If there was a particular battle back in the 1990s that summed up the so-called ‘console wars’ of that generation, Sega and Nintendo’s two iconic mascots were for sure the main protagonists of it. Nintendo’s red-clothed plumber Mario had redefined platforming and gaming in general back in the 80s, and sold millions of consoles and games on the back of his many notable adventures. He went unchallenged, before Sega unleashed its hasty hedgehog in 1991 and changed the game completely.
What followed for a decade was a marketing campaign the medium hadn’t seen before, as these two Japanese giants and their AAA franchises competed across a spectrum of genres. Then peace broke out, as focus shifted to that other mega corporation and their brand-new PlayStation. Such was that peace that since then, both Mario and Sonic have even teamed up for a continuing cross-over series – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – showing just how far things have come.
Step forward Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, coming hot on the heels of the Switch 2’s premiere launch game, Mario Kart World. Releasing as the showcase title on Nintendo’s new machine, Mario Kart World was meant to have the kart racing genre nailed down for the next generation after that. Just as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe reigned supreme – selling a reported 68 million copies on Switch alone – 2019’s Team Sonic Racing has, to date by comparison, sold a reported 3.5 million copies.
However, while Mario Kart World might still win the overall commercial battle due to the success of the Switch 2, after playing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Nintendo’s dominance in the kart racing field is far from assured. Where Mario Kart World has pushed to innovate in the genre with its pivot to a semi-open world design, Sonic Racing feels like an attempt to refine the kart racing genre as it was, with tighter core mechanics, interesting track design and even more intense races.
To start, unlike Nintendo’s Italian mascot, Sonic Racing sticks firmly to the traditional format of tracks. That said, there are a few very interesting tweaks to that format. There are 24 main tracks in the base game with recognisable locations from right across the Sonic canon. Everything from Metal Harbor from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sega Genesis’ Sonic & Knuckles–inspired Sand Road.
The variety of the locations and the amount going on in them across land, sea and air is a real treat for the senses and keeps the adrenaline pumping. Unlike many of the straight paths that dominate some of Mario Kart World’s locations – given the nature of the open-world track-merging mechanic – CrossWorlds presents racers with an abundance of those tight drifting turns and obstacles that always gives something to think about.
The visual identity of the track list also pops, with diversity between the colourful and inviting stages like Ocean View to the atmospheric foreboding of a track like Kraken Bay. From dodging giant lava dragons to weaving past rolling barrels, CrossWorlds is great at keeping the player on their toes.
To emphasise this further, the key mechanic Sonic Racing does introduce – and central to the title’s name – is the CrossWorlds system, which allows the racer in first to select a specific or random track for those competing to jump into through a portal. Not only does this switch things up in terms of having to learn a wide selection of tracks, but it also presents a leveller and a cool bit of strategic gamesmanship in terms of those who have set up their car stats for a specific locale and who then must adapt on the fly. These stages aren’t all exactly as expected either, with the third lap of each race then unlocking new shortcuts to find and boost pads to exploit. By the time DLC and all the CrossWorlds have been added in, the 45 courses present a wonderful menu to explore.
As mentioned, racing in CrossWorlds is as refined as it’s going to get outside of Mario Kart, and there is real challenge to enjoy in terms of working through the Grand Prix tournaments and time trials. Both modes reward players with Donpa Tickets, which are used to build relationships with other characters in the game and unlock new costumes and decals for vehicles.
The couple of disappointments with CrossWorlds probably come in this section of the game. Firstly, it lacks any story mode. It’s far from a dealbreaker and most of its contemporaries obviously don’t have one. However, it would have made the experience so much richer if there was at least some more reason to race through the tournaments and trials other than grinding. The second annoyance comes with said grinding, which takes a ridiculously long time to work through to earn tickets and achieve the rewards that come with it.
With that said, anyone with even a passing interest in kart racers will get a huge amount of fun playing around with the 28 base characters in the game and all the additional roadmap of characters planned. Where Sonic Racing one-ups Mario Kart in that regard are the noticeable differences between characters and vehicles due to being broken down into various categories from speed to power to handing (and more). Cars can also be customised to get the perfect playstyle. Add that into the changing tracks that test each aspect of this and it’s a pleasing strategic edge thrown into the mix.
That edge is important also, as races get ridiculously chaotic both offline and online. Offline, CrossWorlds introduces an interesting ‘rivals’ mechanic that gives the player a specific AI rival at the start of a tournament. More than just a nice little cutscene with banter, that rival is given a noticeable AI buff. It’s a neat little feature that does an excellent job of hyping up the competition across a series of races, and finishing first having fought a back-and-forward battle is super satisfying.
As for online, while those used to Mario Kart’s mammoth 24-player knockout marathons might be disappointed with just 12-player races on offer in Sonic Racing, rest assured things are no less frantic and fun. In fact, that extra time to breathe comes with its own benefits, being able to enjoy the fantastic graphics and soundtrack on offer – with iconic remixed tracks any Sonic fan will recognise from right across the franchise and many of the deep cuts. It wouldn’t be surprising if many hours of people’s time playing the game are consumed with tackling the time trials to unlock the music tracks.
