Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is a fantastic racing game that further cements Sonic’s place as a respected kart racing icon. This game takes the best aspects of the previous Sonic Racing games and builds upon them, creating one of the best titles in its genre. Essentially, Mario Kart’s got a real competitor in CrossWorlds.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Developer: Sonic Team
Price: $70
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review.
It’s well-established by now that I’m something of a Sonic the Hedgehog sommelier here at MonsterVine. Whether it’s platformers, rereleases, or new 3D titles, my extensive history with the radical blue blur has led me to review everything he appears in. The latest title is Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which thrilled me as a big fan of Sonic Racing Transformed. My expectations were somehow surpassed in almost every way.
The defining characteristic of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is that you go through a couple of different courses in each race. Because of the dimensional rings that appear for lap two, you can suddenly be thrust from Metal Harbor to Cyberspace and back again for lap three. The lead racer gets to pick between a known CrossWorlds track and a random one, making every race an exciting and new experience. The thematic clashes between the areas really sell the “cross-dimensional” feeling that the game is based around and certainly help it stand out from its fellow kart-racing contemporaries.
All of the expected aspects of a kart racer are present, from explosive items to sabotage your foes with, to an incredibly satisfying drifting system. Like in the previous Sonic Racing game, your vehicle can transform into a boat or a flying machine as the race tracks transition from roads to rivers and skies. All three have their own interesting differences that make them a blast to go between, going a step further to make every race diverse and consistently riveting.
Speaking of customization, you can make your chosen vehicle type, whether it prioritizes handling, speed, or is a cool hoverboard, look however you’d like it to. From different styles of parts to a wide variety of stickers and colors, you’re free to make each vehicle your own, especially once you have enough tickets from racing to purchase the higher-end parts. It’s yet another part of the game that keeps you wanting to play more, as making a cooler car or board is always a strong incentive.
There are a few different modes you can play in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, from the expected Grand Prix and Time Trials modes to the intriguing Race Park. This is where you can do single races instead of a Grand Prix, battle AI Rivals to earn new vehicle parts, or even partake in team races. No matter what kind of racing experience you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it here.
“The soundtrack is a whole other beast, being filled to the brim with fast-paced and energetic remixes of some of the most beloved Sonic the Hedgehog songs.“
The roster of Sonic characters in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is impressive, covering pretty much every era of the franchise. From expected characters like Team Chaotix and Shadow to surprising picks like Sage and the whole Sonic Riders gang, every franchise fan will find someone they want to use. The same applies to the tracks, which skillfully blend original ideas with turbo-charged versions of levels from across the entire series. I was happy to see how much representation Sonic Unleashed and its international levels got, though I’d have also loved one or two more Sonic Adventure stages.
The one thing I’d like to see more of from Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds going forward is additional Sega characters. Miku, Ichiban, and Joker are fun picks, and there’s a certain goofiness to SpongeBob and Minecraft characters showing up, but I’d love to see more Sega icons show up down the line. Ryo from Shenmue, Alex Kidd, Beat from Jet Set Radio – there’s no shortage of racers to throw in.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds gives the roster a lot of fun characterization.
One aspect of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds that I really love is the Rival system. When taking part in a Grand Prix, you’re assigned a rival that you have to try to beat. There’s unique dialogue between your character and rival, with a seemingly insane amount of dialogue being recorded between all of the characters. It’s a super fun way to flex the characterization of the roster a bit while also paying homage to much of the roster’s shared history.
The courses in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds are absolutely gorgeous to behold, filled with vibrant colors and exciting interactive elements. The soundtrack is a whole other beast, being filled to the brim with fast-paced and energetic remixes of some of the most beloved Sonic the Hedgehog songs. As someone who’s had Apotos’ theme stuck in his head since playing the Sonic Unleashed demo all those years ago, I was thrilled to hear an official new take on it.
The Final Word
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is everything a kart racer should be and then some. It’s absolutely chock-full of characters and tracks, features some of the most satisfying racing mechanics I’ve experienced, and has a plethora of modes to play around with. If you dig Mario Kart, you do not want to miss out on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
