Shadow Generations
| Shadow Generations | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sonic Team |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Katsuyuki Shigihara |
| Producer(s) | Takashi Iizuka |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | October 25, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Shadow Generations is an upcoming platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It follows Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) as the second Sonic the Hedgehog game to feature Shadow as the protagonist. It is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2024; it will not be available as a standalone game, but rather as a bundle with the 2024 rerelease of Sonic Generations (2011) for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
Gameplay[edit]
Shadow Generations is a platform game that shifts between side-scrolling and 3D gameplay. It is bundled with the 2024 rerelease of Generations and players can switch between both games at will. Shadow Generations's story takes place during the events of Generations.[1] It follows Shadow the Hedgehog as he faces his archenemy, the alien Black Doom, who has returned following his defeat in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and plots to take over the world.[2]
Shadow Generations's levels, like those in Sonic Generations, are drawn from previous Sonic games, such as Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), Sonic Heroes (2003), Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).[3][2] Shadow serves as the player character and controls similarly to Sonic, but can use his "Chaos Control" power to freeze objects and access alternate paths.[4] Unlike Sonic Generations's side-scrolling hub world, the hub world in Shadow Generations is 3D and features open-world gameplay similar to that of Sonic Frontiers (2022).[5]
Development[edit]
Shadow Generations is part of the Year of Shadow, a Sonic the Hedgehog marketing campaign centering around Shadow-themed content. Katsuyuki Shigihara, one of Sonic Generations's designers, directed Shadow Generations, and other Sonic Team members who worked on Generations contributed.[5] Sonic's producer Takashi Iizuka said that like Sonic Generations, Sonic Team chose to revisit levels from past Sonic games to recall Shadow's history.[5] They chose levels they found the most interesting and the most popular among fans,[1] while integrating Sonic Frontiers's open-world gameplay to add modern elements.[5]
Release[edit]
Sega announced Shadow Generations on January 31, 2024, during one of PlayStation's State of Play livesteams.[6] It is scheduled to be released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on October 25, 2024.[7] It will not be available individually, but rather as a bundle with the 2024 rerelease of Sonic Generations under the title Sonic X Shadow Generations. Video Games Chronicle compared this to Nintendo bundling the Super Mario game Bowser's Fury (2021) alongside the rerelease of Super Mario 3D World (2013).[5] Preorder bonuses include a skin based on Terios, an early Shadow design, and a booklet detailing Shadow's in-universe creation from the perspective of Gerald Robotnik.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Iizuka, Takashi; Keys, Austin; Lawanson, Akeem (June 8, 2024). Takashi Iizuka Answers Our Burning Sonic x Shadow Generations Questions. Retrieved June 9, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Bukacek, Jacob (February 1, 2024). "Sega Reveals SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS During PlayStation's State of Play". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Bevan, Rhiannon (June 8, 2023). "Sonic X Shadow Generations Launching October 25". TheGamer. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Shea, Brian (June 8, 2024). "Sonic x Shadow Generations: It Is Better To Have Lived And Learned". Game Informer. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Robinson, Andy (June 9, 2024). "'Shadow doesn't need a gun, he is a weapon' - Sonic Team talks Shadow Generations". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Shea, Brian (1 November 2011). "Sonic X Shadow Generations Brings The Greatest Hits Package To Modern Consoles". Game Informer. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ a b Anderson, Robert (June 9, 2024). "Sonic X Shadow Generations is Up for Preorder". IGN. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
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