Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review – Sega’s New Kart Racer Speeds Ahead

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds arrives with the weight of expectation, attempting to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the titans of the kart racing genre while carving out a unique space of its own. Sega’s latest racer doesn’t just lean on nostalgia with a star-studded roster and classic tracks—it introduces inventive mechanics, an expansive customization system, and a well-designed gameplay loop that makes it more than just another kart racer. The ambition behind it is clear, and the result is a game that consistently feels fast, fluid, and satisfying to play.

In her review on IGN, Jada Griffin highlighted the game’s strengths after spending over 35 hours with it, emphasizing how the mechanics, content variety, and customization systems elevated it beyond expectations. Her insights reinforce what has been increasingly apparent: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has more than enough depth to keep casual players engaged and competitive racers invested.

We previously reported on Sega’s bold marketing approach in our post, and CrossWorlds shows that the company backed up its confident promotion with equally strong gameplay.

At its core, CrossWorlds is built around intuitive controls and responsive handling. Acceleration, drifting, braking, and item use remain the foundation, but it’s the seamless transitions between mechanics that make each race engaging. The balance between accessibility and mastery is fine-tuned—easy for new players to pick up, but deep enough for experienced racers to refine lines, chain drifts, and exploit shortcuts. Sega also layered in meaningful vehicle differentiation, with Power, Handling, and Speed classes ensuring variety across builds, while the return of hover boards from Sonic Riders adds a nostalgic yet effective twist to the racing dynamic.

The signature CrossWorlds mechanic sets the game apart. Mid-race, players shift between radically different environments, introducing new terrain, hazards, and opportunities. This shifting structure forces racers to adapt quickly, rethink their loadouts, and test their versatility. The design recalls Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart’s dimension-hopping but adapts it into a system that feels inherently built for racing. Combined with transformations into boats and planes across certain track sections, the mechanic ensures no lap feels identical, adding unpredictability and replay value.

Track design is another standout feature. With 39 tracks total—24 primary courses and 15 that appear exclusively as secondary lap environments—there’s variety in both layout and aesthetic. Tracks like Coral Town, Market Street, and Radical Highway combine nostalgia with layered routes that reward experimentation and situational decision-making. Every track encourages risk-reward gameplay, offering alternate paths loaded with rings, boosts, or hazards that can swing races in unexpected directions.

Items remain a defining element, and CrossWorlds introduces 24 different tools of chaos. Wisps return in item form, joined by creative options like the Monster Truck transformation and the Tornado shield. Items are integrated into the strategy rather than being purely disruptive, particularly when combined with the customization system. Gadget Panels, a modular grid that allows players to tailor their vehicles with unique bonuses, adds another layer of depth. These Gadgets affect everything from stats to item loadouts, offering countless permutations. This system ensures personalization is as much about playstyle as aesthetics, and while some options can swing races, mastering their use is part of the challenge.

The roster features 24 characters across Sonic’s history, from mainstays like Sonic, Tails, and Shadow to deeper cuts like Team Chaotix and Sage from Frontiers. Each racer is voiced, and the introduction of a rival system during Grand Prix cups injects personality and intensity into the campaign. Rivals adapt intelligently, using items strategically and racing aggressively, providing real opposition without feeling unfair. Their unique voice lines and presence give offline races a more dynamic and personal feel.

Progression is driven by Donpa tickets, earned through racing and performance feats. Tickets unlock customization options, vehicle parts, and friendship-based rewards for characters. While rewarding, the system has a demanding economy, with higher-tier cosmetics and alternate costumes costing thousands of tickets. This creates a long-term grind for completionists, further compounded by Sega’s commitment to ongoing content updates, which include additional characters and tracks from franchises like Persona, Like a Dragon, and even SpongeBob. Free monthly content alongside paid season pass additions positions CrossWorlds as a live-service racer without overwhelming the base experience.

Multiplayer is robust, with local and online play supported. Online functionality includes crossplay, ranking systems, and fair play points to discourage quitting, all of which operated smoothly during testing. The absence of online splitscreen is a limitation compared to some competitors, but the stability and responsiveness of the netcode provide a strong foundation for competitive play. Local multiplayer also benefits from custom rule sets, enabling groups to tailor races, items, and mechanics to their liking, extending the game’s longevity as a social experience.

The soundtrack continues Sonic’s tradition of energetic, memorable music. Nearly 100 unique tracks are included, ranging from remixes of classics to entirely new compositions, with customization options that allow players to set playlists for races. Unlocking music via Time Trial challenges further incentivizes mastery, adding practical rewards to high-skill play.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds successfully balances its appeal across audiences. For fans of Sonic, it’s a love letter packed with characters, references, and music. For racing enthusiasts, it’s a mechanically tight and innovative entry that leverages Sega’s creativity to differentiate itself. While its economy can feel demanding and a few features could use refinement, its strengths in core gameplay, track design, and long-term support more than compensate.

Here's Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on Steam.

With its bold mechanics, inventive customization, and substantial content, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds firmly establishes itself as Sega’s most accomplished racer to date. It doesn’t just compete in the kart racing space—it demands recognition as one of the best in the genre.