UPDATE:
Sega has announced that “Episode Shadow” will be available as free DLC for anyone who purchases Sonic Forces, regardless of which they version they have.
Here is a video of him in action:
ORIGINAL STORY:
It’s already known that Sonic Forces will allow players to play as Modern Sonic, Classic Sonic and an Avatar throughout the course of the game, but now it looks like there will be a fourth character who will be joining the fray: Shadow the Hedgehog.
The news comes via a listing on the Xbox Store which states that an “Episode Shadow” pack will be available with the Digital Bonus Edition of Sonic Forces. For the time being, however, it remains unclear whether this will also be available as a stand alone DLC or if the Digital Bonus Edition is truly the only way players will have to access him.
Being able to play as Shadow is certainly good news for those who have come to like him since he joined the series in Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Despite being a mainstay in the series, he mostly appears as an NPC or boss, with his last playable appearance being in 2009’s Sonic and the Black Knight. In fact, it initially appeared that this trend would have continued in Sonic Forces as well, as a previous trailer suggested that he was in cahoots with other baddies such as Doctor Eggman, Metal Sonic, Chaos, Zavok and an all-new villain, Infinite.
However, now it seems that there is more going on here (as is usually the case with Shadow) and “Episode Shadow” will help inquiring minds get to the bottom of it.
“Get Episode Shadow to uncover the untold story of the new villain, Infinite, and rediscover three updated stages playing as Shadow,” the description reads. “Plus, play as Shadow in over 10 Modern Sonic based stages!
“Experience the full story behind the new villain’s rise to power and as you find renewed replayablity across Modern Sonic stages. The fate of Sonic the Hedgehog’s world is in your hands – Join the Uprising.”
In addition to “Episode Shadow” the Digital Bonus Edition will include Shadow and Persona 5 costumes, plus a Sega Pack with skins for Ai-Ai from Super Monkey Ball and NiGHTS.
Sonic Forces is due out on Nov. 7. for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
