Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review - Classic Game that Competes Directly with Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World is the biggest kart racing game of the year, and given the longstanding feud between Sega and Nintendo, it's no surprise that the company has taken a few sly swipes at its rival in its recent marketing campaign. But I think all the jibes are completely justified.

 

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is one of the best kart racing games I've ever played. It offers smooth gameplay that's the perfect balance between being easy to pick up and difficult to master. Blue Blur's latest installment has quickly established itself as a classic.

With fast-paced racing, classes that offer real value, a utility system that ties everything together, and some of the best track designs ever seen in the genre, it's hard to ask for much more from a kart racing game. Plus, with cross-platform play, Sega is aiming to fill the void that Mario Kart couldn't — and they're doing it convincingly.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is the racer of this generation

 

Sonic games tend to be hyped up and add new, useless features, forgetting about the core value. However, CrossWorlds breaks that trend, remembering that any good racing game needs a solid foundation before players can love it.

That foundation is evident in the core mechanics—the feel of the driving and the variety of vehicles. Even if you just stick with this part without touching any customization, the experience is still incredibly enjoyable.

The differences between the classes are clear: there are powerful builds that let you outrun your opponents, flexible builds that let you cut corners with ease, or super-fast configurations that give you the ultimate kart… if you're skillful enough to master it. Whatever you choose, there's never a feeling of being left out or out of control. Each choice is simply a different deck of cards to play with.

 

Next up are the tracks. I'll be honest, I had some concerns when I first tried it out, but after playing it through, it all made sense. In short, this isn't a kart racing game where you're constantly being held back by obstacles. Instead, CrossWorlds is all about relentless speed. Hitting a wall will only knock you out for a moment, and you'll be back in the race. If you fall off the track, you'll be right back, except other racers have capitalized on your mistake to overtake you.

I initially thought that the lack of trapdoors or cliffs to fall off made CrossWorlds' courses less impressive. But in retrospect, it's probably because of the signature CrossWorld mechanic : on your second lap, you're transported to a completely different track. Some tracks only appear when you enter CrossWorld, so they're less experienced and less memorable than tracks in other games. But that's intentional—the sudden transition after the first lap is designed to disorient you.

No matter which CrossWorld you land on, each track serves its own purpose: keeping the pace fast and fluid. Players still have everything they'd expect—shortcuts, hidden secrets, even sections that call back to the platforming elements from the main series.

 

This is where the vehicle classes really shine. If you choose a slow but durable build, you can patiently overcome any challenge CrossWorlds throws at you. If you lean towards power, you can blast away most potential threats. Acceleration and speed-focused characters will have to be extra careful, as even the slightest mistake can send them crashing from first place to the bottom of the ladder.

It's because they've built a solid, accessible foundation that Sonic Team can continue to expand and inject their own personality into the genre. The biggest highlight comes from the gadget system — a chaotic but extremely fun way to turn your kart into whatever you want it to be.

At first, they're pretty simple: accelerate faster when drifting, or do more aerial stunts. But as you progress through the levels, gadgets become more impressive: making your kart spin and attack all nearby opponents when drifting, turning you into an invincible 'steel wall' when you have enough boost, or creating effects that make each race a completely different experience.

The toughest AI opponents in the game

 

The AI ​​opponents in CrossWorlds are incredibly tough , and I never managed to get a comfortable lead in my time playing. In some ways, that's a shame (I remember being a kid and beating up computer opponents in Mario Kart), but nothing beats those races where you're frantically pressing the X button, even jumping out of your seat, as if that'll get you to the finish line faster.

That's how most races in CrossWorlds feel, at least on the higher difficulties. Even then, you're not going to have an easy race. I made the mistake of starting with an opponent on medium difficulty and got destroyed. You can fall to last place just as quickly as you can get to the top.

The only thing that bothers me is…

It didn't take me long to 'roll the credits' in CrossWorlds. This isn't unusual for most racing games, but it does highlight the only real issue I have with the game: it could do so much more. For example, why isn't there a story mode, when so many previous Sonic racing games have? There's absolutely none of that here; it's just racing on different tracks over and over again.

Speaking of tracks, it took me a while to warm up to them. The CrossWorlds are impressive, adding a fun twist to each race, but they also don't have the punch that Sega intended. The tracks are short and easy to play, and I never really cared where I was going in a given race. I have to give them credit, though—they're seamlessly integrated, and there were no performance issues, even when some tracks were spliced ​​together into a single match.

Still, if there's a slight lack of what CrossWorlds doesn't do, what it does do is fine-tuned to near perfection. This latest generation proves that Blue Blur is back in the big leagues, finally getting a racing game that's worthy of its time. With Sonic's strong return, CrossWorlds is a well-deserved crowning achievement.

Pros & Cons

Advantage

1. Great racing mechanics, smooth and easy to play
2. Versatile and well-implemented gadget system
3. One of the best visuals of the Sonic series
4. Great soundtrack - as always

Disadvantages

1. DLC characters lack voice acting and are unimpressive
2. There should have been a story mode