Shadow The Hedgehog

Sonic has been SEGA's mascot for quite a long time now, that's why there are plenty of games and spin-offs involved in the series. There are many characters in the Sonic universe, and with TV shows and movies, the lore deepens more than many people may think. Shadow The Hedgehog is probably the darkest entry in the official series of games based on these colorful characters.

Among the many enemies the blue hedgehog has had over the years, Shadow is probably one of the most iconic is Shadow The Hedgehog. While having a game set in the Sonic Universe is already strange enough, having one where the main character is a villain is even more unique. So, let’s talk about this game, and see if Shadow has what it takes to be the protagonist of its adventure.

About the game

Shadow the Hedgehog shares some basic similarities to other Sonic games on the series. The world of Shadow The Hedgehog is a much edgier version of the average Sonic Universe, so the speed is still the center of it all, mostly.

Shadow is a much more enigmatic character, he doesn't know where he comes from nor where he's going. He's now on a journey to find out who he is, but this title takes place after the events of Sonic Heroes. Moved by some of the recent weak memories that torment him, he's also looking for revenge.

In his journey, he's trying to find the seven emeralds while trying to find out who are the evil aliens that are destroying the world, but the alien leader, Black Doom, promises to give him back his memories if he finds the emeralds for him.

Much more complex than fast

When you compare this game with Sonic Heroes or Sonic Adventure, you'll see just how much more complex it is. Not only is it edgier and darker, but it also has a deeper story with much more plot lines included. This is an excellent addition to the Sonic universe lore. And without a doubt it's much more serious business than running fast, that's obvious when at first sight when you see Shadow running around with a gun.

Review

Shadow the Hedgehog has a lot of great elements, but somehow they don’t all work together nicely. While the game offers a great deal of plot and even allows you to make choices that-ll impact your gameplay, it's not all tied in a nice package.

The combination of fast pacing from the Sonic Universe with the shooting and darker tone of this game don't go together all that well. Still, the game is not all that bad, but it isn't great either. It's a shame we never got a sequel of this title, as it's still a nice original twist in a beloved franchise.

• Graphics and visuals: This game looks ok. The visuals make it stand out immediately from virtually any other game in the franchise, but it has a really strange combination of art styles. This makes the game visually uncomfortable,

• Gameplay: The gameplay is bad, the controls are awkward and there’s a response problem with the aiming and shooting. This game never really defines what it’s trying to be, and that’s a terrible thing

• Sound: The original soundtrack is cheesy and pretty non-Sonic. And the voice acting is terrible, it's an awkward experience all around...

If you’re looking to play as an overall badass in a video game, it doesn’t get much better than with Shadow the Hedgehog. It was only a matter of time before he moved away from the literal shadows to spearhead his own main character moment.

Following the popularity of Sonic Adventures 2, SEGA planned to develop Shadow the Hedgehog his own game. Who knows if Shadow was indeed a popular enough figure to deserve a spin-off, yet SEGA went ahead with it anyhow. Traditionally, the Sonic brand has been more family-friendly, but SEGA decided to go a bit more "adult" with Shadow the Hedgehog. In the world of video games, this meant arming Shadow.

Story

Shadow suffers from amnesia at the start of the game. Shadow recalls just two things since Sonic Heroes three months ago in the timeline: his name and his effort to leave the Space Colony ARK with his creator's grandchild Maria, who was slain by G.U.N. forces.

Shadow is remembering outside of the city of Westopolis when the extraterrestrial species Black Arms drops from the sky and invades the city. Doom's Eye, a Black Arms alien, approaches Shadow, and Black Doom, the Black Arms' commander, informs Shadow of an ancient bargain Shadow made: to deliver Black Doom the Chaos Emeralds.

The game proceeds through the Westopolis level as well as five other levels from the many paths Shadow might follow. Shadow learns further about his background and regains memories when assignments are accomplished. He has the option of assisting Doctor Eggman or the Black Arms, assisting G.U.N. and the series' heroic protagonists, or assisting neither and keeping the Chaos Emeralds for himself. After Shadow gathers all of the Chaos Emeralds and destroys one of the game's final foes, the tasks completed decide which of 10 alternative endings will be seen. The probable ending outcomes range from defeating the Black Arms to destroying the earth.

Completing all 10 endings unlocks the actual ending, in which Black Doom utilizes Chaos Control, boosted by the strength of all 7 Chaos Emeralds, to bring the Black Comet to Earth's surface.

Gameplay

Shadow the Hedgehog is a platformer with action-adventure gameplay components. The core gameplay, as in previous Sonic games, consists on running swiftly, collecting rings, and eliminating enemies. Shadow gathers rings as a means of protection; when he is attacked, 10 of his rings ricochet away from him in all areas. He loses a life if he is attacked by an adversary while without wearing any rings. Each level is accomplished by completing a quest, which is branded "Hero," "Dark," or "Normal."

Verdict

Shadow the Hedgehog is an effort to push the franchise into more adult, edgier terrain. That's all well and good, but a game needs more than just a terrible attitude and a bunch of weaponry to be fun.

Pros

• Interesting story
• Cool bosses

Cons

• Frustrating level design