Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Game Review – Not Mario Kart

It’s easy to judge Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on face value as a Mario Kart rip-off. I certainly did. But loading the game up and racing through the first track makes it clear that it isn’t the Namco Bandai release in a shiny new skin. No, this definitely isn’t a clone of the kid-friendly game Nintendo used to showcase the Switch 2, even if it comes just a few months later. It’s different. Tougher. But just as fun. While Mario sticks to simplicity, Sonic’s CrossWorlds throws you into an overwhelming buffet of customization, gadgets, and transformations that reward experimentation and creativity. And, honestly, it feels more like tuning a car for Need For Speed than hopping into another casual party arcade racer game.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds opens with a huge selection of characters (including SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft‘s Steve, and a number of other characters from the SEGA universe), but just three core modes. Grand Prix is the meat of the package with seven sets of races. Time Trials are there for speed purists. Then comes Race Park, which shakes things up with team objectives like weapon-heavy skirmishes or boost-pad marathons. Add friends into the mix, and Race Park turns into the perfect couch co-op battleground – much like Mario Kart does, right?

The real hook, however, is actually the game’s “CrossWorlds” mechanic itself. Borrowing inspiration from the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, giant golden rings act as portals that warp players to entirely new environments mid-race. One lap you’re drifting through Metal Harbor, the next you’re suddenly in a prehistoric jungle with giant pink dinosaurs or a Halloween-inspired world with orange pumpkins and creepy castles. The lead racer decides where everyone goes, which makes every run completely unpredictable. That means you can’t just memorize every track. You actually have to adapt to the switches and changes as you go along.

On top of that, your vehicle also transforms constantly. Cars handle the driving style you’d expect, boats replace drifts with charged jumps, and planes give you vertical stunts and aerobatic freedom to move around more. Sonic Racing fans will recognize echoes of Sonic All-Stars Racing: Transformed here, but the tweaks make each form feel distinct and fun.

That said, most players will have a very rough start in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, especially if you’re used to the simplicity of Mario Kart. Playing with my kids (aged 7 and 2), we crashed into walls, lost momentum, and watched rivals zip ahead mere seconds from the finish line. In fact, it wasn’t until we started picking vehicles with high Handling stats that the game actually started rewarding us with wins. Of course, that’s all part of the fun, though. You’ll have to experiment until you find a build that matches your style of racing. Every racer and machine falls into Speed, Acceleration, Power, Handling, or Boost archetypes, and you can further modify them with gadgets, stat-altering parts, and visual customizations, too.

Also, at the start of a Grand Prix, you’re assigned a Rival who becomes your biggest obstacle in the races. Sometimes that Rival trash-talks, making defeating him that more fun. It’s a simple element, but it adds something different from Mario Kart, too.

Presentation-wise, CrossWorlds also nails it. The tracks span Sonic’s 34-year history and even branch into other Sega franchises. Spotting references to After Burner or Columns mid-race is a joy. All of that said, Mario Kart still comes out tops in terms of graphics. While Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds does have sharp visuals and is a really good-looking racer, there’s something more polished and visually interesting with the animations in Nintendo’s offering.

Also, online multiplayer is barebones (quick matches, grading system, no fancy extras), but it’s functional and likely where players will spend the most time once the single-player rewards dry up.

We’ve played hours of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and still feel like we’re scratching the surface of what’s possible. With over 39 tracks, 24 characters, and near-endless customization, it’s actually staking a claim as 2025’s best kart racer. Mario may still own the crown for accessibility, but Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds proves there’s room for something tougher, deeper, and just as thrilling.

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