With Sonic x Shadow Generations I can finally admit that Shadow is better than Sonic

Sonic was probably my first love. The Master System game was the first one I really fell in love with, and then Sonic the Comic collections, Sonic sketches, Sonic stories, Sonic clothing. Ever since then I’ve always had a soft spot for the blue blur.

But after playing a good portion of Sonic x Shadow Generations, I think I can finally admit it: Shadow is better than Sonic.

That’s not to say Shadow hasn’t always been a great character. He was introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 as an edgy counterpoint to the titular hedgehog, embodying the dark sense of Y2K cool as gaming came of age. He’s got Sonic’s speed, but he’s aloof, mysterious, and powerful. In his own game, Shadow rides a motorcycle. He’ll be voiced by Keanu Reeves in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film.

Aside from that, it’s clear that Sega put a lot of thought into the Shadow campaign that comes with this Sonic Generations remaster. Shadow’s levels are more spectacular, his moveset is more satisfying to control, and – let’s be honest – he’s more fun to play as an anti-hero.

I’ve played Sonic x Shadow Generations hands-on before and came away full of nostalgia. I got to play a new demo at Gamescom 2024, which included a new Shadow level – Kingdom Valley – and a new boss, plus Sonic’s Chemical Plant Zone levels.

Kingdom Valley is based on the level of the same name from the ill-fated Sonic ’06. By replaying the level in this game, Sonic Team gets a chance to right some wrongs.

It’s full of familiar stage elements – grinding on water jets, crashing through stained glass windows, and the flying assistance of a giant eagle – but they’re held together by a new level design. Like the previously played Space Colony level, these elements make for dazzling scenery and blistering speed, all of which flow together into a seamless rhythm.

One moment I’m flicking switches to grind on a corkscrew of water jets, then I’m tearing along the stone walls of a crumbling castle environment before bursting over a waterfall. Shadow’s levels maintain a sense of constant tension, with a linear barrage of thrills, but enough secret side routes to reward replay and experimentation. Outside of the freedom of Sonic Frontiers’ open-zone levels, Shadow’s campaign features some of the best level design of any 3D Sonic game I’ve played so far.

Shadow also controls responsively, something Sega has often struggled with. Part of that is due to his generous and accurate homing attack—interactable objects are clearly marked, and I never had trouble pointing Shadow in the right direction. But there’s another small but important difference between the two hedgehogs’ controls. While Sonic’s jump and homing attack are on the same button, Shadow’s are separate. Not only does this give Shadow a handy double jump for some extra height or breathing room when platforming, it also prevents any confusion between jumping and attacking. As Shadow, I had no trouble jumping, attacking, and boosting through levels, so I could focus on improving my time and rank rather than battling the controls—though admittedly I could see some new Sonic players struggling.

Additionally, Shadow gains unique Doom powers in this campaign that complement his abilities and add an extra layer of tension and experimentation. In Kingdom Valley, I had access to Doom Spear and Doom Surf, the former a missile attack on enemies, and the latter allowing Shadow to surf across rapids beneath the zone’s castle structures. Later, Shadow will gain Doom Blast, Doom Morph, and Doom Wing, which together add a little extra spice to Sonic’s standard moves and prove that Shadow is more than just a hedgehog clone. These join his iconic Chaos Control, which lets you slow down time and—if timed correctly—create new shortcuts when platforms align. It also allows Shadow to follow special green light trails at hyperspeed.

Doom’s powers proved useful against flying enemies in Kingdom Valley, with Shadow surfing across waves in pursuit, firing spears and then slowing down time to slam enemies and rocket upward onto new paths. This was further fleshed out with the Metal Overlord boss (originally from Sonic Heroes), a standalone level in the demo. Here, Shadow chases the flying mechanical creature across seawater by surfing, tossing back explosive barrels, and grinding rails for a leaping homing attack. The linear, pursuit-focused nature of this fight suits the hedgehog’s speed better than the previously shown Biolizard boss, though a later side-scrolling section added variety as well.

After playing through the Shadow levels, I went on to try out Sonic’s Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zone. They seemed dated by comparison. Maybe that’s partly because I was already familiar with them, but Sonic’s inconsistent homing attack, frustrating enemy placement, and slow pace clashed with the fast-paced nature of Shadow’s campaign. Of course, Dark Hedgehog’s levels are merely an add-on to the rest of the Sonic Generations package. But where that game was originally a celebration of Sonic’s history, Shadow shows that Sonic Team has improved immensely 14 years later.