Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Drops The Best Aspects Of Its Predecessors

by

The game Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is enjoyable, but it seems too similar to other kart racing games. The new version of the game tries to combine elements from its previous game, Team Sonic Racing, with the more competitive style of Sonic Riders games, but falls short in both teamwork and speed aspects. Essentially, it feels like a less exciting version of the popular kart racer, Mario Kart. It might have been better if CrossWorlds had focused solely on the teamwork aspect of Team Sonic Racing, or even better, given us a sequel to Zero Gravity without the gimmicky motion controls.

If you’ve ever dabbled in go-kart racing games, you should find CrossWorlds quite familiar. Similar to its peers, you select a character and a kart for them to navigate through a course. After a quick countdown, the objective is to complete laps on the track as many times as required, all while performing stunts like jumping, drifting, and hitting glowing objects that grant special items to disrupt other players’ progress. The first one across the finish line takes the victory.

In CrossWorlds, the unique feature lies in the ability of tracks to intersect with each other. When the leader completes their initial lap, they have the option to enter one of two portals. Each portal offers a glimpse into a different track situated on another planet. The choice made by the player determines the course for all participants, and the second lap is then held on the chosen foreign track. Upon starting lap three, the race reverts back to the original track.

At Summer Game Fest 2025, I tested out the Grand Prix mode from CrossWorlds by playing a demo, initially choosing Jet the Hawk on easy mode and then Amy Rose on normal difficulty. Similar to other racing games’ Grand Prix modes, this involved participating in consecutive races to accumulate points based on my position in each event. The unique aspect of CrossWorlds is that it comprises three races across three distinct tracks, culminating in a final race where the laps are a combination of the series’ tracks; for instance, lap one might be the first track, lap two could be the second track, and so forth. Additionally, there’s a “rival” feature, which designated an opponent as my main competitor, offering extra points if I managed to place ahead of this character in the races.

In summary, I enjoyed my time playing the game. Racing with friends makes it more thrilling than competing against a computer, even though the game kept telling me that someone was my rival. However, I didn’t feel the same intense dislike for an AI-controlled opponent that I do for certain human “friends” who use strategically placed items to snatch away victories I had worked hard to achieve. Yet, I found similarities between CrossWorlds and Mario Kart; the shifting tracks and rival characters are interesting, but they don’t significantly alter the racing experience in a way that feels groundbreaking.

It’s truly disappointing to see such a significant change between CrossWorlds and its predecessor, Team Sonic Racing. The unique selling point of Team Sonic Racing was the team-based racing mechanic. For instance, the player ahead would create a draft that their teammates could utilize to gain speed. This resulted in an engaging back-and-forth, almost cooperative dynamic that was not present in most popular competitors. While individual racing skill mattered, it was equally crucial to collaborate effectively with your teammates to maintain high speeds. Essentially, Team Sonic Racing introduced a fresh approach to kart racing games.

In my opinion, there are numerous opportunities for a sequel to expand upon the original foundation, particularly to set itself apart from Mario Kart. It seems that CrossWorlds is attempting to mimic Mario Kart’s style, but an alternative approach could have been to explore different aspects. If teamwork was not going to be a part of the sequel, another option might have been to adopt the Riders formula. This game emphasized Sonic’s legendary speed, creating an arcade racer that leans heavily on high-speed action, while requiring strategic decisions about whether to keep pushing ahead or slow down to refuel. Embracing this focus would have provided a unique selling point compared to other racing games.

In striking a balance, CrossWorlds doesn’t quite reach the heights set by previous titles. It’s enjoyable, but something that would give it a distinctive edge within its genre seems to be missing. However, there may be more to this game than what I experienced at Summer Game Fest – if that’s the case, it could certainly alter my current perspective on it.

The game “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds” will be released on September 25 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A new version of the game for Switch 2 is being developed, but a release date has not been announced yet.

Read More

2025-06-16 22:10