Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review — 8.7/10

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds sends Sonic and friends across a dozen tracks built from classic zones, and it mostly delivers on the promise of fast, familiar fun. The game runs on Series X|S, PS4, Switch 2 and PC, and it earns its keep through tight racing and a roster that pulls heavy from the main series.

Trailer, via SEGA.

The Tracks

Each track borrows from a different zone from the main games, from Green Hill to Casino Park. The design stays faithful to the original stages while adding twists like shortcuts and secret paths. Players who know the source material will spot the references fast.

Modes

The game offers several ways to play:

• A career mode that builds out a roster of racers
• Time trials for solo best times
• Multiplayer support for up to four players online
• A free roam mode for driving around outside races

Handling

The cars handle like Sonic games should: quick, loose, and easy to lose control. Drift timing matters, and mastering the drift window becomes the skill that separates good runs from great ones.

Presentation

The presentation leans on the familiar look of the franchise, with characters rendered in a style that matches the main games. The soundtrack pulls from the series’ history too, though some tracks lean more heavily on it than others.

Performance

On Series X|S and PC, the frame rate holds steady during busy moments. On PS4 and Switch 2, the game shows strain during large groups of racers on screen, but it never crashes.

The Numbers

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. It takes a simple idea — racing across classic Sonic zones — and executes it with care. The handling is demanding, the presentation is strong, and the modes offer enough variety to keep players coming back.

There are rough edges, especially on PS4 and Switch 2, and the game doesn’t push past what it sets out to be. But as a pure racing package, it succeeds.

career mode · game review · multiplayer · racing · Sonic