TL;DR: A vibrant, ambitious, and occasionally chaotic Sonic kart racer that starts slow but ends in a blur of pure fun. It’s grindy, messy, and loud — just like the hedgehog himself. Not quite a Mario Kart killer, but absolutely a worthy rival.

There’s a moment in every kart racer — the first drift, the first chaotic item toss, the first time you realize you’ve lost control but you’re still smiling — that decides whether the game’s worth your time. For me, that moment came two hours into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Up until then, I was convinced Sonic Team had taken the wrong ramp entirely. It felt slow, weirdly cautious, like a speed limit had been enforced in a Sonic game. Then suddenly — as if the developers collectively slammed the nitro — the game clicked. I stopped treating it like a Mario Kart knockoff and started driving it like a Sonic fever dream.

And I’ve got to say, once it clicks, it really clicks.

But before we hit that perfect drift, let’s rewind. Because Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn’t just another kart racer with rings instead of coins — it’s Sega’s attempt to remind the world that the blue blur can still outpace anyone, even in genres that weren’t built for him. And in 2025, when Mario Kart World has set the standard for what a next-gen kart racer should look and feel like, that’s no small task.

The thing is: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds doesn’t play it safe. It’s weird, messy, and occasionally brilliant. It’s a Sonic game, through and through.

Welcome to the CrossWorlds — where Sonic’s past and future collide

At first glance, CrossWorlds feels like a love letter to Sonic’s recent history — if your definition of “recent” begins around Sonic Adventure and conveniently ignores most of the 16-bit era. Sega’s approach here is fascinating: rather than lean into nostalgia bait, they’ve doubled down on modern Sonic aesthetics — bright colors, plasticine sheen, overexcited dialogue, and the faint whiff of energy drink. Every track feels like it was ripped out of the last two decades of Sonic games, for better or worse.

You won’t find Green Hill Zone or Chemical Plant here, which is almost heretical at this point. Instead, you’ll be tearing through cities from Sonic Unleashed, battling bosses from Lost World, and weaving through jungles that feel suspiciously inspired by Sonic Heroes. The result is a game that looks like it was made by people who grew up on Dreamcast and GameCube rather than Genesis — and that gives it a unique identity, even if it sometimes feels like it’s forgotten its roots.

And that’s where the tension lies. CrossWorlds is clearly built to be a platform — not just a one-off racer, but a living, expanding multiverse where Sega (and soon, apparently, everyone) can cross over. The title isn’t just for show. The “CrossWorlds” mechanic lets you literally jump between themed stages mid-race, sometimes seamlessly, sometimes hilariously awkwardly. Imagine drifting through a seaside city, bursting through a dimensional portal, and suddenly you’re in a neon cyberpunk skyline with jazz sax and holographic dolphins. It’s absurd. It’s glorious. It’s also occasionally buggy, but when it works, it’s like a caffeine-fueled fever dream in HD.

This is Sega’s secret weapon: spectacle. CrossWorlds may not have the polish of Mario Kart World, but it’s got ambition in spades. Every race feels like an episode of an animated Sonic series that never existed but absolutely should. The problem is, that spectacle can only distract you for so long before you start asking the real questions: how does it drive?

The physics of chaos — or how I learned to stop worrying and love the drift

Let me be blunt: the first hour of CrossWorlds feels wrong. Not broken, but awkward, like the game is still trying to remember how to be fun. The karts handle with an unusual weight, the drift boost system takes longer to charge than you’d expect, and early on, the sense of speed is… well, not very Sonic. It’s like watching a cheetah jog.

Then, you unlock the faster tiers — and everything changes.

By the time you reach the Super Sonic Speed class, CrossWorlds stops pretending to be a kart racer and turns into a white-knuckle chaos simulator. Suddenly, you’re pinballing between portals, chaining boost drifts like your life depends on it, and praying that you don’t hit a wall because the physics engine will punish you. And yet, that’s the magic. This is a Sonic racer that demands rhythm. You’re not just steering; you’re performing. The racing line actually matters here — a rarity in the genre. Learning each track, nailing your corner exits, and threading through ring trails becomes second nature.

It’s not elegant like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, nor is it as turbocharged as Disney Speedstorm. It’s something in between — erratic, demanding, and deeply satisfying once you stop fighting it.

The only downside? That satisfying mastery takes time. You don’t feel Sonic speed immediately. You have to earn it.

The cast of the deep Sonic cut multiverse

The roster is wild. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles — obviously they’re here, because you can’t have a Sonic racer without the holy trinity. But beyond that, Sega went full obscure fan wiki. Cream the Rabbit from Sonic Advance 2? Check. Espio and the Chaotix crew from Knuckles’ Chaotix? Absolutely. Bosses from Lost World? For some reason, yes. It’s like the developers opened a randomizer on Sonic fandom and went, “Yeah, them.”

At first, I was baffled. Why would Sega ignore its broader catalog — Jet Set Radio, Panzer Dragoon, NiGHTS into Dreams — in favor of characters who barely appear in their own games anymore? But after a while, I got it. CrossWorldsisn’t Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. It’s not trying to be a Sega crossover. It’s trying to be a Sonic universe showcase — a celebration of the chaos, the side characters, and the lore spaghetti that makes Sonic what it is. Love it or hate it, this game is pure Sonic identity.

