Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds offers an enjoyable experience but struggles to differentiate itself from other kart racing games. Serving as a sequel to Team Sonic Racing, it attempts to blend elements from its predecessor with the competitive nature of Sonic Riders. Unfortunately, it lacks the teamwork aspect of Team Sonic Racing and the exhilarating speed of Riders and Zero Gravity. The result is a game that, while functional, feels like an inferior version of the arcade powerhouse Mario Kart.
The gameplay in CrossWorlds will be familiar to anyone who has played a kart racer. Players select a character and their kart and then engage in races around various tracks, using jumps, drifts, and item boxes to hinder competitors. The objective remains straightforward: be the first to cross the finish line after completing a set number of laps.
A notable feature in CrossWorlds is its unique track design, allowing players to choose between portals to alternate routes once they complete their first lap. The choice of portal affects the race for all participants, introducing an element of strategy as players navigate different tracks. After the initial lap, racers will switch tracks upon entering the chosen portal, returning to the original track for the final lap.
During a demo at Summer Game Fest 2025, I experienced the Grand Prix mode, racing as Jet the Hawk and Amy Rose. This mode involves multiple races with points awarded based on finishing positions. CrossWorlds introduces a “rival” mechanic, where players earn bonus points for finishing ahead of a specified opponent. Although I enjoyed the competitive nature, I found that racing against AI lacked the thrill of competing against friends.
Throughout my experience, I couldn’t shake the comparison to Mario Kart. Although the dynamic track changes and rivalries are intriguing, they do not fundamentally alter the racing experience. The originality that was promised feels overshadowed by the expectations set by veteran racers like Mario Kart.
It’s disappointing to see how far CrossWorlds deviates from the foundations laid by Team Sonic Racing, which emphasized teamwork and strategic racing interactions. The sequel could have capitalized on these unique gameplay mechanics or even revisited the high-speed thrills of the Sonic Riders series. Instead, it attempts a middle path, which leaves it lacking in distinctiveness.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is poised for release on September 25 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC. A version for the Switch 2 is also under development, though a release date has yet to be revealed.
