What this game was able to achieve is INSANE. The first time since OG gens where everyone universally likes a sonic game, casuals and hardcore fans!! This is what the franchise needs and they need to continue this momentum with the next game and future!! AHHH
Fun fact about the cutscenes Fadel. If you look at the way the characters move, you can tell they're using Motion capture for them and then using regular animation for the fingers, hands, eyes, mouths, quills, and just touching up a little bit of the movements all together. That's why the cutscenes look so good.
motion capturing for these cartoon characters works strangely well lol, would love to see more natural movement in later games (not sonic 06 level though, as funny as that was)
It’s so cool how everybody is collectively agreeing that Shadow Gens is peak. I haven’t seen this many people saying a Sonic game is genuinely peak with little flaws. I’m very excited for a Frontiers 2 now considering what they cooked up for with Shadow Gens. We ain’t taking steps in the right direction anymore we ARE at the destination
Never before have I seen such a divided fandom all collectively come together, just to celebrate a release like this. Well done Sega, you have brought us all back
Ehhh there's still people out there that are complaining, such as people who just want an entire different type of game as well as those who dislike the writing and/or actively look for negatives on it just because Ian Flynn was credited. But it really is an achievement for such a majority of the fanbase to enjoy this.
Story wise, big fan of this putting shadows past to rest, in a sense Yeah the pains still there, but with an actual proper goodbye to maria, shadow can finally address and let go of his past, and focus more on the future A detail i noticed while watching this, you pointed out how naturally confident shadow is in this, but theres one key moment where that confidence breaks It's the goodbye scene Shadow, upon seeing them begin to return to their time, panics, and tries to stop rouge to get the emerald, only for maria to stop him, while he openly expresses concern and fear for them, before maria reassures him Thats such a crucial detail emotionally speaking, the mask of confidence breaking when it came to maria and geralds safety being put in jeopardy, and maria having to calm him back down immediately with reassuring words before sending him off to his friends Yeah, shadow acts confident, but hes not invincible, and that moment just makes him an even better character in so many ways
One of my favorite abilities mechanically is absolutely Chaos Spear/Doom Spear. The fact you need to use Chaos Spears for many instances. Be it things like hitting switches that do various effects (opening doors, creating springs, platforms, lowering pullies, etc. Using it for level progression stuff), destroy Black Arm enemy barriers so you can attack them, making various enemies that have protective spikes or lightning around them safe to attack via stunning them, destroying other enemy projectiles, and killing the blue alien enemies, activating spring boards, on top of more... You use it for so much and it's great. I especially like that there are enemies you HAVE to chaos spear first or otherwise you get smoked, it makes homing attack chains far less mindless because you need to pay attention if an enemy has an active hitbox on them or not, and react accordingly with Chaos Spear. This single move adds a lot of depth to the gameplay and it's SO cool. And of course, the new spear vaulting tech to keep your air momentum up is just icing on the cake lol.
35:00 - as for future of Shadow dude, Shadow Frontiers would be sick, and if not that, S.T.H.2. Perhaps Black Comet level in SXSG 🤔. Absolutely a Shadow spin-off series, specifically something by Giggex 🤤 Feel like Super Shadow needs to make a reappearance at this point too - SEGA, please… MAKE IT HAPPEN! 🥹🙏🏻 Dude, brilliant review, thank you for taking the time to do this!! 💪🏻 ✨
I love just how cinematic this game is especially the level transition, I also heard this development team is the same one working in frontiers 2 if that’s true we eating realllll good
The way you love Sunset heights is the same way I love Radical Highway Act 2. The way they practically made 2 levels in one, all the shortcuts you can take, the amount of risky jumps you have to take doing the level without the wings, it makes you feel so cool S ranking it, I love that level so much. EDIT: oh! And the music!!! It’s so sick listening to the remix doing act 2. I love it so much man
It feels nothing like a fangame it feels like an official well made one. No Sonic fangame feels as good as this does, please stop capping and calling everything official that's good "feels like a fangame."
Levels, gameplay, music, story, everything was on point with Shadow Gens. The new lore we got with this game from the story, and especially from Gerald's notebook was so good and interesting. We finally got to see Shadow's relationship with Maria and Gerald really fleshed out to the point where we genuinely care about these characters. One of the craziest lore bits was the fact that Mephiles still technically exists, he's just trapped outside of the timeline unable to interfere with it. And that he's essentially trying to use the Time Eater as a way to come back was such good writing. That line during his boss fight "I want...to exist!" just hit so hard! All of Shadow's interactions with Black Doom were so good in showing their dynamic. The boss fights are peak, to where we have the spectacle from Frontiers combined with the traditional gameplay of previous games and it meshes so well. Devil Doom and by extension Neo Devil Doom is one of the rawest final boss fights in a Sonic game and just hit all the right spots. 10/10 game, easily up there as a top Sonic game. Can't wait to see what Sonic Team cooks up with the next mainline game.
@@stanzacosmi Is it really tho? The official sonic youtube channel has a video called "Generations of Stages" and it directly compares Space Colony Ark act 1 with Final Chase from Adventure 2. Not to mention the music for the stage is a remixed Final Rush
The cohesive, multilayered, lengthy and intentional Shadow Gens Open & linear Zone platforming designs, the incentive to explore for optional collectibles and not just story progression tokens inside BOTH the linear & open zones, the ability to change stage BGM, optional replayable challenges with rankings, extra missions within the linear stages that encourage exploring every nook & cranny like the extra SA2 missions, secret stages, secret bosses, Champion Road style post game content, Frontier’s open zone combat with some more DMC character action like sauce & polish on it, freely switchable characters in the Open zone, a bunch of minigames to play at your own leisure are everything I want in a Sonic game.
