Sega’s Sonic X Shadow Generations launches in October, combining a remaster of 2011’s Sonic Generations with a parallel story following Shadow. A sequel to 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog, the Shadow story sees him gain new powers to build up the gameplay. Sonic Team creative officer Takashi Iizuka explained the reason for Shadow’s new Chaos Control abilities in a recent interview.
Why does Shadow have new powers in Sonic X Shadow Generations?
Chaos Control, supernatural powers drawn from Chaos Emeralds, is not a new concept. It’s how Shadow escaped Sonic after his debut in 2001’s Sonic Adventures 2. In the upcoming game, Chaos Control lets Shadow freeze objects, including enemy projectiles, and access new areas. However, the fundamental platforming mechanics are the same as in Sonic Generations.
As Iizuka explained in an interview with Game Informer, Sega’s Sonic Team wants the Shadow games to offer something unique from Sonic. This led to the often-criticized decision to include guns in 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog. “It was to really make sure that it doesn’t just feel like we’re changing the character, but it’s still the same game; we want different gameplay as well,” said Iizuka.
While Sonic X Shadow Generations pays homage to earlier games, the guns are staying in the past. Instead, Shadow’s new Chaos Control powers let Shadow Generations feel distinct while still fitting in the Sonic Generations framework. “So,” said Iizuka, “it still feels like a Generations game, and this is just the Shadow story, but you still get the new actions and abilities and the new gameplay because of Shadow.”
