Summary

  • Sonic X Shadow Generations and Sonic Frontiers are both excellent games, but only one can be the very best.
  • Sonic Frontiers revolutionized the series with open-world gameplay, much better continuity, and jaw-dropping Super Sonic boss fights.
  • Meanwhile, Sonic X Shadow Generations remasters a beloved game and adds a brand-new campaign that expands upon ideas introduced in Frontiers.

It's an exciting time to be a Sonic fan. Sonic Frontiers took the series in a bold new direction by introducing open-world platforming. Meanwhile, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Sonic X Shadow Generations remasters one of the Blue Blur's greatest adventures and gives the Ultimate Life Form🥃 his first solo outing since 2005. The best part? You can play both of these incredible titles no matter which console you own.

Related
10 Most ℱUnderrated Sonic The Hedgehog Games

Here are the best underrated Sonic The Hedgehog ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚgames!

3

Here's the catch: buying two full-p🦋riced video games isn't exactly great for your wallet. If you have to pick one, which should you go with? Do Generations' linear levels hold a candle to Frontiers' ambi𝓡tious new gameplay style? And just how good is Shadow's new campaign? Get ready for a battle of the hedgehogs!

4 Story

In a sense, Generations and Frontiers both feel like course corrections for the series' lore. Additionally, both games feature excellent writing from Sonic legend Ian Flynn. But which title haꦺs ✃the best combination of plot, character development, and world-building?

Sonic X Shadow Generations' Story

Sonic X Shadow Generations follows the titular hedgehogs as they travel through time to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:face off against old foes and relive previous adventures. While the Blue Blur teams u🐟p with his past self to restore the timeline, Shadow goes it alone for a rematch with his nemesis, Black Doom.

While Sonic's story is nothing to write home abou🐟t, it should be noted the entire script has been rewritten to fix continuity issues from the original and modernize some of the characters. Shadow's story is the one that stands out, thanks to its deep dive into the hedgehog's past and his struggle to let go of Maria and Gerald Rob𓆉otnik.

Shadow's⛦ campaign also recontextualizes some of the more convoluted parts of the lore, like Maria's i🅷llness and the Biolizard's creation.

Sonic Frontiers' Story

Sonic and Amy looking concerned at a pile of dead Kocos from Sonic Frontiers.

Sonic Frontiers was a tonal shift for the series, delivering a more mature and introspective plot than most previous titles. While exploring the desolate Starfall Islands, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles get trapped in an otherworldly realm called Cyber Space. On his journey to save them, Sonic unrave💖ls the history behind the extinct species that created Cyber Space and the𝔉ir shocking connection to the Chaos Emeralds.

Related
Sonic The Hedgehog: 10 Games To Play For Th🍷e Story, Ranked

Sonic the Hedgehog might not be primarily known for its stories, 🥀but some of the Blue Blur's games are worth check༒ing out for their narratives.

Sonic Frontiers' plot excels at fleshing out the lore, re-establishing continuity, and fixing many plot holes from previous games. However, the story's biggest strength is its characters, which are 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:theꦦ best depictions of Son𓆉ic and his pals in years. It may take 🅰itself too seriously in certa♕in areas, but overall, the plot in Frontiers is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The Egg Memos, in particular, do wonders for fleshing out Eggman's character and adding context to a few parts o♔f the lore.

The Winner - Sonic Frontiers

Both games help steer the lore and continu🌼ity back on track, but Sonic Frontiers offers a little more depth and world-building for those looking to get immersed in a story.

3 Gameplay

While both titles share similar gameplay elements, the🎶y also have vastly different mechanics to make each one unique. So, which game is more fun to play?

Sonic X Shadow Generations' Gameplay

Sonic X Shadow Generations has a little something for everyone. While fans of the Genesis games can enjoy the Classic𒁏 Sonic levels, those who prefer Unleashed or Colors will feel right at home with Modern Sonic's boost-style gameplay. Finally, Shadow's open-ended overworld feels like a streamlined version of Frontier's open-zone layout.

Thankfully, each gameplay style feels refined and fun to play. While Sonic's campaign relies a little too much on side-scrolling segments, Shadow's adventure strikes a much better balance between 2D and 3D sections. In short, the boost-style gameplay has never felt better, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:each level is a blast to play.

