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

[KHCast]

Shadow's story is far more coherent, Sonic 06's story is a mess. Says a lot that a game with an alien invasion does better than one with time travel (then again, maybe not)

Shadow's game didn't have many glitches that were noticable, Sonic 06 had loads of glitches that made it far more infamous in the first place.

And neither of their tones were handled well at all. Say what you will about either one, but it says a lot when many consider a game with an identity crisis to be better than the game that was meant to be the series 15th anniversary title.

Never said that wasn't true. I just find myself playing 06 more than SHtH. I know both are shit.:/

[SuperLink]

Shadow The Hedgehog had some cool music and it let the second player control a character optionally for coop (which was shit in 3D BUT) that was the last time that feature has been used I miss it a lot it should really be a standard in Sonic games.

That's really all I have to say.

[Sean]

You didn't even write a single damn thing in the topic post. Next time write a paragraph or two.

EDIT: Oh wow I didn't even see any text at all in that post because I'm using IPBoard and it's all white. My mistake, but don't use colored text next time, because it looks invisible.

[Chaos Warp]

I love my mom, she is only doing what's best for me. <3 But yeah, I guess from your point of view it can look like she was being ridiculous.

Wait, so you won't play any game with demonic monsters because of your religion? Were you making a joke with the "mom knows best" thing because Shadow The Hedgehog is a terrible game, or do you genuinely believe that what your mom did was justified?

Not to negatively accuse or bash your religion, just curious.

Edited December 10, 2012 by Chaos Wrapping Paper

[Abominal SnowTaz]

Is Shadow the Hedgehog really a bad game?

Well.....yes...

Shooting things was fun at first but, it got to be no fun fast.

[Solid SOAP]

Awful controls, awful graphics, awful story, awful dialogue, awful level design, awful concept, Sonic characters swore and shot people in it. It's a terrible game.

The music was awesome though, as usual. Digital Circuit's awesome theme and concept was wasted on such a terrible game.

Edited December 10, 2012 by Solid SOAP

[Solkia]

Didn't we have this topic about 3 months ago?

And 3 months before that?

[Diogenes]

Shadow's story is far more coherent, Sonic 06's story is a mess.

I dunno about that. They both suck, but in '06 we actually know what happens...

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I dunno about that. They both suck, but in '06 we actually know what happens...

Just because you know what happens doesn't make a plot coherent.

ShTH didn't create plotholes as huge as the inconsistency with Blaze in it dude. On top of that the main villian of the game goes through a convoluted plan to send a character on a goose chase to kill another character when he could have done so himself at any other time.

Sonic 06 has more question to it than answers compared to ShTH that ended up causing a continuity mess; the main question to ask in the latter game is how did Shadow get from Westopolis to the Black Comet within the "choose your path" feature of the game.

[Phos]

The game's only saving grace is that it's actually a better game than Sonic 06. Which is NOT saying a lot.

How can you say that, you can't even fly into space on metal boxes in ShtH.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

How can you say that, you can't even fly into space on metal boxes in ShtH.

Well I don't stick to walls after I touch them in ShTH.

[Wraith]

Well I don't stick to walls after I touch them in ShTH.

Well, Shadow doesn't kick any motherfuckers in the head in slow motion in Shadow The Hedgehog.

We could honestly do this all day.

[Phos]

Well I don't stick to walls after I touch them in ShTH.

Sometimes you have to break an egg to stand on the sides of checkpoint posts.

[Diogenes]

Just because you know what happens doesn't make a plot coherent.

Yeah but compared to a game where you literally do not know what happens for the majority of it, I think '06 has the edge.

ShTH didn't create plotholes as huge as the inconsistency with Blaze in it dude.

While this is a plothole taking the series as a whole, it's not incoherent with itself.

On top of that the main villian of the game goes through a convoluted plan to send a character on a goose chase to kill another character when he could have done so himself at any other time.

This is just a matter of a stupid villain, and Black Doom really isn't any better. The dude and his army pass by Earth every 50 years, they obviously had a ground presence at some point given the flying temples, but they never make a move until this one particular hedgehog is created?

Sonic 06 has more question to it than answers compared to ShTH that ended up causing a continuity mess; the main question to ask in the latter game is how did Shadow get from Westopolis to the Black Comet within the "choose your path" feature of the game.

Which is the majority of the game...

[720]

It's not the best game in the world but it is a bit underrated. People raise points like the vehicles were pointless but they were 100% optional, unless you count the jumping mech, which I thought was cool! Also the Heroes engine isn't that bad once you get used to it. I've found that after I got used to the way Shadow moves that the game is more fun than Adventure 2 and arguably Heroes. It feels like you're in control of Shadow for most of the game which is something I hated about Sonic Adventure 2. Also I think the 'extreme' nature of the game was partly a joke from Sonic Team.

[Vertekins]

People raise points like the vehicles were pointless but they were 100% optional

Yeah but just because they're optional that shouldn't excuse their crappiness. It's as if the vehicles were included just so that Shadow could drive a motorcycle without including any real functionality or usefulness

Also I think the 'extreme' nature of the game was partly a joke from Sonic Team.

If this is the case, they're pretty bad comedians.

