Highlights

  • Sonic X Shadow Generations expands beyond a remaster by introducing a new storyline for Shadow the Hedgehog along with Sonic.
  • Aiming to celebrate Sonic's history, the game offers a unique experience with added bonus content, potentially tying up loose ends.
  • Future updates may further integrate Sonic Forces or Sonic Frontiers, pushing the game to include more levels and storylines for both Sonic and Shadow.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is promising to be more than just a remaster of Sonic Generations. The upcoming release is set to shine a spotlight on Sonic's rival Shadow the Hedgehog, after Sonic X Shadow Generations was announced during the January 31 State of Play. Shadow the Hedgehog is getting his own story, alongside the newer version of Sonic Generations. There's more to this "all-new collection featuring two unique experiences," though, with "bonus content" being teased on store pages for the newer release. Even though there's more coming to Sonic X Shadow Generations than just an extra campaign, not much is known about what will be added.

Compared to the rest of the franchise's plans for 2024 a Sonic Generations remaster seems a bit out of left field. Even though Knuckles the Echidna celebrates his 30th anniversary this year, Shadow is getting an entirely new side campaign instead of him; likely to coincide with the black hedgehog's silver screen debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Even if the reason behind Sonic X Shadow Generations is to just market the hedgehog duo in response to the movie, the extra content found in the new release may bring its original story full circle.

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Sonic Generations Celebrates the Past and the Present, Sonic x Shadow Generations Could Celebrate the Future

How Sonic's History is Integral to Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is a unique anniversary title in that the anniversary itself is tied into the plot of the game itself, with the story dealing with a being called the Time Eater literally crashing Sonic's birthday party. True to the villain's name, time and space are torn asunder, and Sonic wakes up in White Space; a reality filled with colorless areas from specific points of Sonic's life. While Sonic Generations isn't a perfect experience, it offers stages based on 19 years of Sonic releases in the style of the boost mechanics from Sonic Unleashed that many fans enjoy.

Generations was a very popular game when it was first released, and it continues to still make a fair bit of sales on Steam where the game can be played on many up-to-date gaming PCs with few issues. However, due to both Sonic Generations' existence as specifically the 20th anniversary title, with the premise dealing with Sonic's birthday, it's fair to say that Generations accidentally makes itself a bit dated. However, this can easily be used to the game's benefit with its new features and Shadow side story over 10 years later.

Sonic's Future Should Be Inclusive to the Whole Series

Because of how long it's been since the original game was released, there's a very strong chance that the current direction of the franchise can keep Sonic X Shadow Generations from limiting itself, and help take its premise even further instead. Sonic Generations was designed to be a celebration of everything the series has to offer, shoving references and allusions to as many games as it possibly could, which means that this remaster has plenty of space to include Sonic Forces or Sonic Frontiers.

If Sonic x Shadow Generations takes this approach, however, it could range anywhere from extra levels to new story content for either Shadow or Sonic himself. With the position that the Sonic series is in these days, it wouldn't be hard for these games to be included in Generations thanks to how Sonic and Shadow's voice actors are still playing the characters to this day, and how Sonic Frontiers' writer Ian Flynn has been brought on for at least Shadow's new campaign, if not any other content for the remaster.

Even if Forces and Frontiers are left out in Sonic X Shadow Generations , the number of games found in Generations is still being extended with Shadow the Hedgehog playing an important role in Shadow's story in itself.