Sonic Frontiers' Gameplay

Sonic Frontiers was𝓀 a bold new step for the series, introducing open-ended worlds for the Blue Blur to explore, with smaller linear levels sprinkled throughout. Along the way, you can encounter boss fights, puzzles, side-scrolling challenges, and hu♋ndreds of collectibles.

Related
All Versionsꦚ Of Sonic The Hedgehog From Weakest To Most Powerful

Sonic the Hedgehog has had a few different versions ꦺof the years. Which is the most powerful?

1

The sheer amou﷽nt of freedom is nothing short of exhilarating. It's liberating to run through open worlds, discover new secrets, and tackle challenges in any order you want. That said, the 2D sections are a bit out of place in the open-zone areas, and the physics feel more suited for open-world exploration than they do for the Cyber Space stages. And that's not to mention the game's sometimes iffy perf💮ormance.

I 🎉especially love the Super Sonic boss fights in Frontiers. They contain a bit of button-mashing, but they're epic nonetheless.

The Winner - Sonic X Shadow Generations

Frontiers delivers a sense of freedom unlike any other game in the series, but it simply can't compare to the top-notch boost gameplay from Generations. Shadow's open-world expl🦋oration, in particular, is much more refined and performs better than Frontiers.

2 Powers And Abilities 💫

Shadow Generations and Sonic Frontiers both introduce exciting new abilities for the hedgehogs to use. But wh⛄ich ones complement the gameplay best?

Sonic X Shadow Generations' Abilities

On Sonic's side, there aren't many new abilities aside from the Drop Dash, which allows the Blue Blur to gain an instant burst of speed in midair. Shadow, on the other hand, gets 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a slew of exciting new powers to aid with combat and platforming.

While there are far too many to name, some standouts are Chaos Control, which lets you slow down time temporarily; Doom Wings, which allow you to fly; and Doom Surf, whic⛄h lets you glide on water via the back of a stingray. Each ability is unlocked after beating a zone, providing a sati﷽sfying sense of progression. More importantly, each power feels like a natural extension of Shadow's base moveset.

Sonic Frontiers' Abilities

Sonic Frontiers introduces a skill tree, which contains all of the Blue Blur's new abilities. These include the Cyloop, which can be used to stun enemies; Sonic Boom, which lets you shoo🌌t rapid-fire shock waves; and Phantom Rush, which lets you deal devastating combos.

Related
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 10 🥂Best Shadow The Hedgehog Mo𒀰ments

Shadow has grown into much more than🐟 just the dꦦarker version of Sonic.

Additionally, Sonic's speed, attack, defense, and ring count can be increased through an RPG-style leveling-up system. The downside is that you'll need to do a ton of grinding to unlock all abilities and upgrade every stat🌞. Plus, many of these new powers require a bunch of button-mashing.

The Winner - Sonic X Shadow Generations

While it's cool to rack up deva𒉰stating combos in Frontiers, Shadow's abilities a♍re more fun to use, feature much less button mashing, and require no grinding to unlock.

1 ൩ The Winner - Sonic X Shadꦉow Generations

Cover art from Sonic X Shadow Generations, showing Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, Shadow, Black Doom, and three Chao.

Recap

Game

Winning Category

Sonic X Shadow Generations

Gameplay, Powers and Abilities

Sonic Frontiers

Story

Let's face it - Sonic X Shadow Generations is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:one of the best Sonic games ever made. Sonic's campaign is just as good as when it initially launched in 2011. Meanwhile, Shadow's story perfects🔯 the boost-style gameplay from the original Generations and the open-world exploration from Frontiers.

To be clear, Sonic Frontiers is by no means a bad game. Simply put, Frontiers walked so that Shadow Generations could run. It set the foundation for an open-zone Sonic game, and while it's far from perfect, it's still worth a play just to experience its ambitious new ideas. However, if you hav💃e to pick one, Sonic X Shadow Generations is💦 the best choice.

Released
๊Oct☂ober 25, 2024
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence ไ ꧟
Developer(s)
♍ 🌠 Sonic Team
Publisher(s)
Sega
Engine
Hedgehog Engine 2 🔯
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
OpenCritic Rating
Strong