Hero? Villain?
You Decide.
Name: Shadow the Hedgehog - All three nations
Other Names (Nicknames): Shadow, "The Worst Sonic Game"
Release Dates:
November 15th, 2005 - USA
November 18th, 2005 - Europe
December 15th, 2005 - Japan
Quality: 128-Bit, 3D Platformer
Game System(s): Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox.
Also released on: PlayStation Network (Asia)
Developer(s): Sonic Team USA
Publisher(s): SEGA
Credits: See Sonic News Network.
Character Introductions: Black Doom, the Black Arms and the GUN Commander.
Region Game Takes Place On: Various areas in Sonic's world.
Concept Introductions:
Whereas Sonic Heroes tried to copy the look and feel of the Sonic games of yore, Shadow the Hedgehog attempts to break away from it in nearly every way possible.
First of all, there's a variety of weapons ready and waiting to be used by you…should you choose to 'em. Let me repeat myself: You don't always have to use the weapons. You can just ditch them at any point. They range from standard pistols, SMGs (Semi-Machine Guns) and alien blasters to swords, bazookas and even lock-on missile launchers. By picking up more of the same weapon, its endurance or ammo count is raised by another weapon's worth of ammo. How well they are used really depends on the user. It's not that hard to aim at the right target when shooting. You basically just need to think ahead before planning your assault.
Secondly, you can ride stuff. The vehicles available are convertibles (o_O), the Black Arms' Air Saucers (mainly used to hover above hazardous ground and dealing minimal damage to enemies if need be), mini walkers (with or without ammo; think Tails' Cyclone only smaller and optional), Black Hawk/Volts (the Volts can shoot; not really vehicles, but can be ridden, so they count), jeeps (debris and crap in the way? No problem!), and the infamous motorcycles (poorly rendered, but still fun to ride). Like the weapons, these aren't needed and only show up occasionally depending on the zone.
Additionally, a gameplay element that hasn't been present since Sonic Blast (UGH) finally makes its comeback in Shadow the Hedgehog, a rather unexpected event if I do say so myself. In this game, you don't lose all of your rings when you get hit, but instead 10 at a time, boosting up your vitality in this game. I'd consider it necessary with how often you're relentlessly bombarded and shot at.
Last, but not least, I'm sure some of you are wondering about the red and blue bars at the top of the screen. Well, they more or less represent Shadow's psyche. The red one (on the left) is Shadow's Dark Gauge. When it fills (by doing evil things like killing humans and causing property damage), Dark Shadow is awakened and the destructive attack, Chaos Blast, can be used. The blue one (on the right) is his Hero Gauge. When that fills (by doing good things like killing the Black Arms, putting out fires, and healing GUN soldiers), Hero Shadow is awakened. With that, Chaos Control is available, letting you warp great distances and wreck everything in your path. Getting both at the same time isn't possible.
Concept Deductions: Checkpoint markers (now called Save Points) look more like green teleporters. Which makes sense, since you're now allowed to teleport to any others you've touched. Powerups return to their original, balloon-ish SA/SA2 form, yet a bit skinner and lying on their sides. The Fire Shield from Sonic 3 returns in the form of the Heat Barrier. This baby does damage to anything it touches; debris, enemies, etc. Sadly, like all barriers, this one is finito if you're attacked. Moreover, it seems to have replaced the High Speed Shoes, since they're absent. Invincibility is here and, in a surprising and very much welcome change, has gone back to the sparkly stars used in the old games. It's a pity this didn't stick past this game (until Generations, anyway), since it's one of the few things I genuinely miss from the Classic Era.
Rouge has gone back to her old getup, but has had a voice change. For that matter, so has everyone else. The entire cast (even the supporting characters) is voiced by the VA team at 4Kids Productions, and would be until 2010. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you.
Main Framework: The game has an appropriately haphazard structure, but is still possible to get through.
Storyline:
Two weeks after Metal Sonic's failed coup, Shadow is still troubled about his lack of memories. He has gained one, though. Unfortunately, it's brief glimpses of Maria's death, though he doesn't know it's her. One day, as Shadow was pondering all this, the sky darkened with a red shade and out came an army of red and black aliens who quickly begin to smash the living crap out of everything. The Black Arms have landed on Earth, in retribution for Dr. Eggman's recent invasion of their digs. Poetic justice, I suppose. Either way, Shadow could care less, and walks off. Before he does, though, his name is called by a sinister voice. He turns around to see an ugly looking eye projecting the image of the aliens' apparent leader, Black Doom. The ruthless ET wastes no time giving our (anti)hero a message:
"As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised."
Naturally, Shadow doesn't know what the hell this jerk's talking about or how he knows who Shadow is. Black Doom doesn't explain, though. As he leaves, Shadow is left with even more questions: Who was that guy? And how does he know Shadow? He does, however, deduce one thing: the Chaos Emeralds are the only way the Black Blur's getting any answers. That being the case, Shadow the Hedgehog begins his most important journey ever.
Personal Criticism/Opinion (by Ryan the Game Master):
Shadow the Hedgehog is considered one of the lowest points in the Sonic series for many reasons, from its dark tone to the use of the Heroes engine to, well, anything and everything else, really. I, for one, am glad that a dark tone was used in this series for once, as it was a refreshing change up to the sparkly, cartoony feel that we had been used to up to this point. Life isn't always happy-go-lucky, damn it.
I found the gameplay in this game to be easy to work with, once you got the hang of it. The wide variety of weapons (as well as the targets to use 'em on) keeps the action flowing, plus there's a bit of strategy involved since each weapon handles slightly differently. There's also plenty of the standard Sonic fare: loops, ramps and a buttload of speed (provided you don't run into anything). The level design is certainly darker and more jumbled than what we're used to (except for Circus Park and some others), but, then again, so is the rest of this game.
A big reason the Sonic X cast is hated on so much is because of 4Kids' crappy script writing. Thankfully, Sonic Team's writers were in charge of this, so the cast actually sounds believable (with no lame puns, one-liners or bad jokes in sight). But even then, if they want to target an older audience, they need to start getting a better and more practical script.
While we're on the subject of writing, let's talk about the story. This is, hands down, one of the best and most intricate tales Sonic Team has come up with. The multiple endings may make you scream, "ONOES PLOTHOLES!!!", but once you think another's opened up, a cutscene promptly fills it. (I mean, once you sort everything out concerning the timeline of events in SA2's story and this one, which is easy, the only plothole that's even left is why the hell the moon isn't blown in half in this game like it should be — I guess we'll just have to ignore it.) Good stuff.
Speaking of the FMVs, these are the BEST in ANY Sonic game up to this point. The CG character models used have been extremely detailed, from Shadow's chest fur and the wear on his shoes to the fading of Amy's dress and the stitching on everyone's gloves. Heck, Espio actually looks like he has scales. A pity there aren't as many CG cutscenes as you'd think.
Simply put, it'd be wise keep an open mind and a high dose of patience and persistence when playing Shadow the Hedgehog. For those that do, you'll find the second best Sonic game of 2005. I say second best because of the presence of Sonic Rush, but that's a different game. Shadow the Hedgehog gets more interesting towards the end. Most people we've seen that have played it quit near the beginning.
This game is, without a doubt, my 2nd favorite 3D Sonic game of all time, and a fine end to the Dreamcast Era.
GAMER'S PERSPECTIVE:
Replay Value? Heh. Well, there's unlockable weapons and music, 10 endings (with 326 ways to get to 'em), the return of the ranking system, the Last Story, and even multiplayer, which is ok. I'd say you'll be playing this for a while.
Graphics? As I said earlier, the FMVs are the best they've done. The in-game graphics...well, they pale in comparison, to be honest (since this is still the Heroes engine), but they get the job done. The darker atmosphere gives this particular game a more down-to-earth feel. A slight step up from Sonic Heroes, but not by much. And, *argh* there's still clipping! It was acceptable in Sonic Adventure, a minor gripe in Adventure 2 and embarrassing in Heroes. Here's a plus, though (to me anyway): the human guns Shadow uses spew out casings. A nice touch, I'd say.
