Sonic X Shadow Generations Review (Dustedpink)
Wasn't really expecting this game to be a GOTY contender for me, especially since the previous two games have been fun but also very average in terms of quality. I was pleasantly surprised by Sonic X Shadow Generations, and I think this might be the best 3D Sonic game so far.
Sonic X Shadow Generations comes in two parts:
Shadow Generations is the new game in the package. It's a little bit shorter in scope than Sonic Generations, but it makes up for this by focusing on story and implementing features found in Sonic Frontiers. An expansion and an exploration into the history of the character, Shadow Generations elaborates on past events for new fans while using this as an excuse to assemble a greatest hits collection of past levels with the most tightly executed level design ever seen.
Connected through a new hub world inspired by the open world of Sonic Frontiers, Shadow Generations expands on Sonic Generations' 'White World' concept by filling the now 3D world with places to explore and collectibles to find. The collectibles you can find in Shadow Generations give you access to the history of the franchise through old concept art, music, and story summaries from past games.
The gameplay really is the shining pillar amongst it all. A mix of Frontiers and Generations' design philosophies, Shadow Generations meets in the middle and assembles long and sprawling levels which allow you to use Shadow's new gameplay gimmicks to find methods to optimise your run and improve on your time and score on each replay. These gimmicks never become tiring, and the 'flow state' is always maintained as a reward for good gameplay.
The whole game is a visual, audio, and story spectacle which far surpass what the franchise was doing even two years ago, and it feels like this might serve as a perfect template for new instalments going forward.
Sonic Generations is the other game in the package, and despite being a 2011 game, holds up as one of the best 3D games in the series. Besides some minor rewrites, gameplay changes, and the addition of collectible Chao to every level, it's essentially the same game as it always was but more optimised for the current generation of systems with new high resolution menu assets which will extend the game's lifespan into the far future.
The whole package is the most cohesive and well constructed thing Sonic Team has put together since 1994, and the positive reception is a testament to this new height that they've climbed to. I sincerely hope the franchise can finally pull itself together and start moving forward using this game as a template.