REVIEW: Sonic X Shadow Generations mixes nostalgia and good gameplay in a great experience 2i58n

Our blue hedgehog is back and this time he brings not only his two versions, but also an exclusive campaign for Shadow, an iconic character from the franchise who brings a slightly darker tone to this universe. Check out what we think of Sonic X Shadow Generations and whether it is worth spending your money on it. 1s3lu

Sonic Campaign 3v4e49

Sonic Generations was a game originally released in 2011 and that's basically the game we have here. Modern-day Sonic and his gang are enjoying a peaceful party when suddenly a time rift opens and pulls all his friends in, causing a temporal collapse. What Sonic didn't expect was that his past self would come with it, hence the name. Generations, since we will be playing with both versions of the hedgehog.

The story is pretty shallow – and I don't think it needs to be more than that – but it gives us enough of a foundation to get into this crazy idea of ​​having two Sonics solving problems and of course, playing as both of them. This allows the game design work on two different phase structures, one in a classic 2D way with the classic Sonic, who I like to call “Sonic with a belly” and the other with the current Sonic, mixing 2D and 3D, full of pirouettes, somersaults and explosions. 

There are 3 worlds that can be explored in 2D, that is, we walk back and forth until we reach the stages. We have a specific button to choose between one Sonic and another and this also impacts the type of stage we will play. Each world brings us 3 stages and in each of them, we have the 2D version with the classic Sonic and the 3D version with the current Sonic, called Act 1 and Act 2, respectively.

This makes a total of 21 stages with bosses. In addition, there are several challenges that I will go into detail about later, but in each world, a portion of them are necessary to unlock the area's boss. They are not big challenges and I personally think that the game design shines much more in the conventional stages.

The cutscenes are super fun and they really manage to mix this generational clash. Classic Sonic can't speak, much less do the same moves as the current one, which creates scenes that can serve as fan service for some and go unnoticed by others. However, what's most enjoyable about all of this is how different everything is in each of them.

For example, when jumping with classic Sonic, we get a very specific jump sound, a noise that has been in the franchise for years, but that doesn't work in the current version. On the other hand, when playing with the new Sonic, we can dash high up, attack enemies directly, as well as use handrails and several other tools in the scenarios to make us faster and also make the levels more interactive.

There is also an upgrade system in the game. When you earn points, you can go to a shop in the game lobby to acquire new skills. They don't drastically change the gameplay, but they can help you in some challenges, especially if you're looking for an S rank in all stages. perks include gaining more rings, greater speed, or not sliding as much.

It's a very interesting game because it knows how to mix 2D and 3D and create levels that are attractive to the eyes and also in of gameplay. When I played it back in 2011, I didn't give it the value it deserved, but playing it again now, I can easily say that it's one of the best platform games I've ever played, mainly because it knows how to use this concept of generations that, although it makes sense for Sonic's story, also says a lot about the history of video games as well. 

After all, it's as if we had a video game from the 90s and 2010s in a single game, but allowing anyone to have access without console restrictions. It's brilliant (I got a little carried away). 

The thing that I dislike the most, but I understand because it's a game for kids, is that Sonic's friends are talking in our heads all the time. Any action we take leads us to have to listen to some hint or ear-pulling with an annoying voice in the background. This is extremely annoying in the final battle and I dare say it would be easier if there weren't so many voices in our heads.

Shadow Campaign 1a4q5c

Now, yes, for the novelty of this new game. Called Shadow Generations, this new chapter takes place in the same period as Sonic Generations, but takes a slightly different approach. Shadow is the badboy Sonic, with catchphrases, the Sasuke from the franchise. Instead of performing spinning attacks, he performs punch and kick combos and even uses weapons in some cases.

That said, the new chapter takes advantage of that temporal problem we saw in the main campaign to put us in a new dilemma. One that only Shadow can solve. Black Doom, his great enemy, has returned and promises to make Shadow revisit his past and he does so in a completely crazy way.

Shadow has a position as protector of the sky and when the time entity appears, that's when Black Doom takes advantage to come and attack Shadow as well. That's where our game begins, leaving the cutscene and going to the gameplay.

Unlike the traditional campaign, here we are thrown into something faster, more violent and very psychedelic. Seriously, the stages use and abuse time distortions in such a way that it can make you dizzy. It is very impressive visually, since we are at high speed, but it can be a problem if you are sensitive to this type of thing. Just a warning.

I find it funny how they try to convey a super serious aura and dark for Shadow and once again, it's something for kids, after all. But still, it borders on ridiculous at times. The catchphrases, the punch and kick combos on monsters. He's the bad boy Sonic and for that, we need those moments. However, even pointing out all this, it doesn't mean I don't like it, okay? That's the proposal and I'm 100% in it.

We don't have a "classic Shadow" in the story, so the division of acts in the stages is just a detail to play the same scenario with different structures. This doesn't bother me, because once again the game design hits the nail on the head here, with beautiful direction of the scenes. There are moments of action and adventure that are eye-catching and knowing that you are the one who does most of those actions is quite enjoyable.

We have a lobby for the levels here too, but now in 3D, in a kind of semi-open world. In practice, it doesn't change much, except for picking up collectibles. At this point, it gets much more interesting, because there are several hidden items that will require new skills and a bit of strategy to reach them.

Collectibles and Challenges g5q8

Both games feature the same types of collectibles: concept art and music. In Sonic generations we get them in 2D format, climbing on places and opening boxes, without much secret. Depending on which Sonic you are using in the lobby, different things will appear, both in challenges and collectibles.

