Customer Reviews

Shadow The Hedgehog

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

First off, I want to say that I'm 14 (got no e-mail). Second, I want to say when you're done reading this review, press add to cart, you won't regret it. Now my review.

I first heard of Shadow the Hedgehog on a TV commercial and I'm like "Oh wow another sonic game and another game to show how lame sonic has gotten" (I was a die-hard sonic fan back in 2D age). Later at Gamestop I saw Shadow the Hedgehog. As I do with most games I have, or had ties with, I picked it up to get a partial story on the back. As I looked in the bottom right corner and was amused to see "Mild Language" along with "fantasy violence." Not quite sure how language got in, I thought of the gun fighters (if you don't know what I'm talking about go up to a marine and ask). A few weeks later I saw a PS2 demo version of Shadow the Hedgehog and think might as well take it for a spin, expecting a bad sonic-like game (combined with the slower choppier problem with the PS2) I was soon trying to figure out how to reset the system, but remembering the little ESRB thing I saw awhile ago I decided to try something and jumped off the edge, to my surprise and amusement I heard him say "Damn, not here." Expecting the swearing in cut scenes, I didn't know what to think, but then I thought "this isn't Sonic, it's shadow". Oh, and let's get it down that swearing doesn't bother me. Getting bored with the games I had and not wanting to spend the money on a new one, I decided to go out and rent Shadow. What I came back with was not a lame old sonic game, it was shadow all the way, and really manifesting itself with the rock song "I Am" when you first turn it on which really shows what type of game you got. After five days it went back to the rental store, but after a while I got to missing the high speed, blazing gun action of Shadow. After a while a dissatisfied addictive urge was nagging at me and then I finally decided to get the game for my birthday which meant more waiting, but the day I finally got it I was blown away by how great the game was.

Story 10/10
A truly amazing and revolutionary story design, 10 hands down.

Attacks 8.5/10
Machine guns, Bazookas, Lasers, Honing Attacks, Satellite lasers and the one-hit one-kill Shadow Rifle and not to mention the chaos blast (and more) make for a fun and deadly arsenal, with the exception of Bazooka-like guns with a rather awkward targeting system.

Camera 7/10
The only true problem I've ever had with it is on the Cosmic Fall level where at times you can't move the camera at all, but an all-around decent system.

Design 9/10
The only things that are really flawed is the two player mode, it has only three levels, and you can only play as Shadow and Metal Shadow, and the fact that in story mode no matter what side you choose everyone attacks you, besides that great design in every way.

Music 10/10
Awesome in-game music and amazing vocal tracks in the option menu.

Replay Value Off the Charts
No other game ever had this much replay value, play through all the possible stories (over 300), get all the A-rankings, finish all missions and try your hand at expert mode.

Trust a true gamer when I say Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the best games out there. If you play it once, you won't want to stop.

Look, everyone's upset that there's cursing. But, let's face it - cursing is everywhere today. Just come to my school during lunch and you can learn about five curse words that you've never heard before!

I really liked the game itself. For anyone with anger issues, it's very therepeutic. The only reason I gave the game's fun 4 stars is because my brother plays it more often than me! The beginning was very cool, in my opinion, the dialogue helps to explain what's going on, and it's challenging enough to keep you coming back.

10 different endings? That's a lot better than most games. You can replay it and not get the same ending just by changing your choice in the end.

Overall? 6 stars.

I have collected all the Sonic games over the years and this is #1. Sghadow has forgoten his past and doesn't know if he should take hero or dark path. Attack aliens or G.U.N Soilders with homing attacks or shoot them. You get to play through the game multiple times.

Zip through the stage with viechles and use special moves.The power of Chaos control to skip portions of the stage or the power of Chaos blast to get rid of what is in your way.

Ok,here is what bothers me, alot of people are bothered by the swearing. Alot os parents are bothered. My mom doesn't care really because they are very light swears. The D word and the
H word.Even though Shadow says the D word throughout the whole game, he only says the H Word 2 times in the WHOLE Game!!!!

I have been waiting for this game for over a year!!! Shadow is my favorite character. He is cool. Hopefully Sega will make a Shadow the hedgehog 2. i would rate this game A+.

I really reccomend this game. You will love it. I have had it for over a month and i am still addicted to it.

~ Good Luck!~

As for that "cheat" a previous reviewer discussed, haven't you noticed you can do that in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut also?

As for the game, I believe this game doesn't get the credit it deserves. It is harshly critizied by "professional game reviewers". This is one time not to believe GameSpot, GameSpy, and all the others.

