Looking back at the Summer Game Fest Showcase, while there were all sorts of awesome-looking video games, only one of them really made me pop with excitement, and it was because we saw that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would really be crossing over with the likes of Hatsune Miku, Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban Kasuga, and Persona 5‘s Joker to create one of the most impressive rosters ever seen in a kart racer. Knowing that I had an appointment with Sega to preview the game after that only made me more excited.
Unfortunately for me, neither of those three characters were available to use. On the bright side, I did get to play the demo as much as I wanted within that hour, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting experience that should once again be a worthy alternative to Mario Kart.
While it wasn’t immediately obvious at first, especially since much of the content was locked and we wanted to spend more time racing than browsing menus, Sonic Racing really seems to be doubling down on the character selections and customization options. As far as the tracks go, they’ve also brought back the ability to race on land, sea, and air so that we once again can see the vehicles we use transform and become different machinery entirely. It was one of the most underrated aspects of the last game, so it was cool to see this become a mainstay.
We didn’t get to race as our dude Ichiban at SGF, but we will. Oh, we will.
As for what’s new, CrossWorlds introduces Travel Rings that affect the course you’re racing on in real-time. Racers in first place have the option of two worlds for the next section, which adds a nice strategic wrinkle to the competition in addition to giving players a reason to pursue leading the charge instead of staying back and competing when it counts. Obviously, considering all these courses were brand new, it didn’t make a difference in the demo, but I definitely see this being a fun feature moving forward for people who spend considerable time with the game. Still, having actually gone through this in action, it’s impressive going through the Travel Rings and seeing the track become so different in a split second. It very much reminded me of the rifts in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
In the time we were allotted, there was time to do three Grand Prix tournaments, so I ended up using Shadow, Knuckles, and Sonic. As stated, there’s a wealth of customizations to choose from in regards to your vehicle, and you also unlock the ability to put different boosts and perks on it as well. This wasn’t available in the first race as they had to be unlocked by playing a Grand Prix to completion, but once we got one–in all honesty, it just seemed like too much, at least for a demo. We’ll report back on this when there’s more time.
As far as the actual racing goes, it took some getting used as it’s been over a decade since Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and I’ve been a little absorbed by Mario Kart World. That said, drifting in the game feels different. Like Mario Kart, as you hold your drift, you can get a quicker boost by holding it to its maximum point. In Sonic Racing, you have a gauge to build up to level 3 before releasing the drift button to get the maximum boost. Of course, it’s difficult to master as it’ll take some getting used to.
The customization options were a little overwhelming for such a short demo.
The sailing and flying also feel solid. When you’re using either maneuver, you’ll also be at a point where you can drift boost at any time, but when you attempt it, you also lose considerable control of your vehicle, so you have to decide if it’s worth the risk. It’s also worth noting that despite playing on the hardest difficulty, I didn’t feel like any of my losses were cheap, and I still lucked out and won gold in all of them I tried anyway.
One cool thing I noticed when playing the Grand Prix mode is that while it’s still true it’s based on the points you get for every finish after four races, the fourth race is actually a combination of the three courses you just played on. It’s not necessarily that Mario Kart feature of driving to every race you have in Grand Prix, but it is pretty cool seeing how similar those aspects are, and it makes me wonder how close to the chest these development processes may be.
One thing that might be both overlooked and understated is that the game looks absolutely fantastic. I can’t tell you right now if it really satisfies my need for speed, but obviously with the power of this generation, these are the best kart racers can ever look on a console. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will definitely be a game watch out for when it comes out on September 25, 2026 for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via both Steam and Epic Games Store.
Looking back at the Summer Game Fest Showcase, while there were all sorts of awesome-looking video games, only one of them really made me pop with excitement, and it was because we saw that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would really be…
Looking back at the Summer Game Fest Showcase, while there were all sorts of awesome-looking video games, only one of them really made me pop with excitement, and it was because we saw that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would really be crossing over with the likes of Hatsune Miku, Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban Kasuga, and Persona 5‘s Joker to create one of the most impressive rosters ever seen in a kart racer. Knowing that I had an appointment with Sega to preview the game after that only made me more excited.
Unfortunately for me, neither of those three characters were available to use. On the bright side, I did get to play the demo as much as I wanted within that hour, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting experience that should once again be a worthy alternative to Mario Kart.
While it wasn’t immediately obvious at first, especially since much of the content was locked and we wanted to spend more time racing than browsing menus, Sonic Racing really seems to be doubling down on the character selections and customization options. As far as the tracks go, they’ve also brought back the ability to race on land, sea, and air so that we once again can see the vehicles we use transform and become different machinery entirely. It was one of the most underrated aspects of the last game, so it was cool to see this become a mainstay.
We didn’t get to race as our dude Ichiban at SGF, but we will. Oh, we will.
As for what’s new, CrossWorlds introduces Travel Rings that affect the course you’re racing on in real-time. Racers in first place have the option of two worlds for the next section, which adds a nice strategic wrinkle to the competition in addition to giving players a reason to pursue leading the charge instead of staying back and competing when it counts. Obviously, considering all these courses were brand new, it didn’t make a difference in the demo, but I definitely see this being a fun feature moving forward for people who spend considerable time with the game. Still, having actually gone through this in action, it’s impressive going through the Travel Rings and seeing the track become so different in a split second. It very much reminded me of the rifts in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
In the time we were allotted, there was time to do three Grand Prix tournaments, so I ended up using Shadow, Knuckles, and Sonic. As stated, there’s a wealth of customizations to choose from in regards to your vehicle, and you also unlock the ability to put different boosts and perks on it as well. This wasn’t available in the first race as they had to be unlocked by playing a Grand Prix to completion, but once we got one–in all honesty, it just seemed like too much, at least for a demo. We’ll report back on this when there’s more time.
As far as the actual racing goes, it took some getting used as it’s been over a decade since Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and I’ve been a little absorbed by Mario Kart World. That said, drifting in the game feels different. Like Mario Kart, as you hold your drift, you can get a quicker boost by holding it to its maximum point. In Sonic Racing, you have a gauge to build up to level 3 before releasing the drift button to get the maximum boost. Of course, it’s difficult to master as it’ll take some getting used to.
The customization options were a little overwhelming for such a short demo.
The sailing and flying also feel solid. When you’re using either maneuver, you’ll also be at a point where you can drift boost at any time, but when you attempt it, you also lose considerable control of your vehicle, so you have to decide if it’s worth the risk. It’s also worth noting that despite playing on the hardest difficulty, I didn’t feel like any of my losses were cheap, and I still lucked out and won gold in all of them I tried anyway.
One cool thing I noticed when playing the Grand Prix mode is that while it’s still true it’s based on the points you get for every finish after four races, the fourth race is actually a combination of the three courses you just played on. It’s not necessarily that Mario Kart feature of driving to every race you have in Grand Prix, but it is pretty cool seeing how similar those aspects are, and it makes me wonder how close to the chest these development processes may be.
One thing that might be both overlooked and understated is that the game looks absolutely fantastic. I can’t tell you right now if it really satisfies my need for speed, but obviously with the power of this generation, these are the best kart racers can ever look on a console. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will definitely be a game watch out for when it comes out on September 25, 2026 for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via both Steam and Epic Games Store.
by Danreb Victorio
