Is Shadow the Hedgehog really a bad game? Or was a underrated gem?

[Jar Jar Analysis 1138]

On 4/22/2013 at 2:23 PM, JezMM said:

These are the things that let me "enjoy" playing ShTH:

 

+ One consistent movement and level design style throughout the entire experience, something that literally hadn't happened in a main console Sonic game ever up to this point, and didn't happen again until Sonic Colours.

 

+ Branching paths allowing replayability, with a large number of levels.

 

+ Overall acceptable level design when just playing through to the goal ring.

 

+ Almost all the glitches and bugs and bad control from Heroes was fixed here - namely slipping off ledges and the horrendous grinding are no longer problems.  The game controls well for the most part.

 

+ Gunplay is no more offensive to me than it was for Gamma, Tails or Eggman, and actually makes health bar'd enemies make sense.

 

+ I like the soundtrack but that's just me.

 

+ Has great levels like Circus Park, Mad Matrix, Lava Shelter and Cosmic Fall.

 

HOWEVER this is dragged down by several things.

 

- Has awful levels like Central City, The Doom, Lost Impact and Black Comet.

 

- The missions themselves are, 9 times out of 10, less fun than just heading to the goal ring, when they should have been equally fun.  It would have been better if each stage just had three goal rings and whichever alignment you were currently on provided you with an arrow or something (or verbal advice from a teammate) on what to do to reach the route you need to take for that objective - or better yet, well designed envioronments that make it obvious (for example on Death Ruins, Rouge could say there's an alien encampment at the bottom of the rivers that needs to be taken out - so you know you should follow the routes where water is flowing to beat that mission).

 

- Awful bosses.

 

- Gunplay is not as optional as it could have been.

 

- While I like it, I can totally see why some folk dislike the soundtrack.

 

- Incessantly dreary envioronments.  Could have used another few levels as bright as Circus Park.  Even Shadow's levels in SA2 were brighter than this.

 

- The story itself isn't irredeemable but it is presented awfully and is really confusing, and the main mystery Heroes created is only answered in a tiny bit of final boss dialogue most players will never hear.

I think Shadow can be a good template for non-linear objectives in Sonic games. It makes alternate pathways significantly more valuable.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Wow, I can't believe this topic even exist, let alone is so long. Okay then, everyone has their opinion. Instead of repeating the same thing everyone did, I'll say that ShTH probably handled 'war' feel better than Sonic Forces

1 There are 3 armies and you can actually see them all fighting.

2 We get little cutscenes telling how situation looks at the front (rather than percentage meter)

3 And finally, all Sonic friends are in the stages doing something, rather than talking through your radio. Heck, Chaotix had basically a tiny subplot.

Only radio part might be better. Yes, in Forces dialogue is super dry (sliiiiitly better in Shadow) but it doesn't repeat lines and you can mute it at any point. Plus no one whines when you defend yourself.

[AzureLakeSanic]

I liked it when I was a kid, but tbh it was because I had a crush on Shadow. I never actually played it. Just watched the cutscenes on YouTube, especially the one from Episode 12 over and over again for some reason.