We got another chance to experience Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and in our second preview we’ll explore the game’s deeper customization features. Unlike our first hands-on where we focused on basic racing mechanics, this preview gave us 10,000 tickets to spend and a proper look at the game’s item and upgrade systems.

Machine Customization and Gadget System 

The customization system is much more complex than we initially thought. Beyond choosing your base kart type, players can fine-tune their machines through different part categories. You can swap out front parts, rear parts, and tires, with each component affecting your kart’s performance stats differently. What’s important to note is that parts are specific to each kart category – parts unlocked for Power-type karts can only be used with Power-type vehicles.

Each part influences the kart’s performance parameters across the five main stats: Speed, Acceleration, Handling, Power, and Boost. This means players need to think about whether they want to strengthen their kart type’s natural advantages or try to cover its weaknesses.

What’s interesting is how the game handles visual customization alongside performance tweaks. Players can change paint jobs, add decals that can be moved, rotated, and scaled around the kart, and even pick from various horn sounds like accordion, alien, robot, trumpet, and duck sounds. Players can also change their aura that gives your kart special visual effects during races.

The gadget system works differently from regular parts. Players get six slots to work with, and each gadget takes up between one to three slots depending on its power level. Weaker gadgets like ring pickup range boosters only need one slot, while stronger effects like collision boosts require two slots, and the most powerful gadgets can take up all three slots.

This creates interesting choices for players. You could go with six single-slot gadgets for multiple small benefits, or focus on two powerful three-slot gadgets for major advantages. The game lets you save different gadget combinations as loadouts, so you can quickly switch between setups for different race types. During races, your active gadgets appear on screen, and they light up when they activate or get used, giving you clear feedback on what’s working.

Grand Prix and Speed Classes in Cross-World Racing

The Grand Prix mode features seven different competitions, each with their own set of rival racers and track selections. What makes it interesting is that if you manage to beat all the regular rivals in a Grand Prix, a “Super” racer joins the competition, adding an extra challenge layer.

The game also features different speed classes: Normal Speed, High Speed, Sonic Speed, Super Sonic Speed, and Mirror Sonic Speed. The preview build had “High Speed” highlighted as “Recommended for everyone,” suggesting this might be the standard difficulty level for most players.  The cross-world system we mentioned in our first preview continues to be a key feature. The leader after the first lap gets to choose which world the race continues in, keeping the strategic element of maintaining first place for track selection advantages.

What’s New This Time

Compared to our first preview, this session felt more complete in terms of showing how deep the customization rabbit hole goes. With 10,000 tickets to spend, we could actually experiment with different builds and see how various combinations affected race performance. The UI also felt more polished, and the tutorial did a better job of explaining the various systems without overwhelming new players.

After our second time preview with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is shaping up to be a kart racer that rewards players who enjoy tinkering with builds and strategies. The combination of part customization, gadget loadouts, and the cross-world racing system creates multiple layers of depth that should keep competitive players engaged long after they’ve learned the basic racing mechanics.