I’m a massive fan of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Ever since I first played Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog growing up, I’ve been hooked and played every game since. One of the best games I’ve played since then was Sonic Generations on the Xbox 360. It was a love letter to the franchise filled with nostalgic moments. So I was very excited when it was announced that Sonic Generations would get a remaster in the form of Sonic X Shadow Generations. As luck would have it, the game is playable at PAX Aus this year! I know I had to give the game a try, and that’s exactly what I did.
The demo I played had two sections. The first was the remastered Sonic Generations campaign, and the other was the brand-new Shadow story. I jumped right into the Shadow levels and was immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia. The first level I played was the Metal Overlord boss fight, which first appeared in Sonic Heroes. As I loaded into the fight and that majestic “What I’m Made Of” by Crush 40 started playing, I was in heaven. But I had to snap out of it because a new mechanic was thrust upon me in the form.
This game introduces Doom Powers into the mix, which gives Shadow a whole host of new abilities. This boss fight, in particular, has Shadow surfing on a mass of black goo across water while fighting Metal Overlord. You have to slide into debris to knock it back into the boss. I really enjoyed this fight, even if it took a little adjusting to get a handle on the controls.
Speaking of getting a handle on the controls, the normal stages had a few changes that made my hand cramp. I played through the Space Colony Ark level, which is more in line with traditional Sonic levels. This is where some more changes to the Sonic Generations gameplay appeared because to accommodate Shadow’s move set, the boost is no longer on the square/x button but instead on the right trigger. This took some getting used to and led to a handful of deaths, but I eventually got the hang of it. Besides the different controls messing with my head, I had a really fun time with this level. It was longer than other Sonic Generations levels (and way longer than the cyberspace levels in Sonic Frontiers). Still, it was a breath of fresh air to have longer levels back, especially when they cater to my nostalgia.
Once I got into the demo, I was able to soak in all the glorious visuals. Everything looked so vibrant and detailed that I kept getting distracted from the gameplay. The water effects on the Metal Overlord boss fight were gorgeous, and the missile explosions were magnificent. I already mentioned the music being godly, but the sound design for this fight was also next-level amazing. The sound made by the debris smacking into Metal Overlord was satisfying as balls, and when you use Chaos Control to slow time, it just looks badass. And when the battle switches to 2D for the last phase, it’s a spectacle! I can’t wait to play this boss fight over and over again.
The Space Colony Ark also looked amazing for different reasons. It has the same vibe as the Sonic Adventure 2 original level but now looks so much prettier. Running through the level with a super detailed Ark in the skybox was something to behold. I also enjoyed seeing the enemies get facelifts, especially the Chaos enemies, who looked a lot more alien this time around.
I did get a chance to see some gameplay of the Sonic side of the game, and the graphical improvements are there as well. If you played the game back in the day, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the updates. Everything looks crisp and vibrant and will give these old levels a new feel. If I get a chance over the next few days, I’ll definitely give the Sonic levels a go and see if they play any differently.
I really enjoyed my time with Sonic X Shadow Generations and can’t wait to play more. The 20 minutes I got to play were amazing, and I had a blast. It took a little time to get the hang of the controls (and dealing with one or two hand cramps), but it was still fun. I’m excited to see what other levels and crazy story elements will be in the full game. October 25th can’t come soon enough.
For all of your PAX Aus 2024 content, keep it locked to Couch Soup over the weekend!
Are you excited for Sonic X Shadow Generations? Did you play the original? Are you going to play it at PAX? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about our favourite Sonic levels.
