Post by Pilgrim John on Nov 17, 2005 0:04:21 GMT -5
***SHADOW the HEDGEHOG review, by PILGRIM JOHN***
What is Shadow? Is he a robotic lifeform? Is he a clone? Is he a lame ripoff Sonic character?
Fortunately, this game lets you find out for sure what he is. As advertised, Shadow the Hedgehog plays out mostly like your normal Sonic game with a dash of GTA in it. Shadow, after knocking enemies senseless, can pilfer their weaponry (or he can just break open crates--but that's no fun, now is it?) and wreak some real havoc. His arsenal can vary between two types of weapons: guns and battery weapons (i.e., clubs, swords, road signs, etc.)
Also available to the black fuzzball is vehicles, ranging from motorcycles to dragons. The dragons are probably my favorite, since the dragon-riding segments fondly remind me of the Panzer Dragoon games.
All right, to the meat of the game: At its core, the game is fast, furious, and downright fun, allowing you to decide which path you want to take (good, evil, or neutral). Of course, you have three objectives to accomplish in each mission. However, this is where the problems begin: each challenge is pretty much bland. "Kill all the specific enemies," "Destroy the locks", and "Find lots of rings" are as original as the missions get. They're also annoying, since if you go TOO fast, you'll miss by enemies like mad and have to go back to that part of the level and kill them, eating up valuable time. Slowing down in a game about speed and violence is pretty contradictory.
The camera system apparently dislikes Shadow for some reason. Usually, it stays right behind Shadow, but in more areas than I'd like, it shifts so that it has a perfect view of the wall next to me... but not the enemies I'm trying to kill.
The gameplay, however, manages to overcome these two major flaws. The running, jumping, blowing stuff up, testing out various interesting artillery (like a gun that sucks up enemies and uses THEM as projectiles), and vehicle segments combine into an awesome mix no matter what path you choose.
And now, the production segment of my review! Is it just me or is Sega getting better with the cinematic making in these Sonic games? The opening to the game is one of the coolest I've seen. Too bad the actual game doesn't look that good; in fact, if you've played Sonic Adventure 2 or Sonic Heroes, you aren't missing anything, graphically speaking.
The voice acting here... Ouch. None of it is very convincing. Shadow still sounds like a 14-year-old drug addict! It figures, though, considering 4kids Entertainment supplied the actors. The weird part is, it's 4kids... But Shadow is swearing. Really! Let it be known! The first Sonic-related game to actually have cursing and hedgehogs in it simultaneously!
Now there are several endings to the game, depending on which path you take. Even though there are many, many serious gamers can reach at least two, maybe three of them, in a single setting. The game just isn't that long, at a record low of six levels to play through. Ah well, considering the fact that there are over 20 awesomely built levels to play through, the replay value in Shadow the Hedgehog is pretty high, even if you've seen several of the endings... maybe even all of them.
In the end, Shadow the Hedgehog is a worthwhile addition to the Sonic brand, the Sega name, and your game collection. It's fun, fast-paced in most areas, cinematically stunning, and best of all--it's Sonic, all dark and edgy. What began as a stupid idea has blossomed into one of my favorite titles of 2005.
GOOD:
*The combination of gameplay types (Action, Platforming, and now Shooting) add up to a satisfying experience.
*The cinematics are awesome.
*The graphics are good.
*The music is catchy in plenty of areas.
*The vehicle segments are a blast.
*Multiple endings make for high replay value.
BAD:
*The mission types are uninventive.
*The voice acting hurts at its very best. Be prepared to scrape your ears off and eat them.
*The camera system retains its crown of "Most Annoying Video Game Thing in Existence", next to Castlevania's Medusa Heads and Zelda's Like Likes.
*The graphics might be good, but they're unfortunately merely standard.
*The main game is over way too quickly.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.5/10
Shadow the Hedgehog 2? I'm there!!
What is Shadow? Is he a robotic lifeform? Is he a clone? Is he a lame ripoff Sonic character?
Fortunately, this game lets you find out for sure what he is. As advertised, Shadow the Hedgehog plays out mostly like your normal Sonic game with a dash of GTA in it. Shadow, after knocking enemies senseless, can pilfer their weaponry (or he can just break open crates--but that's no fun, now is it?) and wreak some real havoc. His arsenal can vary between two types of weapons: guns and battery weapons (i.e., clubs, swords, road signs, etc.)
Also available to the black fuzzball is vehicles, ranging from motorcycles to dragons. The dragons are probably my favorite, since the dragon-riding segments fondly remind me of the Panzer Dragoon games.
All right, to the meat of the game: At its core, the game is fast, furious, and downright fun, allowing you to decide which path you want to take (good, evil, or neutral). Of course, you have three objectives to accomplish in each mission. However, this is where the problems begin: each challenge is pretty much bland. "Kill all the specific enemies," "Destroy the locks", and "Find lots of rings" are as original as the missions get. They're also annoying, since if you go TOO fast, you'll miss by enemies like mad and have to go back to that part of the level and kill them, eating up valuable time. Slowing down in a game about speed and violence is pretty contradictory.
The camera system apparently dislikes Shadow for some reason. Usually, it stays right behind Shadow, but in more areas than I'd like, it shifts so that it has a perfect view of the wall next to me... but not the enemies I'm trying to kill.
The gameplay, however, manages to overcome these two major flaws. The running, jumping, blowing stuff up, testing out various interesting artillery (like a gun that sucks up enemies and uses THEM as projectiles), and vehicle segments combine into an awesome mix no matter what path you choose.
And now, the production segment of my review! Is it just me or is Sega getting better with the cinematic making in these Sonic games? The opening to the game is one of the coolest I've seen. Too bad the actual game doesn't look that good; in fact, if you've played Sonic Adventure 2 or Sonic Heroes, you aren't missing anything, graphically speaking.
The voice acting here... Ouch. None of it is very convincing. Shadow still sounds like a 14-year-old drug addict! It figures, though, considering 4kids Entertainment supplied the actors. The weird part is, it's 4kids... But Shadow is swearing. Really! Let it be known! The first Sonic-related game to actually have cursing and hedgehogs in it simultaneously!
Now there are several endings to the game, depending on which path you take. Even though there are many, many serious gamers can reach at least two, maybe three of them, in a single setting. The game just isn't that long, at a record low of six levels to play through. Ah well, considering the fact that there are over 20 awesomely built levels to play through, the replay value in Shadow the Hedgehog is pretty high, even if you've seen several of the endings... maybe even all of them.
In the end, Shadow the Hedgehog is a worthwhile addition to the Sonic brand, the Sega name, and your game collection. It's fun, fast-paced in most areas, cinematically stunning, and best of all--it's Sonic, all dark and edgy. What began as a stupid idea has blossomed into one of my favorite titles of 2005.
GOOD:
*The combination of gameplay types (Action, Platforming, and now Shooting) add up to a satisfying experience.
*The cinematics are awesome.
*The graphics are good.
*The music is catchy in plenty of areas.
*The vehicle segments are a blast.
*Multiple endings make for high replay value.
BAD:
*The mission types are uninventive.
*The voice acting hurts at its very best. Be prepared to scrape your ears off and eat them.
*The camera system retains its crown of "Most Annoying Video Game Thing in Existence", next to Castlevania's Medusa Heads and Zelda's Like Likes.
*The graphics might be good, but they're unfortunately merely standard.
*The main game is over way too quickly.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.5/10
Shadow the Hedgehog 2? I'm there!!