The Sonic and Mario franchises have been intertwined since the dawn of Sega’s flagship series, so it’s only fitting that Sonic’s kart-racing return occurs the same year as Mario’s. However, much like how Sonic brought a different flavor to the platforming genre in the ‘90s, the Blue Blur approaches the kart-racing genre from a different angle than Nintendo’s mascot. The result is a much more streamlined, yet still ambitious product that sits alongside Mario Kart World as the best the genre has delivered in 2025.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds delivers a trimmed-down arcade-style racing experience; there’s no open world or story mode, just a series of races and some peripheral events. Taking control of an expansive roster of Sonic and crossover characters, you sprint through 24 courses in three-lap races. I loved seeing some classic locales return, playing to Sonic’s nearly 35 years of history. True to the main series’ pedigree, the races are fast and chaotic; power-ups blast you at the most inopportune moments, shortcuts let you get the upper hand over your rivals, and your vehicles transform into boats and planes.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Video Review:
However, the main agents of chaos are the CrossWorlds rings that let the lead racer choose a different course to teleport the entire field to for the second lap. This mechanic, which doles out secondary tracks from a pool of 15 additional levels, injects incredible variety into each race. Each of the CrossWorlds are fully featured with a ton of action and obstacles; I was always excited to see which course would pop up.
The respectable power-up collection also aids in keeping the experience fresh, but the items themselves are underwhelming, even to a long-time fan such as myself. Some of them are based on the series’ Wisps or obscure items from past Sonic games, but many feel like generic knockoffs from other racers. That doesn’t make them any less effective or fun to use, but it took me several races before I understood what each did.
Every character is sorted into one of five classes: Acceleration gets off the line fast, Boost gains better speed bursts, Handling can better navigate corners, Power bullies other racers, and Speed excels in straightaways. You can modify each racer’s stats by selecting different machines, which are highly customizable. I was particularly excited for the return of the Extreme Gear hoverboards from Sonic Riders, even if they have the highest skill ceiling. I enjoyed tinkering with the visual aesthetics of my karts, but it doesn’t take much to make them look ridiculous, so my tweaking was minimalist. However, I do appreciate how you can mix and match unlocked parts from different karts to create one that vibes with you.
Instead, I relegated much of my customization to the Gadgets system, which lets you add modifiers to build out your character. I created an equippable Gadget Plate that let me hold three power-ups instead of two. Then, I finished the loadout by equipping smaller Gadget that don’t take up as much space, like increased frequency of defensive power-ups and one that grants an automatic boost to help you recover after falling off the track. These allow you to truly build a racer to suit your playstyle. I often debated leaning into a character’s existing strengths, like making Sonic even faster, or trying to bolster a Boost character like Jet’s power to round him out.
The Grand Prix puts you through a series of four races with the goal of beating an assigned rival. I enjoyed this twist, particularly during a few memorable, heated rivalries. However, it’s disappointing that the final race of each Grand Prix is just a single lap of each preceding course. Outside of Grand Prix, you can race online against your friends via cross-platform play, take part in Time Trials, or compete in special-rules races in Race Park. Whether you’re doing custom rules matches or using pre-set events like one where you get bonus points for collecting rings or boost when you collide with teammates, these are fun diversions. However, unless I have friends on my couch, I don’t see myself revisiting them very often.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds offers some exciting twists on the tried-and-true kart-racing formula, making for a streamlined experience that wastes no time getting you into the action. Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year.
