Summary
Even though I’ve been a lifelong fan ofSonic the Hedgehog(yes, even the bad games), I’ve never really got on with the Sonic Racing spin-offs. While they’re decent fun as far as racing games go, and clearly have a lot of love for both the source material andSegaas a whole, they always felt a littleoffto me.
For a series that’s as laser-focused on speed as Sonic, the Sonic Racing games have always felt a little slow, and there usually weren’t enough unique qualities beyond the Sonic of it all that would make me choose it over playingMario Kart 8 Deluxefor the millionth time. So, whenSonic Racing: Crossworldswas revealed and cruelly set to release in the same space asMario Kart World, I figured history was going to repeat itself again.
Imagine my surprise when I recently went hands-on with theSummer Game Festbuild of Crossworlds and walked away from it just as excited as I found myself feeling for Mario’sSwitch 2curtain raiser. Sonic’s latest racer might not be as spit-shine polished as Mario’s, but its racing finally feels faster-paced, while its surprising single-player depth and tighter focus make it a worthy rival that might even take first place.
Speaking Of Rivals…
My 30-minute demo of Crossworlds was mostly focused on the single-player Grand Prix mode instead of the strictly online offerings the playtest had. This build had a few more bells and whistles to it as well, including a bunch more vehicles to choose from (like the iconic hoverboard Battle Gears) and three new playable characters in the form of Jet, Wave, and Storm.
After picking Jet the Hawk and a Battle Gear because I’m a basic Riders diehard, I was off to the races with an interesting new mechanic in tow - rivals. Grand Prix cups pit you against a random racer who will be your worst enemy on the track and always seems to be one step ahead of you, taunting you about that fact if they ever pass you in the race.
When I played as Shadow for the second Grand Prix, I was able to choose between Knuckles or Dr Eggman as my rival, with each having a different difficulty level.
In this case, Jet’s rival was Shadow, and the two even shared a cute line of dialogue before the races began. It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things and more of an in-race target than a big gameplay tweak, but it’s a detail that suits the characters and their constant rivalries well, alongside giving Grand Prix a dash of flavour other kart racers are lacking.
Rivals aren’t the only unique thing that Grand Prix brings to the table. Beyond the promise of a ‘Super’ racer (wink wink, nudge nudge) joining the roster after beating each cup, the single-player modes also have a ton of customisable abilities for each racer. The menu was a little overwhelming for a casual game like this, but being able to choose to perform air tricks more easily, reach the first level of drift faster, and increase the size of the powerful boxing glove item made my playthrough feel tailored to me.
Fast-Paced, Frenetic Racing That Fits Sonic Like A Glove
That brings us to the thing that matters the most - how Sonic Racing: Crossworlds actually feels to play. Like I said before, I’ve found previous Sonic racers a bit clumsy and lacking as much energy as something likeCrash Team Racingor Mario Kart, but Crossworlds is a big step in the right direction in many ways.
Not only do all of the racers have a lot more going on with plenty of animations and unique dialogue exchanges to really hammer the Sonic vibe home, racing feels much faster and more skill-based with how important drifts are. It might have been because I was using the boost-based Battle Gear instead of a car, but races finally had the pace I wanted and had me turning with each corner like I was about to fall off the board for real.
That pace does cause some issues, though. Crossworlds can be a littletoofrantic and in your face at times with how much items and noise it throws at you. The bite-sized nature of my preview meant I was struggling more than I’d expect to, especially at the start of a match where everyone’s gunning to get ahead as much as possible. Still, that felt more like a skill issue and something to adjust to, as well as being a nice change from always being in first and hounded by Blue Shells.
Again, being on a Battle Gear might have been why I struggled so much at the start of a race - those hoverboards aren’t built for collisions.
Combine that solid core gameplay feel with Crossworlds’ impressive Travel Rings gimmick that lets you swap between stages and the returning vehicle transformations for air and sea from Transformed, and my 30 minutes with Crossworlds felt like nowhere near enough. I’m already gearing up to spend far more time with Sonic’s latest effort than I originally thought, especially with crossplay and (hopefully) a more solid online experience than the competition.
I don’t want to keep comparing Sonic Racing: Crossworlds to Mario Kart World since it’s a tale as old as time, but I really did come away from Crossworlds surprised at how much it stuck with me, especially since it’s going for a moretraditional single-player experience than World’s lacking open world. I’m of the firm belief that there’s room for more than one stellar kart racer in 2025, but don’t end up being too surprised if your favourite doesn’t end up being the obvious choice.
