Shadow the Hedgehog will be the star of yet another entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, since Sega just announced a brand-new racing video game titled Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds during The Game Awards 2024.

This reveal trailer is very brief, and it doesn't such very much, aside from the fact that Shadow will get to drive a beautiful new black & red car that perfectly fits his aesthetic. The graphics of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds look very polished and, based on the title, it seems like this is going to be a sequel to 2019's Team Sonic Racing.

However, many fans think this game will be similar to the Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing series, as the intriguing subtitle CrossWorlds may hint that Shadow the Hedgehog will cross over with characters from other Sega properties. There's also a possibility that he will meet versions of beloved Sonic characters from other forms of entertainment, like the animated shows or the Live Action movies, similarly to the new Sonic X Shadows Generations DLC. This is only spe??culation so far, as Sega has only said that the game is "Coming Soon" and didn't reveal much more information about it.

Looking back at 2024: The Year of Shadow the Hedgehog

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is the latest entry in the Sonic franchise to put Shadow the Hedgehog at the forefront. It's very evident that Sega focused on making 2024 his year, since it announced and released multiple projects starring the Ultimate Lifeform during it. For starters, the company launched Sonic X Shadow Generations back in October, a modern remaster of Sonic Generations with a completely new story campaign focused on Shadow the Hedgehog. Fortunately, this game received very positive reviews from both fans and critics alike.

Aside from that, there's the brand-new collaboration between Sonic the Hedgehog and DC, which the companies first revealed on Batman Day with an excellent animated video of Shadow dressed up a?s the Caped Crusad?er. But of course, the main event of the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the third entry in the Live Action movie ser?ies, which will heavily feature Shadow (Voiced by Keanu Reeves) as one of its main characters. It makes sense that Sega keeps featuring Shadow on so many things, seeing as this film comes out in theaters very soon, on December 20.

Many fans were sure that Sonic 3 was going to be the grand finale of the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog, but the announcement of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds confirms that this celebration is going to continue in 2025 and beyond. Especially if the third movie is a critical and commercial success and thus, it kickstarts a new wave of movies and TV shows starring Shadow. It?? seem?s Sega and Paramount is already planning on doing that anyway.

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Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is considered a bonus

PlayStation Plus is giving out four free-with-your-sub games in March, and this lineup should feel like a relative step up for many of us. Starting Tuesday, March 1, subscribers will be able to claim Team Sonic Racing (PS4), Ark: Survival Evolved (PS4), Ghostrunner (PS5 only), and a so-called "bonus game" �Ghost of Tsushima: Legends (PS4 / PS5).

[Update: It's time to add these games to your PS Plus library. Fo??llow tho??se links!]

What's worth playing?

You might be wondering what's up with Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, so let's start there. It's a standalone version of the Legends co-op multiplayer mode, which ended up being surprisingly excellent. In other words, if you bought the main game, you already have access to this stuff, so there'??s nothing to see here with respect to PlayStation Plus.

For everyone else who didn't play Ghost of Tsushima but might be into a bit of class-based PvE action, Ghost of Tsushima is definitely wor??th checking out with your subscription.

No really, it's great! It's a nice way to experience Sucker Punch's combat without needing to go through another meaty open-world adventure (and I say that as someone who dug the campaign). Apart from more story-focused two-player missions, Legends also has four-player survival rounds and a team-base?d Rivals mode. I recommend the former.

Ghostrunner, a fast-moving ninja action game set in a cyberpunk world, is my personal standout among the March PlayStation Plus lineu?p �although it's a shame that it's tied down to PS5 given the console's availability. Eight-hour games just fit the bill sometimes.

You probably know how you feel about Ark: Survival Evolved by now �it's an online survival game you're either open to or are truly, utterly never going to play. The dinosaur-wrangling world is a great premise, and there's a dedicated community, but in 2022, my attention is admittedly more focused on the upcoming Ark II, which looks wild.

As for Team Sonic Racing, I'll come right out and say that I'm glad I held off, because I was really on the fence. Realistically, this game was never going to top Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, as that Sega-celebrating bundle of joy is up there with Mario Kart 8 for me in terms of all-time kart racers. B??ut as a PS Plus freebie, sure, I'll play and enjoy this?? one.

