Shadow from Shadow Generations
The Year of Shadow is nearly over, and Sega delivered on bringing Sonic’s angsty rival back into the spotlight. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 did an excellent job of utilizing Keanu Reeves’ soulful performance, and Shadow Generations felt like an apology for flattening one of the Sonic series’ most complex characters for nearly 20 years. The new campaign gives Shadow a chance to revisit the grief that weighed him down and the desire for companionship that helped redeem him, rather than treating them like bullet points on a character sheet Sega stopped looking at after Sonic ‘06. Given the success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Shadow will likely be spending more time in the spotlight in future games. It’s about damn time, Sega. The best character in the series is finally getting his due. — Kenneth Shepard
