his own old nemesis Black Doom.

It's understandable as to why players are excited for the upcoming rerelease of Sonic Generations, even if the base game's remaster isn't changing much. Though Shadow the Hedgehog has had more of a chance to shine compared to Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in recent years, the new story for his solo campaign in Generations seems to take notes from both the base game and one other recent release. While Shadow seems to be going through his past, he's also allowing the Sonic series to experiment further, just as Bowser's Fury did for the Super Mario games.

Sonic x Shadow Generations SA2B opening
Related
Sega Explains How Sonic x Shadow Generations' New Story Ties Into the Original

Following the recent Sonic x Shadow Generations reveal, Sega explains how Shadow's new story mode ties into the original game.

What Bowser's Fury Puts on the Table for Future Super Mario Adventures

Fury Bowser's shell spinning in the sky getting ready to launch while Cat Mario watches in Bowser's Fury

Attached to a rerelease of Super Mario 3D World for the Switch, Bowser's Fury is almost seen as an extra "tech demo" by fans, potentially designed to test the waters for a more open-world classic Mario experience. Players are made to traverse a rather large environment to collect Cat Shines to free Bowser and Lake Lapcat from dangerous black sludge. While its premise is simple, the platforming challenges, expansive exploration, and new elements such as the Giga Mario and Fury Bowser battles led fans to look forward to Mario's next 3D adventure.

Shadow's Campaign in Sonic X Shadow Generations Might Expand Upon What Sonic Frontiers Started

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS - Announce Trailer 0-57 screenshot-1

Sonic X Shadow Generations seems to understand that Super Mario 3D World Plus Bowser's Fury brought two unique experiences to the table at once and is aiming to accomplish something similar. While Sonic Generations can easily be played on PC, other more recent platforms such as the Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 lack the popular Sonic title. Not only does this rerelease bridge that gap, but it also offers a brand-new playable Shadow experience for his fans that Sega insists is long enough to be considered its own game.

Generations itself takes five and a half hours to clear in terms of its own campaign, meaning that Shadow's side of the game only has to be a similar length to back up Sega's words that Sonic x Shadow Generations is two experiences in one. Plus, if one looks closely at the trailer for Sonic x Shadow Generations, it seems that this experience starring the black hedgehog has more to it than just extra levels.

It's hard to say exactly how different Shadow's new campaign is going to be currently, but what's shown seems to imply a few key changes. While there's plenty of room for Shadow to use the boost mechanic, the use of Chaos Spear and Chaos Control during combat imply more dedicated controls that takes cues from the more recent Sonic Frontiers. Other important shot, such as the way Shadow kicks a missile and fights the Biolizard, certainly make a case that "Shadow Generations" is taking advantage of what Frontiers added to the series over a decade later.

This bodes well for fans, as even the smallest changes to Shadow's controls could be seen as Sonic Team teasing a future playable Shadow control scheme for the series' new open-world formula, just like the playstyles for Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were shown off in the Final Horizon expansion late last year. On top of that, Shadow's new campaign seems to be serving as a recap of his character arc in every game up to Generations, possibly fixing it to tie-in with the new direction of Sonic lore Sonic Frontiers established as well.

All in all, Sonic x Shadow Generations is bringing back a game in the same way Super Mario 3D World Plus Bowser's Fury did, but the way it shapes the concept to make the experience personal to Shadow the Hedgehog and his fans is without a doubt exciting, as it begs the question of where the Sonic series will go after the fact.