Summary
It’s an exciting time to be a Sonic fan. Sonic Frontiers took the series in a bold new direction by introducing open-world platforming. Meanwhile,Sonic X Shadow Generationsremasters one of the Blue Blur’s greatest adventures and gives the Ultimate Life Form his first solo outing since 2005. The best part? you’re able to play both of these incredible titles no matter which console you own.
Here’s the catch: buying two full-priced video games isn’t exactly great for your wallet. If you have to pick one, which should you go with? Do Generations' linear levels hold a candle to Frontiers' ambitious new gameplay style? And just how good is Shadow’s new campaign? Get ready for a battle of the hedgehogs!
4Story
In a sense, Generations and Frontiers both feel like course corrections for the series' lore. Additionally, both games feature excellent writing from Sonic legend Ian Flynn. But which title has the best combination of plot, character development, and world-building?
Sonic X Shadow Generations' Story
Sonic X Shadow Generations follows the titular hedgehogs as they travel through time toface off against old foesand relive previous adventures. While the Blue Blur teams up with his past self to restore the timeline, Shadow goes it alone for a rematch with his nemesis, Black Doom.
While Sonic’s story is nothing to write home about, it should be noted the entire script has been rewritten to fix continuity issues from the original and modernize some of the characters. Shadow’s story is the one that stands out, thanks to its deep dive into the hedgehog’s past and his struggle to let go of Maria and Gerald Robotnik.
Shadow’s campaign also recontextualizes some of the more convoluted parts of the lore, like Maria’s illness and the Biolizard’s creation.
Sonic Frontiers' Story
Sonic Frontiers was a tonal shift for the series, delivering a more mature and introspective plot than most previous titles. While exploring the desolate Starfall Islands, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles get trapped in an otherworldly realm called Cyber Space. On his journey to save them, Sonic unravels the history behind the extinct species that created Cyber Space and their shocking connection to the Chaos Emeralds.
Sonic Frontiers' plot excels at fleshing out the lore, re-establishing continuity, and fixing many plot holes from previous games. However, the story’s biggest strength is its characters, which arethe best depictions of Sonic and his palsin years. It may take itself too seriously in certain areas, but overall, the plot in Frontiers is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
The Egg Memos, in particular, do wonders for fleshing out Eggman’s character and adding context to a few parts of the lore.
The Winner - Sonic Frontiers
Both games help steer the lore and continuity back on track, but Sonic Frontiers offers a little more depth and world-building for those looking to get immersed in a story.
3Gameplay
While both titles share similar gameplay elements, they also have vastly different mechanics to make each one unique. So, which game is more fun to play?
Sonic X Shadow Generations' Gameplay
Sonic X Shadow Generations has a little something for everyone. While fans of the Genesis games can enjoy the Classic Sonic levels, those who prefer Unleashed or Colors will feel right at home with Modern Sonic’s boost-style gameplay. Finally, Shadow’s open-ended overworld feels like a streamlined version of Frontier’s open-zone layout.
Thankfully, each gameplay style feels refined and fun to play. While Sonic’s campaign relies a little too much on side-scrolling segments, Shadow’s adventure strikes a much better balance between 2D and 3D sections. In short, the boost-style gameplay has never felt better, andeach level is a blast to play.
Sonic Frontiers' Gameplay
Sonic Frontiers was a bold new step for the series, introducing open-ended worlds for the Blue Blur to explore, with smaller linear levels sprinkled throughout. Along the way, you can encounter boss fights, puzzles, side-scrolling challenges, and hundreds of collectibles.
The sheer amount of freedom is nothing short of exhilarating. It’s liberating to run through open worlds, discover new secrets, and tackle challenges in any order you want. That said, the 2D sections are a bit out of place in the open-zone areas, and the physics feel more suited for open-world exploration than they do for the Cyber Space stages. And that’s not to mention the game’s sometimes iffy performance.
I especially love the Super Sonic boss fights in Frontiers. They contain a bit of button-mashing, but they’re epic nonetheless.
The Winner - Sonic X Shadow Generations
Frontiers delivers a sense of freedom unlike any other game in the series, but it simply can’t compare to the top-notch boost gameplay from Generations. Shadow’s open-world exploration, in particular, is much more refined and performs better than Frontiers.
2Powers And Abilities
Shadow Generations and Sonic Frontiers both introduce exciting new abilities for the hedgehogs to use. But which ones complement the gameplay best?
Sonic X Shadow Generations' Abilities
On Sonic’s side, there aren’t many new abilities aside from the Drop Dash, which allows the Blue Blur to gain an instant burst of speed in midair. Shadow, on the other hand, getsa slew of exciting new powersto aid with combat and platforming.
While there are far too many to name, some standouts are Chaos Control, which lets you slow down time temporarily; Doom Wings, which allow you to fly; and Doom Surf, which lets you glide on water via the back of a stingray. Each ability is unlocked after beating a zone, providing a satisfying sense of progression. More importantly, each power feels like a natural extension of Shadow’s base moveset.
Sonic Frontiers' Abilities
Sonic Frontiers introduces a skill tree, which contains all of the Blue Blur’s new abilities. These include the Cyloop, which can be used to stun enemies; Sonic Boom, which lets you shoot rapid-fire shock waves; and Phantom Rush, which lets you deal devastating combos.
Additionally, Sonic’s speed, attack, defense, and ring count can be increased through an RPG-style leveling-up system. The downside is that you’ll need to do a ton of grinding to unlock all abilities and upgrade every stat. Plus, many of these new powers require a bunch of button-mashing.
While it’s cool to rack up devastating combos in Frontiers, Shadow’s abilities are more fun to use, feature much less button mashing, and require no grinding to unlock.
Gameplay, Powers and Abilities
Sonic Frontiers
Story
Let’s face it - Sonic X Shadow Generations isone of the best Sonic games ever made. Sonic’s campaign is just as good as when it initially launched in 2011. Meanwhile, Shadow’s story perfects the boost-style gameplay from the original Generations and the open-world exploration from Frontiers.
To be clear, Sonic Frontiers is by no means a bad game. Simply put, Frontiers walked so that Shadow Generations could run. It set the foundation for an open-zone Sonic game, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s still worth a play just to experience its ambitious new ideas. However, if you have to pick one, Sonic X Shadow Generations is the best choice.
