Sonic X Shadow Generations thread, movie level out now

Managed to play through this on lunch today - the main Act is alright, lacks some of the depth of the other stages, but I suppose that was to be expected for a stage based only around Shadow's default moveset with none of the Doom Powers active. The two challenges had a decent amount of... well, challenge; took me a good few attempts to S Rank each. Kept screwing up the balloon mission by using Chaos Control too early at the end, even though I knew I needed to freeze the damn balloons to reach that final pulley for an extra time item. So yeah, good fun overall - just wish there was more of it! Even a Hard Mode for one of the Challenges that would only appear when the Doom Zone was active would have been something.

Also, yes, Keanu definitely phoned this in in a way he doesn't seem to have with the movie itself - I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was just given the lines for this DLC with no context from the sounds of how he delivers them. It wouldn't be too much of a problem if it weren't for the fact he's the only voice for this stage/skin, regardless of your language setting...!

Finally, I wish they'd given it a better name than just [Extra]TOKYO - that feels like a placeholder. Something like TOKYO MISSION (echoing the subtitle of the film) or TOKYO SCRAMBLE (since you start at Shibuya's Scramble Crossing) would have worked much better and sounded like a proper stage name.

 

Apparently the movie Shadow skin is only playable on the DLC stage itself.
Might be a commercial ploy, due to copyright issues, but some people surely will feel cheated on by SEGA.

 

It's probably more of a rigging and budget/time issue. Movie Shadow has an entirely different facial structure from regular Shadow, so you can't just slap him into the main game without extra effort going into the animations.
Frankly, I'm ok with it though because that also means using Keanu's voice, and it's really phoned in here with his grunts putting me off.

 

ik you're joking but this is unironically a better execution of the lane / rail switching than basically anything in the base game. i've been trying to optimize this section and it takes some real brainstorming to come up with a route that can get you a smooth, unbroken stride, even with spear-gliding. turns out 3D platformers are at their most interesting when you have to meaningfully navigate three axes - who knew!

as for the level overall, i really liked it - i would probably put it between kingdom valley 1 and chaos island 1 in terms of quality. one thing i think is really good - and portends quite well for the future - is that the art direction of this level feels much more on par with sonic gens, in regards to the level feeling like it's part of a (relatively) believable space. my big critique of shadow gens (and the one thing i think sonic gens has over it) is that the levels are definitely more cyberspace-coded overall, i.e. obstacle courses over bottomless pits. this one felt on-par with gens city escape and speed highway in terms of its visual "grounded-ness" and density. hoping that whatever the next mainline game is uses this level of art direction as a baseline

 

Quarter pipes are always a welcome addition to the level design.

 

https://x.com/theblazingrush/status/1867393482647572948

Seems like mostly an issue with not having the time to rerig this new model for the existing levels and cinematics, so same reason you couldnt use shadow in the forces levels that had QTEs

 

Something a little odd I've not seen commented on yet - at the end of the stage, + - before going through the ring portal, Shadow says something to the effect of "I need to finish my mission, but I'll be back". Do we reckon they're... going anywhere with that? Or is it just there to set up the idea of him coming back through the portal to tackle the two accompanying Challenge Acts?  

 

I had the same issue actually. I kept going in and although it was “I stalled” there was no indication of it. I restarted my PS5 and when in and got the notice to complete Space Colony Ark act 1 to get over to it.

I said fuck that, I know how to use a damn map, and just went over to it

I’ve honestly been waiting since 1991 for such an experience.

One thing I’ve noticed is the LARGE change in standard difficulty. I feel like all the original versions of everything in Shadow Generations were much more difficult (in my older age I’m not mad about it). Not that I didn’t have a few cheap deaths, but at least I feel like deaths are my own fault now.

This Tokyo level is amazing and I hope we get MORE of these!

 

+ - I reckon it’s more a message of like “see you in the movie!” than anything  

 

I'm personally interpreting it as both. Unless they decided out of nowhere to release an Act 2 after the movie's release that's more spoiler filled.

 

I'm wondering if perhaps the in-level cinematics are broad recreations of things that happen in the movie too, such as Shadow on the train and in the air with the missiles.

 

...Wow. Oh wow. Just… wow.

For the sake of those who care about the movie, I hope Keanu does a better job there than he did here…..

….Because that was absolutely terrible.

I heard that it was weak and he sounded bored, so I already had that expectation. But I just actually watched through a gameplay video just now, only to find he didn’t even reach the expectations I still had. Lol

Level itself looks good. From an aesthetic standpoint point, at least.

 

The new Sonic racing game. Shadow literally drives through a warp ring in the trailer.

 

Haven't gotten to play yet. Can I use regular Shadow in the movie level?

 

Don’t think so. The level is filled with cinematic moments and dialogue that’s only intended for movie Shadow, turns out.

On the subject of the movies blending into the games, anyone starting to think we might get a game based on the movie world? I’m starting to think it’s possible, maybe even starting with the racing game.

 

Assuming Sonic 4 goes with an original story rather than an adaptation of a pre-existing game, sure.

 

Damn, thought as much when I saw you guys saying movie Shadow isn’t an option in normal stages.

Regarding a game in the movie world… please, God, no. The movies should be an easily accessible gateway leading new fans to the real thing. I don’t think any movie fans are turned off by ‘game’ Sonic, but that is decidedly NOT the case going the other way.

 

If the PSP and DS were still alive, we'd be getting movie tie ins...

 

It's going to be so funny when this starts happening.

 

So if there would be any more DLC levels after this, and I assume that's a big if, should we also expect those to be single Acts? Even the Casino Night Zone DLC was basically one Act with slightly different character playability.