This game is like exactly what sonic should be to me. Like this is the sonic i imagined in my head as a kid, and with this game selling 1 million copies on the FIRST DAY of it being out i cannot wait to see what kind of things they'll be allowed to do with the next mainline sonic game. Sunset heights is my favourite level and seeing that type of quality in a game with the same kind of theming as forces but. better. would be my ideal sonic game. bring infinite back and make him actually threatening with the same fuckery black doom has in the levels and itll be fire
Yeah, this game was a blast! I loved the story and Cinematics presented in both the cutscenes and during the levels. I am sad there is no level from Shadow's own game because having the final level be in the Black Comet would be awesome but Radical Highway was fun already too. I can't wait for the Movie level and hearing Keanu Reeves voice movie Shadow, hoping for more dlcs.
14:00 here's the thing: they WERE showing the 2d levels. They were showing them all over the place. Thing was we just didn't realize because they finally realized how important dynamic camera angles are to 2d levels. There was basically none in frontiers or forces or pretty much any games after og gens, but the 2d camera angles in this game were all so good we just assumed they were 3d levels until release
Definitely the best sonic game, its moves and controls and reacts better than any other sonic game and has amazing visuals, story, peak level design, peak gameplay, peak sonic
I thought the story in Shadow Generations was incredible. It really showed why Shadow is an amazing character, I love how Maria and Gerald are fleshed out too. It makes the events of Sonic Adventure 2 feel even more tragic, Shadow Generations is definitely darker than the typical Sonic game due to the main theme being trauma, it may be the most thematically mature in my opinion besides Shadow 05. Someone facing their past full of pain and misfortune is never a light-hearted experience, but for Shadow it's an actual challenge for him. I've been wanting to see Shadow's character and personality being strained and put to the test, they went about it in a way that is satisfying.
Dude this game still has me in shock. This is like my dream game for Shadow. It’s everything I wanted and more. Literally a dream come true. Best Sonic game in the whole franchise AND game of the year, change my mind They cooked, we are so back man
The dynamic of Team Dark is really well done. They're not exactly "friends" in the traditional way, but you get the sense they trust and understand each other on a deep level, even if they keep things professional.
This game is everything I wanted, they really did everything right here and it makes me so happy. From the beautiful scenery, banger music, emotional story, and CHAOS SPEAR BACK FINALLY FROM 06, I had people message me saying they thought this game was literally made for me. With that said, it actually captures my entire grad thesis comic about grief and saying goodbye to dead loved ones, like I was NOT expecting to predict that premise for a dang shool final 😵 Either way, easily favorite game, my boy Mephiles comes back, games got me tearing up regularly 🫣 now I just need Sega to know we all need more dlc! Gimmie a shadow 05 stage or a lancelot shadow dlc 🙌
I love Chaos Spear in this game! Project 06 opened my eyes to how powerful and fun it can be in combat and Shadow Gens demonstrates how it can be used as a reaction check in platforming, as well as now the air speed retention tech being used in speedruns. Underrated move
Something that I realized that, ive never seen anyone else either realize or talk about is the fact that this game along with frontiers is a test. Specifically for the “third generation of sonic games” that they call it. They’re testing what works and what they can get away with. So teasers basically. And you can see that with the decisions they’ve already made. It’s clear they’re probing and testing for the real thing. Frontiers was a “bridge” or transition game going from their old formula to this new experimental one, tying up loose ends in gameplay and story. Shadow gens is no different, taking a guess id consider this a teaser, or a demo for what they clearly wanna do. Which is something akin to another adventure game. To me at least, its kinda obvious considering the perfect conditions they purposely set up. Sonic team aint slick 💀
They showed us that they can a very good job at making levels mostly in 3D but also in 2D and i hope that the next games follow this type of multipaths and replayability cuz radical highway and kingdom valley act 1 had so many alt paths that i never saw in my 1st play. THEY COOKED
We can all agree that this is the best year for Sonic in a long time with how massive of a success this is. It’s amazing to see Sonic x Shadow Generations getting loved by everyone, critics and fans alike, getting scores from 8/10+, and already selling a million copies. And you know what’s crazy? We still have Sonic Movie 3 to look forward to in 2 months and if Shadow Generations’ story was as peak as it was, then holy crap will Movie 3 be peak x20. The producers even said that Movie 3 will be the one to watch. It’s great to be a Sonic fan and I just can’t wait to see the future of this franchise. ALL HAIL SHADOW!!!
Chaos Control is the greatest ability I've used in a platformer I think, the way the levels are built around it, the paths it opens up, the time saves you can get from it are just so fun to use and really keep you thinking and reacting in levels. Seeing the things speedrunners are doing with it, Chaos Spear and Doom Blast is really exciting! Music-wise I'm still feeling things out, but right now Rail Canyon Act 2 (the Bullet Station remix) is my favorite to listen to, the lowkey start may put off some, but it builds into something so special by the end of the loop and I love the funkier techno take on it since you're just not gonna out-rock the OG. In-game though, Radical Highway Act 2 and both Chaos Island acts really get me pumped for their levels. I understand the dubstep element of Chaos Island act 1 is divisive, but I find it fits with all the purple goop and Doom Morph well and the drum and bass + piano in the song work together to make it really beautiful and upbeat! Could not be much happier with Shadow Generations, I found the length appropriate as a companion piece to Sonic Gens since both took about the same time to beat, but would have liked 1 more level and boss ideally. It stands as what I think is the best Sonic game right now as a whole, and gives me so much hope for the next open zone game with what was done with White Space. The increase in quality all around really showed!
