Image Credit: SEGA
Loading...Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds arrives with the ambition of redefining what a Sonic-themed kart racer can be, and at first glance, it makes a strong impression. The centerpiece of its design is the CrossWorlds mechanic, where races seamlessly shift between entirely different track environments mid-race. One lap might have you speeding through a neon-drenched cityscape, and the next you’re suddenly warped into a lush jungle or a mechanical labyrinth, complete with hazards and shortcuts unique to that space. This feature keeps races from feeling too static, providing a sense of unpredictability that not only tests reflexes but also makes every run feel like an event. The idea itself is clever, and it works as a natural evolution of what people expect from Sonic: high speed, sudden changes, and a sense of never quite knowing what’s around the next corner.
The racing itself is designed to be fast and chaotic, and the controls reflect that emphasis. Drifting around corners is smooth and rewarding, with boost mechanics that encourage skillful handling while still being accessible to newcomers. The flow of each race leans into arcade sensibilities: it’s less about perfect simulation and more about keeping momentum, reacting quickly to hazards, and managing the constant barrage of items and power-ups flying around the track. For fans of pure arcade racing, this approach delivers a lot of entertainment value, with moments of genuine exhilaration when everything clicks into place.
Customization is another area where CrossWorlds deserves praise. The game doesn’t simply hand players a roster of cars and call it a day; instead, vehicles and extreme gear boards are highly tweakable, with performance stats that can be adjusted, gadgets that can be equipped, and cosmetic changes that let players add personal flair. This system adds a layer of strategy beyond the track, rewarding experimentation and giving players incentives to keep unlocking parts and trying new builds. The breadth of the roster itself is also impressive. Beyond Sonic staples like Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow, the game pulls in characters from other Sega franchises and even further afield. With Persona’s Joker, Yakuza’s Ichiban Kasuga, Hatsune Miku, and even Minecraft icons eventually showing up to join the fray in future DLC. This crossover spirit gives the game a celebratory vibe, more akin to Smash Bros. than a traditional kart racer, and it adds an element of surprise each time a new face appears on the starting line.
Multiplayer is clearly designed to be at the heart of the experience, and the developers wisely included cross-platform play. This feature ensures that the community doesn’t fracture across systems and that players are more likely to find healthy matchmaking pools. Racing against friends or strangers online is where the game shines brightest, because the chaos, unpredictability, and sudden CrossWorlds transitions are inherently more fun when you’re competing against real people. The social energy elevates the mechanics in ways the single-player mode can’t always replicate.
Visually, CrossWorlds does an admirable job capturing the vibrancy of Sonic’s world. Levels are colorful, imaginative, and kinetic, filled with details that reflect the series’ long history. Performance is smooth on most modern hardware, with fluid animations and crisp effects, though older systems like the base Nintendo Switch show more noticeable compromises. Still, even at reduced fidelity, the personality and creativity of the track design comes through, and the spectacle of warping mid-race remains striking regardless of platform.
That said, the game is not without its flaws, and these shortcomings keep it from fully living up to its potential. While the CrossWorlds mechanic adds variety, the overall track list feels a bit limited for long-term play. After the initial excitement wears off, some tracks begin to blend together, and the lack of a more robust single-player structure means that solo players may find themselves repeating the same content without much incentive beyond grinding for unlocks. The item system, meanwhile, walks a fine line between thrilling and frustrating. At its best, it injects a wild unpredictability into races, but the balance isn’t always consistent. Certain items feel disproportionately powerful, and the frequency of being hit by multiple attacks in quick succession can sometimes make a race feel unfair. This isn’t unique to CrossWorlds—many kart racers struggle with the same issue—but it is noticeable enough here that it can occasionally undermine the sense of skillful racing.
Progression also raises concerns. While customization is fun, the pace at which new parts, cosmetics, and characters unlock often feels too slow, creating a grind-heavy experience. This is compounded by the presence of DLC and seasonal content, which can give the impression that some of the best material is either locked behind a paywall or requires a significant time investment to access. The system doesn’t outright break the game, but it can be discouraging for players who want to explore all of its possibilities without committing to dozens of hours or opening their wallets further.
Beyond these larger issues, there are smaller signs of uneven polish. The menus and interface, for example, lack the same creativity that defines the racing itself, sometimes feeling clunky or overly busy. Certain crossover characters, while fun to see, aren’t fully integrated into the world, leaving them more like cameos than meaningful additions. Performance, while generally strong, dips in places on less powerful hardware, and some of the additional modes beyond the core racing don’t offer enough variety to keep players engaged for the long term. None of these problems are deal-breaking on their own, but together they contribute to a sense that CrossWorlds, while ambitious, isn’t quite as refined as it could have been.
Even with these caveats, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds remains a very enjoyable game. Its mix of high-speed chaos, creative track transitions, and fan-service-packed roster makes it an exciting addition to the kart racing genre. It’s particularly strong as a multiplayer experience, where the unpredictability and energy come alive, and it offers enough customization and variety to keep dedicated players tinkering with builds and strategies. Yet it also feels like a game that stops just short of greatness, held back by uneven balancing, a grind-heavy progression system, and a few areas where polish and depth could have elevated it further. For fans of Sonic, or anyone who enjoys the thrill of arcade racing with a crossover twist, it’s certainly worth playing, but it’s also a reminder that even the most inventive ideas need refinement to reach their full potential.
