Possibly the Sonic game that's caused the most controversy and unrest BEFORE it's been released, Shadow the Hedgehog was finally released late in 2005 and there's been mixed opinions right across the board.

The frankly amazing CGI artwork by Blur Studios.

You control Shadow (obviously) in an attempt to find the secrets of his past and to once again obtain the mystical 7 Chaos Emeralds. Naturally, it's not that easy, because you've got to determine who'll you make friends with in an attempt to get to your goal. Sonic, Tails and co. return to nudge Shadow in a angelic direction, while the good Dr. Eggman wants glory to be his as he attempts to entice you towards the evil roads. GUN are also back in full force and the Commander's grudge goes 50 years deep. Finally, and most interestingly, is the massive invasion of a group of alien creatures known as the Black Arms and it seems that their leader knows a lot more about Shadow than the hedgehog himself.

Glyphic Canyon - slightly reminiscant of Angel Island's ancient past

Previous 3D Sonic outings have seen 6 characters go their separate way in saving the world (Sonic Adventure), launch the powers of evil against the powers of good (Sonic Adventure 2) and pit 4 teams of 3 against the crazed Metal Sonic. Now, another new feature, in the form of mulitple endings, has graced the three main consoles. In every level, YOU get to decide whether you want to do things for good, for evil, or for yourself. 22 levels, each complete with 2-3 missions, gives the game a unique sense of replayability, as you aim to complete all 10 basic endings, the Last Story, then 100% the adventure with all secret keys and A-ranks. Unfortunately, although there's a large amount of Zones to speed through, having to play the game ten times at least means there'll be plenty of repitition and long loading times are enough to irritate even the seasoned gamers.

Graphics have taken a several blows in every orafice; some for the better, some for the worse. It's undeniable the impact Blur Studios have had with Shadow's few movies. Heroes' FMVs were visually pleasing, and the original SA had stunning quality for its time, but the movies in this game blow them all away. Favourites are the title sequence (involving Shadow kicking arse in Westopolis) and two rather meaty uses of the Eclipse Cannon. However, cutscenes are what bring the game's graphics down a lot. Using the Playstation 2 as the base for these accusations (which might not be a good thing to do in many's eyes), characters often have jagged blurring around their edges and mouths appear as dotted lines when they're closed. Even the colouring is a little too bright compared to the glory days of the Dreamcast. Fortunately, in-level graphics are a feast for the eyes. There's dark, atmospheric locations (Central City, Black Comet), eye-popping colour (Mad Matrix, Circus Park) and areas of wide-open splendour (Sky Troops, Cosmic Fall). The variety in the design of the enemies is also welcome.

Shadow seems alarmed in a zone of such colour...

Gameplay has been much improved since the stop-start nature of Sonic Heroes. You're now free to rush around controlling only Shadow, choosing to attack what you want with little effort needed to manoevure around obstacles. The game is fast and zippy, while unleashing your Chaos Control technique can make your neutral missions that much faster. From time to time, the lurching speed can make you crash into unexpected enemies and explosions, but getting hit now only removes 10 Rings from your Ring Count, as opposed to all of them. However, this amkes the game very easy and you're only likely to die from bottomless pits.

There's more of the same when it comes to the music, as Jun Senoue's music team bring back the familiar guitar and drum mix with electronic sounds. Personal favourites are Digital Circuit and GUN Fortress, which suit the levels perfectly. The familiar sound effects are there and there's plenty of unannoying soundbytes from the Mission Character who constantly aids you in your task. The switch from official SEGA voice actors to those used in the Western Sonic X was a dodgy ones in the eyes of fans and has only paid off in some measures. Charmy, Tails and Shadow sound better than before, but many feel that Knuckles and Vector have been ruined.

Tails aids Shadow as he searches for 'that damned fourth Chaos Emerald'

Careful now, Boomers, this game also contains firearms. Don't worry, though. Although it condones using heavy artillery against military soldiers, it also teaches us that using rocket launchers against small flying creatures is an impossible task. Generally, though, using guns is a neat addition to the gameplay; their use makes certain bosses easier and they're not even mandatory.

STC Masterpieces eagerly urges you to go out and buy Shadow the Hedgehog if you haven't already done so. It largely answers the deep secrets left by Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes and, more importantly, is fun to keep playing through again and again! I challenge you to reach all 326 paths before us...

Graphics - 86%

Sound - 90%

Playability - 93%

Raves

- The speediest gameplay we've seen for a while.

- Beautiful movies.

Graves

- Gets rather repetitive going for all 10 endings.

- The cutscenes have taken a turn for the worse.