Agree? Disagree? We've all got our PlayStation P??lus takes. Let's hear yours.

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All-star?

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the best racing games of all time: in fact, it might be the best. That's not hyperbole, as you only need to race one lap on the exploding, multi-layered Skies of Arcadia track to feel it. The controls are sleek, the roster rocks, and it serves as a greatest-hits tour of Sega's storied??, decades-long his?tory.

As expected, Sonic and his pals can't measure up to that same greatness alone with Team Sonic Racing, though Transformed left them a rock-hard foundation to work with.

Team Sonic Racing (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Switch, Xbox One)
Developer: Sumo Digital
Publisher: Sega
Released: May 21, 2019
MSRP: $39.99

The gimmick here is in the title.

Team Sonic Racing separates players into squads of three, capping out at four squads for 12 racers at a maximum. The idea is that you race as normal, scoring points for placing, but can get ahead by doing team-centric things, like sharing items with your partners. It totally fits the whole feel-good vibe of Sonic and works far better than you'd expect. But before I go any further, just in case you were going to stop reading here, know that a normal free-for-all race mode is fully on offer here, so you aren't forced into the team shtick.

Okay, so teams. There are a few things afoot here so I'll make it as digestible as possible. Standard races typically are comprised of three laps and the placement of each teammat??e matters in the final scoring system. Upon picking up an item box (of the typical missile, shield, and boost variety, with a few twists) you can choose to give it up to someone on your team, you can skim past a teammate to save them from spinning out, or slingshot ahead by driving in their wake (denoted by track lines) to gain a boost.

I actually love how it all comes together. Dumping useless items has a?lways been a problem in kart racers, so if I'm in first, giving someone a projectile so they can shoot up ahead on my lev?el is a great feeling. The same goes for providing a slingshot trail: I found myself consciously driving with more precision to ensure that my lines were easy to follow and my teammates could stay in them. Restricting characters based on team choice is my only real bummer, though it does make things easier to follow (enemy racers and your partners are also highlighted with an aura).

The "story mode," and I emphasize the quotes here, will run you through all of this bit by bit. Actually, it's more of a tutorial, with light bits of voiced banter (dual audio!) between rounds. You can tell Sega kind of just stuck this in for die-hard fans, as the chance to see?? characters from different iterations interact (like Silver and Shadow) is neat in theory, but the delivery feels very jilted, like each voice actor is reading their lines months apart from one another. In-race dialogue isn't much better outside of the occasionally hilarious interaction (like fellow baddie E-123 Omega shouting "Shadow, why?!" after being pelted in free-for-all mode), though thankfully that can be turned off or forced into "text only" status. Big props to the playtester who probably ??asked for that option. 

There's a bit of depth buried in Team Sonic too, due to the manageable three-class system: speedsters are resilient to projectiles, technique-based racers can drive over grass or gravel at full speed, and power can smash through hazards without slowing down. Tracks typically have portions that play to the strength of each, which makes the whole team concept even more intriguing. It heightens the meaning behind who you pick as your avatar beyond typically intangible benefits between weight classes in kart racers. By the way, this is the roster. You can look at it, you complai?n about it, but?? don’t say I didn’t warn you.

That track list, mind, is one of the game's weakest elements. There's some bangers that deserve to be buried in the hallowed crypt of kart racers, like the Clockwork Pyramid, which offers a veritab??le buffet of neon aesthetics and dangerous hazards. Then there's the Haunted Castle, which is one of the best uses of the spooky/castle track motif yet. All three casino levels are perfect, baseline "putting in work" courses. But several blend together and the last grand prix repeats courses. Mirror tracks soften the blow but a few levels had me scratching my head going "I swore I played this already."

Team Sonic, in comparison to Sumo Digital's effort with Transformed, feels safer. Since you? aren't flying or skimming over water in addition to racing karts, levels are more traditional in nature. That's not inherently a bad thing, but I wish they pushed the envelope a bit more often as it becomes a problem when several of the game's tr??acks blend together. That’s not to say Sumo Digital doesn’t get creative.

