You know we’re in a golden age of animation when even a web series promoting a video game manages to surprise and delight viewers. Specifically, I’m referring to Dark Beginnings, which is an animated prologue to the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations.
Shadow the Hedgehog is having a moment. The gruff antihero first introduced in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 will be voiced by Keanu Reeves in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is set to hit movie theaters on December 20. He’s also starring in his own standalone campaign in the game Sonic X Shadow Generations, a remaster of 2011’s Sonic Generations with all-new content coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 25.
As a way to promote the new game, Sega teamed up with Studio Giggex to produce a three-episode web series exploring the tragic past of the edgy hedgehog. The third and final episode went live today, so I finally decided to watch the series all the way through. Even as a huge fan of Sonic Adventure 2, I couldn’t believe how compelling it was.
Admittedly, if you have no knowledge of the surprisingly complex and dark lore of the 3D Sonic games, you might not get much out of this. But even if you’ve never heard of Maria Robotnik or Rouge the Bat, this is still worth a watch for the animation alone.
On the other hand, if you are a fan of the Sonic games, you’ll get a chance to see a few thrilling moments from the games animated gorgeously by the team at Studio Giggex. There have been more than a few beloved animated Sonic shows over the years, but a full TV series in this style would be appointment viewing for any fan of these characters.
That said, these episodes are super short, so it’s not a major commitment to watch them all:
