The upcoming Sonic x Shadow Generations is an interesting title on two fronts. First, it’s a remaster of what many consider to be one of the best games in the series, and especially of recent times. Second, while half the game is a remaster, the other half is entirely new content! Indeed, while Sonic is reliving some past glory in more ways than one, Shadow The Hedgehog will get all-new content highlighting part of his journey into the universe. Yes, Maria will be there, and she’s not the only familiar character you’ll see in this new expanded origin story content.
However, that’s still not the only thing that Shadow The Hedgehog will be showing off. Sonic x Shadow Generations will feature entirely new abilities for Shadow called “Doom Powers,” and each one will have unique effects that Shadow can use to either attack or platform around the world. In a special interview with Sonic Team Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka, the PlayStation Blog learned just how these powers will come into play:
“In terms of gameplay, the team wanted to make Shadow Generations’ action more unique to differentiate it from what Sonic can do, so we added the Doom Powers. While we can’t share much about the story, the Doom Powers play an essential role in Shadow’s journey and development throughout his campaign, giving him more powers to save the world. Shadow receives these when he awakens to the power of darkness in the game, so players will see how closely they tie into the narrative when the game comes out later this year.”
A nice tease of what’s to come. You can see the Doom Powers in action below:
As for how the team came up with the ideas for the Doom Powers, Iizuka admitted that they wanted to lean into the “dark, anti-hero” personality that Shadow gives off. Thus, the powers tap into that “dark aura” he exudes, and that makes these abilities fit his character even more.
Oh, and if the name of the abilities sounds familiar, the officer confirmed that it draws from Black Doom, who is key to Shadow’s origin.
Now, as for which power Iizuka liked the most…
“Doom Wing, the black wings that come out of Shadow in the Summer Game Fest trailer, was an impactful idea early in the design process, so we wanted to make it the coolest looking of all the Doom Powers. The wings that come out of Shadow make you think of a devil, which goes well with Shadow’s dark hero elements and allows us to present something cool and new, something we couldn’t do with Sonic.”