There's a lot of granular Sonic references baked into each track, like the Mother Wisp Jellyfish from Sonic Colors that crafts aural tracks in the sky: the more esoteric and adventurous concepts like this evoke some of the best bits of Racing Transformed even if they're few and far between. Team Sonic&??nbsp;also has more out-there events like “kill a bunch of egg car NPC racers,” or king of the hill (stay in first to accrue points), or even survival (last pl??ace is eliminated each lap). It's a decent compromise in lieu of a real battle mode.

I'm not jazzed about the currency system (which is all in-game as of now, knock on wood), which grants players random kart upgrades and cosmetics for individual characters, on top of one-time use "bonus box" powers. I wasn't a huge fan of Mario Kart 8's equipment mechanics but this is far more annoying due to the randomness of it. The thing is, Team Sonic Racing has enough single-p??layer and offline/online multiplayer options to keep people going for a while, so a grind like this wasn't necessary. Plus parts have tradeoffs, so it's not like getting shiny new rims for Shadow's ride is an instant win-more upgrade.

In most circles, Team Sonic Racing probably won't unseat Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (or Transformed's ever-enduring legacy if my house is any indication), and that's fine with me. Plenty of folks will enjoy the Sonic focus and many of the tracks would have been fantastic as Transformed DLC. I just wish it wasn't as limit??ed in scope ?out of the gate.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]} 

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It's actually nearly out, for real

Team Sonic Racing seems to have taken an absolute age to get to store shelves, but its almost here. The kart racer, which pits members of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe aga?inst each other in team-based track-rippers, will finally be released in?? just under a month.

Sega has also dropped the second part of animated mini-series Team Sonic Racing Overdrive, following on from its debut episode that premiered at SXSW last month. Created by the talented folks at Neko Productions (who also gave us the great Sonic Mania Adventures) the fun short features a road rage incident between hot-head Knuckles and the charming Rogue the Bat. ?Shadow also s??hows up to be a massive ass.

If you missed the first part of the mini-series, then you can check it out right here. Team Sonic Racing launches May 21 on PS??4, PC, Xbox On??e and Nintendo Switch.

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Perpetually under starter's orders

I'm not sure what former life crime I committed that means I'm destined to write Team Sonic Racing articles for almost two years straight, but here's another, as Se?ga have dropped another trailer for the long-in-development road-ripper.

Titled "Team Up", the new trailer sees Sonic, Shadow, Rouge, Robotnik and others as they tear through a variety of tracks, dodging hazards and performing stunts over death-defying jumps. Our furry friends also dip into the game's Challenge Mode a??nd even show off some of the gear available in the fun-looking customisation gar??age.

Team Sonic Racing will feature local and online competitive racing options for up to 12 players, along with a roster of franchise favourites and music from Sonic Mania's Jun Senoue. It looks like qu?ite the party for Sonic fans, now all they have to do it release the dang thing.

Team Sonic Racing launches May 21 on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Sw??itch.

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Top gear ghoulies

I can't think of a game I have been dropping news about for longer than Team Sonic Racing. From teases and rumours, to announcement, to trailers, delays, and further delays, it feels like this particular title has stalled at the starting grid forever. Still, things seem to be ??on track right now, with the Sega racer expected to launch May 21.

The developer has just announced another track, ready to be torn up by Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and friends. This time it's the Haunted Castle, which will no doubt feature all sorts of weird and creepy goings-on. I have to guess as to i?ts features, because this announcement wasn't backed up with any actual footage of the new locale in action.

Still, a video has been released featuring the Haunted Castle's theme, performed by Tee Lopis, the talented artist behind the excellent Sonic Mania OST. You can check out the new tune below. Team Sonic Racing?? launches May 21 on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nint?endo Switch.

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C'mon and let the fire buuuuuuurn...

At SXSW yesterday, the Sonic the Hedgehog community was treated to some new tidbits regarding their favourite blue blur. It was a little anti-climatic, with Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka simply announcing that a n??ew game was in development... and that's it.

