Sonic x Shadow Generations is coming this October and everyone is curious to know more about Shadow the Hedgehog’s new Doom Powers!
The team has just released a trailer for Doom Powers, highlighting each unique ability and how they bring new twists to Shadow’s platforming and combat. The trailer also shows off gameplay from new levels reminiscent of fan favorites like Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers and Radical Highway from Sonic Adventure 2, as well as iconic boss challenges like Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes. Eagle-eyed viewers can also catch a glimpse of the reimagined hub world, White Space, where players will have the opportunity to experiment and master Shadow’s new moves as they explore, unlock levels, and discover collectibles.
We caught up with Sonic Team Creative Director Takashi Iizuka to chat about why this game was the perfect opportunity to give Shadow new abilities and how they provide action-packed new ways to get through different stages and boss battles.
Why are Shadow’s Doom Powers important to the story and gameplay?
Iizuka-san: Gameplay-wise, the team wanted to make Shadow Generations’ actions more unique to differentiate them from what Sonic can do, so we added Doom Powers. Shadow’s new powers are essential because they give him new ways to attack enemies and traverse the world, giving our team more to build into the level design of each stage. While we can’t share much about the plot, Doom Powers play a vital role in Shadow’s journey and growth throughout his campaign, giving him more power to save the world. Shadow gains these as he awakens to the power of darkness in the game, so players will see how they tie into the story when the game launches later this year.
How did you choose the final Doom Powers we see in the game? Why are these powers suitable for Shadow?
Iizuka-san: Shadow is a dark anti-hero character, so Doom Powers had to convey a sense of danger and mystery that can be seen in Shadow’s actions and movements. The level designers also incorporated a variety of ways Doom Powers can be used in this action-platformer, so they are not just additional combat moves. Shadow can use Doom Powers to move around the world.
How are these powers different from Shadow’s existing powers in previous games?
Iizuka-san: When designing the levels in Shadow Generations, we wanted to take full advantage of Shadow’s existing move, Chaos Control, which allows him to find new platforms to run across each stage and find new ways to attack bosses. However, with just Chaos Control, the core of Shadow’s gameplay is very similar to what Sonic can do, so we introduced Doom Powers to give the game more unique actions. Not only does it increase the variety of things you can do in the action platforming stages, but it also allows for great exploration and traversal in the 3D White Space Hub World for Shadow.
What was the design process like when coming up with ideas and designing the look for each power?
Iizuka-san: The idea for Doom Powers came about when we realized we needed to give Shadow new abilities and powers to create new game formats. It was important to give Shadow abilities that Sonic couldn’t do to make the action more interesting, while also making sure each power reflected his dark, anti-heroic personality. As the name suggests, Doom Powers draw their energy from Black Doom, so that was taken into consideration in the design of all Doom Powers.
Which Doom ability do you most want fans to experience?
Iizuka-san: Doom Wing, the black wings that emerged from Shadow in the Summer Game Fest trailer, was an influential idea early in the design process, so we wanted to make it the coolest Doom Power. The wings that emerge from Shadow make you think of a demon, which fits with Shadow’s dark heroic elements and allows us to present something cool and new, something we couldn’t do with Sonic.
Sonic fans – get ready to embrace the dark side of Shadow and use his new powers to fight Black Doom and save the world! When the game launches this fall, be sure to try out all sorts of different paths and methods with each Doom Power to find new ways to complete each level and battle.
Sonic x Shadow Generations is available for pre-order now starting at $49.99 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. To learn more about the various pre-order deals, visit the PlayStation Store or the official Sonic x Shadow Generations website. Fans who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition can play the game three days early and receive additional content.
