The game is in development at Sega Studio USA's facilities and is scheduled for release later this year for the Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox, and Sony PlayStation 2.  The gimmick to the title involves multiple storylines that reveal portions of Shadow's past, meaning that this game may not answer all the questions regarding Shadow that have been raised in games such as Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes.  It would seem that some story segments would contradict each other as well, so who's to say which plot is "real"?

In a departure from the usual Sonic style Shadow will be armed with various weapons and vehicles, leading some to label the game as Sonic With Guns or Grand Theft Sonic.  I have to say, seeing the early screenshots of an armed Shadow just seems wrong somehow.  On the other hand, Wario's first spin-off replaced traditional Mario-style jumping on enemies with body slams and ground pounds, so there may be something intriguing to Shadow's weaponry after all.  We'll find out for sure at the end of the year.