Just got the PS5 platinum trophy last night and I'm going straight into the PS4 version to beat my completion time. Usually, I would wait a bit before playing another edition of a game to let it simmer a bit but for SXS Gens, not a chance I want straight back in and to get both platinums back to back. What a banger of a game.
SHADOW GENERATIONS IS EASILY A TOP 5 SONIC STORY OF ALL TIME. I'll put it at #4 for now so in front of it is Unleashed, Black Knight, and Adventure 2. I love the little moments like the connections to 06. Big and Froggy going to Soleanna and meeting Princess Elise. The mention of how 2 people using Chaos Control can cause time travel. Mephiles' dialogue being so so so good, and even the 06 section in Shadow's history. It really makes me want a remake of that game but done right because that story isn't perfect and needs to be reworked imo. Speaking of remakes, this game is literally the perfect foundation for a Shadow 05 retelling. Keep the Generations/Frontiers gameplay style, rework the story to make more sense, get rid of all the nonsense, and you have a perfect retelling of Shadow regaining his memories after the events of Sonic Adventure 2 and Heroes.
Genuinely my only problem for Shadow gens is that I can’t play more! In retrospective, this is the standard I want for sonic games going forward. I don’t care how long or short the game is just have a polished, very minimal jank game with great stages, story and difficulty I really do think Shadow Generations delivers on all those fronts I really hope that from here on out, we’re able to make that one way dream become a reality!
I'm still cruising through the Sonic half of it, but the amount of hype the Shadow half has gotten definitely tells me I've got something to look forward to.
Why am I crying even at the mention Shadow smiling and all those emotional beats… 😭 cmon man. Shadow needs some love. I hope he is able to smile again in future games.
Bro, somehow managed to get through the final boss, without taking any hits (though no less than 50 attempts 🤣🤦🏻♂), while hearing 'Break Through It All' as the background music 🤣🤘🏻. S rank! This game make a man feel POWERFUL! 💪🏻 😤 💪🏻
Yeah Shadow Gens is definitely my favorite Sonic game of all time now. The levels are super fun, the Doom Powers are awesome, and the atmosphere and soundtrack are, in my opinion at least, GOD tier.
Completely agree with everything you said here, everytime I’ve played this game has just been the most fun I’ve ever had with Sonic gameplay. They steamed, they boiled, they cooked.
I'm praying for some post-launch support aside from the movie collaboration. Perhaps not on the same scale as frontiers' but please! Maybe harder version of already existing the stages or, who knows, some new ones from "Shadow the Hedgehog (05)"... Also, where is photo mode?!😅
The rawest thing I've seen in Shadow Generations besides Devil Doom is freaking METAL OVERLORD parrying your chaos control with his own chaos control, it made Metal Sonic seem like a true threat once again! 👀
Truly we all must be grateful that the Sonic series has been able to reach this position. I feel like Shadow Generations is just the beginning. ! Even if SEGA were cowards and despite all the blatant teasing in Dark Beginnings they did not give Shadow what he deserved xD!
I like how when he shows the fake emerald to Rouge, and it replays from before "even I can't tell which one is real". Like Shadow wasn't 100% sure which one was the fake emerald.
All the levels in the game are peak bost levels. That fact that we have sonic generations with this amazing game is crazy. We got the 2 best boost games in one package. I can't wait for the next game.
PEAK GAME, PEAK OST, PEAK LEVELS, PEAK EMOTIONAL STORY PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK AND MORE PEAK 10/10 GAME IMO (btw The Switch Port is AMAZING 😭🙏🏻)
Only problem I think I had with the game was that it was too enjoyable to be as short as it was! I really hope we get more playable characters because it feels like SEGA was trying out shadow to see if people like it and the answer is a clear YES. Great reveiw Fadel!
Sonic has been cooking lately and I'm all for it. Sega has gone back to this series being cool and edgy and it fits so perfectly. Also I like Omega talking about how he's programmed not to trust anyone, but he kinda breaks that programming when it comes to shadow and rouge, because they allow him to go on rampages lol
Overall even tho I do think there was some missed opportunity with the story and lore and what characters could have shown up in the open zone, and even tho I do wish it was a bit longer. This was amazing, so much love went into the level desgin and animations and bosses. The interactions with shadow and characters was really sweet and the open area was really neat and there’s plenty to collect. Plus it looks so beautiful and the soundtrack is fantastic. So happy shadow got his time to shine after all these years and like the rest of the series, they want to get back on what made people love this series. ❤️🖤
My main gripe with it is that the potential for a 'Shadow Generations' was just not met. It came REALLY damn close to being everything I could have wanted. Im greatful it exists dont get me wrong because a year ago I would have said this would never exist. Shadow Generations as a concept had the potential to be a full stand alone game in itself. It really shows when there is a complete lack of a Shadow 05 level. I get that the Ark includes elements from the Shadow 05 levels but its clearly more SA2 inspired. It feels bad to me because why the hell is Chaos Island here? It feels really out of place and it doesn't feel right to me. It feels like Chaos Island was thrown in purely because they needed another level and none of Shadow 05 levels have HD assets they can pull from to make a level quickly. The lack of Westopolis or Black Comet levels is really felt. In a perfect world i would have gone Space Colony Ark Radical Highway Rail Canyon Westopolis Black Comet Kingdom Valley Sunset Heights Idk. Theres so much that could have been done. But realistically speaking. What we got was fantastic and Devil Doom with the All Hail Shadow segment was peak! A lil disappointed we didnt get I Am All of Me anywhere in the game though
I reminded about the Sonic frontiers 2 leak and what it could be like and when looking at how shadow gens works, I am really looking forward to how frontiers 2 gonna work