That said, the upcoming DLC promises more — and the tease of non-Sega crossovers (including Minecraft and SpongeBob SquarePants) suggests Sega’s going full metaverse here. Give it six months and I fully expect to be racing through a Persona-themed dungeon while Shadow quotes Nietzsche. Honestly, I’m here for it.

Rivals, rings, and rage

If you’ve played a Sonic game, you know the loop: collect rings, go fast, occasionally shout “Too slow!” while humiliating your opponents. CrossWorlds takes that energy and translates it into a rivalry system that actually gives the single-player mode some teeth. Each race assigns you a rival, complete with pre-race banter and taunts that sound like they were ripped from a Saturday morning cartoon — in the best possible way. The writing is surprisingly good, and the voice work (especially from the main cast) nails that blend of cheesy sincerity Sonic fans secretly adore.

Beating your rival unlocks special tokens and bonuses, but more importantly, it makes every race feel personal. I wasn’t just racing Espio; I was racing a smug chameleon who thought he could lecture me about patience while I drove circles around him. The satisfaction of crossing the finish line a split-second ahead of your rival? Pure dopamine.

There’s also the progression system — rings fuel your speed, but Donpa tickets (named after the returning tanuki scientist) are the real currency. They let you buy upgrades, decals, and even deepen your “friendship” with characters. It’s grindy, sure, but there’s a strange pleasure in it. Like tuning your favorite anime car, every upgrade feels earned, even if some of the rewards are cosmetic nonsense.

The problem? The grind eventually wears thin. After about 15 hours, you realize you’re playing more for personal satisfaction than for meaningful unlocks. It’s not the end of the world, but it does make the single-player mode feel more like endurance training than a joyride.

The CrossWorlds concept — multiverse done the Sonic way

The titular mechanic deserves its own shoutout, because it’s genuinely one of the coolest things about the game. Halfway through a race, the leader can trigger a dimensional shift — jumping from one world to another mid-course. It’s chaotic, often unfair, and completely mesmerizing. Think Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart meets F-Zero GX. The transition is near-instant, with the track morphing in real time. One moment you’re dodging lava geysers, the next you’re on a sky island surrounded by flying whales.

But what’s even cooler is what happens when you come back. The final lap always returns you to the original world, but with environmental changes — portals open up, shortcuts reveal themselves, and the track itself feels alive, responding to the chaos you unleashed. It’s storytelling through racing, which sounds ridiculous until you experience it

Does it always work perfectly? No. Weapons sometimes glitch mid-transition, and the physics occasionally lose their mind. But when it hits right, it’s magic — the kind of experimental design I wish more kart racers dared to attempt.

The art of speed — and the Sonic identity crisis

Let’s talk visuals. CrossWorlds runs beautifully on PS5, with no noticeable slowdown even when ten karts explode in a shower of rings. The lighting’s sharp, the water effects are ridiculous (especially in the boat sections), and the sense of momentum is palpable once you hit top speed. That said, it’s not a universally beautiful game. Some of the art direction leans too plastic, too glossy — like someone spilled G-Fuel on an Unreal Engine demo. Compared to Mario Kart World, which exudes effortless polish, CrossWorlds looks like it’s trying too hard to impress.

But here’s the thing: I kind of love that. Sonic has always been about trying too hard. The franchise thrives on excess — on speed for the sake of speed, on color overload, on anime melodrama. CrossWorlds embraces that energy fully. It’s not subtle. It’s Sonic.

And honestly? That’s enough.

Online chaos, offline charm

Once the servers went live, I dove into online multiplayer expecting disaster — and was pleasantly surprised. Races are smooth, matchmaking mostly works, and item respawn times make online races significantly more chaotic than offline ones. A few gadgets were disabled at launch due to balance issues, but that’s par for the course. Lag was minimal, which is impressive considering how much visual insanity this game throws at you.

The ranking system adds a nice competitive edge, though the real fun lies in private matches with friends — especially since local split-screen for up to four players is included (and actually performs well). I’ve already lost several evenings to couch matches that devolved into shouting matches over who stole whose red star token. It’s that kind of game.

The grind, the glory, and the blue blur’s return to form

After about 20 hours, I realized something: CrossWorlds had quietly won me over. It’s not perfect — far from it. The pacing is uneven, the grind can drag, and the early hours might put off players expecting instant gratification. But beneath that uneven surface is a game with heart, style, and a deep understanding of what makes Sonic special. It’s not the best kart racer ever made, but it might be the most Sonic one.

Where Mario Kart World feels like a carefully tuned symphony, CrossWorlds is a garage band with too much Red Bull and a jet engine strapped to its drum kit. It’s loud, messy, and sometimes misses a beat — but when it finds the groove, it’s exhilarating.

Sega hasn’t made a kart racer this fun since Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and while CrossWorlds doesn’t quite reach that game’s legendary status, it’s the closest we’ve come in a decade. With future updates promising more worlds, characters, and crossover madness, this could easily become a long-term favorite.

So yeah — it’s not S-tier yet. But it’s one hell of a ride.

Final Verdict

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is a thrilling, uneven, and ultimately satisfying racer that captures Sonic’s chaotic essence better than any spinoff in years. It stumbles out of the gate but finds its rhythm in glorious, high-speed fashion. Whether you’re a die-hard Sonic fan or just looking for a new multiplayer fix that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you, this is worth your time.