Story/Characters

Following in the footsteps of Diddy Kong, Zero, and Yoshi, Shadow the Hedghog has broken out of his role as a supporting character to become a title character. The story of Shadow’s first solo adventure plays like a choose your own adventure book. Each mission can be beaten in two or three different ways and how the player completes the mission affects how the story progresses. If the player chooses to play the part of a hero the story portrays Shadow as heroic conversely if the player chooses to play the role of a villain the story portrays shadow as increasingly evil.

The overarching story is about an evil alien race invading the planet on which Shadow, Sonic, and their friends and enemies live. Doctor Robotnik shows up on occasion but he is more of a nuisance than a real threat. The story is slightly darker than what one might expect from a Sonic game but it fits perfectly with the character of Shadow. The biggest flaw in the story is that it does not flow. Some of the cutscenes simply show Shadow in a new location without explaining how or why he is there. Shadow is not, however, the only character this happens to. Many times a character from a past sonic game will show up in a level with no explanation offered as to why they are there. One can imagine that this is a side effect of having multiple story paths going into or out of each level. Yet despite the erratic changes in locations the story remains, for the most part, easy to follow.

The characters in the game are what one would expect from a Sonic game. Most of the characters in the Sonic universe make appearances and have changed little from past games. The game also includes new characters including the evil aliens and a second Dr. Robotnik. While the characters are generally good many of the human characters don’t seem to fit with the rest of the Sonic universe. Even if the human characters look out of place they are just as well written and all characters come to life with their own distinct personalities.

Visuals

The graphics in this game are on par with the rest of the Gamecube era Sonic games which is to say they are very good. The bright and colorful look of the Sonic characters and Robotnik’s robots is in sharp contrast to the darker look of the dark and dull blacks and grays that are the primary colors of the aliens. Another contrast is the difference between some of the more realistic looking weapons and the cartoonish Hedgehog that is using them. Still for some reason nothing in the divergent graphical styles looks too out of place.

The environments are very detailed and done in a style that works well with both the bright and colorful characters and the darker duller aliens. A few of the environments can have a repetitive look with little variation from one room to the next but most of the levels do not have this problem and are quite easy to navigate. Within the environments it is easy to spot weapons, hazards, and places where Shadow can interact with his surroundings but some pitfalls can be harder to spot depending on the camera angle.

Environmental effects and character effects are fairly generic. Fires, lasers, and water all manage to look good and not at all pixilated. The only effect I did not like was the rather extreme flash that came as a result of using some larger stationary weapons. Additionally one of Shadow’s abilities if used during a boss battle will turn everything into a negative image that can make some enemies and hazards harder to spot.

Sound

The sounds in this game are good but not spectacular. The first thing about the sound that players will notice is the voice acting. This is because every line of dialogue in the game is voiced. The voice acting is good and despite having different voice actors from past games the returning characters sound they same as they always have. The voices of the new characters are also good in that there are no characters whose voices seem out of place.

The music and sound effects in the game are unremarkable but certainly not bad. The music fits with the levels and remains in the background not adding very much to the experience but not taking anything away either. The sound effects sound like one would think they should and do not stand out any more than the crashes, gunshots, or explosions that are so common in so many games. Other sound effects will be familiar to Sonic fans such as the sound the game makes when Shadow picks up a ring.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Shadow the Hedgehog is in many ways similar to the gameplay in other 3D Sonic games. Shadow runs around levels collecting rings and defeating enemies much like Sonic has done in so many games. Many moves from past games including the spin dash, the homing attack, and the ability to grind return and these moves have changed little both in terms of functionality and in execution. Shadow also has new super modes that are somewhat like the original Super Sonic in that they make him invincible and grant him new powers including the ability to literally fly through the level at breakneck speeds.

Yet much like the character of Shadow is not a clone of Sonic the gameplay in this game is not simply a clone of past games. The biggest difference between Shadow and Sonic is that Shadow uses weapons. In any level Shadow can find many different kinds of weapons including both melee and ranged weapons. Most of the melee weapons are part of the environment including street signs and small trees but in some levels shadow can acquire a massive sword. The ranged weapons include lasers, machine guns, and rocket launchers that can be found either in crates or by defeating enemies. Weapons have a set number of uses and shadow can only carry one at a time but most levels have enough weapons that Shadow will not be left unarmed.

Another feature to this game that is not commonly associated with Sonic games is the addition of vehicles. In most levels Shadow can find and take over different vehicles ranging from military jeeps to giant mechanized legs to alien dragons. Some of these vehicles have their own weapons and others allow shadow to use the weapon he is currently carrying. Some vehicles will move in a constant forward direction while others can be driven in whatever direction the player chooses. Most vehicles offer Shadow added mobility such as flight or increased speed or jumping power and others allow him to pass through hazardous terrain without getting hurt All of the vehicles can sustain a limited amount of damage before they are destroyed so the player must be careful as the destruction of a vehicle could mean the loss of a life.

As far as levels are concerned each level contains two or three missions that are classified as hero, dark, or normal. Each mission has it’s own objective and the path the game takes is determined by which mission the player completes in each level. The normal missions usually just involve reaching an endpoint and are usually the easiest missions in the game. The good or evil missions usually involve finding a number of a certain item or defeating all the enemies of one type (aliens, humans, or robots) in a level. In good or evil missions Shadow is paired with a partner who will offer advice but will not actually help him.

The game’s controls are responsive and easy to figure out. The game has occasional camera problems but those are not severe enough to detract from the overall experience of the game. There are times in a level where the player is incapable of selecting one mission or another and while that does not prevent Shadow from completing that mission it does hinder him by not allowing the player to see how much of the mission he has left to complete.

The game has a versus mode where players do battle as Shadow and Roboshadow. This mode uses a vertical split screen and controls in the same way as the single player game. The versus mode is limited to two-players and only features a standard battle. The two-player mode is a nice addition but in the end it feels like it was added as an afterthought.

Conclusion

While Shadow the Hedgehog is by no means a perfect game. It’s strong points including an interesting story, enjoyable gameplay, and attractive graphics outnumber it’s weak points. Because this game is, at it’s heart, a Sonic game it will undoubtedly have greater appeal to fans of past Sonic games but the game is solid enough that it should be able to stand on it’s own merits.