Shadow the Hedgehog: The Ultimate Life Form

***Shadow the Hedgehog: The Ultimate Life-Form*** is a platform video game developed by Insomniac and published by Sega. It was released on November 15, 2022 for Nintendo Matrix, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Despite having a similar title and borrowing heavily from the 2005 game *Shadow the Hedgehog,* it is not a sequel to that game, but rather the beginning of a new series*.*

*Shadow the Hedgehog: The Ultimate Life-Form* received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay and blend of platformer and shooter, but criticized its overly dark tone as well as its lack of an appearance from Sonic himself. It led to a new franchise that coexisted alongside the *Sonic the Hedgehog* and *Silver the Hedgehog* series.

## Plot

The game begins with Shadow infiltrating a ship, controlled by Dr. Robotnik. He tries to find out what his plan is, but realizes that the ship is being remotely piloted. In the ship, Shadow finds a stasis pod with a hedgehog who looks exactly like him inside of it, whom Shadow recognizes. He decides to take the pod to G.U.N.'s base so he can analyze it. Just then, Robotnik finds Shadow. The two fight and Shadow eventually defeats Robotnik in his mech and takes the pod back to his base.

As Shadow analyzes the pod, he gets a flashback of his life aboard the Space Colony Ark. The hedgehog inside the pod is Shadow's original prototype, named Ventus. The two of them used to be friends, until Ventus shocked Maria Robotnik and was put in his stasis pod, fully aware of his surroundings but paralyzed, and brought back to Mobius, remaining in this pod for 50 years. Shadow attempts to open the pod, but other G.U.N. agents stop him, revealing that Eggman stole that pod from G.U.N. Shadow and Omega eventually get into a fight with the rest of G.U.N. and eventually escape, temporarily quitting the team and being on the run from them.

Shadow and Omega break into a Robotnik base so they can safely open the pod. Once they open it, Ventus comes out and eventually fights Shadow, blaming him for the incident. Dr. Robotnik arrives and fights Shadow, Omega, and Ventus. Shadow and Omega teleport away to safety. Eggman tells Ventus that he can help him get the revenge that he wants if he finds the Chaos Emeralds, so he can create his new doomsday device, being built under the city, which can create an army of ultimate life forms, which Eggman promises could be Ventus's army. Ventus agrees that the army can help him get revenge on Shadow.

Shadow and Omega race against time to get the Chaos Emeralds before Ventus does. This brings them across the world. They fight against the forces of both Robotnik and G.U.N. on their adventure. The final Chaos Emerald is at Cream the Rabbit's house, where Shadow and Ventus have a large fight. Shadow eventually wins, leaving Ventus unconscious and shocking Cream and her mother, Vanilla. This reminds Shadow of what Ventus did back in their first battle on the Space Colony Ark, which makes him terrified of what he did. Eventually, Shadow and Omega teleport away.

Ventus wakes up in Cream's bed. Cream comforts him and tells him that he can change and learn to control his powers. The two decide that they can relate to each other because they are both shy in public. After being redeemed by Cream, Ventus decides to teleport to Shadow and help him defeat Robotnik and his army.

Shadow and Omega fight against Robotnik, trying to stop his new machine. Robotnik eventually takes the Chaos Emeralds and captures Shadow, taking his DNA and creating an army of ultimate life forms. Fortunately, Ventus arrives to stop Eggman's army. After Shadow and Ventus defeat the army, Eggman takes the power from all of them, making himself in his new mech the ultimate life form. Fortunately, Shadow and Ventus become super and defeat Eggman's mech with their full power. Eventually, Ventus becomes a member of Team Dark, replacing Rouge the Bat, and is adopted by Cream's family.

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## Gameplay

*Shadow the Hedgehog: The Ultimate Life-Form* is a blend of a platformer and a shooter. It revolves around momentum, flow, and getting to the goal, similar to the *Sonic Adventure* games, but enemies can be defeated by guns, along with the normal Homing Attack and Spin Dash, similar to the 2005 *Shadow the Hedgehog* game. However, it has a few differences from that game. The level design is still linear like most running platformers, but it is a little more open to fit shooting controls. Also, the story is linear and has only one pathway. Some of the stages revolve around simply getting to the goal while others are more mission-based. Each stage has 3 acts.

## Voice Cast

* **Johnny Yong Bosch** as **Shadow the Hedgehog**
* **Matthew Wood** as **E-123 Omega**
* **TBA** as **Ventus the Hedgehog**
* **Marc Thomson** as **Commander Abraham Tower**
* **Mark Hamill** as **Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik** and **Professor Gerald Robotnik**
* **Hynden Walch** as **Maria Robotnik**