[Diogenes]

It's not the best game in the world but it is a bit underrated. People raise points like the vehicles were pointless but they were 100% optional, unless you count the jumping mech, which I thought was cool!

The jump mech is one of the few vehicles with any reason for existing, but it's still slow and clunky. And the vehicles being mostly optional doesn't mean they're exempt from criticism.

Also the Heroes engine isn't that bad once you get used to it.

Yes it is. I've 100%ed both Heroes and ShtH twice, I know how they work, and they work like shit.

It feels like you're in control of Shadow for most of the game which is something I hated about Sonic Adventure 2.

How are you more in control with fucking butterfeet ShtH?

Also I think the 'extreme' nature of the game was partly a joke from Sonic Team.

No. It wasn't.

[720]

The jump mech is one of the few vehicles with any reason for existing, but it's still slow and clunky. And the vehicles being mostly optional doesn't mean they're exempt from criticism.

Yes it is. I've 100%ed both Heroes and ShtH twice, I know how they work, and they work like shit.

How are you more in control with fucking butterfeet ShtH?

No. It wasn't.

I meant less automated segments and holding forward like Green Forest. Also I'm used to the butter controls and can control Shadow fine at high speed.

[Aero]

It was bad because

ALIENS.

[Kiah]

Is Shadow the Hedgehog a really bad game? YES!!!!! Is it a underrated gem? NO!!!!

That's the short answer, but since when do I make short answers around here when answering a question?! So allow me to explain myself...

This game, I can't stand it. I absolutely hate it. I don't know what in the world Sega/Sonic Team was thinking with the thought that this game and the concept behind it was a good idea. I watched a playthrough of it on Youtube and I couldn't believe what I saw and heard. From the guns to the cussing, to the trying too hard to be dark theme, to the overwhelming amount of violence with references to death and terrorism, it was just too much, especially for a Sonic game. It's like a bad joke gone completely wrong.

Aside from dark violent tone of the game, another thing I could not stand in this game is how Sonic was portrayed. He came across as a hyper, bumbling idiot. Sure Sonic likes to have fun and is full of life, but in this game he seemed to be incapable of being serious when the time called for it at times. His playful, joking and chatty demeanor with the corny outbursts just didn't fit with the overrall "serious" theme of the game, and it made Sonic look rather silly. Sonic knows how to be serious when the time calls for it. I also didn't like the idea that the other characters were completely helpless without Shadow's help. I like Shadow and all but that is putting him too high of a pedestal.

Now it wouldn't be like me if I didn't mention something positive about the game. Music was good and some of the level design was nice. Sonic's friends were in the game, and I always enjoy seeing them, especially the Chaotix, even amongst this mess of a game here. This game was also the debut of the 4Kids voice cast, which I honestly have a soft spot in my heart for. Another thing to this game's credit is the ton of replayability. Usually that is a good thing in a video game, and I won't take that away from this game despite how much I loathe it.

This is a game I have a hatred for, and it's the only Sonic game that I do hate. The Sonic fan in me wants to have every Sonic game within my means that I can play with the consoles that I own-only Shadow the Hedgehog is the exception. I wouldn't play the game if you gave it to me for free. I hate it that much.

[Komodin]

The game's only saving grace is that it's actually a better game than Sonic 06. Which is NOT saying a lot.

Damning with faint praise... meh. Even if it was lampshaded.

[Vertekins]

Aside from dark violent tone of the game, another thing I could not stand in this game is how Sonic was portrayed. He came across as a hyper, bumbling idiot. Sure Sonic likes to have fun and is full of life, but in this game he seemed to be incapable of being serious when the time called for it at times. His playful, joking and chatty demeanor with the corny outbursts just didn't fit with the overrall "serious" theme of the game, and it made Sonic look rather silly. Sonic knows how to be serious when the time calls for it.

THIS MAN. THIS.

Now I had a propensity for ragging-on about how Sonic was Flanderized in Colours but this game....this game took the frikkin' biscuit and is far worse than Colours ever was when it came to exaggerating Sonic's quirks and consuming his character. Sonic's stupid hyper-excitability is Flanderization ramped up to eleven and was clearly a means of making him a bigger contrast to Shadow than what he needed to be.

We already knew that Sonic was the confident optimist who is friendly and cheerful and was set apart from Shadow because of that. We don't need to see it epitomized in the form of him jumping up and down, making mock punches and having him act like he's broken into his nearest Don Fachio's and eaten all of the specialty Chili Dogs in there.

Edited December 11, 2012 by Vertekins

[Diogenes]

We already knew that Sonic was the confident optimist who is friendly and cheerful and was set apart from Shadow because of that. We don't need to see it epitomized in the form of him jumping up and down, making mock punches

If I were rolling my eyes any harder they'd pop right out of my head.

[Mr. Taxi]

"I like it more than the majority of the people I see talking about it" =/= "it's underrated"

[Vertekins]

If I were rolling my eyes any harder they'd pop right out of my head.

Yes, because acting like an idiot really is the best way at showing your differences from your dark rival when you previously had a far more in-character and subtle way of going about it isn't it?

That's Flanderization. Nothing more, nothing less.