Review: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (PS5) – PS5’s Best Kart Racer Is Robust, Chaotic Fun

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Sonic is naturally suited for a racing game, given his incredible speed. However, his history with motorsports hasn’t always been smooth sailing – he’s experienced both great successes and disappointing setbacks.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds feels like a real attempt to revitalize the Sonic racing spin-off series, and while it has some flaws, it’s likely the best kart racer SEGA has made in years.

Let’s start with the basics: the driving is really enjoyable. We’ve designed the racing to be accessible and fun for players of all ages and skill levels, before diving into the more complex features of the game.

The game feels excellent to drive in most situations. You can easily link drifts together to gain big speed boosts, and even at slower speeds, it feels fast. Driving on land is where it shines, though the boat and flight modes are still good, they aren’t quite as precise.

Overall, we think this is a win. The races feel fast-paced and delightfully unpredictable, just like a good kart racing game should.

Going faster is especially satisfying because it requires more focus and control. You’ll need to ease off the gas to navigate tight turns, and hitting obstacles or other vehicles will cost you valuable speed boosts. This means that precise and skillful driving is what really pays off.

As we’ve discussed, CrossWorlds isn’t just well-built; it also includes some clever new features that make it even better.

The main feature of the game is ‘CrossWorlds,’ where the second lap of every race happens in a completely new location. The player leading the race gets to pick which of two different environments everyone will be transported to, before returning to the original track for the final lap.

This game is a genuinely fun experience, and it’s done really well. It features a great selection of tracks inspired by both classic and recent Sonic games, and the ‘CrossWorlds’ addition throws in even more variety, though some of those are shorter than complete tracks. You will encounter some tracks more than once, but they’re mixed up enough to keep each race interesting.

But what really changes the game is the deep level of customization, especially with the new Gadgets system.

The game really emphasizes customization, letting you change your vehicle’s appearance and performance in many different ways.

Every character starts with unique skills and stats, and the kart you pick greatly changes those numbers. Plus, you can customize your kart with different parts, each of which further influences your stats.

You can personalize how things look, but the real improvements come from the gadgets and tools you add.

As a player, I’ve found that gadgets are like awesome upgrades you can add to your gear. They each do something different, really changing how the game plays and letting you customize your experience!

With so many options available, you can build unique setups to match how you like to play.

You can customize your experience in many ways. For instance, you could focus on collecting rings to get a slight speed increase. Other options include faster boost recharging while drifting, prioritizing certain weapons, making aerial maneuvers quicker, and a whole lot more.

This system is really adaptable, and it’s worth trying out different Gadgets to see what suits your playstyle best. Some are definitely more helpful than others – we’ve found one that gives you a speed boost when bumping into other racers, and it’s hard to imagine playing without it now!

The game starts with 23 characters from the Sonic universe, and even more will be added later as downloadable content, both free and paid. These additions emphasize the game’s ‘CrossWorlds’ concept, featuring racers from other SEGA games and beyond.

Hopefully, the final character selection will be strong and varied. It’s too bad these characters won’t be voiced, considering how much the Sonic characters usually talk.

Having rivals adds extra excitement to the game. Before each race, you’ll be matched with a specific competitor who’s tougher than the others. They’ll even try to get under your skin with some playful trash talk during the race, giving you an extra push to win. It’s a minor detail, but it adds a fun side objective to every Grand Prix.

The main part of playing alone is Grand Prix mode, where you compete in eight different cups (and more will be added later). Completing all the cups at every difficulty level is a classic goal in kart racing games, and it’s really rewarding to achieve in this game too.

I’m really excited about Time Trial, it’s pretty straightforward and a great way to test myself. But Race Park is where it gets *really* cool! You can build your own races from scratch, tweaking everything from the rules to what items and CrossWorlds show up. And it’s not just about building – there are tons of different event types to try out, which is awesome!

Many of these games split the 12 racers into teams, and while the main focus is still racing, they also include additional goals. For instance, teams might compete to collect the most rings or land the most hits on other players. These offer a fun twist on traditional races and work best when playing with others.

Honestly, when this game really clicks, it’s just a blast! It’s a super fun kart racer that clearly focuses on making sure you’re having a good time, and that’s what I love about it.

Having said that, there are one or two things that let it down a little.

While the game offers a lot of ways to customize things, it takes a while to earn the in-game currency needed to unlock those options. You collect tickets by playing, and you can use them to buy parts for your vehicles, cosmetic items, or even give gifts to characters to earn additional rewards.

It takes a while to earn these, and getting everything requires a lot of effort.

Another concern is the game’s graphics. Generally, it looks great and performs smoothly on the PlayStation 5, consistently maintaining 60 frames per second in performance mode.

During races, the game sometimes uses too much blur, which makes the picture look unclear. The game is already visually busy with a lot happening on screen, and adding a strong blur effect just makes it even harder to see what’s going on.

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2025-09-18 16:08