This year has turned into quite a competitive Kart fest and no one really saw it coming.

At the beginning of the year, there’d been big suggestion Switch 2 would be revealed and released, and when they showed a new Mario Kart being played right at the end, the speculation ran wild there would finally be a followup to Wii U’s Mario Kart 8.

What we ended up with is Mario Kart World back in June – a magnificent return to form – but in the meantime it seemed SEGA were also cooking up something and just a few months later, released a return to the world of Sonic Racing! Throw in Kirby Air Riders and it seems to be a proper throwdown showdown.

It’s like being back in the 80s as the two major rivals are going head to head once again, each offering their own unique brand of racing, both doing quite different things with the respective games. But while there’s naturally a lot of crossover, both games should very much be judged on their own merits.

With Mario Kart World, the game attempts a more open world style as you naturally cruise around a sizeable sandbox environment, stumbling upon different tracks, checking out lots of individual little side quests and missions that encourage you to explore and appreciate the wider world of Mario. It’s going for ambition and evolution rather than staying comfortably in the same lane.

For Sonic Racing, it does mostly stick with conventional Kart racing with Grand Prix right at the heart of the experience, going from race to race, moving from course to course. There is also classic Time Trial in there, and a full multiplayer mode in Race Park where you can play in competitive teams across different game types, like finding rings, shoot outs and good old fashioned quick matches.

All of which can be done online, of course, and that includes any fun side events that crop up, such as a currently available Spongebob event to celebrate the latest DLC. More on that in a moment. But CrossWorlds does things quite differently that what we’re used to. It’s added in a loadout structure known as gadget cards where you can customise and add little bonuses to them, unlocking spaces the more you race.

These gadgets can be as simple as speed boosts to begin a race, but also prevention of losing rings when bumping into walls, or inventory swaps. Some gadgets can take up more than one space, though, so you’ll need to balance whether you really want one of the beefier upgrades or to have a more widely spread balance. But the whole principle can really make online matches feel quite dynamic and refreshing, especially as you never quite know what you’ll be racing against and it means individual racers can have their distinct build type.

This works in lockstep with racers having a specific callout attribute, like Shadow and Metal Sonic are speed oriented, for example, whereas Knuckles and Robotnik are about power, and Joker from Persona is all in on Handling. Each categorised driver races in a way befitting of the attribute and in conjunction with the right car, can also make a different to how you play.

That’s another fun feature of this racer is, just like in Smash, they’ve really leant into the third party support with characters from Minecraft, Yakuza, and Hatsune Miku featuring as racers, with Mega Man and others still to come. While SEGA has a dirth of quality IP to choose from, it’s great to see them working with other major licenses and it offers ways for fans of other properties to dive in and play their favourite characters, but also present unique tracks that feel directly lifted from those brilliant universes.

Spongebob’s Bikini Bottom track, for instance, is a real eye-catcher! With the vibrancy, bounciness, colouring and authenticity, fans of the show will feel right at home. Similarly, the Minecraft track feels right out of Mojang’s playbook from the pixels right down to the lighting. Lots of care and respect has been committed to the licenses and I’m excited to see how SEGA continue to build on this.

CrossWorlds big hook, though, is in the way its tracks split up in the middle of a race. One minute you’re racing Ocean View in your Dark Reaper, checking out the beautiful mountains and waves, the next you pass a lap and find yourself in Pumpkin – Don’t call me Luigi’s – Mansion after driving through a large portal.

It’s a really clever hook and means each race can often feel different as you can make the choice between two different tracks at a time. It’s a a clever idea and while the game does stutter and lag a little bit through transition, even on PS5, you not only need to keep paying attention to the road but also to your rivals – who are deceptively difficult to overtake and stay ahead of.

Sonic Racing is a tricky game because you could really be flying fast and free on a familiar course, but the switch to another – one you may be less comfortable with – can really be the difference in you making first place or last. And I adore that about it, because unlike many other racers where you can sort of coast through, this tests your reactions fully.

Not to mention the change in driving with you cruising along roads one minute, then finding yourself skimming bouncy waves or soaring through the skies. The DualSense hums satisfyingly in kind to match your switch in environment, but it also affects each individual racer, depending on their defining attributes. Handling might be a better fit for the skies, for instance, while having a bit of power can give you an advantage going across the waters.

And then there’s the presentation which is genuinely on par with Nintendo’s flag-ship racer. Sure, production values are definitely higher in Mario Kart World – it’s a game Nintendo has been cooking for sometime and it was intended to be the flagship title for their new platform – but CrossWorlds is without question the absolute best version of Sonic Racing to date.

The visual style is striking, the variety of courses is stunning, each character is wonderfully designed, and even the music and sound effects just give this massive sense of nostalgia and vibes for the peak era of SEGA. From the collection of rings, to the synth’y style music on familiar looking SEGA themed courses. It shows that SEGA, too, have a rich treasure trove to choose from and as lucrative an IP as anyone on the market.

CrossWorlds is also full of replayability with multiple difficulty sets for each Grand Prix, several cups, and more to come with all the upcoming DLC – which we’ll be overviewing as they come through. There’s also limited time events and festivals themed around the packs which can give you unique rewards like customisable apparel for your cars – paints and plates – while giving you unique challenges to test your skills and abilities in.

And the other thing that’s been quite noticeable about CrossWorlds is SEGA have already updated the game several times since September and the long-term roadmap is established and identified running deep into 2026. This is a game they are invested in and want to keep building out. Mario Kart World, by comparison, has been very quiet since release.

If you’re looking for a slick, solid kart racer, that connects deeply with what makes these games so compelling, with rich backdrops, a deep roster, and some smart new ideas to freshen up the formula, CrossWorlds is a fantastic racer that just gets it. And is far and away the best Sonic Racing game to date.

Verdict

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is an absolute delight from top to bottom. The vintage SEGA vibes are strong from its classic tracks to its super deep roster, but the crossover potential also opens exciting doors for the future. The creative spin on vintage kart racing, as well as the variety possible through loadouts and Kart combinations and the deep roadmap into 2026 makes this a Kart racer you’ll keep playing long into the new year. Some difficulty jibes and performance jitters aside, this is the best Sonic Racing has ever been and a must-play for SEGA and racing afficiandos. 

Pros

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is out now on PC, Xbox, Switch, and PS

Played on PS5

Code Kindly Provided by SEGA for review purposes