Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC)

It’s been an up-and-down journey for Sonic Racing, as with other mega franchises, truly. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will probably leap to mind as one of the best Sonic Racing games and overall kart racers of all time. It’s the entry that arguably proved SEGA has what it takes to beat Mario Kart. With the recent Mario Kart World, I can’t help comparing it to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Unfair, I suppose. But with the surge of upcoming games you’re probably yet to play with friends, it has simply come to determining which new game is more worthwhile of your time and money. 

If I can get ahead of myself here, I’ll say Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is totally worth every penny. Even at the hefty $70 price, it comes loaded with an immense variety and customization options. So much depth and strategy lie within maneuvering its circuits’ sharp corners and boosting like your life depends on it. And to boot, free monthly updates and paid DLC await the post-launch stretch for at least a year. What more can you ask for? Well, maybe just a few minor tweaks here and there that aren’t at all game-breaking. 

If at all you’re looking to get lost in the high-speed momentum of kart racing, whether solo or with friends locally and online, here’s one of the more worthwhile options to consider based on our Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds review. 

Yeah, Man! It’s Happening

No mission-based story missions in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, I’m afraid. But there won’t be time to miss it with the variety of offline and online modes on offer. Briefly, you’ll jump into Time Trials, Grand Prix, and Race Park modes. The latter is the new party mode you’re probably most excited about. Meanwhile, you have four-player split-screen local and online cross-platform play for multiplayer. 

At launch, you can choose from 24 playable racers, all unlockable across Sonic’s universe. But the number will dial up to a whopping 50+ playable characters, including crossovers from Minecraft, SpongeBob, TMNT, and more franchises. Tracks, as well, will include crossover themes, starting with 24 regular courses and 15 CrossWorld tracks. The CrossWorld tracks are a game-changer, as they let you portal into other tracks in the second lap of a race. 

Moreover, you can unlock 45 unique karts, mixing and matching their interchangeable parts with ease and upgrades. And further, unlock 70 gadgets that enhance your play, whether leveling up your speed, acceleration, drift boost, and more. Customization options, in particular, are a whopping ton, counting at over 100 different parts and decals. And as a result, tinkering around with thousands of combinations and fine-tuning options.

Combined, the immense variety and customization offer plenty of ways to switch up your game. It allows Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to remain fresh and engaging, even when it’s your hundredth run trying to beat CPU and rival players. But it gets better. 

Life at Full Throttle

At the basics, driving your kart is easy enough. Much like most kart racers, all you need are the speeding, drifting, braking, and item use buttons. But while the fundamentals are easy and intuitive to learn, mastering the handling and feel of your karts and the race lines, is where the stakes dial up. It might even seem clunky, especially in the naval sections, to drift around tight corners. But once the system clicks, it’s maxed out fun and pleasure. 

There’s a keen need for learning race lines, as skidding off-road can cost you tons. So is maximizing the boost pads along the tracks and the rings you collect. Hit 100 rings and you earn a speed boost. The same goes for drifting, where hitting all three tiers amps up your speed. But one misstep and you lose your rings and consequent speed. Meanwhile, items add an extra layer of depth and strategy.

At 23 different items, you enjoy plenty of ways to derail opponents and make the most of that last Hail Mary across the finish line. It matters which items you pick up along the tracks, and when you use them for that last-ditch effort. And it’s in the frenetic juggling of your acceleration, drifts, braking, and items that the exhilarating sense of speed and chaos in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds comes in. 

You’re Too Slow

You’ll be surprised how challenging Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds can be, needing you to maximize every tool and arsenal at your disposal. The offense items can be your saving grace from getting off in the last position. Lasers and bombs come in handy during tough times. But also defensive items like shields and tornadoes. All work seamlessly, and are generously dispersed in item boxes along the tracks. 

Gadgets are a lifesaver, which you curate before races. It’s your loadout that you mix and match the gadgets, optimizing your kart and racer choice and stats. Depending on the gadgets you choose to start with, they can increase item drop rates, increase your drift boost speed, or, more specifically, allow you to start with an item like Monster Truck. By saving your gadget plates, you can easily swap them out before races and even carry them over into multiplayer.

Gotta Go Fast

Speaking of multiplayer, it’s a pretty huge blast with friends, whether locally or online. The Race Park ensures so, with its varied ways of play. It offers different challenges for teams (but solo work, too, against AI). You can be tasked with bumping into your opponents, for instance, collecting the most rings, or item boxes. This lessens the pressure of pure speed and drifting, with the additional option to custom-make your own challenges. It’s ultimately pretty fun playing with friends, with smooth and lag-free sessions. And the variety helps keep the momentum high even after hours of playthroughs. 

To keep riding on that competitive high, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds adds a Rival Racers system. These are tougher opponents you’re challenged to beat. The first two laps will be a nightmare spent in a frenzy of item and ring collection. And on the third, you put out all stops in your arsenal to try and beat them. In return, you earn in-game currency and more rewards, alongside the entertaining trash-talking one-liners and reactions they often throw out, amping the rivalry and drama a notch higher. 

Snazzy Performance, Indeed

So much more makes Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds superior to other kart racers, yes, even Mario Kart World. Turns out, placing pure focus on the actual races rather than exploration has its perks. And with the CrossWorlds, you still don’t lose the sense of adventure. Since the first in line chooses which CrossWorld you’ll portal into, whether a set track or a random one, you never quite know what to expect, ensuring you come well prepared for anything. 

And even in the third lap, when you return to the starting track, you’ll notice lots of changes and differences in the tracks. New hidden shortcuts spring up, more boost pads, and obstacles. It’s never quite the same track as what you started with, keeping the races consistently surprising. And in the fourth lap, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds sets its own path from Mario Kart World, creating a remix of all the tracks you’ve completed.  That way, you’re tested on your memory and strategy of the tight corners and boost pads you’ve just trodden through. 

Verdict

There’s no defined time it’ll take to beat Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, with the lack of a story mode. But even then, the dozens of hours you’ll find yourself easily pouring into the single and multiplayer modes will be totally worth it. That’s because, beyond proving to be a smooth and seamless playthrough, with an easy and intuitive control system, you also enjoy challenging races, mastering the track lines, experimenting with tons of customization options, climbing the global leaderboard, and so much more. 

The coming free monthly updates and paid DLC only point toward a possibly recurring choice for a game night, or simply progressing, unlocking more powerful rides and gadgets, and earning higher-ranking titles. When you unlock the coveted Super Sonic racer, you know you’ve hit the ceiling of the best of the best. And even then, you can’t help but trudge back in to beat more optional challenges and buy new vehicle parts. 

If there are any contentions on whether Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is worth it, they’ll be pretty insignificant compared to all that’s on offer. From the karts to the characters and the tracks themselves, this game can’t help itself from switching it up, tucking away a steady stream of shortcuts, item boxes, boost pads, obstacles, and more surprises and goodies than you can grab them all. 

From Transformed, switching between naval, air, and land racing, to CrossWorlds, portaling into frantic worlds with lots of opportunities for drifting and showing off your best trick combos, it’s got me wondering: what could SEGA possibly be cooking for us next? A little too soon to be thinking forward, but I simply can’t help getting giddy over where Sonic Racing is headed.