On the dark side

Good or evil? Your choice. From his first appearance in Sonic Adventure 2 to his most recent role in Sonic Heroes, Shadow has emerged as one of the more popular characters in the Sonic The Hedgehog universe. And now, he is headlining his own game. Features* All of your favorite characters from the Sonic series, as well as an interesting lineup of new allies and adversaries * Open-ended, story-altering choices * More than 20 stages and 50 missions * Intense, high-speed action * Draw from a huge arsenal of weapons, including projectiles, firearms, bazookas, blasters and worm lasers * Use environmental objects like poles, sticks and debris * Two-player competitive mode

Created as the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow is a rebel struggling to uncover his mysterious past -- and true identity. Was he created to save humankind or to do the evil bidding of the dark side? His only clues lie deep in the past, and those secrets can only be unlocked through the powers of seven Chaos Emeralds. Shadow The Hedgehog boldly combines the excitement of high-speed action-platformers with the intensity of third-person shooters. This darker take on the Sonic universe succeeds, giving the series a bit of an edge without going overboard on violence. In fact, the scenes where you're packing heat seem to be more for slowing things down between hyper-fast segments of gameplay. The game plays off Shadow's mysterious nature by letting you pursue heroic, evil or neutral objectives in each level. Depending on which you choose, the story branches into divergent paths, each leading to different stages, bosses and endings. These yin/yang options have the added bonus of extending replayability. The developers must have focused on the single player adventure, as the multiplayer mode needs a bit of work. It feels more like a bonus add-on than a truly fleshed-out addition to the game. Bottom Line The good and evil storylines really ramp up the replay value of this fast-paced addition to the Sonic universe.