After weeks of speculation and rumors, the newest Sonic the Hedgehog title has been confirmed at last. Showcased as part of PlayStation’s 2024 State of Play, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remaster of the 2011 platformer with fresh content starring everyone’s favorite edgelord, Shadow the Hedgehog.
It may come as no surprise to Sonic aficionados, who have heard rumblings from reliable leakers that Generations would be the next entry to be remastered with some Shadow-flavored additions, but seeing it all play out officially is still quite exhilarating.
The reveal trailer recreates the nostalgic opening sequence where modern Sonic meets his diminutive classic doppelgänger, before Shadow busts onto the scene and ruins their reunion. There’s something both hilarious and heartbreaking about watching poor little classic Sonic fall out of the shot.
We then get a taste of the new content, where Shadow blitzes through industrial settings (thankfully with no sign of a handgun in sight) before bringing back a familiar foe in the form of Black Doom. Originally appearing in the self-titled 2005 spin-off, Shadow’s nefarious creator looks to play a major role this time around.
Sonic Generations first dropped on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC back in 2011, with a unique version also released for Nintendo 3DS. Heralded for bringing back Sonic’s original pudgy appearance, the game reviewed quite well, and boasts a 77 average critical score on Metacritic.
Though we’ve been pining for a true sequel ever since, we would instead receive the underwhelming Sonic Forces in 2017, shoehorning classic Sonic into the mix somewhat clumsily. On the plus side, Sonic Mania released in that same year as a much more suitable flagbearer.
Sonic X Shadow Generations will be arriving on all major platforms in August 2024, including PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, the Epic Store, and Nintendo Switch. That last one is perhaps significant for besmirched Wii owners who missed out last time!
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