Music & Sound Effects? Once again, Jun Senoue was in charge of the levels' music while the game's 5 themes were done by different bands. "Almost Dead," the song for the Pure Dark route, was done by Powerman 5000. That being the case, it's the most sinister track on here.
Julien-K returns with "Waking Up", a song for Shadow's Normal routes. It's not the best this time around, but it's solid. The most depressing track is "Chosen One": a slow rock song done by Mona Lisa Overdrive for the Normal Hero route. Play through it and you'll see why.
Unfortunately, for every group of great songs in a Sonic game (or any album for that matter), there's one that tries, but slightly misses the mark. SA2 had their versions of Sonic and Tails' themes, and Heroes had "We Can." For Shadow, it's "All Hail Shadow," the Pure Hero route theme performed by Magna-Fi. The title alone should be enough of a hint. Mind you, it's not "We Can" bad, but it's not really SA "It Doesn't Matter," either.
An up-and-coming band known as the Remix Factory (3 guesses why they're called that) were called upon to redo Eggman's SA2 theme. The head honcho, known as LB, is a hardcore Sonic fan like the rest of us. It shows, because this remix blows the original away.
And, as per usual, Crush 40 had the honors of composing the game's main themes, "I Am...All of Me" and "Never Turn Back" (the former used for the Last Boss and the latter for the final credits). Both sound awesome.
Now, about the sound effects... hmm. Well, rings sound like rings, explosions sound...explody and the guns and other weapons all make the right sounds. There's only one major (or minor depending on your tolerance level) gripe I have with the audio: Shadow and the boys (not counting the kids, thank goodness) say damn WAY too much. I know you're trying to make the game more mature, Sonic Team, but that's just trying too hard. You don't have to make it that obvious.
Storyline? A return to the Adventure scripting and storytelling is always fine by me. Rules were broken, truths were revealed, sides were taken, but most importantly...plotholes were filled. Well, some of them, anyway. There's still quite a bit left up in the air, to be honest.
OVERALL RATING? I give Shadow the Hedgehog an
Other Names (Nicknames): Shadow, "The Worst Sonic Game"
Release Dates:
November 15th, 2005 - USA
November 18th, 2005 - Europe
December 15th, 2005 - Japan
Quality: 128-Bit, 3D Platformer
Game System(s): Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox.
Also released on: PlayStation Network (Asia)
Developer(s): Sonic Team USA
Publisher(s): SEGA
Credits: See Sonic News Network.
Character Introductions: Black Doom, the Black Arms and the GUN Commander.
Region Game Takes Place On: Various areas in Sonic's world.
Concept Introductions:
Whereas Sonic Heroes tried to copy the look and feel of the Sonic games of yore, Shadow the Hedgehog attempts to break away from it in nearly every way possible.
First of all, there's a variety of weapons ready and waiting to be used by you…should you choose to 'em. Let me repeat myself: You don't always have to use the weapons. You can just ditch them at any point. They range from standard pistols, SMGs (Semi-Machine Guns) and alien blasters to swords, bazookas and even lock-on missile launchers. By picking up more of the same weapon, its endurance or ammo count is raised by another weapon's worth of ammo. How well they are used really depends on the user. It's not that hard to aim at the right target when shooting. You basically just need to think ahead before planning your assault.
Secondly, you can ride stuff. The vehicles available are convertibles (o_O), the Black Arms' Air Saucers (mainly used to hover above hazardous ground and dealing minimal damage to enemies if need be), mini walkers (with or without ammo; think Tails' Cyclone only smaller and optional), Black Hawk/Volts (the Volts can shoot; not really vehicles, but can be ridden, so they count), jeeps (debris and crap in the way? No problem!), and the infamous motorcycles (poorly rendered, but still fun to ride). Like the weapons, these aren't needed and only show up occasionally depending on the zone.
Additionally, a gameplay element that hasn't been present since Sonic Blast (UGH) finally makes its comeback in Shadow the Hedgehog, a rather unexpected event if I do say so myself. In this game, you don't lose all of your rings when you get hit, but instead 10 at a time, boosting up your vitality in this game. I'd consider it necessary with how often you're relentlessly bombarded and shot at.