For example, for classic Sonic, the challenges involve collecting rings, getting to the marked point, defeating enemies, and even skateboarding around. While I've highlighted these, the variety is quite large, offering many options for unlocking the boss area and probably requiring you to do all of them if you want the platinum trophy. PlayStation.

Another thing that is present and that you will need to do to be able to finish the game is to face some well-known Sonic characters, such as Shadow himself, Silver and others. Each of these challenges will guarantee you a Chaos Emerald, necessary to complete your final objective in the last stage. The rival challenges are pretty cool and work almost like boss battles. They almost always require your speed skills, but they also force you to be strategic in battle.

Em Shadow Generations, the philosophy is the same, but in a different format. Because we have a kind of open world, we have many more possibilities. In addition, there are several boxes of different colors and types now. To open them, you need the correct keys and to do so, you need to collect them in the levels. They are spread as a bonus in the conventional levels, in the challenges and also in the lobby.

As we play, we gain new abilities, such as walking on water and even a kind of flight, which are necessary to access different locations and get other collectibles. ing once again that to open the boxes, you need the key with the symbol and color it requires. The way Shadow's game does this is much cooler and even challenging. The problem with these collectibles is the prizes. Concept art is really cool, in fact, but not enough to spend hours and hours going after each collectible. What do you think?

About Shadow's challenges, they are fast, just like Sonic's, but they usually exploit his unique abilities, such as his combos, flights and even walking on water.

Gameplay and graphics 325t2o

the gameplay of Sonic generations It is divided into two forms: a classic Sonic platform game when we play with the classic Sonic and an action-adventure Sonic game with the most recent one. With the first Sonic we can jump, attack enemies when we jump, do a downward blow and charge the spin to go faster. It is all very functional and usually does not fail. In the modern format, we have a great mix of 2D and 3D in more exciting scenes.

In addition to the different scenarios, we also have different abilities. One of them is to dash when we jump. If there is no target, Sonic will just go forward, but if there is, he will go towards the enemy, allowing him to reach different locations. The rings also work a little differently here. In addition to ensuring that you stay alive, they also maintain your speed bar, or turbo, if you prefer. With this turbo, you can even cross water.

Other abilities include drifting around corners, a downward attack, and a brief flight when we have rinngs lined up in the sky. For challenges, we have some exclusive ones from Sonic's friends, where we can use their abilities. Using the character switch button, it is possible to call them. Knuckles gives you rings when hitting the ground, Amy uses his sledgehammer to blow things up and other things.

With Shadow, the gameplay is identical to that of the current Sonic. He jumps, can dash too, has turbo and of course, can beat up his enemies. This is the big difference in gameplay Shadow here. In addition to mobility skills, the game also provides you with great combat moments. Calls Doom Powers, these dark abilities allow for more gameplay variety and require you to have good reflexes for them to work at their best.

What I particularly enjoyed was using these abilities on the bosses. Unlike the original game, I enjoyed the battles much more here. They stray a little from the traditional platform battles and move towards something more action-oriented.

About the graphics, I played on PlayStation 4 and the performance is divided between the two games. In Sonic generations, it runs at 1080p at 60fps, ensuring a very enjoyable experience. Textures and graphics don't bring anything innovative, but the art direction and game design are great, with a variety of scenery, colors and enemies, making the game not seem dead. In comparison, the game ran at 720p and barely reached 30fps in PlayStation 3, so we have a very interesting jump here.

As for Shadow Generations, things change a bit. The game continues at 1080p, but no longer reaches 60fps. Since it is no longer a remaster, but rather a new game, the technology implemented in it may be what makes it heavier and limits the fps in PlayStation 4. Is the experience bad? No, but it is strange when switching from one game to another, especially since Shadow's stages are even faster.

Availability and requirements 402f33

Sonic x Shadow Generations is the new Sonic game and was officially released on October 25, 2024. It is available for PlayStation 4 e PlayStation 5, Xbox series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch e PC.

• Sonic X Shadow Generations for PlayStation 5 for R$224
• Sonic X Shadow Generations for Xbox for R$259
• Sonic X Shadow Generations for Nintendo Switch for R$259
• Sonic X Shadow Generations for PC for R$219

And for those who are going to play on PC, below are the specifications:

	Minimum	Recommended
Operational system	Windows 10	Windows 10
Processor	Intel Core i3-2120 or FX-6300	Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
Memory	8 GB of RAM	12 GB of RAM
DirectX	A D3D10 compatible graphics adapter is required to launch the application.	A D3D10 compatible graphics adapter is required to launch the application.
Video card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB or AMD Radeon HD 5770 1GB	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 740 4GB or Intel Arc A310 4GB
Others	Low: 720p at 30 FPS. U: A processor with AVX extension set is required to run the application.	High: 1080p at 60 FPS. U: A processor with AVX extension set is required to run the application.

Conclusion 60664y

But after all, Sonic X Shadow Generations Is it any good? This is a must-play game for anyone who likes Sonic. It has good levels, is fun and also manages to be challenging. Shadow's new campaign brings cool new features to the title and makes the package even more worthwhile, now with even better performance.

The only reason I wouldn't recommend this game is if you don't like Sonic at all, much less platform games. If these two things go together, don't even waste your money. Now, if at least one of these two things makes sense to you, it's worth buying, especially the physical version, which is full of items and has a beautiful reversible cover.

Tell us, have you played or are you planning to play the new Sonic game? Take advantage and also check out our other game and product reviews here on the site.

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Text proofread by: Daniel Coutinho in 25 / 11 / 2024