A celebration of times gone by and those yet to come, 2011's Sonic Generations was an ultra-concentrated dose of the Blue Blur's best: a highlight reel of Sonic the Hedgehog's triumphs in both 2D and 3D as the series commemorated its then-20th anniversary. Now, over a decade later, Sonic Generations has returned- pushing past the sound barrier to speed onto the Nintendo Switch with a partner in tow. Sonic x Shadow Generations combines Sonic's trip down memory lane from 2011 with a brand new adventure featuring Shadow the Hedgehog and the demons of his past. Part reflection, part redemption, the latest Sonic game has its eyes set squarely on lighting the way to the future by way of the past, but can speed, style, and spirit convince the skeptics to have some faith, or is this newest journey one only meant for the most devout of Sonic fans?
Sonic Generations continues to be held in relatively high regard to this day, and though some minor yet controversial tweaks do make their way into this rerelease, this version of it may be its best- if only for what comes included with it. But sticking with the lesser half of this package for now, Sonic Generations divides itself into the two gameplay styles of Classic and Modern, with Act 1 of every zone being Classic and Act 2 being Modern. The catch is that neither gameplay style feels as authentic or as fine-tuned as their original games, but the trade-off is being able to blast through Chemical Plant Zone as Roger Craig Smith's Modern Sonic or getting to explore the ruins of Crisis City as a somewhat out-of-place Classic Sonic.
Tying it all together is a story so thin that it gives Sonic's red-hatted olympic rival a run for his money. It's purely functional- it creates the conditions needed to make a celebration through time and space possible- and successfully serves its purpose, while not doing much more. But, maybe that's all that's really needed.
While on the subject, however, it's because of that barebones story that I personally had no issues with the changes that have been made to characters and dialogue. Some changes are cosmetic, such as Rouge the Bat being redesigned to show off less of her chest, while others have to do with characterization: Amy's in-game bio is updated to reflect her use of fortune cards in Sonic Frontiers, but it also omits a few words from the original game that went over her romantic obsession with Sonic. These changes, decried by some as "censorship," have sparked rigorous debate, but I had no issue with them myself despite being a lifelong Sonic fan and having played the original Sonic Generations many years ago. More troubling to me were the characters' mouth movements and revoiced lines failing to match up- a pet peeve I picked up back in the days of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle on the Nintendo GameCube, which suffered from a similar lip syncing problem that, admittedly, was much worse than this.
Returning to the gameplay, Classic Sonic's levels stick to 2D and have a greater focus on precise platforming than his taller, full-formed future self. Speed's not entirely out of the picture, especially if you've got your wits about you, but Classic Sonic is slower and heavier than Modern Sonic, and his levels are longer and more dense (the new drop dash for Classic Sonic is appreciated, but it doesn't do much to fix the larger problems at hand). At their best, the Classic levels manage to be a nice nod to the series' 2D entries, but at their worst, a disappointing imitation of the same.
While not as egregious as Sonic Forces' Classic levels, the ones here are still far from ideal in their design, length, and difficulty. One infamous but cherry-picked example is Classic Planet Wisp, which is bloated with troublesome obstacles and makes excessive use of the unwieldy Spikes wisp ability. Not every Classic level is that frustrating, but it can be said that the series' original gameplay style deserves better than a lineup of mostly-decent levels and one or two terrible ones. 2D Sonic, as seen in recent years with Sonic Mania and even Sonic Superstars to some extent, doesn't have to be inferior to its 3D counterpart, but in the case of Sonic Generations, the Classic levels just don't shine as bright as they could have.
Modern levels fare better, and while they don't reach the peak of Sonic Unleashed's daytime levels, they come close enough to be worthy of a thumbs up. Some stinkers sneak through the pack- Modern Planet Wisp treads close to its Classic version- but, overall, the Modern levels encapsulate why Sonic isn't out of the running when it comes to his 3D games. Boosting, drifting, zipping from enemy to enemy, jumping from rail to rail: 3D Sonic can be kinetic, liberating, and awe-inspiring in ways that 2D Sonic sometimes fails to be. What should be two equal halves sharing glory is really one half taking home the prize, and that'll be a continuing trend as we dive deeper.
Moving on, connecting zones to each other is the White Space- the 2D hub world populated by Sonic's friends and the challenge acts that grant collectibles and Boss Gate Keys upon their completion. Boss Gates and the badniks they seal away separate each era of Sonic's history from the next while acting as a buffer for the more speedy of players who might be zooming through the game a bit too quickly. Were it not for the key hunting, a third of Sonic Generation's runtime would be cut off then and there- yet it is an extremely short game regardless. Sonic Generations clocks in at 3 to 4 hours when zeroing in on the finish line; the playtime can be doubled by replaying levels for better times and gunning for 100% by completing all the challenge acts or locating the hidden chao now hidden in each stage.
