Sonic X Shadow Generations review for PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch

Sonic the Hedgehog has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My first exposure to the series was Sonic The Hedgehog 2 in 1992, and from there, the franchise has had its ups and downs, but I stuck with the franchise through thick and thin. In the middle of its latest Sonic renaissance Sega has released a remastered version of one of its best entries in the series, Sonic Generations, celebrating its vast 30-plus-year history. Rather than just giving us a straight remaster, Sonic Team went the extra mile and gave us Shadow Generations, giving us our first new solo experience featuring Shadow the Hedgehog.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a greatest hits love letter to the franchise. Showing homage to the many different eras of Sonic’s past. At the start of Sonic X Shadow Generations, you are given the choice of two contrasting halves sharing a story involving time travel. You aren’t locked into a single title. and  at any point, you can jump from game to game.  If you have previously played Sonic Generations, I would recommend jumping into Shadow Generations first, though if you’re playing this for the first time I would recommend starting on the Sonic side of things to get a better grasp on the overarching time-traveling story.

Just like in its original 2011 release, Sonic Generations kicks off with a birthday celebration for Sonic, with most of his supporting characters in attendance. The party is interrupted when a new villain by the name of the ‘Time Eater’ crashes the party and sends our heroes into the void. In this realm, Sonic has access to many locations from throughout the history of his past. Each level is divided into two act stages. The first act is the familiar 2D side-scrolling stages seen in most early Sonic games and the second act is full 3D stages akin to what you’ll experience in Sonic Adventure. As you complete each act of a stage, color returns to the world.

Much like in its original release, the 2D portions of Sonic X Shadow Generations are a joy. Each of these stages features multiple routes, collectibles such as 3 hidden Chaos, red stars rings, and a rankings system that just pushes you to get S ranks everywhere. These features lead to plenty of replayability.

The 3D portions of the game are still a problem for me though, and the controls and physics don’t make any sense at times. I ran into issues where I was just straight ejected off the side of levels or would blow past locked-on enemies.  It grew at times frustrating, and this was my only real problem with the game.

The Shadow half of Sonic X Shadow Generations plays exactly like Sonic Generations with just a few key differences. Unlike Sonic, Shadow contains fewer levels, and the acts are flipped. Shadow Generations contains an open world overworld as opposed to the side-scrolling one in Sonic. You complete challenge gates and boss keys to progress the story and gain powers to complete different obstacles. Boss battles are massive and contain multiple cycles.

In each level, you can collect collection tokens which can be used to open up different chests containing different unlockables such as artwork, music, and character designs. Shadow Generations also felt a little short when compared to Sonic Generations. I was able to complete the main story in about 4-5 hours as opposed to the Sonic side which I clocked in about 12-13 hours. I like that you can select what music you want to complete each level too, and if you have a favorite Sonic track you can play it on repeat.

Speaking of the music, one of my favorite things about Sonic X Shadow Generations is its soundtrack. The game is packed with unforgettable fan favorites such as “City Escape” and “I Am…’All of me”.  I caught myself a few times hanging out in the overworld just listening to remixed versions of music. It’s a moment that brought me back to the first time I heard “Chemical Plant Zone” in 1992.

I was surprised when I saw Sega decided to release the title as just one stand-alone game.  For its price point, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a true value for hardcore Sonic fans and fans of platformers alike.  With high replay value, and even with some control hiccups, Sega reminds us of what they can do with their blue hedgehog and his edgy counterpart.

Note: Sega provided us with a Sonic X Shadow Generations PS5 code for review purposes.