Last, but not least, I'm sure some of you are wondering about the red and blue bars at the top of the screen. Well, they more or less represent Shadow's psyche. The red one (on the left) is Shadow's Dark Gauge. When it fills (by doing evil things like killing humans and causing property damage), Dark Shadow is awakened and the destructive attack, Chaos Blast, can be used. The blue one (on the right) is his Hero Gauge. When that fills (by doing good things like killing the Black Arms, putting out fires, and healing GUN soldiers), Hero Shadow is awakened. With that, Chaos Control is available, letting you warp great distances and wreck everything in your path. Getting both at the same time isn't possible.
Concept Deductions: Checkpoint markers (now called Save Points) look more like green teleporters. Which makes sense, since you're now allowed to teleport to any others you've touched. Powerups return to their original, balloon-ish SA/SA2 form, yet a bit skinner and lying on their sides. The Fire Shield from Sonic 3 returns in the form of the Heat Barrier. This baby does damage to anything it touches; debris, enemies, etc. Sadly, like all barriers, this one is finito if you're attacked. Moreover, it seems to have replaced the High Speed Shoes, since they're absent. Invincibility is here and, in a surprising and very much welcome change, has gone back to the sparkly stars used in the old games. It's a pity this didn't stick past this game (until Generations, anyway), since it's one of the few things I genuinely miss from the Classic Era.
Rouge has gone back to her old getup, but has had a voice change. For that matter, so has everyone else. The entire cast (even the supporting characters) is voiced by the VA team at 4Kids Productions, and would be until 2010. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you.
Main Framework: The game has an appropriately haphazard structure, but is still possible to get through.
Storyline:
Two weeks after Metal Sonic's failed coup, Shadow is still troubled about his lack of memories. He has gained one, though. Unfortunately, it's brief glimpses of Maria's death, though he doesn't know it's her. One day, as Shadow was pondering all this, the sky darkened with a red shade and out came an army of red and black aliens who quickly begin to smash the living crap out of everything. The Black Arms have landed on Earth, in retribution for Dr. Eggman's recent invasion of their digs. Poetic justice, I suppose. Either way, Shadow could care less, and walks off. Before he does, though, his name is called by a sinister voice. He turns around to see an ugly looking eye projecting the image of the aliens' apparent leader, Black Doom. The ruthless ET wastes no time giving our (anti)hero a message:
"As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised."
Naturally, Shadow doesn't know what the hell this jerk's talking about or how he knows who Shadow is. Black Doom doesn't explain, though. As he leaves, Shadow is left with even more questions: Who was that guy? And how does he know Shadow? He does, however, deduce one thing: the Chaos Emeralds are the only way the Black Blur's getting any answers. That being the case, Shadow the Hedgehog begins his most important journey ever.
Personal Criticism/Opinion (by Ryan the Game Master):
Shadow the Hedgehog is considered one of the lowest points in the Sonic series for many reasons, from its dark tone to the use of the Heroes engine to, well, anything and everything else, really. I, for one, am glad that a dark tone was used in this series for once, as it was a refreshing change up to the sparkly, cartoony feel that we had been used to up to this point. Life isn't always happy-go-lucky, damn it.
I found the gameplay in this game to be easy to work with, once you got the hang of it. The wide variety of weapons (as well as the targets to use 'em on) keeps the action flowing, plus there's a bit of strategy involved since each weapon handles slightly differently. There's also plenty of the standard Sonic fare: loops, ramps and a buttload of speed (provided you don't run into anything). The level design is certainly darker and more jumbled than what we're used to (except for Circus Park and some others), but, then again, so is the rest of this game.
A big reason the Sonic X cast is hated on so much is because of 4Kids' crappy script writing. Thankfully, Sonic Team's writers were in charge of this, so the cast actually sounds believable (with no lame puns, one-liners or bad jokes in sight). But even then, if they want to target an older audience, they need to start getting a better and more practical script.
