Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds — the best parts, from tracks to gadgets

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds takes a familiar kart formula and makes a single, decisive change: lap two can move you to an entirely different course, then lap three reshapes the original track. That one twist—plus some smart systems around vehicles, items, and customization—keeps races readable but rarely predictable. Here’s what stands out, and how to make the most of it.

CrossWorlds changes the race mid‑stream

Outside of Grand Prix, the second lap shifts the whole lobby into a different course via a dimensional “travel ring,” then sends you back for a remixed final lap. The third lap isn’t a rerun—routes open or close, hazards shift, and item boxes improve. This matters for tuning: a setup that flies on your chosen track may falter on the random lap‑two destination.

In Grand Prix, the player in first at the end of lap one gets a choice between two lap‑two destinations (often one visible and one “mystery” option). That extra agency rewards strong early laps, but it also forces you to plan a build that won’t crumble if the second course favors tight handling or off‑road shortcuts.

Track design: standout ribbons and polarizing picks

The launch lineup includes 24 main tracks and 15 CrossWorld destinations. Courses are layered for risk/reward: some routes sluice you through rings to push top speed, others chain boost pads for immediate gains. A few highlights and community flashpoints:

• Coral Town: looping, multi‑route design that changes based on position, vehicle, and lap. A time‑trial favorite for line‑hunting.

• Market Street (Rooftop Run) and Radical Highway: classic themes with set pieces that translate well into readable, fast routes.

• Pumpkin Mansion: late‑lap visibility tricks hide sharper turns until someone leads through them—memorization pays off here.

• Kraken Bay and Magma Planet: often cited as “best CrossWorlds” entries for strong pacing, set pieces, and music.

• Sky Road: a common “least favorite” callout from players for short length, punishing falls, and a rarely landed shortcut.

• Roulette Road: a fan favorite for spectacle—also frequently named among top CrossWorlds picks.

Vehicles, stats, and an early “meta” that’s still forming

Vehicle archetypes and tuning matter more here than in most party racers. Speed builds excel on straight, boost‑heavy courses; handling builds pay off on tracks with rapid direction changes or transformations; power builds bully through traffic. Community testing in pre‑release play gravitated toward higher acceleration to recover from frequent item hits, but there’s no consensus—and the CrossWorlds lap shift makes single‑stat extremes risky.

If you’re unsure where to start:

• Favor handling when a course includes boats or planes, or when your random CrossWorld pick skews curvy.
• Favor acceleration in lobbies where items are flying; it shortens the time you spend below top speed after taking a hit.
• Favor speed when your planned lines string together dash panels and trick boosts, and the CrossWorlds pool looks open.

Transformations change how tuning feels

Courses can switch you into Water or Flight forms through gates. Some swaps are mandatory (for example, Kraken Bay opens with a boat section), others are optional branches (like a short plane path on Coral Town). Plane handling is forgiving with vertical drift and multi‑height item rings; early boat sections can feel awkward until you learn their timing for drift and tricks. Builds leaning into handling tend to smooth both forms.

Items are chaotic by design, but the tracks help you recover

There are 24 items in circulation, including Colors‑era Wisps (boost, laser, drill) that cut off‑road corners and dodge incoming attacks with good timing. The Tornado can invalidate incoming hits while damaging others on contact, and Monster Truck grants temporary immunity, enemy flattening, and off‑road freedom. Getting tagged costs rings, and fewer rings means lower top speed, but generous dash panels and item boxes make recoveries feasible if your lines are disciplined.

Gadgets are the real build system

Gadgets sit on a six‑slot panel (a 2×3 grid) and apply impactful bonuses—stat tweaks, drift aids, ring capacity increases, and even unique starting items not found in boxes. You can pre‑save five panels and swap before each race. With over 70 gadgets available, the system rewards experimentation without feeling like it overrides driving skill.

• Panel Tetris: each gadget costs 1–3 slots; smarter layouts beat “best in slot” lists because the second‑lap course is variable.
• Examples: stock more items, charge drift faster, or lean into disruption with heavy‑hit options.
• Strategy: build at least one “generalist” panel (balanced stats, defensive utility) for ranked or public lobbies where you can’t predict lap two.

Grand Prix adds rivals, red rings, and mid‑cup do‑overs

Single‑player Grands Prix pit you against a designated rival—a tougher CPU with sharper lines and bespoke voice quips. Each cup’s fourth “race” stitches one lap from each of the prior three tracks into a single sprint that strips out collectibles and adds extra points, turning the finale into a pure test of adaptation.

Races hide five red rings on laps one and three. Finding them pays out tickets—an in‑game currency also earned by performance feats—and tickets can be spent to retry a race mid‑cup without restarting the whole GP. That softens the sting of last‑corner pileups and keeps practice focused on the problem lap.

Time trials and music are tightly linked

Time trials on standard and faster settings encourage iteration: swap parts, rewatch your ghost, refine boost timing. The payoff is tangible—nearly 100 soundtrack tracks you can slot into a custom three‑lap playlist per course, with clean musical transitions on lap changes. For Sonic Adventure 2 fans, clearing all time trials at an A rank unlocks a certain iconic city‑escape tune.

Race Park and online play

Race Park bundles alternate rule sets, including team variants that reward rings collected, dash‑panel usage, teammate taps, or landing item hits. Locally, up to four can play; online friend lobbies support up to 12 but are limited to one player per console. Crossplay helps fill grids, and “fair play” points discourage quitting mid‑race. Crucially, offline unlocks carry into online play, so you can arrive with tuned panels and parts.

Tickets, cosmetics, and long‑term grind

Tickets flow at a steady clip but big cosmetic unlocks and character “friendship” rewards get expensive fast. You’ll need to choose between car parts, gadgets, retries, and aesthetic progression. It’s a deliberate long‑tail: there’s plenty to chase without forcing you into a single mode.

New content and crossovers

The launch roster includes 24 series mainstays, and the roadmap points to regular post‑launch additions. On the horizon: free guest racers like Hatsune Miku, Joker (Persona 5), and Ichiban (Like a Dragon), plus themed content from SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender via a paid pass. Expect monthly drops in the first year, building on an already dense set of courses and modes.

How to get more out of CrossWorlds

• Build for plan B: keep a balanced gadget panel ready for second‑lap curveballs.
• Protect your rings: treat them like a speed meter; drift for ring‑rich lines if you’ve been hit.
• Use retries wisely: bank at least 20 tickets entering a GP so a single race doesn’t tank your cup.
• Practice transforms: run boat and plane segments in handling‑leaning vehicles until the rhythm clicks.
• Treat lap one as scouting: confirm whether the third‑lap remix favors your backup route.

CrossWorlds works because its headline trick doesn’t break readability—it deepens it. The mid‑race course swap, the lap‑three remix, and a robust gadget layer make small decisions add up over three laps, without punishing you for a single mistake. That balance is why players keep nitpicking tracks, debating stats, and tinkering with panels: there’s always another tenth to find, whether you’re chasing a rival, a red ring, or your own ghost.