Graphics:
Finally, Sonic Team cleared up that mouth-animation while their talking. Something that was bad in the previous Sonic 3D games. Other than that, graphics are pretty much the same as the others, slightly better though.

Sound:
Uses Dolby Digital Pro Logic II. Fans of the anime, Sonic X, will see that the same voices are used. Sound is clean and the music well suits the level, while being great. As for these mad mommies, they don't surpass use of da** and he** (only once from my hearing). 'Kay?

GamePlay:
A long story. There is a variety of guns available. You can take guns, cannons, swords, et cetera, from enemies you destroyed or killed. Along the way, every level has 2 mission characters. They assist and offer alternative missions. Or, you could just take the neutral path and reach the end. Your choice. The way you play, your choice. For Sonic fans, guns are optional, same with vehicles. It's challenging, not frustratingly hard though. The controls aren't terrible. I like them the way they are. I must admit, Doom's Eye is annoying and often times blocks sight, but not all that bad. Just great gameplay.

Basicially, well worth your money, promising fun, some good challenge, and much more. (P.S. Due to issues with other versions, it's recommended you get this version, the GameCube version)

I've always been a huge fan of the Sonic games and couldn't wait for this to be released. It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it's still a great game and fun to play. There are lot's of mixed reviews for it. Try renting and playing it for yourself before you judge this game.

It'a a lot darker than regular Sonic games, there's guns, some blood, and mild swearing. I like the new gun feature, the aiming isn't the best but still pretty good. There's quite a bit of swearing, but nothing too serious. The game would have been better without it but I don't mind it too much.

What really annoys me is all the bad critisism this game has gotten. Parents only notice the E part of the E10 rating so get this game for their 7 or 8 year old. Then they watch maybe 10 minutes of the game and then go online to write bad reviews for it. This game is not for kids older 10, hence the rating.

And this is NOT the first sonic game to include guns. A lot of Eggman's and GUN's robots have had some form of gun that fired at the character. Also, E-102 had a gun and so did E-123. In SA2, Eggman held a gun to Amy's head. It's only now when guns are a major feature in the gameplay do parents and others say anything.

Compared to the violence on regular TV shows, including cartoons, and the regular swearing I hear at high school, on the streets, and on TV, this game is very mild.

Overall, it's a great gmae for any Sonic fan. The story is awesome, the levels are fun and interesting, and it's definately a game I'll play over and over.

The only complants I have is over the multiplayer and music. The multiplayer is fun to play once or twice, but then it gets dull. There's no interesting features or aspects to keep you playing. It seemed to have been added hastily at the last minute. Most of the music is good, except a few of the songs are too edgey and hardcore to fit into a sonic game.

But don't let the review influence your chioce. Many have said this is a terrible game, others, like me, believe it to be an awesome game. Go rent it first if you're unsure and at least try it out before you form your own opinions of this game.

I am 14, going on 15 soon, and I have always loved Sonic, but people MUST realize that this is NOT Sonic! This is Shadow, a completely different game and character. Its loaded with guns,cursing, and violence. I respect that, due to shadow's outlook on life, but the only thing is that SEGA should have kept it rated T for teens because many parents arent happy about their kids saying 'damn' or 'hell' but if it was rated T, it would get a better review because people would know what to expect! You must realize this opens up Shadow's past! SO many teens love him, Sonic if more of a character for younger kids(my opinion)

Recently, Nintendo has come out with a game called Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow is a sequel from the game series Sonic the Hedgehog that Sega started. Sega is now partnered with Nintendo to create some popular games like the following: Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and Sonic Heroes.

This is the story of Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow was created by Dr. Gerald Robotnik on the Space Colony ARK. Shadow was created for some mysterious reason but he can't remember why, the only thing he does remember is an image of him and a girl named Maria trying to escape the ARK. Years later, Shadow was discovered by Dr. Ivo Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik's grandson, on the ARK and asked Shadow to help him take over the world. Shadow was willing to help because he thought that Dr. Robotnik would help him remember something about his past. After helping Dr.Robotnik, Shadow realized that the ARK was falling towards the Earth and he had to go help Sonic stop the ARK from destroying the Earth. In the process of helping Sonic, Shadow lost all of his energy and vanished. Sonic and friends didn't know what had happened to him; they figured he had died.

Knowing Shadow's past helps the player fully understand the game. Shadow the Hedgehog the game starts out with Shadow standing on a hillside trying to remember anything about his past. The only things he remembers are the image of him and Maria trying to escape from the ARK and that he is the Ultimate Life Form. That very same day he's thinking alien monsters come down from the sky and start attacking the city, Shadow starts to walk away until he hears a voice saying his name. He turns to see the head alien telling him to collect the seven chaos emeralds to learn about his past and then the alien vanishes. Shadow has no choice but to believe him and start his adventure.