Fadel you cooked with this video!! What a fantastic review, and I honestly could have not said it better. You touched all the points that needed to be spoken about, and I absolutely agree with it all. Especially, with the comment about Sonic Unleashed. EXACTLY. I still can't believe SXSG is a real game and is truly a testament to how perfect this game is. I thought Frontiers was the pinnacle of what we were going to get and then they turned around and gave us Shadow Gens. This set the bar even higher, because it truly proved that they have it in them to make a game of this quality. There are games that I love but there are games that I love that absolutely captivate me. This one is one of them. There are so many of my beloved games that I clock onto and then don't play again for a very long time then I jump back in. I'm very bad at sticking to one game/completing a game/focusing on a game but this one is completely different. This is a rarity for me. Ever since the digi deluxe release I have consistently clocked onto SXSG. I have 15 hrs 30 mins just on Shadow Gens and a total of 26.1hrs on steam itself. Mind you I haven't even gotten to Metal Overlord yet. I'm taking my sweet time 100%ing Shadow Gens, as I play the story. I'm gathering all the collectables (70%+ so far), playing levels over and over to get my best times, and I even have 71/80 of the forbidden parts. I can play Space Colony Ark, Kingdom Valley, and Sunset Heights for hours which I have already done. THEN EVEN AFTER I complete the story there's still Doom Wing levels and other trials to complete. It brings me so much joy to think about. I can't say I have played a game that has captivated me the way Shadow Gens has since I was a kid with Sonic Unleashed. It's so funny also knowing that the version of Sonic Unleashed I played wasn't even the best version, as it was the Wii version. The future for Sonic games is an extremely bright one, and it really can only get higher from here as long as Frontiers 2 follows the same formula/quality of Shadow Gens. The writing, gameplay, cinematics, music, graphics, etc. They nailed it and it's unbelievable how far we have come. We yearned for something just like this and here we are 🥺I love Shadow so much, and I waited for the day he got his moment again since Shadow 05. I highly consider Shadow Gens to be a Shadow the Hedgehog 2, and it's a dream I always dreamt of. I hope we see him a lot more from now on, because The Year of Shadow has truly been a dream come true for me 💜
I wish we got to play the Shadow vs Sonic boss fight instead of a cutscene only. Just reskin the fight, it's fine, why dangle it in front of our faces, just to taunt us with it?
We will never understand the mind of Fadel. We can only observe.
Heueeueyeueye
What this game was able to achieve is INSANE. The first time since OG gens where everyone universally likes a sonic game, casuals and hardcore fans!! This is what the franchise needs and they need to continue this momentum with the next game and future!! AHHH
Its crazy how Big is the most consistent character and i love him for that. If you say “Big wtf are you doing here” then they’re using him correctly.
I wish they added him in the background of one of the stages in Sonic Generations, cuz big has canonically seen Sonic there
Fun fact about the cutscenes Fadel.
If you look at the way the characters move, you can tell they're using Motion capture for them and then using regular animation for the fingers, hands, eyes, mouths, quills, and just touching up a little bit of the movements all together. That's why the cutscenes look so good.
motion capturing for these cartoon characters works strangely well lol, would love to see more natural movement in later games (not sonic 06 level though, as funny as that was)
It’s so cool how everybody is collectively agreeing that Shadow Gens is peak. I haven’t seen this many people saying a Sonic game is genuinely peak with little flaws. I’m very excited for a Frontiers 2 now considering what they cooked up for with Shadow Gens. We ain’t taking steps in the right direction anymore we ARE at the destination
AGREEEED
Never before have I seen such a divided fandom all collectively come together, just to celebrate a release like this.
Well done Sega, you have brought us all back
:’)
Ehhh there's still people out there that are complaining, such as people who just want an entire different type of game as well as those who dislike the writing and/or actively look for negatives on it just because Ian Flynn was credited. But it really is an achievement for such a majority of the fanbase to enjoy this.
Unless your name is Unleash
@@orca717who tf names their child that
Story wise, big fan of this putting shadows past to rest, in a sense
Yeah the pains still there, but with an actual proper goodbye to maria, shadow can finally address and let go of his past, and focus more on the future
A detail i noticed while watching this, you pointed out how naturally confident shadow is in this, but theres one key moment where that confidence breaks
It's the goodbye scene
Shadow, upon seeing them begin to return to their time, panics, and tries to stop rouge to get the emerald, only for maria to stop him, while he openly expresses concern and fear for them, before maria reassures him
Thats such a crucial detail emotionally speaking, the mask of confidence breaking when it came to maria and geralds safety being put in jeopardy, and maria having to calm him back down immediately with reassuring words before sending him off to his friends
Yeah, shadow acts confident, but hes not invincible, and that moment just makes him an even better character in so many ways
This game is not a step in the right direction…..it just IS the right direction 🤩
EXACTLY
One of my favorite abilities mechanically is absolutely Chaos Spear/Doom Spear. The fact you need to use Chaos Spears for many instances. Be it things like hitting switches that do various effects (opening doors, creating springs, platforms, lowering pullies, etc. Using it for level progression stuff), destroy Black Arm enemy barriers so you can attack them, making various enemies that have protective spikes or lightning around them safe to attack via stunning them, destroying other enemy projectiles, and killing the blue alien enemies, activating spring boards, on top of more... You use it for so much and it's great.
I especially like that there are enemies you HAVE to chaos spear first or otherwise you get smoked, it makes homing attack chains far less mindless because you need to pay attention if an enemy has an active hitbox on them or not, and react accordingly with Chaos Spear. This single move adds a lot of depth to the gameplay and it's SO cool.
