POWERFUL PLAY

If you’re gonna play as The Ultimate Lifeform, you need to know about his exclusive abilities! There’s Chaos Snap, where Shadow instantly teleports to enemies to attack him (going through obstacles that Homing Attack can’t), and Chaos Spears, which Shadow can fire to stun enemies or hit targets in the distance. The big one is Chaos Control (activated when Shadow fills his Chaos Gauge) where time stops for a few seconds, and Shadow can avoid being harmed by dangerous obstacles. The Chaos Gauge is filled by defeating enemies – different to the Boost Gauge, which is filled by collecting Rings. With Chaos Control, he can also speed along a trail of green energy.

MAJOR BOOST

Shadow Generations has a pretty generous Boost Gauge, so don’t be shy about hitting hyperspeed. Boosting into enemies busts ‘em up too, so you don’t even have to dash attack them – and the bumper buttons are super for switching rails, or dodging! Looking to leap? In this game, Shadow has the Double Jump, rather than Modern Sonic’s Jump Dash. Of course, Shadow also gains access to Doom Powers in his adventure, granting him Doom Spears, Doom Blast, Doom Morph, Doom Wings, and Doom Surf. Even in the toughest moments, one thing will always boost your mood – the tunes. Obviously, we have to mention the music, and you’re gonna love it. Trust us!

SWEET STAGES

In Shadow’s campaign, he travels through stages from his past, as well as a few stages from his (and Sonic’s) future. The levels are all connected by the massive open 3D hub world of White Space, where you can find items, power ups, and characters. There are moments in the game when Shadow crosses paths with Sonic too! You’ll get to visit Space Colony ARK (from Sonic Adventure 2), Rail Canyon (from Sonic Heroes), Kingdom Valley (from Sonic the Hedgehog), Sunset Heights (from Sonic Forces), Chaos Island (from Sonic Frontiers), and many more locations. Instead of collecting five Red Star Rings, each level has Collection Keys to find – items with icons of a book, musical note, and paintbrush. Keep an eye out!

TIP THE SCALES

In Space Colony ARK, you need to prepare to meet Biolizard, a boss who really wants to chomp Shadow. Avoid that tail, and the energy balls he will spit at you. Once Biolizard gets tired enough to rest his head, use your Homing Attack to grind the pipes on the boss’ head and attack the life support system on his back. Of course, it isn’t that simple – you’re going to need to survive two more phases. Our advice? See an expanding energy ring? Jump! Biolizard’s new eggy arm stuck in the ground? Attack! Floating eggs? It’s Homing Attack time; bound over and attack the life support again. One your reptilian foe starts jumping and slamming, you’ll need Chaos Control to gain extra time for your attack. You can collect extra Rings by destroying the Biolizard’s arm – or attacking the life support while using Chaos Control! When things get dire for Biolizard, he’s going to start sticking to the wall and get… tubular. Thankfully, you have Chaos Spears at your disposal now, so deflect the small energy balls. When a giant energy ball flies at you, it’s Chaos Control time again! Don’t let it hit the ground – attack the mega energy ball to split it into eggs, then use Homing Attack to reach the life support one last time!

WATER MESS

Another boss standing (or hovering) in your way will be Metal Overlord – you’ll have to chase the clanky, cranky dragon through the flooded Final Fortress. Doom Surf comes in handy here! Ram debris to toss it at Metal Overlord, and avoid those laser obstacles. Harness your precision when Metal Overlord tries to hit you with his electrified tail, and jump to avoid damage. The chase is fun – try tricks off Trick Jump Panels and fly through Rainbow Rings to get even closer to the boss’ core. Once the mechanical monster has taken plenty of damage, he’ll start to spin and cause a waterspout. Ride that and jump off before Metal Overlord can grab you. Back on your Doom Surf, it’s whirlpool time apparently (thanks Metal Overlord). Launch debris and dodge missiles, but don’t forget you can fire back blue crystal pillars and missiles that aren’t red. Once old mate gets sick of you, he’ll dive down into the water and return with a gunship… Casual. With Chaos Spear, destroy the gunship and then utilise Chaos Control to fire debris. Running out of ideas, Metal Overlord will try another gunship, but with a tactical Doom Surf you can hopefully kick his core for a final blow.