This weekend I was lucky enough to be one of the people chosen for the Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Closed Network Test, and after putting quite a bit of time into it, I figured I would take a moment to share my first impressions of it. To be completely honestly, I'm not someone who has really "clicked" with the newer Sonic racing games, with the last one I actually really liked being Sonic Riders Zero Gravity. On top of that, I'm also weird, and one of the few people who had no issues with Sonic Free Riders. In fact, I played the heck out of it, until the point where I could hardly stand because of how hard the game is on your knees. (That didn't stop me from going back though!)
Now, I'm not saying that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing or Racing Transformed weren't good games; they just weren't simply for me. It also didn't help that Racing Transformed was a game I played shortly after a death in the family, so I wasn't really in the mind state to play it... And as for Team Sonic Racing? Despite my best efforts, and putting dozens of hours into it, it just wasn't for me either. I had fun with it at first, but the team mechanics were not what I was looking for in a racing game (for that I look more towards the older Need for Speed titles), and I ended up burning myself out on it once I got through the story. Again, it wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't a game that kept me coming back for more.
So with my past experience with the last three games, going into CrossWorlds, my expectations were not the highest. I thought "is this going to be Team Sonic Racing 2.0? Will I like the inclusion of the Racing Transformed mechanics?" This line of thinking made me question if I even wanted to try the game, but as a fan of both Sonic and racing games, I didn't want my past experiences prevent me from playing a game I might enjoy very much. And well... I was pleasantly surprised!
What the Network Test Had To Offer:
First of all, the Network Test only had a handful of characters to play as, and a select handful of tracks to race on. These tracks had different possibilities due to the new unique portal mechanics, and there were a few different paths you could take as well. So despite playing the same races over and over again, it at least gave me different experiences each time. Eventually I learned my favorites routes to take though, so I ended up sticking to them in future playthroughs. However, even then my preferred paths weren't always an option, and I found myself being forced into other ones due to the opponents I was racing against (thanks people). But that too is a part of the fun in these crazy over the top arcade racing games, and I love it.
Additionally, the Network Test only allowed for online play, with no options to test things out for yourself. This meant you were thrown right into the action, and had to learn things on the go. There were plenty of tutorials and pop ups to give you tips on what you could or shouldn't do, but it was mostly a "figure it out yourself" approach. Those who have played past games will be more familiar with it obviously, but those who haven't played in some time would have to quickly learn to adapt. (My first race was a disaster!)
The full game will have more options, and a single player campaign, so this will not be an issue for the final release. This was simply for testing the online, so it isn't too surprising the other modes were locked out.
With all of this being said... We've only scratched the surface of what Sonic Racing CrossWorlds has to offer.
Characters and Customization:
The game also allowed for some customization, and let you pick from 9 of the playable characters who will be featured in the full release. Sadly the test did not include the Sonic Riders content, so I couldn't test out Extreme Gears and had to stick to standard vehicles. Customization was also pretty light, with a handful of car parts to swap in and out, but it was cool to see that you had sticker options and color options as well. This let you personalize your vehicles outside of just swapping out parts, and more options became unlocked as you leveled up in the online mode.
As for the characters, your options were as follows:
- Sonic
- Tails
- Knuckles
- Amy
- Cream
- Shadow
- Eggman
- Omega
- Zazz
Each of these characters had different stats, and were balanced to fit each character's "type." Faster characters were obviously faster, while power characters were heavier. It is a familiar setup for the series in general, but it is something we've seen in other arcade racers as well. Ultimately this means that not every character will fit with everyone's playstyles, so sometimes picking your favorite isn't always the best for you gameplay wise. The car customization can help balance this out however, but how much it'll really change things will have to wait till the full release.
Additionally, you can equip different passive abilities to your vehicles as well, which give you a different edge while racing. Some let you start with items, others increase how effect items you pick up are, and some seem to simply increase your stats. Again this was limited in the Test, so at this moment it is hard to say what this will all effect. As usual there will most likely be passives that provide better benefits over the others, and it won't take players long to figure out the best "builds."
The Gameplay:
Once you pick and customize your characters, it is time to enter the races. Similar to other arcade racers, the game has a focus on picking up items, collecting rings (in this case) to increase your stats, hitting boost panels and jumps to give yourself an edge, and has a drifting mechanic that gives you a mini boost from using it.
There's also a trick system when you go off of ramps that gives you a speed boost, and there are parts of tracks that will speed you up or slow you down based on the terrain. It's all very familiar, but that doesn't make it any less hectic as you try to make your way through the stage.
Returning from Racing Transformed are the boat and air sections, where your vehicle will turn into a boat or fly through the air based upon which type of "gate" you pass through. Sometimes you have the option to avoid these transformation gates and stick to car mode, but other times it is required. All vehicle transformations actually control differently as well, so racers have to change up their playstyle and adapt the moment one of these changes take place. Obviously water is slicker than road, and flying sections allow you to move in all directions as you pick up items or hit boot points. It helps make every part of a race unique, but it also isn't overused to take away from the car racing action.
