For years, kart racing has been Nintendo’s home turf. Mario Kart World proved that Nintendo could still dominate the genre, but it also played things incredibly safe. This time around, SEGA has attempted to offer a decent Sonic counterpart, with highlights like Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed, but has struggled with games like Team Sonic Racing.
After a six-year hiatus, Sonic is back with a brand new game, inspired by the three films, with an all-star roster to deliver the best Sonic racing game to date. SEGA has clearly thrown down the gauntlet, and with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, they’ve delivered a racer that doesn’t just compete, it dares to outpace Mario on his own track.
Speed Meets Substance
Sonic has had a patchy racing career, but CrossWorlds feels like the moment it all clicks. Drifting is tight and rewarding, chaining boosts is smooth, and the sense of speed is thrilling without being unmanageable. You can manage your speed levels and even unlock more when the main game is complete (more on this later).
Where Mario Kart World sometimes leans on rubber-banding AI to keep things interesting, CrossWorlds rewards clean, skilful driving. Bumping walls or opponents costs you rings; it can also cause crashouts and cause your car to grind along the edge, giving your opponents the edge they need to gain a competitive advantage. It is in this way that every lap matters, and as a result, every victory feels earned.
On land, the racing is buttery smooth. There is a wide range of tracks from various Sonic and Sega franchises, including After Burner, Sonic Unleashed, and Galaxy Force, among many others. The boat and flight sections can also change the game, depending on your vehicle and character, which can impede your progress.
On one track as Tails, my vehicle changed from land to water, and I went from first to last every lap, due to the vehicle’s inability to move through water quickly. These are the lessons you learn quickly, so you can modify your vehicles. When you do pick up speed, the faster speed tiers push you to master corners and boosts, and combine them with items to win every race.
Crossing Worlds, Changing the Game
The signature feature here is the CrossWorlds mechanic: after the first lap, the leader warps the race into an alternate course pulled from one of Sega and Sonic’s lengthy game history. By the third lap, you’re back where you started, but the detour ensures every event feels unpredictable. It’s bold, it’s chaotic, and it’s exactly the kind of innovation Nintendo has failed to deliver in years.
I reviewed this game on the PlayStation 5 Pro, and the transitions were perfect every time. It would be interesting to see how they go on older consoles, particularly the original Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Your car drives through each portal with zero loading time, and the variety of stages from a land full of dinosaurs, to a casino and my personal favourite, flying through the air in planes through an After Burner style level. Phasing through from car to plane to boat is smooth and allows you to use different techniques in each race.
The roster of tracks pulls from across Sonic’s legacy, with nods to both the classics and more recent entries. Even when you see familiar circuits again, the CrossWorlds warp keeps things fresh. Even if you’ve played a level before and think you know where it’s headed, this function will add something new each time. It will be interesting to see how this plays on older consoles and what the transition speed and loading times are like. On the PS5 Pro, it’s buttery smooth, and the colours and changing environments pop.
Gadgets & Customisation – Depth Done Right
Where Mario Kart World relies on randomised items and light vehicle tweaks, CrossWorlds goes all-in on customisation. Cars can be modified down to stats and appearance, while the new Gadgets system lets you shape your entire playstyle. Want a loadout that thrives on ring collection? Or a build that weaponises drifting? The system allows it, and it matters on the track.
You can unlock more parts for your car, along with decals and colours to fully make it your own. Each character and vehicle is unique, and finding the right balance and mixing in the types of tracks on each cup is part of what gives this game so much replayability.
There are some 30 gadgets to use that can give you a competitive edge. My go-to was the boost wisps; you get 3 at the start of each race, so even if you burn out on the boost start, you can easily jump straight to first place with this advantage. Others can warp your vehicle to others in front of you, you also end up squashing that racer, slowing them down from catching you, you can also store extra rings and various other advantages.
The more you race, the more gadget slots you unlock and then you can mix and match what you have. Some Gadgets feel more useful than others, but the flexibility makes experimentation worthwhile, and it gives CrossWorlds a long-term edge over its rivals. The gadget panel comes with six slots in a two-by-three pattern, with each gadget requiring a range of 1 to 3 slots.
There is no right answer here or perfect combo (that I found), it all comes down to the racer you are using, the track you are on and the type of vehicle customisation. To put it simply, it’s the most thought and planning I have ever put into a racing game.
Characters, Modes & Multiplayer
With 23 Sonic characters at launch and more on the way via DLC (including crossovers from other SEGA series), the roster feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. The “rival system,” where a designated opponent trash-talks and pushes you mid-race, adds personality and stakes to single-player sessions. Metal Sonics are the most amusing, with a muffled tone of electronic beeps and boops that still sound menacing.
At times, they do get repetitive (Tails!) and can cause you to reach for the mute button, but overall, it is a solid roster of Sonic favourites. If you are looking for others outside of the Sonic-verse, there is a range of new characters coming with the season pass and paid DLC route. This also needs to be noted as a significant expansion, including Minecraft consisting of Steve, Alex and Creeper racers, Nickelodeon characters including SpongeBob and TMNT, Pac-Man, Ghosts, Megan Man and Proto Man. They also come with tracks inspired by their worlds. Interestingly enough, there are still 6 spots left on the Sonic Racing Crossworlds website, so we are hoping that six more franchises come into the fold, allowing the game to evolve.
There are a few modes, with the Grand Prix cups remaining the backbone of the experience, but Time Trials, customisable races, and team-based events in Race Park keep things varied. Multiplayer, both online and local, thrives on this versatility, making it more than just another kart racer for party nights.
The Few Speed Bumps
There are issues, however. Earning tickets for customisation is slow, and the overuse of motion blur can make already chaotic races harder to parse. But these are small quibbles in an otherwise polished package that runs smoothly at 60fps.
The music mix on my surround system was imbalanced, and at times the music sounded tinny and not the final mix. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it was particularly noticeable on a few of the tracks.
Final Thoughts
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn’t just SEGA’s best kart racer in years — it’s the rare game that can confidently claim to outshine Mario on his home turf. The game proudly embraces other franchises to come into the fold, and while these aren’t from any Sega franchises (please give us at least Alex Kidd, Amigo and Billy Hatcher!) There is a large variety of modes that you can play single player on and offline, which stops the game from feeling overly repetitive.
The Crossworlds part of this game delivers buttery smooth transitions with fantastical race tracks that provide a mix of car, boat and plane gameplay to take the best of Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing Transformed, and put it through its paces on current gen consoles. By fusing strong fundamentals with bold innovation and deep customisation, SEGA has finally given Sonic a racer worthy of his lasting legacy.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Buttery smooth racing: Large roster of characters; Plenty of modes and collectibles to keep you coming back for more
Lowlights: Earning tickets is slow; The music mix doesn’t sound complete
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Nintendo Switch 2 coming later this year)
Available: 25th September 2025
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image provided by SEGA.
