Sonic x Shadow Generations

Shadow expansion review

April 09, 2025

It is worth prefacing this review by stating that this is the first Sonic game that I had fully played through – more on this later. Technically, I finished Sonic Rivals on the PSP, however as of the time of writing that was well over a decade ago. Funnily enough, it seems that the Sonic community agrees to forget about Rivals the same way they did with Sonic Boom. In terms of a modern Sonic experience, this is about as fresh as it gets. In this review, we’ll take a deep dive into the Shadow campaign that was added as an expansion to the base Sonic Generations. This expansion is essentially the same treatment that Super Mario 3D World received when it was ported from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch back in 2021. Similar to the Bowser’s Fury game mode, this expansion feels like a full game mode that just so happens to be bundled in with its predecessor.

Whenever I think of Sonic, the first thought that comes to mind is going fast at ultrasonic speeds. Rest assured, there is plenty of that as this game delivers on the expectation while rewarding players that improve upon their reflex skills. Shadow Generations combines the best of both worlds when it comes to the Sonic series, as both the traditional 2D level design and first-person POV are present in this experience. As you can imagine, the goal of almost every track is to reach the end as fast as possible. Each track is meticulously crafted to feel fresh and exciting to play. One of my favorite tracks is Act I of Radical Highway, which is one of the final tracks in the game. The stage appears as this cyberpunk city existing within a multiverse. It is visually stunning and includes assets such as warped skyscrapers that draw visual similarity to earlier parts of the story. Adding to that, seeing Shadow running on street pavement and up the sides of buildings adds a bit of flair to the experience. Fun designs such as this help Shadow appear more badass; as if that was something he needed more of. Similar to other stages, there are plenty of twists and turns that all somehow defy the laws of gravity. Radical Highway Act I utilizes almost all of Shadow’s movement modes that are unlocked by progressing through the game. Act II takes this a step further by incorporating Shadow’s “Doom Morph”, essentially utilizing even more of his movement options. This creates a diverse set of movements for the level, however, I still find myself preferring Act I. 

Tracks like Radical Highway and Kingdom Valley invoked a feeling that I did not think I would get anymore from a Sonic game. The feeling of excitement for a fast-paced runner with a variety of twists and turns being thrown your way. Typically, this genre of game is one that I had intentionally veered away from for quite a while. So, why bring this up now you may ask? Prior to being anywhere close to interested in this title, I ran into countless praise from many critics. My exposure to the overwhelming appreciation towards this game is mostly why I wanted to give it a fair chance.

Let us take a detour back to the topic of Sonic Rivals for a moment. If there was anything that Rivals did well, for me at least, it was the game’s ability to usher in a newfound appreciation of getting better with each fast-paced course following every playthrough. The courses in Shadow Generations are unmistakably much longer, more complex, and thus way more exciting. The nudge that Rivals gave me to push forward and improve is still here in Shadow Generations. I went into Generations with a preconceived notion of disliking the genre altogether, yet emerged on the other end estimating when I’ll beat this expansion so that I can boot into the base game and complete that as well.

My newfound interest wasn’t immediate as it took some massaging to get to where I am at this point. During my first couple of courses, I felt frustrated at my slower reaction speed. I dished out my fair share of dubs such as running into walls, or missing the time window for the homing attack and falling into the abyss. The first couple of play sessions required a bit of warming up to the gameplay style that I was revisiting. However, it didn’t take long for mishaps like this to push me to memorize parts of the map, and to perfect my timing with each attempt. I found myself wanting to go back and get the S rank on a lot of the tracks that I experienced. The obsession to get better with each play through is further exaggerated with how beautiful all of the tracks truly are. I noticed that my frustrations settled down as I found ways to master the intricate sections sprinkled throughout the level design. What made this process even more fun was discovering the many, many shortcuts that were hidden in a lot of the tracks. Some shortcuts felt fun to discover while some appeared like they should downright not be allowed. The most notable is when unlocking Doom Wing in the later part of the game, which allows you to skip over large areas of tracks, albeit with a crunched time limit to match this mode. Unlocking this specific movement type opens up a new rank system for all previous levels, easily extending the post-game content.

While we’re on the topic of game-play; one gripe that I do have with the Shadow Generations is that the physical controls can feel a tad cumbersome at times. Shadow’s “boost” is activated by the ZR button, which seems like appropriate mapping. The regular L and R buttons are mapped to left step and right step, which essentially sway Shadow in the corresponding direction. Personally, I rest my index finger on ZR which does not give me easy access to R while holding it down. This inhibits the use of L and R as well since I’d rather not use the movement and halt my momentum by releasing ZR. Again, this gripe is super minor and is only focused on the Nintendo Switch controls – other systems might not even have this issue to begin with. I bet with some more clever adjustments to the controls, players can find comfortable ways to enjoy the game. 

Aside from going fast all of the time, there are plenty of activities to do in-between. Some activities are required, such as the ‘challenges’ that are added throughout the map. Challenges are shorter tracks, but with unique skill-tests such as only containing one ring available with increased hazards. Other challenges use criteria such as needing to destroy a set amount of enemies, or collect a certain number of rings to succeed. In any case, these rooms reward the player by furthering them in the story and also unlock boss keys along the way. In addition to challenge rooms, the over-world map is filled with collectibles that can entertain new and veteran Sonic players alike. Items such as posters, concept art, music tracks and more can be collected in the over-world and viewed in the Collection Room. There is a lot of fun to be had with this content and is presumably most appreciated by veteran players. I find myself disappointed with the use of space of the over-world map, considering most of it is used to hide these collectibles for the player to locate. The joy from the exploration takes a hit as most of it is reserved for this niche gimmick. After your tenth or twentieth collectible, you get a feel for the purpose of the rest of the over-world. The overuse of Collection Room collectibles isn’t a deal breaker for the game of course, especially since there are other aspects such as the story that greatly make up for it.

The concept of fighting against something that forged your very existence is an interesting psychological perspective. This parallel is seen all throughout the cutscenes of the game. The conflict within oneself can be observed whenever Shadow unlocks new abilities, as the cutscenes convey the process as this migraine-inducing and painful evolutionary process. The game is filled with moments such as this, which further reiterate Dark Doom’s technological prowess. Despite the obstacles, Shadow forges his own path as his moral compass appears stronger than his powers. Shadow sails towards the path he sets for himself because of his intrinsic belief in saving others and the world around him. To sell the story’s impact even more, all of the cutscenes flow effortlessly in between the gameplay. The cutscenes feel almost integral to the game-play, as there are moments where input is required to keep the story progressing. This is a technique used in a variety of modern games and is a welcome addition.

Sonic x Shadow Generations was an extremely satisfying re-introduction to the franchise. There is so much here that this game does well. I believe with some further improvements to the formula, we could have a real top-tier title on our hands for the next installment. Above all else, this is an incredible expansion that delivers on many expectations. Whether you are an experienced Sonic veteran, or are aching for an expansion to the original Sonic Generations, or want to experience Sonic in a new light – there is something here for everyone to enjoy. 

Rating

8.0 / 10