Items of course are a mixture of speed boost and attack items, with some allowing you to throw them in front of you or behind you as you see fit. There's ways to dodge attacks as well, but it often relies on using items of your own, and perfect timing. (Or sometimes simple luck!) You can hold up to two items at a time during a race, which is nice, but item boxes are limited to who gets them first. If someone runs through one before you, there's a chance it will not respawn until after you've already gone by. This encourages you to not follow other racers, and to try to take items before those behind you get them as well.
The unique part of CrossWorlds comes from the new portal system. Races are technically two laps long, and during the first lap the player in the lead have two options to pick between. Either go through the portal they can clearly see, or pick the mystery random one and just see where they end up. These portals will then take players through a crazy alternate world that acts as a second lap, and everyone must get through it to continue back to the original race.
The alternate worlds are as follows:
- Sky Road
- Lava Cave
- Roulette Road
- Dinosaur Jungle
- Kraken Bay
These can appear in any of the main stages, and offer very different experiences. They too make use of all the different transformations, with multiple paths open for you to take. Again, this is controlled by whoever is in first, so if you want a chance to pick your favorite, you have to make sure you are first.
As for the stages themselves, the Network Test allows you to race at:
- Metal Harbor
- Wonder Museum
- Rainbow Garden
- E Stadium
- Water Palace
- Ocean View
Mixed with the 5 portal worlds, this meant the Network Test had 11 different areas to race across, and each one was pretty unique. The stages also change during the final lap, so not every trip around the track will be the same.
To give a better look at each stage, here's a playthrough of each area. Note that these were actually my first times at each stage so... Sorry if I didn't do them justice!
Metal Harbor
Metal Harbor is a classic stage from Sonic Adventure 2. Like the stage itself, the track contains aircraft carriers, G.U.N. robots, jets flying overhead, and an area around the space shuttle that Sonic had to originally race to the top of.
Wonder Museum
Wonder Museum seems like your standard museum at first glance. There is a classic car section, dinosaur fossils, and pretty much everything else you would expect. The second half of the race however, that is when things get crazy. The dinosaurs spring to life, cars get in your way, laser beams try to zap you, and ghosts (straight out of Adventure 2) haunt the halls.
Rainbow Garden
Rainbow Garden is a colorful winding trip through the mountains, down streams, through caves, and open fields of lowers. It has a variety of locations, and ends with an uphill battle to the finish line.
E-Stadium
E-Stadium is filled to the brim with laser lights, bright colors, and winding roads through tunnels. It is reminiscent of stages seen in the Sonic Riders series, and carries it's high energy feeling from start to finish.
Water Palace
Water Palace is based on the stage from Sonic Rush, and takes players on a trip through an underwater tunnel and across the roadways and ruins in and around the palace itself.
Ocean View
Ocean View is a returning track from past Sonic Racing titles, and is heavily inspired by Seaside Hill from Sonic Heroes. It features winding roads and multiple islands to travel across on your way to the finish line. It is a well balanced track, great for beginners.
Overall, each of these stages were a blast to play through, and I honestly had no complaints about any of them. Typically in racing games there's always "that stage" I hate to see pop up, but that didn't happen here. Of course that could change with the release of the full game, but either way I'm happy with what they gave us.
My Final Thoughts:
I liked what I played of the Network Test; I really did. The tracks were fun, the cars felt really smooth, and I really liked the other world system and changing stages. Thanks to the levels constantly being changed up, nothing ever felt like it was dragging on too long (with each race roughly lasting 3 minutes), and the power ups provided the crazy, and sometimes unfair feeling, type of gameplay I was expecting. There were countless times where I was in first most of the race, only to be blown away by something at the end, but it happened in reverse as well. Multiple races saw me coming back to win it simply because I played smart, and saved my items for when they would really count. It is this balance of items and player skill level that keeps races engaging right up to the very end, and encourages you to not give up just because you are in last.
I'll admit that I'm still a bit mixed on the boat and plane sections of the game, as I really do prefer standard car racing, but that doesn't mean these sections are bad. They do help change up the gameplay, and the handling isn't bad once you get used to them. Those who enjoyed Transformed are sure to be happy with their inclusion in CrossWorlds, and the multiple path options are there for those who would rather stick to cars... It's just that sometimes you are forced to change, and there is no way around that.
In the end, the Network Test was enough to convince me to buy the game on release. I had fun, and I'm really looking forward to the other features the full release will contain. The Extreme Gear from Sonic Riders is something I am looking forward to the most, but even without the inclusion of Riders content, I still feel like I would be getting this game as soon as possible. The team behind this one also worked on Initial D, and I feel like using them was a very smart move on SEGA's part. They clearly know what they are doing when it comes to racing games, and CrossWorlds already feels pretty refined despite being a pre-release build of the game.
If the content in the full release is of the same (or better) quality, then we are in for a real treat with this one.
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