Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

With tongue resolutely in cheek, Sega revived an old TV commercial in its marketing of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, pointing out the difference between its new kart racer and Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World.

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Had such a move been made at the start of the prior generation, against the all-conquering Mario Kart 8, it would have been ill-advised. But with the premium price point and mildly underwhelming open-world element of World raising question marks over Nintendo’s stranglehold on the genre, Sega might have a point – sticking closer to well-worn racing lines, it genuinely offers what Nintendon’t.

The core proposal here is a purer form of the kart racer than World, comprising laps of traditional, enclosed tracks. As in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, you’ll race in a car, boat and plane at various points in the same race, which remains enjoyable thanks to simple, versatile controls. The twist is that the second of the three laps takes you through a portal into another world, with the leader choosing a clearly visible course or a random ‘CrossWorld’. To begin with, this choice only yields dedicated CrossWorld courses, though after a while you have the chance to cross onto normal courses. It is, in truth, something of a gimmick, but one that brings welcome variety to proceedings, while giving players a reason to fight to the front early in the race.

More changes occur when you return to the initial track, with the final tour altering the layout somewhat – removing barriers to create shortcuts, or adding new stretches across open water. The result is a set of well-crafted, sometimes surprising set-pieces as you’re funnelled towards your goal. If the classic ’90s Sega racer was all about careful curation, minimising variables such as vehicle speed or grip levels to ensure the player had the intended experience, CrossWorlds is a fine homage.