We were able to play through one full Grand Prix, and so we selected the second one to gives ourselves a firm but fair challenge: the Wisp Grand Prix.
As far as we can tell, each Grand Prix consists of three main races and then a final montage which blends the locations together. You’ll also do one lap per race on any of the game’s CrossWorlds, but more on that later in the preview.
While the demo we played included a huge selection of Sonic the Hedgehog characters – including deep pulls like Zazz and Espio – we settled on, well, Hatsune Miku .
Look, we love the cast of Sonic characters, but personally we’re more interested in the wider world of SEGA, and we sincerely hope the likes of Ryo Hazuki and Samba De Amigo will be joining the currently confirmed guest stars, like Persona 5’s Joker and Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga.
There are a ton of different vehicles to choose from but, pushed for time, we settled on a standard car, in order to get the best feeling for the handling. There are also motorbikes and hoverboards to choose from, so there’s a ton of variety.
The game also has a gadgets system, which is going to enable you to personalise the experience to your tastes. Gadgets are effectively perks which can be combined into loadouts – so you can focus on your combat prowess, drifting capabilities, or perhaps even a combination of the two.
The demo we played had a couple of presets already setup, so we settled for one of those, but we can see how the full game will allow you to get quite creative with your build – assuming it’s all properly balanced.
The loadout we selected focused on rings, generating one every few seconds and giving us bonuses for performing tricks and drifts. There was also a loadout we noticed which increased your top speed in the final lap, allowing you to pull off daring comebacks. It’s going to be interesting to see the community get creative with these options, and gradually determine what works.
At the start of a Grand Prix you’ll also need to select a Rival, who’ll be your main competitor throughout the series. We went with Big the Cat because he’s a bit of a legend, although after losing our first race to him we regretted our choice.
The races play pretty much as you’d expect them to, with the Cross/X R2
Weapons include things like boxing gloves and boosts, but don’t really reference items from Sonic the Hedgehog or the wider SEGA world, which we personally think is a shame.
The big twist with CrossWorlds, as its name implies, is that at the end of the first lap, the race leader will have the option to trigger a Travel Ring, temporarily changing the entire location of the course.
So, for example, we started out on Metal Harbor, the aircraft carrier stage from Sonic Adventure 2. (Not to be confused with After Burner’s Carrier Zone from Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, but they do basically look the same.) However, as we hit the second lap, we were whisked away to Kraken Bay, an original pirate-inspired location, with nautical scenery and a giant sea monster on the horizon.
These transitions are technically impressive – remember Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart? – and they keep you on your toes, because you’re effectively forced to deal with a new set of challenges. The third lap then takes you back to the stage you started on, but the state will have completely changed, so you might find yourself flying now instead of driving – or whatever the course demands.
We’re interested to see how all this factors when playing online, as games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can get a bit bland once the best players have learned all of the optimal routes. At least this way you don’t necessarily know from the beginning what your second lap will entail.
We ended up winning the Grand Prix, but by the skin of our teeth. Big the Cat beat us in at least one of races, so don’t expect this to be a walk in the park.
Overall, we’re pretty impressed by what we’ve seen so far, though. The gameplay feels tight, the courses look sensational on the PS5 Pro, and the character roster continues to grow. We know there are concerns about some characters lacking speech samples, but we’re loving the sheer wealth of content on offer. Pac-Man and Minecraft courses? Yes, please.
Don’t just take our word for it, though – the open beta will go live later this week, on 29th August, and you can find out how to participate through here.
Will you be jumping into the driver’s seat when Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds’ open beta drops later this week? Who’s your dream guest racer, and which classic SEGA characters would you like to see make the cut? Cross the finish line in the comments section below.
PlayStation Buttons based on work by VictorPines , CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Related Games
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (PS4)Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (PS5)
See Also
The Best PS5 Games (2025)
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