It’s no secret that I’m hyped as balls for Sonic X Shadow Generations. Ever since the reveal trailer, I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my hands on the game. Having the chance to go hands-on at PAX Aus only made me more excited for all the gameplay improvements and changes, but I’m still in the dark about the story, specifically Shadow's role in this new game. That’s where Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings comes in. This collection of three animated shorts has been released weekly on YouTube and tells the story leading up to Sonic X Shadow Generations. Have these shorts made me even more excited to play this game? Or has it made me lower my expectations? Let’s find out.
These shorts take place before the events of the original Sonic Generations. Shadow is having visions of his time on the ARK with Maria before everything went sideways (and Maria got killed). Upon realising it’s not real, Shadow deduces that something or someone on the ARK is reaching out to him. With a goal and a bad feeling about all of this, Shadow sets out to solve the mystery.
I really enjoyed this brief prologue, and it far exceeded my expectations. Having a total runtime of just under 15 minutes, it would’ve been idiotic to assume a fully fleshed-out story, yet they managed to pack in so many details and emotional moments. The relationship between Shadow and Maria, Shadow’s self-doubt, his relationship with Rouge and Omega, and even his past with the head of GUN all worked amazingly.
It also helped that the voice acting was some of the best from this current cast of Sonic actors. I’ve been a bit iffy about Kirk Thornton as Shadow for a while, but he proved my doubts wrong here. You could feel every emotion through Kirk’s performance, especially when it related to Maria and Gerald Robotnik. If this is an indication of what Shadow will be like in the games going forward, sign me the hell up! It’s also a good sign that they’re bringing back a lot of characters from Shadow’s past, like Rouge, Omega, and the head of GUN (who’s called Abe). There is another returning character, but he’ll get his own section later.
The first trailer for Dark Beginnings looked beautiful. The short snippet was so good that I was nervous that the rest of the shorts would look nothing like it. I was happily proven wrong because these episodes are gorgeous from beginning to end. Studio Giggex has done a fantastic job bringing this prequel story to life. From thrilling hand-to-hand combat in Episode 1 to storming a GUN base in Episode 3, the animation rivals that of big shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer. My personal favourite sequence was the fight between Shadow and Emerl (this is also the character's first appearance since their debut in Sonic Battle for the GBA) in Episode 1. It doesn’t last long, but the fluid animation, punchy sound effects, and overall awesomeness make it impossible to look away.
This level of quality extends to voice acting and sound design as well. I’ve already mentioned the sound effects during the fights, but the soundtrack elevates these moments even more. The shorts feature an impressive orchestral score that makes everything feel emotional and dramatic. Whether it’s heartfelt moments between Shadow and Maria or action-packed fights with Rouge and Omega, the score adds that little bit extra and makes everything feel special.
In terms of the voice acting, the entire cast did a pretty good job. Aside from Kirk Thornton as Shadow, Karen Strassman also returns as Rouge the Bat, and while I don’t think she’ll be my favourite version of Rouge, she’s given decent lines and better direction that plays to her strengths. I hope we see more of this in the future, not just in these shorts. The standout, though, has to be Stephanie Sheh as Maria. Every line she has is filled with emotion and nearly made me cry at one point (I was able to hold it together). If this is any indication of the emotional damage we’ll see when the game drops, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it.
Aside from the story, characters, animation, and sound, the thing that has excited me the most about Dark Beginnings is the lore implications. Over the past decade of Sonic games, they haven’t been connecting all that much. Most of the time, they’ve been standalone stories with maybe a token reference here and there. But Sonic X Shadow is going to change that, and Dark Beginnings confirms it. First, the elephant in the room: BLACK DOOM IS BACK, BABY, AND NOT BECAUSE OF TIME TRAVEL SHENANIGANS. At the end of the last episode, it's revealed that Black Doom has properly returned and has set up shop on the ARK (hence why Shadow is having visions). I’m glad this is confirmed because I thought Black Doom would return because of the Time Eater, which would’ve been a bit of a cop-out. The fact he’s actually alive makes things way more interesting.
Besides Black Doom, it also looks like they are acknowledging parts of Shadow’s past that have been largely pushed to the sidelines in the games. The relationship between Shadow, Rouge, and Omega, the story of Gerald Robotnik, and the events of the 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog game all appear to be getting pushed into the spotlight. I’m so excited to see what story threads they decide to pull on and what it’ll mean for the series' future.
Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings is how you make a prequel mini-series. Every episode oozes quality and has made me even more excited to play this game. Even if you aren't going to play the game (weirdo), you'll still find enjoyment in these shorts. Luckily for everyone else and me, we don’t have to wait long as Sonic X Shadow Generations launches on October 25th for all systems. Be sure to keep it locked to Couch Soup for the eventual review after I squeeze the platinum trophy out of the game.
Did you watch Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings? What did you think? Did it make you more excited for the game? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things Shadow.