Still, there was some other neat reveals, particularly regarding the upcoming Team Sonic Racing. Sega dropped a new video, showing off the racer's customisation mode, as well as a the theme for the game casino-themed "Bingo Party" track.

Also announced was a new animation to tie in with Team Sonic Racing's release. Created by Neko Productions - the studio behind the great Sonic Mania Adventures series - Team Sonic Racing Overdrive is a two-part? 'toon which features Sonic, Tails,? Knuckles, Amy and the rest of the gang as they indulge in some high-speed chicanery. You can check out part one below, with part two to follow at a later date.

Team Sonic Racing ???launches May 21 on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

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Plus new cheese-metal music

Team Sonic Racing, which has now been in development for fifty years, has ?revealed two new tracks, currently being prepped for some high-speed, wheel-spinning action. Extreme environments are the order of the day here, as the tracks look at two very opposite climates.

First up are screens from the new "Hidden Volcano" course, which will see Sonic and chums blitzing over red-hot brimstone and drifting around corners aligned with burning magma??, better pack an extra water bottle. The second course, "Frozen Junkyard," will allow our racers to cool off a little, as they speed over gripless frozen roads before careening into the neares??t iceberg.

Alongside screens from both tracks, we also get a preview of Frozen Junkyard's background track, composed and performed by Jun Senoue and Danger Kids' Tyler Smith. You can check out screenshots and the new 'choon below. Team Sonic Racing launches on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch Ma??y 21.

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Villainous trio take to the raceway

Sega has revealed a new trio for upcoming road-runner Team Sonic Racing. Today, it's the villains time to shine, as three baddies from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe form up to steal the chequered flag.

Team Eggman consists of Deadly Six member Zavok, who fans will remember from Wii-U title Sonic Lost World. Joining him is my personal favourite character from Sega All-Star Racing Transformed; Metal Sonic. This terrible trio is rounded out with the blue blur's most not??orious nemesis, the pesky Dr. I??vo Robotnik.

You can check out the villains and their vehicles below, in what has to be one of the busiest images I've ever seen. Team Sonic Racing launches on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch May 2??1, having been pushed back?? from its initial 2018 release date.

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'Green Light Ride '

Sega has a penchant for rock ballad-esque Sonic theme songs and this new Team Sonic Racing is no exception.

It's called "Green Light Ride," and you can listen to the short version below ahead of the official full release on various music platforms like iTunes. The song is by Crush 40, Jun Senoue's musical collective that's basically dedicated to Sonic and NASCAR music (it's wild). It's Sonic as hell, but I dig it.

Team Sonic Racing is out on May 21, 2019 on PC, PS4,?? Xbox One and Switch. I love w?riting Switch last by the way: like "with very special guest...Switch."

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Sega pump the brakes

Sega has announced that their upcoming tarmac burner Sonic Team Racing will not make its originally scheduled Winter 2018 release date. The game has been rescheduled for release in May nex?t year.

Speaking on twitter Sega admitted that "delays are no fun, but quality matters most. Thanks for your patience – we’ve got more to show you for TSR very soon!". It was already looking pretty shake as we approach November?? but were still yet to hear a release date for the the tag-team style kart racer.

Team Sonic Racing, which was hinted at forever before being finally revealed at the start of the year, sees Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles and many other characters enter a racing tournament, hosted by the mysterious Dodonpa. The game will contain challenges and Grand Prix tour?naments, as well as a full St?ory Mode, which is also playable in co-op with a pal.

Team Sonic Racing is now expected to launch May 2019 on PS4

Hey guys! To make Team Sonic Racing the best game it can be, we’re giving the team extra time to work on it. Our new release date is May 21, 2019.

We know delays are no fun, but quality matters most. Thanks for your patience – we’ve got more to show you for TSR very soon!

— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) October 25, 2018

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So pick your squad carefully

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be a tough act to follow. Sega's next arcade racer, Team Sonic Racing, attempts to set itself apart with a more Sonic-focused approach and team-centric mechanics. I spoke about some of this stuff in my E3 preview, but today's footage helps illustrate that?? point.

