Shadow the Hedgehog is a game I really love because I really like the ideas presented here. The morality system that lets you dictate Shadow's allegiance. The branching pathways you can go to not just in the levels, but in the story as well. The unique sandbox gameplay that this game provides makes for a unique platforming experience. The cheesy early 2000s teenager angst soundtrack - everything is here and accounted for, and I love it.

This game falls apart very fast though. I'm not gonna repeat the same things you've heard other people say, but yes - the controls are bad and take getting used to, having to replay the game 10 times for the "true ending" is stupid, the idea of the true ending in general is stupid because it invalidates the morality system as a whole, and just poor decisions made in the game overall.

Shadow the Hedgehog is a game that, in my opinion, deserved a second attempt. I want Sega to try this style of game again because this formula has so much potential. Remove what didn't work in this game, rework the things that sound good on paper but were executed poorly, and improve upon the things that did work.

This style of game needs another chance in the Sonic series.