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Shadow The Hedgehog

Published: Fri 10 Nov, 2006 | On:

Shadow The Hedgehog was always destined to be poorly reviewed. The moment the press saw Shadow with a gun in his hand, riding around on a Harley, they decided that it had to be mediocre. Without pointing fingers, it’s pretty obvious that nobody ever gave this game a chance.

Which is a shame, given that the game is largely better than Sonic Heroes: a game that was well received by a majority of the gaming press.

Shadow The Hedgehog forgoes the mixed gameplay of its immediate predecessor, instead focusing on the skills of everyone’s favourite and only brooding emo of a hedgehog: Shadow. This game is perhaps the most ‘Sonic’ of the Sonic games since the series left the Mega Drive.

That’s not to say that it’s not without its faults. Some of the objectives for the hero missions, like collecting 400 rings, can prove tedious; the aiming of weapons can often test your patience; and the homing attack can sometimes choose the wrong target.

However, for the most part, the game is solid. Those that dislike the game are those that try to play it like Mario’s 3D outings. “How can a platformer ever justify not touching a button?” But learning to play Shadow The Hedgehog is about learning to let go, learning when to simply press jump without holding forward.

Once the controls are understood, the game provides the speedy thrills that the Sonic series is known for. Before too long, players can be racing along at speed as they try to complete the quests before them.

The game is a tree, with each branch being reached by completing a series of tasks. It could be collecting every ring, or perhaps killing every innocent in sight. Whether the player chooses to be good, evil, or merely self-serving directly affects the content of the game. Simply exploring every branch provides plenty of reply value.

Graphically, Shadow The Hedgehog is a grittier Sonic. There’s plenty of classic Sonic style here, but there’s also a darker edge to the entire game. It does fit Shadow’s darker personality, but it might seem too deliberate for some. The framerate also suffers on all but the Xbox version, with the PS2 version being nigh on unplayable.

The sound, however, is a breath of fresh air: a return to Sonic’s roots. No longer does the audience have to suffer some God-awful J-rock, as the music is now a collection of memorable rock-techno that reminds you of the 16-bit era.

The voice acting is adequate, being voiced by the same cast as Sonic X; but the plot is throwaway, and hearing Sonic and Shadow swear seems jarring and unnecessary.

But ultimately the game can be fun to play. It’s obvious that Sonic Team tried hard to be cool, and perhaps they tried too hard. But underneath the flaws is a charming action title that’s enjoyable once you get to grips with the controls. The focus on Shadow also means that the gameplay doesn’t feel needlessly diluted.

It’s far from perfect, but if you’re a fan of Sonic, this is probably the best 3D Sonic game so far. It feels closer to the old-school Sonic than anything released so far. Providing you purchase the Xbox version, it’s worth ignoring the critics and judging this one for yourself.