Takashi Iizuka Explains Why Shadow Has New Powers In Sonic X Shadow Generations

The discharge of Sonic Generations in 2011 gave Gamers a series-wide best hits remake bundle to have fun 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog. Although different characters appeared in Sonic Generations, Sonic – in each his Basic and Fashionable varieties – was the only real playable character. Now, 13 years later, the favored celebratory launch returns as the newest Sonic remaster, but it surely’s not merely the identical bundle with efficiency enhancements. Certain, these are there, however maybe the largest promoting level is the inclusion of Shadow the Hedgehog as a playable character. 

However Shadow is rather more than a reskin of Sonic. Sure, the bottom of Shadow in his Sonic Journey 2 debut was that he might match Sonic’s talents, however we have seen him seem in a wide range of Gameplay kinds, with various powers at his disposal. Throughout my hands-on session, I used to be capable of expertise his Chaos Management skill, which was the facility that launched Gamers to Shadow again in his debut scene. That energy lets Shadow decelerate projectiles like rockets so he can simply dodge them or use them as platforms.

The notion of giving Shadow a definite skillset in his standalone marketing campaign in Sonic X Shadow Generations originated with the darkish hedgehog’s first starring function in a recreation. “The unique Shadow the Hedgehog recreation was considered a spin-off from a Sonic recreation,” Sonic Workforce artistic officer Takashi Iizuka says. “To be able to actually spin it as much as be one thing enjoyable and attention-grabbing and new, we had to think about, ‘What’s one thing we’ve not achieved or do not do in Sonic video Games? Let’s put that in and have it’s a part of the Shadow Gameplay.’ That is the place the capturing motion got here in for Shadow the Hedgehog. It was to essentially ensure that it would not simply really feel like we’re altering the character, but it surely’s nonetheless the identical recreation; we would like completely different Gameplay as effectively.”

Shadow the Hedgehog has garnered notoriety as a result of its construction, poor important reception, and oddly mature twist, during which Shadow shoots enemies with a gun whereas uttering delicate curse phrases. Nevertheless, it laid out the blueprint for what Sonic Workforce wished to do with Sonic X Shadow Generations. “For the Generations content material, as a result of Shadow Generations was coming inside the entire Generations format, we wished to maintain the identical recreation format for Sonic Generations that we’ve got for Shadow Generations,” Iizuka says. “So, the platform motion recreation fashion was one thing you may put in and have it’s this unified bundle, however we did not simply wish to have it’s like, ‘Oh, okay, so you’ve got ranges identical to Sonic.” We would have liked one thing additional. And that one thing additional – all the brand new actions Shadow can do this Sonic cannot – that is the place we’re differentiating the Gameplay inside Shadow Generations. So, it nonetheless appears like a Generations recreation, and that is simply the Shadow story, however you continue to get the brand new actions and skills and the brand new Gameplay due to Shadow.”

On the finish of the Summer time Recreation Fest trailer, which introduced the discharge date of Sonic X Shadow Generations, followers we shocked to see Shadow all of a sudden sprout wings, hinting at a possible new skill Shadow could have on this new recreation to proceed differentiating Shadow Generations from the preexisiting Sonic Gameplay. “Shadow has Chaos Management, however outdoors of that, it could really feel like an excessive amount of of the identical and we wished to make one thing new and attention-grabbing with the Shadow content material,” Iizuka says. “We mentioned, ‘We have now the identical platform motion format. We have now comparable operating and leaping. We have now Chaos Management. However what else can we put in right here to essentially make the Gameplay completely different and distinctive?’ That is the place the concept got here up for the Doom Powers: We have to give Shadow these additional talents and additional powers to permit new Gameplay codecs to be born.”

We’re certain to be taught extra about Shadow’s distinctive talents and Doom Powers within the lead-up to the sport’s launch. Sonic X Shadow Generations arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Change, and PC on October 25. For our current hands-on impressions of the sport, head right here.