Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds mirrors Mario Kart World’s move away from traditional 3-lap races with tracks that put you in a whole “different universe”

Mario Kart World is stirring controversy with a recent update that complicates playing classic three-lap races, but Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has been intending to implement a very comparable alteration from the onset.

In a conversation with GamesRadar+, veteran Sonic producer Takashi Iizuka disclosed that early in the development phase of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Sega was brainstorming a novel idea for the new version. He shared, “we had this notion that we’ve maintained this three-lap track until now – it’s always one, two, three times around. What if we altered that concept?”

This idea led the CrossWorlds team to the creation of its ‘travel rings’. These gateways enable the racer leading the pack to choose which world the second lap will occur in before all racers revert to the initial track for the concluding lap. Iizuka explains that the intent is that “instead of racing the same lap on the same course, you will travel to a different world, a different universe, a completely distinct racetrack.”

It’s a compelling method to refresh the gameplay, and it also impacts CrossWorlds’ Grand Prix structure. The travel ring signifies that “we can teleport to various locations, we don’t have to remain on the same track,” meaning that the final race in every Grand Prix will be a combination of the prior races.

This presents an engaging new twist on the conventional one-two-three sequence that kart racers have predominately depended on for years. It’s also why Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds can introduce characters such as Hatsune Miku, along with tracks inspired by Minecraft. However, this may turn out to be more contentious than Sega anticipates –

The latest update for Mario Kart World has altered the experience, meaning a standard three-lap race is no longer assured and it appears to be receiving rather negative feedback. Admittedly, this is likely due to Mario Kart shifting decisively away from the classic three-lap structure, a change not present in CrossWorlds—where participants will simply experience a varied second lap instead of an entirely new race. Nevertheless, this creates a more captivating approach to the launch, particularly as Sonic’s main rival falters during its early advantage.

A seasoned Sonic producer mentions that the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds team entirely eliminated items from the game if they were deemed too “stressful” or permitted players to “win effortlessly”

I serve as the Managing Editor for news at GamesRadar, directing the news strategy for the team. My journalistic journey began while pursuing an English Literature degree at the University of Warwick, where I also held the position of Games Editor for the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I have overseen the news departments at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, in addition to contributing regularly to PC Gamer. As you might deduce, PC is my preferred platform, so you can often find me engaging in League of Legends or trying out the latest indie gem on Steam.