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When first released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Sonic Generations broke technical boundaries and to this day, running on backwards compatibility on Xbox Series consoles, it's still a real showcase - and a great game! Now it's back with a new remaster, backed up by a brand new series entry starring Shadow. So how's the game looking? And can Nintendo Switch handle it? Sonic fan John Linneman has answers for you in the DF Tech Review.


00:00 - Intro
01:43 - Original Release
02:21 - What's New in Sonic Generations?
03:09 - Localization Changes?
04:25 - How does it fare on different consoles?
07:06 - Bad News for Switch
08:16 - PC Version
10:22 - What is Shadow Generations?
12:34 - Performance Tests
17:19 - The Soundtrack Section
18:55 - Wrap-up

 

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- Shadow's campaign is basically a sequel to the OG Generations on the newest iteration of the engine.
- OG Sonic Generations was an 360/PS3 game at 30 FPS
- A PC version and Xbox BC enhanced the game to higher frame rate and resolutions later

Generations Segment:

- Generations part of the remaster sees improvements like re-created video cut-scenes at 4K
- The game has been re-written for the English version with new voice acting and script, original Japanese voice acting and script remain the same

- PS4 / Pro / PS5 all target 60fps and PS5 targets native 4K
- On Series, the BC version already runs at 60fps but video files run at 720p/30fps, John also noticed some hitching in new testing that wasn't there in his previous testing
- Switch is 1080p but with a 31 fps cap which causes constant stutter and spikes. The X360 version is more smoother looking by comparirson

- PC version adds more sensible settings but looks more or less like the original release
- It also has a weird frame rate cap, which can be fixed by setting the display at 60hz
- Anisotropic filtering is set to low
- OG 2011 release has extensive mod support so it's still a very viable way to play

Shadow Generation Segment:

- This segment has a more modern presentation and takes cues from Sonic Frontiers
- New stages look beautiful and fully realized, as it is built on a much newer iteration of the engine

- Now consoles (PS5/Series) have Quality and Performance mode
- 30fps mode targets 2160p, but has frame pacing issues and DF do not recommend it.
- 60fps mode targets 1800p and runs very good with a locked 60fps
- Series S has an equally well performing 60fps mode

- Switch and last gen only have a 30fp mode, no 60fps.
- Switch has severe frame pacing issues and much longer load times
- PC version is very smooth and can run up to 120fps without issues, however it does not have DLSS type image reconstruction options
- Anisotropic filtering is poor on all versions, on PC at least you can fix it via GPU control panel
- Some TAA related pixel unstable-ness also observerd on all versions

Summary:
- PC is the most performant version, with some issues with refresh rates on the Generations part
- PS5/Series deliver a smooth 60 fps experience all round
- Last gen are split between 60 for Generations and 30 for Shadow
- Switch only offers 30fps for both versions with frame pacing issues

 

[kevboard]

- On Series, the BC version already runs at 60fps but video files run at 720p/30fps, John also noticed some hitching in new testing that wasn't there in his previous testing

this has to be a weird issue on his end.
I just played through green hill zone in the BC version, just to check, and it has no audio or framerate hitches for me whatsoever.

 

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this has to be a weird issue on his end.
I just played through green hill zone in the BC version, just to check, and it has no audio or framerate hitches for me whatsoever.

Funny enough, I also own the X360 version of Generations and fired it up for a few mins and didn't notice any issue. But I didn't spend a lot of time on it.