And of course, the new spear vaulting tech to keep your air momentum up is just icing on the cake lol.
35:00 - as for future of Shadow dude, Shadow Frontiers would be sick, and if not that, S.T.H.2. Perhaps Black Comet level in SXSG 🤔. Absolutely a Shadow spin-off series, specifically something by Giggex 🤤 Feel like Super Shadow needs to make a reappearance at this point too - SEGA, please… MAKE IT HAPPEN! 🥹🙏🏻
Dude, brilliant review, thank you for taking the time to do this!! 💪🏻 ✨
Hell yea
I love just how cinematic this game is especially the level transition, I also heard this development team is the same one working in frontiers 2 if that’s true we eating realllll good
The way you love Sunset heights is the same way I love Radical Highway Act 2. The way they practically made 2 levels in one, all the shortcuts you can take, the amount of risky jumps you have to take doing the level without the wings, it makes you feel so cool S ranking it, I love that level so much.
EDIT: oh! And the music!!! It’s so sick listening to the remix doing act 2. I love it so much man
Yea I gotta play it more LOL
This is one of those games once you beat you feel a hole. All timer.
:’)
Shadow generations did the impossible
*IT UNITED THE SONIC FANBASE*
YEP
They killed almost every aspect of Shadow gens, my only issue is that it was TOO SHORT
Frontiers 2 might actually destroy us LOL
Yea LMAOO
shadow gens level design feels like i’m playing a fan game and thats one of the best compliments i can give
ITS UNREAL
It feels nothing like a fangame it feels like an official well made one. No Sonic fangame feels as good as this does, please stop capping and calling everything official that's good "feels like a fangame."
@@Crump-I6xchill man lol there are PLENTY of great Sonic fan games out there. Let’s just be happy that Shadow Gens is AWESOME.
Sunset Heights is the best boost stage they made since Rooftop Run.
Levels, gameplay, music, story, everything was on point with Shadow Gens. The new lore we got with this game from the story, and especially from Gerald's notebook was so good and interesting. We finally got to see Shadow's relationship with Maria and Gerald really fleshed out to the point where we genuinely care about these characters. One of the craziest lore bits was the fact that Mephiles still technically exists, he's just trapped outside of the timeline unable to interfere with it. And that he's essentially trying to use the Time Eater as a way to come back was such good writing. That line during his boss fight "I want...to exist!" just hit so hard! All of Shadow's interactions with Black Doom were so good in showing their dynamic. The boss fights are peak, to where we have the spectacle from Frontiers combined with the traditional gameplay of previous games and it meshes so well. Devil Doom and by extension Neo Devil Doom is one of the rawest final boss fights in a Sonic game and just hit all the right spots. 10/10 game, easily up there as a top Sonic game. Can't wait to see what Sonic Team cooks up with the next mainline game.
They did it so well man😭
My only major criticism is no Shadow 05 stage, just like sonic gens the game is just pure fun with no "buts" I feel
Yea I feel that LOL
space colony ark is based on the ark from shadow 05 primarily, with act 2 being based on final chase. Radical Highway is the sonic adventure 2 stage.
@@stanzacosmi Is it really tho? The official sonic youtube channel has a video called "Generations of Stages" and it directly compares Space Colony Ark act 1 with Final Chase from Adventure 2. Not to mention the music for the stage is a remixed Final Rush
Can't help but get the feeling that upcoming movie won't tell shadow's story quite so well?
The cohesive, multilayered, lengthy and intentional Shadow Gens Open & linear Zone platforming designs, the incentive to explore for optional collectibles and not just story progression tokens inside BOTH the linear & open zones, the ability to change stage BGM, optional replayable challenges with rankings, extra missions within the linear stages that encourage exploring every nook & cranny like the extra SA2 missions, secret stages, secret bosses, Champion Road style post game content, Frontier’s open zone combat with some more DMC character action like sauce & polish on it, freely switchable characters in the Open zone, a bunch of minigames to play at your own leisure are everything I want in a Sonic game.
THAT WOULD BE PEAAAK AAAGHH
Literally my only complaint is I wish shadow the hedgehog had a stage like sky troops or prison island. anything really.
AGREE
This game is like exactly what sonic should be to me. Like this is the sonic i imagined in my head as a kid, and with this game selling 1 million copies on the FIRST DAY of it being out i cannot wait to see what kind of things they'll be allowed to do with the next mainline sonic game. Sunset heights is my favourite level and seeing that type of quality in a game with the same kind of theming as forces but. better. would be my ideal sonic game. bring infinite back and make him actually threatening with the same fuckery black doom has in the levels and itll be fire
Yeah, this game was a blast! I loved the story and Cinematics presented in both the cutscenes and during the levels. I am sad there is no level from Shadow's own game because having the final level be in the Black Comet would be awesome but Radical Highway was fun already too. I can't wait for the Movie level and hearing Keanu Reeves voice movie Shadow, hoping for more dlcs.
SO GOOOD
I love how we got a deeper look into Maria's friendship and her relationship with Shadow, and suddently people aren't joking about her death.
Can’t ever do it :’)
watching your colony ark act 2 gameplay was everything i needed to decide buying this game. they finally nailed the level design.
YESSSS
14:00 here's the thing: they WERE showing the 2d levels. They were showing them all over the place. Thing was we just didn't realize because they finally realized how important dynamic camera angles are to 2d levels. There was basically none in frontiers or forces or pretty much any games after og gens, but the 2d camera angles in this game were all so good we just assumed they were 3d levels until release
Ur right LOOOL
Shadow generations just feels like were playing 2000’s Sonic games from levels to bosses
WE WON
Definitely the best sonic game, its moves and controls and reacts better than any other sonic game and has amazing visuals, story, peak level design, peak gameplay, peak sonic
I wanted more from this game. And considering i haven't felt something like that since Mania... that speaks volumes.
18:25 The year of Shadow is cancelled, we are going back to Sonic
FUCK
I thought the story in Shadow Generations was incredible. It really showed why Shadow is an amazing character, I love how Maria and Gerald are fleshed out too. It makes the events of Sonic Adventure 2 feel even more tragic, Shadow Generations is definitely darker than the typical Sonic game due to the main theme being trauma, it may be the most thematically mature in my opinion besides Shadow 05.
Someone facing their past full of pain and misfortune is never a light-hearted experience, but for Shadow it's an actual challenge for him. I've been wanting to see Shadow's character and personality being strained and put to the test, they went about it in a way that is satisfying.
Dude this game still has me in shock. This is like my dream game for Shadow. It’s everything I wanted and more. Literally a dream come true.
Best Sonic game in the whole franchise AND game of the year, change my mind
They cooked, we are so back man
Idk how they did it
The dynamic of Team Dark is really well done. They're not exactly "friends" in the traditional way, but you get the sense they trust and understand each other on a deep level, even if they keep things professional.
EXACTLY
I'm still recovering from the gallons I've lost man
Man
Dude are you bleeding?
@@biomseed sure
This game is absolute peak. No competition 🔥🔥🔥
Nah nah nah REWIND THAT INTRO WHATCWAS THAT
NAAAAAHHH
0:03 chat and the viewers can’t complain about that insane opening cuase they wanted you to watch tf1 so this on them 😂
This game is everything I wanted, they really did everything right here and it makes me so happy. From the beautiful scenery, banger music, emotional story, and CHAOS SPEAR BACK FINALLY FROM 06, I had people message me saying they thought this game was literally made for me. With that said, it actually captures my entire grad thesis comic about grief and saying goodbye to dead loved ones, like I was NOT expecting to predict that premise for a dang shool final 😵 Either way, easily favorite game, my boy Mephiles comes back, games got me tearing up regularly 🫣 now I just need Sega to know we all need more dlc! Gimmie a shadow 05 stage or a lancelot shadow dlc 🙌
I love Chaos Spear in this game! Project 06 opened my eyes to how powerful and fun it can be in combat and Shadow Gens demonstrates how it can be used as a reaction check in platforming, as well as now the air speed retention tech being used in speedruns. Underrated move
Something that I realized that, ive never seen anyone else either realize or talk about is the fact that this game along with frontiers is a test. Specifically for the “third generation of sonic games” that they call it. They’re testing what works and what they can get away with. So teasers basically. And you can see that with the decisions they’ve already made. It’s clear they’re probing and testing for the real thing. Frontiers was a “bridge” or transition game going from their old formula to this new experimental one, tying up loose ends in gameplay and story. Shadow gens is no different, taking a guess id consider this a teaser, or a demo for what they clearly wanna do. Which is something akin to another adventure game. To me at least, its kinda obvious considering the perfect conditions they purposely set up. Sonic team aint slick 💀
Gimme adventure NOW.
@@GamesCage its bound to happen bro! we just gotta wait
They showed us that they can a very good job at making levels mostly in 3D but also in 2D and i hope that the next games follow this type of multipaths and replayability cuz radical highway and kingdom valley act 1 had so many alt paths that i never saw in my 1st play. THEY COOKED
18:25 NOT YOU CALLING HIM SONIC! 😂
AGHH
all of the character dialog is so peak 🥹🙏
maria's kept making me pause every time she'd say stuff bout going back to earth or loving shads
Man😭😭
Ayo Fadel I know we're all gassed by Shadow Gens being peak and us finally being fucking back but that intro tho... What you mean by that??? 🤨
ERM
Rainy stages is a vibe
We can all agree that this is the best year for Sonic in a long time with how massive of a success this is. It’s amazing to see Sonic x Shadow Generations getting loved by everyone, critics and fans alike, getting scores from 8/10+, and already selling a million copies.
And you know what’s crazy? We still have Sonic Movie 3 to look forward to in 2 months and if Shadow Generations’ story was as peak as it was, then holy crap will Movie 3 be peak x20. The producers even said that Movie 3 will be the one to watch.
It’s great to be a Sonic fan and I just can’t wait to see the future of this franchise. ALL HAIL SHADOW!!!
Chaos Control is the greatest ability I've used in a platformer I think, the way the levels are built around it, the paths it opens up, the time saves you can get from it are just so fun to use and really keep you thinking and reacting in levels. Seeing the things speedrunners are doing with it, Chaos Spear and Doom Blast is really exciting!
Music-wise I'm still feeling things out, but right now Rail Canyon Act 2 (the Bullet Station remix) is my favorite to listen to, the lowkey start may put off some, but it builds into something so special by the end of the loop and I love the funkier techno take on it since you're just not gonna out-rock the OG. In-game though, Radical Highway Act 2 and both Chaos Island acts really get me pumped for their levels. I understand the dubstep element of Chaos Island act 1 is divisive, but I find it fits with all the purple goop and Doom Morph well and the drum and bass + piano in the song work together to make it really beautiful and upbeat!
Could not be much happier with Shadow Generations, I found the length appropriate as a companion piece to Sonic Gens since both took about the same time to beat, but would have liked 1 more level and boss ideally. It stands as what I think is the best Sonic game right now as a whole, and gives me so much hope for the next open zone game with what was done with White Space. The increase in quality all around really showed!
tangentially related but that sunset heights remix has me shooting gallons
PEAK
Game has been a blast to play through. My only main complaint with it is its story.
