My favourite game of this year was Sonic X Shadow Generations. I loved everything about that game and couldn’t put it down until I got the Platinum Trophy. But even after I achieved 100% completion, I wanted more. Luckily, SEGA has another Sonic-related thing releasing this year with Sonic The Hedgehog 3, and it just so happens to feature Shadow as well. With these releasing in the same year and being so close to each other, it was only natural that there would be some type of crossover, and that’s what I’m talking about today. The Sonic 3 movie pack for Sonic X Shadow Generations is here, but is this paid DLC worth the price of admission? Let’s find out.
You’ll be able to play this DLC after arriving in the White Space hub world in Shadow Generations. From there, if you interact with a new ring portal, Shadow will be transported into the universe of the Sonic films, and he’ll look the part as well. Instead of using the default character model, you’ll play as the movie version of Shadow, and that includes the voice of Keanu Reeves! This level of detail right off the bat already made this DLC worth it for me, but then I started playing the stage, and it only got better.
The stage is set in the streets, railways, and underground of Tokyo, and it’s one of my favourite stages in the game. The level design is perfect, with multiple paths, a variety of obstacles, and forces you to use almost every part of Shadow’s arsenal to record the best times. I especially enjoyed the part where you go through the train stations, and you can boost up walls for shortcuts.
And then there are the cinematic moments in the stage that give a little extra sizzle to this steak. In one, Shadow rides a freaking missile into the sky before taking down a GUN helicopter and then poses as it explodes behind him. In the other, Shadow takes on multiple helicopters and, using Chaos Control, counters all of their weaponry and once again lands a sweet-ass pose. It’s just so awesome.
I would be remiss not to mention the biggest surprise of this DLC (outside of Keanu because that was already announced), the remix version of the Westopolis theme from Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 as the default stage music. I was expecting some generic music, maybe an instrumental track from the Sonic 3 film, but we got a glorious rendition of the Westopolis theme instead. I spent way too long just doing nothing at the start of the stage, listening to this absolute bop.
Despite all the praise I’ve given this DLC, a handful of issues prevent it from being perfect. The first is the length, with the one and only stage being around four minutes and the two bonus challenge acts being a couple of minutes each. It doesn’t take long to experience everything this DLC has to offer. For some, they might think it’s not enough, and I’d be inclined to agree. It doesn’t detract from my enjoyment, but I would’ve loved another Act for an extra little bit of content.
The length also isn’t helped by not being able to skip the mid-level cutscenes on repeat playthroughs, and they take up a lot of time. They are cool as shit, but maybe an option to skip them after the first time would be useful. Maybe there’s more content coming for this DLC, seeing as the film is out, and they were holding back because of spoilers, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Sonic 3 Movie DLC for Sonic X Shadow Generations. The amazing level design, great soundtrack, and overall vibe outweigh most of the issues for me. It may not be a perfect experience, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t love it.
Have you played the Sonic 3 Movie DLC? What did you think? Are you excited for Sonic 3? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things Shadow.