Players are encouraged to race cooperatively in several different ways. You can transfer offensive and defensive items to your teammates, trail behind them for a speed boost, and make use of a Team Ultimate after filling a meter mid-?race to enter a high-speed state. Those are the basics, anyway.

I'm curious to see what Adventure Mode entails, but my expectations for the game are tempered for sure. Team Sonic Racing is out this winter for PC, PlayStati??on 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Swit??ch.

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Also, Happy Birthday Sonic!

Sega have announced a few more drivers headed to the upcoming Team Sonic Racing. The reveal was made as a part of the Sonic Birthday 2018 celebrations, held at Tokyo Joypolis.

Cutie-pie Amy Rose, dead-eyed Big the Cat and Four Chao (driving a?s one terrifying hive mind) will join the starting grid alongside previously announced characters Tails, Shadow, Knuckles, Omega, Rouge and the blue blur himself, Sonic. The character select screen still shows six remaining slots to be filled.

Team Sonic Racing, which was the worst kept secret forever before being officially announced earlier this year, is the latest in a series of racing games featuring the Sega mascot. Our own Jordan Devore got to play a build of the game at E3, which you can read about right here.? You can check out some new footage of the game in the VOD below at 52:00.

Team Sonic Racing is scheduled fo?r release on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch this Winter.

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But it's no Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was a celebration of all things Sega -- and it was an amazing arcade racer in its own right. Matter of fact, I think it's up there with Mario Kart 8. The next racing game from Sega, Team Sonic Racing, goes in a different, more Sonic-focused direction.

As the name implies, there's a team-based format. Groups of three characters (drawing from a pool of famil??iar faces like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, ?Shadow, Rouge, and E-123 Omega) actively work together.

You can transfer offensive and defensive item pick-ups between yo??ur teammates, drive on the trail they leave for a speed boost, or just simply slip past their vehicle. Doing these sorts of cooperative actions throughout the race helps fill a meter for an ability that, once activated, temporarily puts your racer into a frenzied?, sped-up state. Other than that, you'll be doing a lot of standard arcade-racer stuff.

Remember the ABD rule: Always Be Drifting. Speaking of, drifting feels nice in TSR.

I played a quick two races against the AI at E3 2018 and they solidified my feelings on Team Sonic Racing. I'm still bummed this isn't a follow-up to Sonic & All-Stars Racing, but it seems perfectly fine.

The item-passing mech??anic could lend itself well to setting up devious last-minute comebacks, and I dig the idea of catching back up to your crew by driving across the glowing trail they leave behind. We'll have to see how the game fares with human players in the mix and how the roster comes together.

It does have Crush 40, though!

Team Sonic Racing is planned for PC, PlayStation 4,?? Xbox One, and Nint?endo Switch this winter.

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Everybody's Super Sonic racing again

[Update: Sega have cut their losses and decided to officially reveal Team Sonic Racing, which launches this Winter on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. A new tea?ser trailer has been uploaded, which you can check out at the foot of the article.]

Retailer Walmart got a little ahead of itself last night, opening up a new listing online for Sega's new Sonic the Hedgehog title, which was planned to make its grand debut soon. We all knew what it was anyway, but now, Team Sonic Racing is officially a thing.

The product listing - for the Nintendo Switch version of the title - also lists a whole host of features coming to the rubber-burning release. Team Sonic Racing will feature 15 class-based characters from across the Sonic universe, customisation options for your vehicle's appearance and ??performance and, apparently, a Story Mode.

It also appears that the "Team" el??ement of the game's title will be emphasised, with the game encouraging players to "Race as a team, win as team" before going on to mention Team Specials and Team Ultimate maneuvers. The game's online and co-op modes will support 12 players and feature four player split-screen.

This is good news, as recent Sonic racer titles have been great. Unfortunately it clearly looks as though this game is strictly limited to the Sonic universe, not a crossover title ala the excellent Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed. That's disappointing. But hopefully Team Sonic Racing will still capture the addictive hi-speed acti?on of its predecessors. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this upcoming racer very soon indeed.

Team Sonic Racing Nintendo Switch listing [Walmart]

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