Sonic characters having more emotion, arcs, and just generally be more fleshed out is really all i could ever ask for in a sonic story
When I heard the all hail shadow remix I just about fell out of my chair
INSANE SHIT
Fadel is so used to saying "talk about Sonic" in the intro that he almost forgot it was Shadow, this time 🙂
AYE
Just got the PS5 platinum trophy last night and I'm going straight into the PS4 version to beat my completion time. Usually, I would wait a bit before playing another edition of a game to let it simmer a bit but for SXS Gens, not a chance I want straight back in and to get both platinums back to back. What a banger of a game.
ITS TOO PEAK
Shadow saved the day! 🤩
HES HIM
THEY CALL HIM THE RAT
SHADOW GENERATIONS IS EASILY A TOP 5 SONIC STORY OF ALL TIME. I'll put it at #4 for now so in front of it is Unleashed, Black Knight, and Adventure 2. I love the little moments like the connections to 06. Big and Froggy going to Soleanna and meeting Princess Elise. The mention of how 2 people using Chaos Control can cause time travel. Mephiles' dialogue being so so so good, and even the 06 section in Shadow's history. It really makes me want a remake of that game but done right because that story isn't perfect and needs to be reworked imo. Speaking of remakes, this game is literally the perfect foundation for a Shadow 05 retelling. Keep the Generations/Frontiers gameplay style, rework the story to make more sense, get rid of all the nonsense, and you have a perfect retelling of Shadow regaining his memories after the events of Sonic Adventure 2 and Heroes.
Genuinely my only problem for Shadow gens is that I can’t play more!
In retrospective, this is the standard I want for sonic games going forward. I don’t care how long or short the game is just have a polished, very minimal jank game with great stages, story and difficulty
I really do think Shadow Generations delivers on all those fronts
I really hope that from here on out, we’re able to make that one way dream become a reality!
Agreed LOL
I'm still cruising through the Sonic half of it, but the amount of hype the Shadow half has gotten definitely tells me I've got something to look forward to.
GOGOGOG
Big the Cat? No. ANGEL OF DEATH! You should fear him.
Why am I crying even at the mention Shadow smiling and all those emotional beats… 😭 cmon man. Shadow needs some love. I hope he is able to smile again in future games.
Bro, somehow managed to get through the final boss, without taking any hits (though no less than 50 attempts 🤣🤦🏻♂), while hearing 'Break Through It All' as the background music 🤣🤘🏻. S rank! This game make a man feel POWERFUL! 💪🏻 😤 💪🏻
HELLL YEAAHHHH
Yeah Shadow Gens is definitely my favorite Sonic game of all time now. The levels are super fun, the Doom Powers are awesome, and the atmosphere and soundtrack are, in my opinion at least, GOD tier.
The fact that Gerald had more than one child isn't a big reveal. If Maria was Eggman's cousin, there would have to be a sibling to Eggman's parents.
I am so fucking obsessed with Sunset Heights man how did they manage to cook it this hard, they're insane.
ME TOO DUDE WTFFF
Fadels favourite transformer is clearly Blackarachnia
0:00 Yoo Transformers One reference, Fadel truly knows peak when he comes across it
This game is so peak it genuinely brought tears to my eyes so much, I really hope Sega locks in for every game coming up
MHM😭
I mean, at this point if they do a forces remake with a new story and level designs I buy day 1.
Completely agree with everything you said here, everytime I’ve played this game has just been the most fun I’ve ever had with Sonic gameplay. They steamed, they boiled, they cooked.
Big apparently references his appearance on the Space Colony Ark in SA2, which means he ACTUALLY WENT THERE HOW?!?!?!?!?!
HES RAW
next sonic game is going to be crazy
It's still a little strange to me that there was no level really specifically from 'Shadow the Hedgehog', the Ark level felt as much SA2 than STH.
I loved this game a lot, but there are a few small things that are missing. Shadow didn’t let out a damn, and the he didn’t use his inhibitor rings.
Dude i just want a jukebox for White Space at this point. Give me that and the replay value skyrockects imo
1000% agreed
I'm praying for some post-launch support aside from the movie collaboration. Perhaps not on the same scale as frontiers' but please! Maybe harder version of already existing the stages or, who knows, some new ones from "Shadow the Hedgehog (05)"... Also, where is photo mode?!😅
I hope so man….
My child being born 😴,
My playing Shadow Gens Kingdom Valley for the first time :😌(this is best of life)
The rawest thing I've seen in Shadow Generations besides Devil Doom is freaking METAL OVERLORD parrying your chaos control with his own chaos control, it made Metal Sonic seem like a true threat once again! 👀
MHMMMMMMM
MHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 🎉
Truly we all must be grateful that the Sonic series has been able to reach this position. I feel like Shadow Generations is just the beginning.
!
Even if SEGA were cowards and despite all the blatant teasing in Dark Beginnings they did not give Shadow what he deserved xD!
0:00 Oh you did not just ref TF One.
I like how when he shows the fake emerald to Rouge, and it replays from before "even I can't tell which one is real". Like Shadow wasn't 100% sure which one was the fake emerald.
MHM LMAO
I love Sonic X Shadow Generations
All the levels in the game are peak bost levels. That fact that we have sonic generations with this amazing game is crazy. We got the 2 best boost games in one package.
I can't wait for the next game.