As far as birthday parties go, this one ultimately ends up being on the lighter side. Acquiring every collectible and mastering the movement system are tempting options for the ones still riding a cake-fueled sugar high, but eventually, you'll be left with no choice but to pack up and head on home- hedgehogs need their beauty sleep after all. If the asking price of $49.99 was solely for this blast from the past, it'd be highway robbery, but thankfully, Shadow Generations comes in guns blazing (not literally, SEGA would prefer we forget that "phase" he once had) to try and sweeten the deal.
I've always been on team Sonic- his characterization in Sonic and the Black Knight was absolute perfection- but the Ultimate Lifeform makes for a fierce competitor. When Black Doom returns to drag him back into a world of hatred and fear, Shadow looks to the girl who saved him and the doctor who created him to find the courage in his heart to defy the monster whose blood runs through his veins. With time and space all out of sorts, he races through his memories, taking down those who once stood in his way and awakening the powers he needs to finish his fight.
The Doom Powers he unlocks with every zone completed grant him a much more substantial moveset that leaves Sonic in the dust and his levels with it. Shadow Generations' levels are expertly crafted to fit Shadow's moveset and fix many of the design quirks from Sonic Generations by adding a double jump, zooming out the camera so that players can better see what lies ahead, and encouraging them to make use of every single move at their disposal. My favorite of the Doom Powers was Doom Blast, which sees Shadow kick an enemy into the air and warp to it- letting him ascend to incredible heights and access otherwise unreachable areas, all without losing too much momentum.
Shadow's version of the White Space also sees improvements, with it now being in 3D and offering a more inviting playground to mess around in. Boss Gates make their return, but with the thrill that comes with playing as Shadow, challenge acts stop feeling like padding and more like real tests of skill. And in regard to the bosses themselves, they give players the chance to show off and feel like the warrior that Shadow was born to- Sonic Generations' bosses, limited and sometimes basic, don't hold a candle to these ones.
With Shadow Generations, what we have is, really, an expansion of Sonic Generations that is superior to it in every way. The only notable issue with Shadow's half is that the resolution sometimes drops in handheld mode and during certain sequences, but the excellent art direction and stable 30fps frame rate make it easy to forgive. Sonic's half isn't completely free of visual flaws, but both halves feel optimized for Nintendo Switch in a way that, sadly, other Sonic games haven't been. As for the audio, a running joke has always been that Sonic games never fail when it comes to the music, and that's the case here as well. I prefer the original versions of most tracks, but the remixes hold their own.
With that behind us and looking at it all together, Sonic x Shadow Generations will likely take the average player about 5-8 hours, which is, more or less, the series standard. Yes, that means that the new content via Shadow Generations adds up in length to equal the old content from Sonic Generations. Regardless of whether you've played the 2011 original or not, that'll certainly be good to hear, but if you were expecting something with a little more longevity- especially given the price- then that might be worth keeping in mind while deciding to buy it or not. Collectibles return for Shadow Generations, but again, the replay value will come down to how much you enjoy the game and if you're willing to repeat the same levels over and over again to get your money's worth.
If you grab the Digital Deluxe Edition, you'll gain access to a digital artbook and mini soundtrack that downloads as a separate app from the game, along with skill points to redeem in Sonic Generations and skins + an exclusive Sonic The Hedgehog 3 movie-inspired level for Shadow (to release in December 2024). Value-wise, it could be tough to justify the bonuses for a casual fan, but the additional level is tempting and might even end up being the best part of the entire package.
A comparison that seems apt with this game would be to that of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Both are remasters of well-received games that tacked on an exciting, expansive new campaign to justify their existence and their price tag. But a key difference, in my opinion and with biases on full display, is that Super Mario 3D World is much more compelling than Sonic Generations in terms of both the competence of its design and the content it offers. Bower's Fury and Shadow Generations, meanwhile, are more comparable, but they only form one half of their respective games.
The deciding factors here are, as hinted at earlier, how big of a Sonic fan you are and if you played the original 2011 game. If you loved the original, are Shadow's number one fan, or just want to stay in the loop with the series, then Sonic x Shadow Generations can be what you need it to be. But if you've played the original and were not as fond of it as others, then, even when taking into consideration the promising new content, you might feel as if you'd have been better served by waiting for a sale or for the next game to expand upon what Shadow Generations is experimenting with.
Sonic x Shadow Generations is a consistent and polished experience that reflects the love Sonic Team has for their series and that could absolutely be called a game "made by Sonic fans, for Sonic fans." But even though Shadow Generations shows players a glimpse into the future, it falls short of being the future itself by being tied to the past through Sonic Generations. It's a step in the right direction for sure, but with one foot forward and the other backward, it's difficult to, in good faith, see Sonic x Shadow Generations as a "revival" or a full-on "evolution." So, though it may provide diehard fans with the time of their life and the disillusioned with just enough hope to keep on going, it doesn't quite reach the peak needed for it to be a defining moment for the series.
8/10
A download code for the Nintendo Switch version was provided to My Nintendo News by SEGA for the purposes of this review.
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