The Ultimate Life Form endures.
The day was 8th March 2005.
Soniceven got a nice trailershowcasing his most glorious exploits since his inception in 1991.
As the video wrapped up, no one could have predicted what happened next.
Shots of classic 2D Sonic were suddenly riddled with bullet holes.
Laser guns, machine guns, pistols, you name it.
And Shadow wasn’t afraid to use them to blow the game’s alien enemies away.
I vividly remember the myriad questions that ran through my teenage mind on first seeing the trailer.
Why did this game exist?
Who signed off on this utterly pants idea?
To answer those questions meant looking at the paradigm shift the video game industry was undergoing at the time.
Dark, brooding anti-heroes were all the rage in the early-to-mid 2000s.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite pan out as Iizuka envisioned.
That’s where arguably the most interesting aspect of the game comes into play: Shadow’s morality system.
Each level allows players to decide for themselves.
Your chosen path dictates which level you tackle next.
While only the most hardcore fans are likely to try, you have to admire Sonic Team’s dedication.
However, the story doesn’t stop there.
Well, anti-brave-hearted hero, anyway.
You won’t see Sonic shooting an alien in the face with a machine gun anytime soon.
Speaking of, let’s delve deeper into its weapons-based combat.
The game’s edginess goes beyond firearms, though.
So, then comes the million-dollar question.
Taking everything into consideration, is Shadow the Hedgehog a good game?
Like, surprisingly fine.
Was it a dumb idea?
Was it a blatant attempt at cashing in on the dark and edgy game craze?
Was it executed decently despite all this?
I personally lean toward yes, but ‘decent’ is about the highest praise I can give it.
Beyond the occasional meme, Shadow isn’t one of them.
