The free PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection Games for March 2020 have been revealed, and they include both Shadow of the Colossus and Sonic Forces. Now that Sonic Forces is available as a free PS Plus game, it's safe to say that many players who skipped out on it before will be trying it for the first time and may not know how to do certain things in the game, like play as popular character Shadow the Hedgehog.
Those that just play through the Sonic Forces base game will not have access to Shadow at all, so it can be a little tricky getting him as a playable character. Luckily, there are some relatively painless steps that players can take to get Shadow in Sonic Forces.
Here is how to unlock Shadow the Hedgehog as a playable character in Sonic Forces.
1. Download and Complete the Episode Shadow DLC
The first step to getting Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic Forces actually requires players to download DLC. But before Shadow the Hedgehog fans start panicking, they should know that the DLC in question is completely free to download. From the Sonic Forces menus, players should be able to navigate to the Episode Shadow DLC page, which will add three levels to the game that are all about Shadow.
Players will need to beat the three Episode Shadow DLC levels before moving on to the next step.
2. Play Through Modern Level As Sonic
Upon completing the Episode Shadow DLC, Sonic Forces players will want to jump into one of the game's modern levels and choose to play as Sonic the Hedgehog. Completing a Sonic Forces modern level with Sonic will then unlock Shadow as a playable character throughout the game. It doesn't seem to matter which modern level players complete, just as long as they do so as Sonic.
Of course, Shadow the Hedgehog is far from the only playable character in Sonic Forces. A variety of Sonic the Hedgehog franchise characters make an appearance in the game, and its main gimmick revolves around a player-created character. Fan reception to Sonic Forces' character creator was definitely mixed, so it's hard to say if Sonic Team will return to the concept in the future or not.
Sonic Forces is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.