Sonic X Shadow Generations First Impressions Accessibility Review
Is the newest Sonic game accessible? Let's find out!
Better late than never for this Sonic X Shadow Generations first impressions accessibility review! While I’ve been wanting to play Sonic X Shadow Generations since it came out, I needed to wait until I had some Christmas gift cards to buy it. Then I needed to finish up my Christmas backlog (sorry Sonic, but my homegirl Zelda is always first) and work on stuff for my individual and group panel at MAGFest before playing what I needed to for a first-impressions accessibility review. But without further ado, let’s see how accessible our favorite hedgehogs’ game is in 2024!
With this review, I hope it gives insight to other gamers with disabilities before they make a decision to buy the game and the developers if they would like to make the game more accessible.
I played the game on a TV with the Nintendo Switch in docked mode, using a Tatsunoko vs Capcom Arcade Fightstick for Wii with a Brook Wii to Switch adapter. Please note that the accessibility review was made after a couple hours of gameplay and includes mild spoilers for game mechanics.
Successes in Accessibility:
Brightness setting at launch and that can be changed at any point in the game
Optional hint settings at launch
Ability to turn vibration on and off
Optional auto camera in Shadow Generations
Optional center cursor display for free camera
Able to change stopping speed via the options menu in Shadow Generations
Two different control schemes
Able to change the volumes of different sounds
6 language options for audio (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese)
13 language options for subtitles (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, traditional, and simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese)
Improvements that could be made to accessibility:
Optional high contrast mode
Voice, language, and subtitle options to be able to be changed at any time during the game
Improve auto camera in open world areas
The ability to change which button is bound to each control
Accessibility settings, such as being able to stop more easily, to be unlocked via menu instead of as an equipped item that takes away space from other items
Optional screen reader and audio descriptions for cut scenes
Options to increase text size
Optional removal of button mashing mechanics
Option to go back to the same spot you fell from (like in Pokèmon Scarlet)
Personal experiences:
Unfortunately, the concerns I had about the Shadow Generations portion of the overworld not being accessible to me became reality due to the awful accuracy of the auto camera making it hard to “go fast” (you know, the whole point of the Sonic games) and the fast-paced and bright 3-D environment ultimately causing a lot of motion sickness for me, even with the cursor option enabled. It makes me glad that I ultimately decided to skip Sonic Frontiers because I had a feeling this was going to happen playing in a fast-paced open world format like this.
At least with Sonic x Shadow Generations I know I can at least play the Sonic portion. While the Sonic portion does cause me some motion sickness (which I think could be helped by having a high-contrast mode), it’s not nearly as bad thanks to the fixed camera. The fixed camera also helps me play the game more easily with my physical limitations since I can only use one joystick at a time with my controller. Though I wish the smoother controls and stopping speed came as a menu option in the Sonic portion as it did the Shadow one.
As someone who hadn’t played a new Sonic game in 22 years, I had a great time playing what I could of this old/new adventure. It made me feel like a kid again, except now my joints hurt and I have bills to pay lol! However, I hope Sega will consider what made old Sonic games more accessible and also implement the new accessibility features we expect from modern AAA games during Sonic and friends’ next adventure.
Disclaimers:
Everything in this review are my personal experiences and opinions, therefore are not to be taken as facts
I am not sponsored by any companies, manufacturers, creators, or organizations mentioned
Everyone’s situation is different. Accessibility isn't “one size fits all”.
This is not medical advice.
Please talk to a doctor first before making decisions regarding your health and/or engaging in a new activity that may affect your health
If you feel pain or sickness from an activity, please stop and speak with a doctor
If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, please call your local emergency services or, if you are in the USA, 911 .
If you’re experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call your local emergency services or, if you are in the USA, 911 or 988.
For information regarding medical, mental health, and accessibility services in the USA, please contact your insurance company, 211, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; 1-800-662-4357), or National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI: 1-800-950-6264).