With the announcement of Sonic X Shadow Generations in January of this year, Shadow the Hedgehog — the most self-censoring, scowl-prone, and “cool” character in Sonic the Hedgehog’s cast — was slated to get his first mainline campaign in nearly two decades. Upon its release in November, the story contained much of the cheesy coolness that Shadow was known for. The plot centers around such narrative beats as Shadow sharing blood with space demon “Black Doom,” granting the former enthrallingly-named abilities like “Doom Spears” and “Doom Wing” as he operates on info from the government agency literally named “G.U.N.” 

However, despite its diverse nomenclature and inexplicable eldritch undertones, Shadow’s modern campaign lacks. Not in its gameplay, or designs, or even story necessarily, but the department where Shadow was once unparalleled: edge. And when it comes to edge in video games, there’s no better place to explore than the early 2000s. So watch for paper cuts and prepare to see some late PS1-era blood, as we journey to understand gaming’s era of edge. 

The turn of the millennium was a crucial time for video games. Games were in their transition from 2D to 3D, and the 90s saw home consoles enter the polygonal age as the SNES and Sega Genesis began facing competition from the PS1. The stage was set for two major developments. One, for video games to begin competing for “realism,” as engines grew to accommodate it. And two, for gaming companies to start changing their marketing strategies, as both increased popularity and time brought more and more older consumers to the medium.

Edge grew gradually from these changes in gaming. First, darker and more realistic games pierced the market during the transition into the 2000s. These ranged from the seminal horror game Silent Hill 2 in 2001 to one of modern first-person shooters’ progenitors in 2001’s Halo, the 2003 Grand Theft Auto III’s early digitization of crime. With the growth of such grittier games, companies seized the opportunity. Kid-friendly platformers with colorful mascots were now a thing of the past. There was money to be made — and, it seemed, it lay on the edge. 

So it was that the 2000s saw an explosion in previously “childish” franchises introducing gritty elements to, ostensibly, have them taken more seriously. Games like Prince of Persia: Warrior Within in 2004 supplanted the style of their franchise with metal music and swearing, while many a whimsical 3D platformer brought out their characters’ edge, like with the darker narrative and addition of guns in Jak II. Even Nintendo, known for sticking with family-friendly games through thick and thin, were not exempt from the trend. Though 2002’s Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was subject to steep controversy for bucking the trend and leaning into a cartoonish style, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess returned four years later with realistic graphics, shadow monsters, and randomly-introduced lycanthropy (more common than you’d think).

But of course, one game embodied the era of edge better than any other. The Sonic franchise had already defined itself in the 90s as the cooler, edgy alternative to Mario. The time was ripe for Sega to act. And so, in 2005, Shadow the Hedgehog emerged. 

Shadow the Hedgehog could cut diamonds with a glance; it fully embodied the characteristics of edge characteristics. Forget lame, wise-cracking blue anthropomorphic hedgehogs — everyone knows black is an objectively cooler color. Fighting an evil scientist by running through colorful, robot-filled levels? How about levels you can clear with actual assault rifles, killing human soldiers?

Then there was the narrative. Take the space demon and G.U.N. from Sonic X Shadow Generations and add a backstory about Shadow being created to be the “ultimate life form” (reminder, he is still a bipedal hedgehog in skates), as well as a bizarre pseudo-morality system that facilitates such choices as attempting to assassinate the President and subjugating humanity. Finally, mix in some masterful dialogue — like the desperate attempt to circumvent censorship in the notorious “Where’s that DAMN fourth chaos emerald?” — and voilà: Shadow the Hedgehog 2005.

Not long after, the edginess craze left gaming as quickly as it came in. Public opinion grew sour, bashing companies attempting to cash in on the trend. Shadow the Hedgehog itself is notorious for coming out to extremely poor reception, with the final nail in the coffin coming in 2006. The release of the Nintendo Wii and, alongside it, Wii Sports saw the eruption of casual gaming, and riding the popularity of motion controls became the new big fad. Edginess persisted in games, but it was no longer a craze. 

The 2000s edginess trend left gaming and franchises with phases embarrassing enough to want to forget, and consumers likewise. However, looking at a game like Sonic X Shadow Generations leaves an indescribable void — a certain charm was lost as platforming mascots everywhere set down cheaply modeled firearms and metal music. For better or for worse, the era of edge has long dulled.