Serving as the counterpart to a newly remastered Sonic Generations, Shadow Generations completes Sonic X Shadow Generations and helps celebrate the history of the black hedgehog anti-hero. Just like the stories that have made up his character, Shadow the Hedgehog’s past is rather checkered in terms of how well the games have been received by fans and critics. Despite this, Shadow is facing Black Doom – the big bad of his 2005 solo title – while making his way through Sonic 06‘s Kingdom Valley, and Sonic Forces‘ Sunset Heights.
No matter how players may feel about the games showcased in Shadow Generations, the stages in the black hedgehog’s latest outing deliver an enjoyable experience as the new campaign is being praised by many. With the recent Tokyo Sonic 3 DLC pack included in the total, seven detailed stages make up the experience, many of them marking Shadow’s playable appearances. One stage is featured without having a prominent connection to Sonic’s rival, though. Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers, an adventure where Shadow is only mentioned in passing, serves as the last stage in the main story. Fans may have been quick to chalk Chaos Island’s appearance up to asset reuse from Sonic Team’s end, but there’s a chance that Chaos Island may have been chosen for a reason, and it may take a few years to understand why.
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Shadow Generations’ Chaos Island May Be Foreshadowing a Future Game
Shadow Generations was in a unique position in that it could use what was technically in “the future” in terms of the series’ timeline to give Shadow a few more stages to explore. This is the explanation that Professor Gerald gives to why Sunset Heights and Chaos Island appear in White Space, saying it makes sense that Shadow might glimpse his “tomorrow” alongside his yesterdays. With Shadow being completely absent from Sonic Frontiers apart from a passing mention from Sonic that fans could miss, it almost begs the question as to how Chaos Island fits in Shadow’s future.
The timing of Shadow Generations may be key to the truth of Chaos Island’s inclusion as a Sonic Frontiers sequel has been rumored to be in the works since 2024. Due to how multiple projects are typically in the works at the same time, and how much of a success Frontiers was, Chaos Island could have easily been put in Shadow Generations to reuse assets to cut time, as well as represent the decision to include Shadow in the sequel. The Year of Shadow may be over, but the way the black hedgehog has been used as a titular piece of Sonic Racing CrossWorlds marketing says he isn’t going anywhere for a while. Including him in the next mainline game afterward makes perfect sense.
Chaos Island Could Serve as Sonic X Shadow Generations’ Crossroad
Alternatively, if Chaos Island isn’t a sign that Shadow is going to be in whatever Sonic title takes after Frontiers, then it likely serves a more thematic purpose. Chaos Island was a place that only Sonic had explored, and Sonic is exactly who Shadow encounters once the stage is finished. The cutscene after the stage even shows Shadow making his way into Sonic’s side of White Space, making Chaos Island seem like the gap between both titles in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
Whether Chaos Island’s inclusion was reused assets or something bigger, it doesn’t feel out of place for these reasons. Even if Chaos Island is meant to represent Sonic’s presence in White Space, it’s still important to what Shadow Generations sought to achieve. At the very least, one of the Starfall Islands existing in Shadow Generations gives hope that not only will the islands come back in the future, but Sonic might have his rival with him to explore the mysteries in their ruins. It may take some time before this potential game is announced, but if this stage truly leads to something more, fans will know exactly where they were teased about this in advance.
- Released
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October 25, 2024
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence