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Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow awakens with
amnesia and is tormented by a dark past as he struggles to unveil his
true identity. Was he created to save humankind or to do the evil
bidding of the dark side? Only by collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds
will Shadow unlock the truth. Caught in a complex battle between aliens,
the G.U.N. army, and Dr. Eggman, Shadow becomes the very element that
may tip the scales between good and evil forever. The epic is set…and
the path that Shadow will ultimately take is completely up to you!
Features:
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Open-ended, story altering choices.
Produce positive or dire consequences in Shadow's future by the
paths you choose. Have a different experience every time you play!
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Intense high-speed action! Shadow has
amplified speed and firepower, and can manipulate time and space
with Chaos Control or create unbelievable destruction with Chaos
Blast.
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Weapons, vehicles, and items! Draw from
a huge arsenal of weapons including projectiles, firearms, bazookas,
blasters and worm lasers. Speed away on a motorcycle, an alien craft
or an SUV. AND, for the first time ever in a Sonic property – pick
up and use environmental objects like poles, sticks and debris to
plow your way through the mission.
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An all-star cast of characters! All of
your favourite characters from the Sonic series, as well as an
interesting line-up of new allies and adversaries!
Huge variety of unique and intriguing stages and missions. Over 20
stages and more than 50+ missions.
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Two-player competitive mode. Get your
friends in on the intense action.
Shadow the Hedgehog
transforms players into a dark hero with a mysterious past. Unsure of
your characters past, Shadow finds himself suffering from amnesia and
unsure whether he was created to save the world or do the evil bidding
of the dark side. To make matter worse, the appearance of an alien army
called the Black Arms descends upon the world carving a path of
destruction who also feature the same black and crimson skin as Shadow
himself. Shadow is stunned when the leader recognises him and instructs
Shadow to collect the seven Chaos emeralds, which could unlock the truth
behind his mysterious past.
A large part of Shadow the Hedgehog’s problems stem from the fact that
there’s actually some good concepts that are unfortunately left
unrealised thanks to the clunky fundamentals. Taking the moral issue of
Shadow being unaware whether he’s good or evil, each stage features
earth’s soldiers fighting against the legion of Black Arms aliens, in
turn defeating opponents from either side will raise one of two gauges
which grant Shadow two different special moves when fully replenished.
Not only that, Shadow the Hedgehog takes the good/evil concept and
expands upon it into a branching narrative which splits based upon the
player’s actions on each stage.
So despite the good intentions it’s sad to find the core fundamentals
severely lacking. Camera and control have never been successfully
accomplished in a 3D title however Shadow the Hedgehog takes the plunge
even further by throwing combat into the mix. Much like the Sonic
Adventure series it’s hard enough just trying to control Shadow and
navigate the platform sections because of the non-existent camera and
icy controls, however introducing ranged combat just adds another factor
to contemplate.
I’ve never been a fan of the idea to put guns in a Sonic title, however
the implementation is far worse then I could have possibly imagined.
Firstly there’s no auto-targeting option so accuracy is a completely
hit-and-miss affair, worsened by the typically loose control problems
that thwart the franchise. Secondly, combat breaks up the classic Sonic
action into a ponderous stop/start affair that simply isn’t fun.
The game certainly isn’t helped by its overly simple visual style, which
actually comes across as inferior to the Adventure series which debuted
on the Dreamcast. Combine the lack of detail with the atrocious slowdown
problems that occur too frequently and the end result is a Shadow that
simply looks too old.
As a long-term Sonic fan, Shadow the Hedgehog fills me with absolute
dread and disdain that gives the Sonic franchise a huge step backwards
by negating the core ingredients of the Sonic series. Definitely rent
before you buy!
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