The Year of Shadow the Hedgehog
By Hamzah Amir Ahmed
Shadow the Hedgehog’s last game was realeased on the Playstation 2 and Gamecube in 2005
Playstation’s State of Play has left gamers feeling riveting and excited. With the announcement of games such as Silent Hill: The Short Message, Death Stranding 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and not to mention Hideo Kojima’s teasing new action espionage game, the gaming community can hardly wait.
However, amid all the exciting releases this year there is one character in ever evolving gaming world that is set to take centre stage in 2024 and that is Shadow the Hedgehog.
At Playstation’s marquee event, a remaster of the original Sonic Generations called Sonic x Shadow Generations was announced. The game is set to feature a brand-new story campaign cantered around arguably the most powerful character in the franchise. The game is scheduled to be released in Autumn this year. While Shadow will be busy later this year, Sonic’s rival has had an impressive start to 2024.
Netflix’s Sonic Prime released its third and potentially final season last month and while the season hasn’t been received well, Shadow remains a major component in the overall storyline. His characteristics remain unchanged throughout the series and he remains in an anti-hero role. Throughout the show Shadow appears on screen with the ever sought after Chaos Emerald.
Although Shadow does not get a huge amount of screentime, between his understanding of the complexities of the Shatterverse and his iconic phrase “CHAOS CONTROL!”, his performance left a huge mark.
The news of the game and his appearance in show are exciting and welcomed but what everyone is truly waiting for is his appearance on the big screen.
The moment Commander Walters said: “My god. Project Shadow”, followed by the debut appearance of the “Ultimate Lifeform”, Sonic fans have eagerly waited for the third instalment. Luckily, last November the movie’s X account announced that the film will arrive in cinemas on the 20th of December 2024.
One of the biggest desires from the fanbase is for the third title to be PG-13. Shadow the Hedgehog has a very dark and tragic backstory. His experiences prior to meeting Sonic are key aspects of his character and it heavily influences his actions throughout the Sonic franchise.
The previous two films have been more child friendly but with the movie set to explore Shadow’s life, a higher rating will be better suited to bring the best out of the character.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a perfect way to end an exciting year of entertainment. With Knuckles the Echidna already in the story, the arrival of the Blue Blur’s rival will open a realm of possibilities for future sequels.