Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds [REVIEW] – The Hedgehog Races Back in Style

Sonic has always lived in Mario’s shadow when it comes to kart racing, but with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, SEGA has finally delivered a rival that stands tall on its own (and even manages to exceed Nintendo’s latest effort). By doubling down on speed, inventive mechanics, and a packed roster that ventures way beyond your typical SEGA roster, this is not just a solid alternative to Mario Kart… it’s one of the best arcade racers in years.

Check out some screenshots down below:

At a time when Nintendo has taken Mario Kart in a new open-world direction, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds feels like a more traditional take on the genre’s roots  – albeit with some interesting twists. SEGA has opted for a leaner, more focused package: straightforward three-lap races, Grand Prix cups, and a variety of secondary modes that add fun twists to the formula. It’s what you’d expect from a kart racer really, but Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has some clever twists up its sleeve that ensure that every race is unpredictable and fun.

The core campaign will see you playing through eight Grand Prix cups, each featuring four races. While it might look fairly straight-forward on paper, the final race of each cup remixes the earlier circuits into a one-lap gauntlet across all three tracks, which when combined with the portal system – where the leader chooses between two rifts that transport the entire field to a brand-new location for lap two – ensures that courses rarely ever play out the same way twice. It means there are a TON of courses to play through that cover nearly the whole of the Sonic series’ history, all the way from the original Sonic the Hedgehog to Sonic Frontiers. It’s an impressive spread that’s capped off by an excellent soundtrack of remixed Sonic classics that bring a nostalgic sense of familiarity to the racing action.

Of course, the most important part of any kart racer is how it feels to play, and here Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds excels. The handling is noticeably heavier and gives the player more control than seen in other recent Sonic racing titles, whilst power sliding is key to victory: chaining drifts through corners, skimming across fields of rings, and timing boosts feels endlessly satisfying once you’ve mastered it. That said, the emphasis on drifting means the game can be less forgiving to newcomers, and even with assists like auto-accelerate and steering aids switched on, players who can’t consistently pull off slides will struggle to keep up with the pace of more experienced players. It’s not HARD per se, but something you’ll notice more in multiplayer races.

“Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds proves that SEGA can stand toe-to-toe with Nintendo’s karting giant, delivering a racer that’s fast, inventive, and bursting with content.”

Items remain a mixed bag though, and whilst the arsenal draws from Sonic lore, many feel underwhelming or derivative of more iconic competitors. A handful mimic Mario Kart staples almost exactly, while others lack the visual punch or impact needed to feel as memorable. They get the job done and their use certainly shake up races, but there’s nothing as iconic as a mushroom, a banana peel, or a blue shell here. Maybe it’s the sense of familiarity that’s the problem, but your arsenal just never feels as impressive as in similar releases.

What DOES stand out though is the rival system. Each Grand Prix pits you against a chosen nemesis who actively hunts you down, taunts you mid-race, and targets you with every weapon they can get their hands on… yeah, it gets REALLY personal. It’s a wonderful dynamic that sees a genuine grudge build on the racetrack, but formalises it in a way that makes victories against your rival all the more sweeter (and the losses all the more painful). It’s a quirky idea, but it’s one that goes a long way in adding an extra dose of personality to the gameplay.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds also differentiates itself in how deeply you can tailor your racing style, with each character fitting into one of five classes: Speed, Acceleration, Handling, Power, and Boost. It’s a rewarding system that makes alternating characters and spicing things up feel worthwhile, though on the downside, it can mean that your favourite Sonic character might not suit your style of racing.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Your choice of vehicle can also shift those strengths in your favour though, with each able to be customised with interchangeable parts that allow you to tweak performance beyond cosmetic changes. The Gadgets system goes even further, letting players equip perks across multiple slots that range from practical bonuses, like starting with extra boost or upgrading your ring cap, to aggressive options that favour combat-heavy play. It’s an impressively flexible layer of strategy that rewards experimentation and always gives players something to tinker with.

Alongside Grand Prix, players can take on Time Trials, head into Race Park for team-based events, or jump online in cross-play multiplayer, so there’s plenty to get stuck into. Race Park is particularly fun in groups, offering cooperative challenges and unique unlocks, whilst the Time Trials are surprisingly engaging thanks to meaningful rewards tied to beating target times. For solo players, there’s plenty to work towards, whilst the wonderful  drip feed of crossover content (including the likes of SpongeBob, Minecraft, Persona, and more) ensures there’s one hell of a fascinating reason to stick around. I’ve loved what’s on offer in the base game, but it’s the future of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds that really excites me the most.

At the end of the day, what makes Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds feel so special is the fact that it’s just a blast to play. Every race feels fast, chaotic, and full of surprises, and once you get into the flow of drifting and boosting, it’s hard to put the controller down. The presentation helps too: tracks burst with colour, the portal transitions are always a spectacle, and the remixed soundtrack ties it all together with an energy that matches the on-screen action. I’ve loved my time playing it, and even after sticking a ton of hours in over the last week, I’m always excited for more.

Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA
Platform(s): Xbox Series X|S (Reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/sonic-racing-crossworlds/9nmr17qtlc33