While we're on the subject of writing, let's talk about the story. This is, hands down, one of the best and most intricate tales Sonic Team has come up with. The multiple endings may make you scream, "ONOES PLOTHOLES!!!", but once you think another's opened up, a cutscene promptly fills it. (I mean, once you sort everything out concerning the timeline of events in SA2's story and this one, which is easy, the only plothole that's even left is why the hell the moon isn't blown in half in this game like it should be — I guess we'll just have to ignore it.) Good stuff.
Speaking of the FMVs, these are the BEST in ANY Sonic game up to this point. The CG character models used have been extremely detailed, from Shadow's chest fur and the wear on his shoes to the fading of Amy's dress and the stitching on everyone's gloves. Heck, Espio actually looks like he has scales. A pity there aren't as many CG cutscenes as you'd think.
Simply put, it'd be wise keep an open mind and a high dose of patience and persistence when playing Shadow the Hedgehog. For those that do, you'll find the second best Sonic game of 2005. I say second best because of the presence of Sonic Rush, but that's a different game. Shadow the Hedgehog gets more interesting towards the end. Most people we've seen that have played it quit near the beginning.
This game is, without a doubt, my 2nd favorite 3D Sonic game of all time, and a fine end to the Dreamcast Era.
GAMER'S PERSPECTIVE:
Replay Value? Heh. Well, there's unlockable weapons and music, 10 endings (with 326 ways to get to 'em), the return of the ranking system, the Last Story, and even multiplayer, which is ok. I'd say you'll be playing this for a while.
Graphics? As I said earlier, the FMVs are the best they've done. The in-game graphics...well, they pale in comparison, to be honest (since this is still the Heroes engine), but they get the job done. The darker atmosphere gives this particular game a more down-to-earth feel. A slight step up from Sonic Heroes, but not by much. And, *argh* there's still clipping! It was acceptable in Sonic Adventure, a minor gripe in Adventure 2 and embarrassing in Heroes. Here's a plus, though (to me anyway): the human guns Shadow uses spew out casings. A nice touch, I'd say.
Music & Sound Effects? Once again, Jun Senoue was in charge of the levels' music while the game's 5 themes were done by different bands. "Almost Dead," the song for the Pure Dark route, was done by Powerman 5000. That being the case, it's the most sinister track on here.
Julien-K returns with "Waking Up", a song for Shadow's Normal routes. It's not the best this time around, but it's solid. The most depressing track is "Chosen One": a slow rock song done by Mona Lisa Overdrive for the Normal Hero route. Play through it and you'll see why.
Unfortunately, for every group of great songs in a Sonic game (or any album for that matter), there's one that tries, but slightly misses the mark. SA2 had their versions of Sonic and Tails' themes, and Heroes had "We Can." For Shadow, it's "All Hail Shadow," the Pure Hero route theme performed by Magna-Fi. The title alone should be enough of a hint. Mind you, it's not "We Can" bad, but it's not really SA "It Doesn't Matter," either.
An up-and-coming band known as the Remix Factory (3 guesses why they're called that) were called upon to redo Eggman's SA2 theme. The head honcho, known as LB, is a hardcore Sonic fan like the rest of us. It shows, because this remix blows the original away.
And, as per usual, Crush 40 had the honors of composing the game's main themes, "I Am...All of Me" and "Never Turn Back" (the former used for the Last Boss and the latter for the final credits). Both sound awesome.
Now, about the sound effects... hmm. Well, rings sound like rings, explosions sound...explody and the guns and other weapons all make the right sounds. There's only one major (or minor depending on your tolerance level) gripe I have with the audio: Shadow and the boys (not counting the kids, thank goodness) say damn WAY too much. I know you're trying to make the game more mature, Sonic Team, but that's just trying too hard. You don't have to make it that obvious.
Storyline? A return to the Adventure scripting and storytelling is always fine by me. Rules were broken, truths were revealed, sides were taken, but most importantly...plotholes were filled. Well, some of them, anyway. There's still quite a bit left up in the air, to be honest.
OVERALL RATING? I give Shadow the Hedgehog an