PEAK GAME, PEAK OST, PEAK LEVELS, PEAK EMOTIONAL STORY
PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK AND MORE PEAK
10/10 GAME IMO (btw The Switch Port is AMAZING 😭🙏🏻)
Only problem I think I had with the game was that it was too enjoyable to be as short as it was! I really hope we get more playable characters because it feels like SEGA was trying out shadow to see if people like it and the answer is a clear YES. Great reveiw Fadel!
18:26 sa2 type mixup 😭
LMAOOO
Sonic has been cooking lately and I'm all for it.
Sega has gone back to this series being cool and edgy and it fits so perfectly.
Also I like Omega talking about how he's programmed not to trust anyone, but he kinda breaks that programming when it comes to shadow and rouge, because they allow him to go on rampages lol
THE LAB IS ON FIRE
OK BUT WHAT ABOUT SONIC X SHADOW X SILVER GENERATIONS? 👀 THATD BE HYPE ASF
MMMMMMMMM
Overall even tho I do think there was some missed opportunity with the story and lore and what characters could have shown up in the open zone, and even tho I do wish it was a bit longer. This was amazing, so much love went into the level desgin and animations and bosses. The interactions with shadow and characters was really sweet and the open area was really neat and there’s plenty to collect. Plus it looks so beautiful and the soundtrack is fantastic. So happy shadow got his time to shine after all these years and like the rest of the series, they want to get back on what made people love this series. ❤️🖤
HELL YEA
My main gripe with it is that the potential for a 'Shadow Generations' was just not met. It came REALLY damn close to being everything I could have wanted. Im greatful it exists dont get me wrong because a year ago I would have said this would never exist.
Shadow Generations as a concept had the potential to be a full stand alone game in itself. It really shows when there is a complete lack of a Shadow 05 level. I get that the Ark includes elements from the Shadow 05 levels but its clearly more SA2 inspired.
It feels bad to me because why the hell is Chaos Island here? It feels really out of place and it doesn't feel right to me. It feels like Chaos Island was thrown in purely because they needed another level and none of Shadow 05 levels have HD assets they can pull from to make a level quickly.
The lack of Westopolis or Black Comet levels is really felt.
In a perfect world i would have gone
Space Colony Ark
Radical Highway
Rail Canyon
Westopolis
Black Comet
Kingdom Valley
Sunset Heights
Idk. Theres so much that could have been done. But realistically speaking. What we got was fantastic and Devil Doom with the All Hail Shadow segment was peak!
A lil disappointed we didnt get I Am All of Me anywhere in the game though
Yea, 1 shadow 05 level would’ve really put it all together
I reminded about the Sonic frontiers 2 leak and what it could be like and when looking at how shadow gens works, I am really looking forward to how frontiers 2 gonna work
YEP
I wish it had chaos blast also
Fadel you cooked with this video!! What a fantastic review, and I honestly could have not said it better. You touched all the points that needed to be spoken about, and I absolutely agree with it all. Especially, with the comment about Sonic Unleashed. EXACTLY. I still can't believe SXSG is a real game and is truly a testament to how perfect this game is. I thought Frontiers was the pinnacle of what we were going to get and then they turned around and gave us Shadow Gens. This set the bar even higher, because it truly proved that they have it in them to make a game of this quality. There are games that I love but there are games that I love that absolutely captivate me. This one is one of them. There are so many of my beloved games that I clock onto and then don't play again for a very long time then I jump back in. I'm very bad at sticking to one game/completing a game/focusing on a game but this one is completely different. This is a rarity for me. Ever since the digi deluxe release I have consistently clocked onto SXSG. I have 15 hrs 30 mins just on Shadow Gens and a total of 26.1hrs on steam itself. Mind you I haven't even gotten to Metal Overlord yet. I'm taking my sweet time 100%ing Shadow Gens, as I play the story. I'm gathering all the collectables (70%+ so far), playing levels over and over to get my best times, and I even have 71/80 of the forbidden parts. I can play Space Colony Ark, Kingdom Valley, and Sunset Heights for hours which I have already done. THEN EVEN AFTER I complete the story there's still Doom Wing levels and other trials to complete. It brings me so much joy to think about. I can't say I have played a game that has captivated me the way Shadow Gens has since I was a kid with Sonic Unleashed. It's so funny also knowing that the version of Sonic Unleashed I played wasn't even the best version, as it was the Wii version. The future for Sonic games is an extremely bright one, and it really can only get higher from here as long as Frontiers 2 follows the same formula/quality of Shadow Gens. The writing, gameplay, cinematics, music, graphics, etc. They nailed it and it's unbelievable how far we have come. We yearned for something just like this and here we are 🥺I love Shadow so much, and I waited for the day he got his moment again since Shadow 05. I highly consider Shadow Gens to be a Shadow the Hedgehog 2, and it's a dream I always dreamt of. I hope we see him a lot more from now on, because The Year of Shadow has truly been a dream come true for me 💜
We are on the path to this one way dream 😭💙, it’s beautiful
Got this on my recommended and I’ve never clicked on an upload so fast
MY GOAT
@@GamesCage ur the GOAT king keep up the awesome content we’ve been loving it 🙏
That intro is awesome, bro! We must save Transformers One when it comes to streaming!
YO CALL HIM D 16 CAUSE HIS ORION PACK IS KINDA LEAN ☠️☠️☠️
MMMMMMMMMM
18:24 sonic? 🤨
How long does it take you to come up with intros?
Favorite stage?!?
I THINK, Sunset Heights. But I gotta be sure LOL
I wish we got to play the Shadow vs Sonic boss fight instead of a cutscene only. Just reskin the fight, it's fine, why dangle it in front of our faces, just to taunt us with it?
Once i get my hands on this game, you're not seeing me for at least a week ill tell ya what😭