Shadow the Hedgehog is a 3D platform game for PlayStation 2 centered on the character Shadow, who seeks the Chaos Emeralds. Players guide Shadow through diverse levels with choices leading to Hero, Dark, or Normal paths. The narrative delves into Shadow's search for lost memories while he battles the invading Black Arms aliens, featuring gameplay elements such as weapons and interactive environments.
The world is in peril as forces, both good and evil, make a play for the powerful Chaos Emeralds. In Shadow the Hedgehog, you can control Shadow and choose which side to fight for. This 3D platformer lets you use weapons, vehicles, environmental objects, and time and space manipulation to combat your foes.
Although it is a 3D platform game as with the more recent Sonic Adventure games, the game's levels each feature up to three different missions (Hero, Dark, Normal) that the player may choose to complete. The game's plot depends on which mission is completed as well as subsequent playable levels. The game stars Shadow the Hedgehog and his quest to recover his memory, a goal he has been pursuing since his debut in Sonic Adventure 2, while an evil alien race known as the Black Arms is invading the planet.