Takashi Iizuka and SEGA have continued to push for quality with each new Sonic entry, especially in recent years. Iizuka-san himself made it clearer than ever with a jab at the blue blur’s longtime rival at Summer Game Fest this year while promoting Sonic’s next game: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. For many reasons, CrossWorlds is set to easily be the biggest Sonic Racing game to date. Not only does the game feature what is by far the most expansive character roster to date, but you’ll also find countless customization options, 24 different courses, and many new mechanics.
I had a chance to spend an entire hour with CrossWorlds at Summer Game Fest: Play Days this year, and I came away largely excited for the final release later this year in September. If you’re searching for another new racing game this year beyond the recently released Mario Kart World, I encourage you not to overlook this one.
So, let’s start with the obvious: the character roster in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is nothing short of crazy. Not only are there 23 different Sonic characters to choose from (the most of any Sonic Racing game), but you can play as Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, Joker from Persona 5, and even the world-famous Hatsune Miku (I’m sold!). Additionally, many new characters are planned to be added as post-launch DLC. Summer Game Fest confirmed that the first of these is Steve and Alex from Minecraft, which I’m honestly still trying to wrap my head around. While my preview allowed for the selection of numerous Sonic characters, I couldn’t play as Miku – a real shame. Jokes aside, this roster really is a lot of fun.
After you choose your character, it’s time to customize your vehicle. The extensive customization options were honestly refreshing to see, as Mario Kart World did away with customization entirely. While it can be easy to sometimes get overwhelmed by the number of options at your disposal, I think the Sonic team has done a tremendous job here.
You’ll find typical customization options like tires, but you can also change the front and back of the car. Doing so will give you some crazy-looking vehicles, and I’m interested to see just how many will be available at launch. Naturally, these different parts all provide something more than just visual changes — each part has different stats that will affect your vehicle’s acceleration, top speed, and more.
However, even more customization options await beyond these choices for your vehicle. CrossWorlds allows you to choose different perks and abilities to fill a total of six slots. Some of these take up just one slot, while others can take up two or three. You can focus on upgrading things like drifting, acceleration, and more. I think this opens the door for a lot of experimentation, which only extends the life of the game for players.
Driving is the most important part of a racing game, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is very fun to play. At first, I felt the vehicles were all a bit heavier than other kart racing games, but that feeling quickly subsided once I got used to the feel of the game. This is a fast-paced game that has some surprising depth with the available customization. You’ll find numerous power-ups available to use, with many of these being what you might expect from a game within the kart racing genre. Additionally, you can perform tricks in the air by turning the stick, which provides you with a speed boost that can come in handy when aiming for the gold.
Races will have you driving on the ground, flying through the air, racing on waves, and more. CrossWorlds knows how to keep you engaged — that’s for sure. There are also additional elements thrown your way in modes like Grand Prix, with Rivals being an example. This is essentially a character that the game pits you closely against inside the races, and it feels like this character is a little smarter than other NPCs. You’ll exchange voice lines with your Rival each time you pass each other and at the end of a round. While it isn’t anything monumental, I think it adds some competitive nature to single-player races.
During my time with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, I had the opportunity to check out three entire Grand Prix routes, with each containing four races. CrossWorlds has a huge new feature that occurs mid-race, where the player in first place gets to choose which world to enter through a ring. While you may start on one track, the second lap takes place in an entirely different world, with players returning to the original track for the final lap. This gameplay loop makes for a fun and chaotic visual experience, where the environment around you is constantly changing.
Across the numerous tracks I got to race on, I found myself engaged and interested in what the Sonic team put together. The gimmick of switching between tracks each race was really fun, offering a challenge as I never knew what to expect. The choice of what comes next is left to first place and that player alone — you drive over either the left or right side to choose. When driving through the ring to the next part of the race, the transition is absolutely seamless. No loading times or anything of the sort occur; the game operates as if the track just continues.
While Grand Prix was quite fun, I am admittedly curious about the other modes and offerings of the game. Based on my preview, you can explore a total of seven different Grand Prix races, but what lies beyond that? As of now, World Matches, Race Park, and Time Trials have been confirmed, but the contents of these modes have not been extensively detailed.
I walked into my appointment for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds expecting just another Sonic Racing game that had some good elements but didn’t quite meet the mark. I could not be happier to have been proven wrong. This feels like a game that will surprise a lot of people and carve out a space in the ginormous kart racing scene later this Fall. CrossWorlds has a lot of potential — it’s just going to be up to SEGA on how to engage players for the long run. If the company continues to release exciting and surprising guest characters alongside new tracks, I believe CrossWorlds will remain a celebration of SEGA that shines for years to come.