The game is hard to learn at first because the controls are different, but once the controls become comfortable the game becomes easier. There are also good and bad things about the game. The good things are the following: Weapons to destroy the enemies, cars to drive through-out the game, different routes to take to make the game more fun, and high speed action. The bad things are the following: The camera angles the game has changes all of a sudden and that the routes change when the player doesn't want that route.

This game would be recommended for the players who like high speed action and shooter games.

Even with recent advancements in video game technology, very few games offer a mix of everything gaming has to offer. First person shooters, and racing games come by the dozen, as do games about soldiers, crooks, or mystical anime-like worlds. Shadow the Hedgehog, the newest addition to the classic Sonic series, combines the best aspects of these popular gaming concepts, enhancing the over-all Sonic experience.

Simply, Shadow is an inverted version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Those unfamiliar with Sonic Adventure 2, might assume this to be cheap characterization on the Sonic Team's part, but it is actually just the opposite. Visually, yes, Sonic and Shadow are extremely alike. Shadow's colors are just flipped from Sonic's and his look is more menacing. The actual background of Shadow's character however, is more complex then any other character's in the series. In fact, Shadow's past and personality are the bases of the game. This is a huge step up for the Sonic Team. Sonic Adventure 2, which also centers Shadow's motives, is the only other Sonic game that has ever truly regarded any kind of thought out story line. Sonic Heroes, Sonic Adventure, and pretty much all of the Sega Genesis Sonic games, gave you a very clear mission; Defeat the Evil Doctor Robotnik using some Chaos Emeralds, and thus, save the world.

The Story line in Shadow the Hedgehog is: who is Shadow? Is he good, evil, misunderstood, indifferent? Does he want to help human beings, or does he want to kill them all? It is the player's job to decide. And the great thing is, you can change your mind right in the middle of game play.

Here's how the system works, the order of stages depends on the mission you choose with in each level. For example, level one, Westopolis, throws Shadow into a situation where aliens are attacking the city. You have three options: You can either, help Sonic and the G.U.N. army defeat these aliens; You can assist the aliens in killing off all the soldiers; Or... you can blow everyone off and snatch one of seven chaos emeralds, hidden near the end of the level. There are over twenty levels, all of which are huge 3-D environments, with lots of directions and little crevices to choose from. It is actually a combination of the path-set levels in Sonic Adventure 2, and the exploration based levels in Sonic Adventure.

Its easy to choose which path to take, as the game's other characters are always meeting up with you as you play, and trying to sway you to follow their directions. You can also reference each mission by pausing the game. This takes you to a menu of your options. Often I would be very close to finishing a mission, and at the very last minute, decide to just blow everything up. This is possible because for good deeds, a meter on the top of the screen fills up in blue, eventually giving you a special move called, Chaos Control, allowing you to wiz through the level in double the speed.. If you choose to be wicked though, another meter fills up in red, giving you the power of Chaos Blast, which is the equivalent to a mini-nuclear bomb. Each move is very nicely animated and easy to control.

The weapons are also a nice addition to the game. There are special weapons, which can be found in Shadow-colored boxes. Each box has four weapons to choose from. I recommend the vacuum chicken, which sucks up all your enemies, but the chao doll shooter is nice too...

Regular weapons, which you steal from your enemies, include missiles, bazookas, machine guns, plasma lasers, hand guns... basically all the good stuff. This might seem violent for a Sonic game, but aliens just turn into green blobs when you shoot them. Soldiers and army fighting machines? ...Okay, I know, shooting soldiers is a bit dark, but again, its not like blood flies every where. Soldiers just yelp and beg for mercy after you shoot them. There are no violent graphics or real solider deaths, so its hard to feel too guilty once you get into blasting them all. That, and its fun to watch their machinery explode.

Getting back to the "darkness" of the game... Some very minimal, almost silly swearing has been added to the dialogue. Trust me, it is not offensive. Its actually kind of goofy. Also, the voice actors have all been re-casted, so, aside from the harmless cussing, lines are delivered a lot better then those of previous Sonic games. Though, be warned of the cheesy "mwhahaha" crap every now and then.

Other problems that have been addressed: The angle issue that the Sonic Team is notorious for, is actually a lot better. There are a few levels where I had some problems with it, but very rarely did they cost me one of my Shadow lives. The animation, especially in the major cut scenes, is really nice, great actually. It is very clear, textured, well lit, and nicely directed, though some of the human characters move a bit awkwardly. Still, in Sonic Adventure 2, the animation of a human character, Maria, was practically deformed. She looks a lot better in this game, I promise.

Lastly, the soundtrack to Shadow the Hedgehog features digitally mixed, guitar-heavy, electronica-like themes. The tracks with vocals, which are played during the introduction of the game, and as the credits are rolling, range from Marilyn Manson rip-offs, to even a semi-eighties/The Cure techno track. The best theme is one called The Chosen one. Its very pop-rock, but actually has a really somber chord progression. It almost stands alone from the game, just as Suteki Da Ne does in Final Fantasy X.

Over-all, Shadow the Hedgehog is a major advancement in Sonic games, that features very polished animation, and a detailed story-line, which the player has control over. It is "dark" but not offensive or truly violent, and includes well-produced music and voice acting.

Since those immortal words in Sonic Adventure 2, it has been all but inevitable that Shadow have his own unique title bestowed upon him. I will admit that I wondered about this after his supposed death at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, but I was not surprised at all to see him make a return in Sonic Heroes. Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow's solo quest to find out the truth about his past, is a darker, edgier, and more mysterious game than any other Sonic game.

From the game's impressive introductory cinematic to the gratifying ending theme "Never Turn Back," several qualities are definite. First and foremost, the game stays true to its Sonic roots while simultanteously branching out to a more mature atmosphere. As the E-10 label suggests, the game contains mild language. When Shadow dies, he says, "Damn! Not here." However, that is as vulgar as the profanity goes, and it is certainly no reason for anyone not to play and enjoy this game. (After all, if I was shot by a laser or fell from a ledge into the dismal abyss of space, I think I would utter quite a few more coarse words than "damn.") Some people seem to consider this a major problem for the game, but frankly, I can only wonder what they were expecting. The most highly advertised aspect of Shadow the Hedgehog is the new gunplay, and I thought that would be an obvious clue to the content (Also, the game cover shows Shadow standing in the wake of an explosion holding a rocket launcher...that was another clue that was overlooked, in addition to the E-10 label in the bottom right hand corner.)

The game has several powerful strengths. The gameplay is a smooth blend of shooting, platforming, and occasional exploring. The plot is, unlike other Sonic games, ridiculously open-ended and includes ten separate endings. Each time you play the story mode, you only play six missions. There are 23 main story missions in the game, but several playthroughs are required to see each one. There are a staggering 326 possible combinations of paths and endings (That's not an exaggeration), and I doubt many gamers will even attain a third of them. One playthrough takes from one and a half to three hours depending on your skill level, so I am guessing it would take even an expert around 500 hours of gameplay to beat every combination. After beating all of the initial ten endings, the last story mission will become available, and you discover what truly happens at the end.

The soundtrack for the game is downright amazing. The tracks are essentially either of the hard rock or electronic genres, and there are some awesome tracks of both. The notables include "Waking Up" by Julien-K, "All Hail Shadow" by Magna-FI, and "I Am (All of Me)" by Crush 40.

Visually, the cut scenes are incredible, but the gameplay graphics are a bit lackluster compared to other recent titles. The controls are a bit sketchy but definitely managable after an hour or so. The major flaw is the camera, which constantly gets stuck in inconvenient positions for no obvious reason. Frankly, this is the sole reason the fun-factor of the game can only rightfully be given four stars.

That being said, the final product still earns a five star rating from me because of the intriguing plot, innovative twists to the gameplay, and remarkably good soundtrack. If you like Sonic Adventure 2 or are the least bit curious about Shadow's mysteries, you'll like Shadow the Hedbgehog. Honestly, even if you've never played a Sonic game before, Shadow the Hedgehog is still worth at least a rent.

I have collected all the Sonic games over the years and this is #1. Shadow has forgoten his past and doesn't know if he should take hero or dark path. Attack aliens or G.U.N Soilders with homing attacks or shoot them. You get to play through the game multiple times.

Zip through the stage with viechles and use special moves.The power of Chaos control to skip portions of the stage or the power of Chaos blast to get rid of what is in your way.

Ok,here is what bothers me, alot of people are bothered by the swearing. Alot os parents are bothered. My mom doesn't care really because they are very light swears. The D word and the
H word.Even though Shadow says the D word throughout the whole game, he only says the H Word 2 times in the WHOLE Game!!!!

I have been waiting for this game for over a year!!! Shadow is my favorite character. He is cool. Hopefully Sega will make a Shadow the hedgehog 2. i would rate this game A+.

I really reccomend this game. You will love it. I have had it for over a month and i am still addicted to it. Best music ever in a Sonic game since Sonic adventure 2:Battle!!

~ Good Luck!~