Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Coming Sep. 25, 2025

Assuming that you meant to say “like", consider me in disagreement on that one. Animations are solid enough, but the model is the still the same as the Frontiers/Forces one, which is a slightly modified Lost World one, which is an uglified Unleashed one, which is outdated and lumpy and just looks stale after the better part of 20 years in-game and 20 years in CGI/renders.

Nope. The model needs replacing. Not a new design. Just a new set of models for the entire cast with tweaks and adjustments. During the Classic era and then later between SA1 and Unleashed (i.e.when the technology behind 3D games was evolving rapidly), new character models were used in almost every game. That would be a bigger undertaking today, but SEGA have run the current one into the ground. Surely we could get different models when the artstyle calls for it? It's strange that overtly cartoony Lost World and Unreal Engine Realistic Tech Demo Frontiers have Sonic looking exactly the same. I loved the fact that Sumo Digital used the Secret Rings/Olympics based models for their games as it at least gace is a bit of variety, and I hate the main series models so so much. It's a bug shame to see Crossworlds looking so generic for the series in the model department.

 

Not that story modes are what kart racers are known for but never having Eggman’s constant desire to make a theme park slip over into him building a race circuit feels like a missed opportunity. Use Eggman Nega to give context to the crossworlds component and that’s all it takes really.

How does everyone feel about the guest characters? I love Miku and Persona as much as the next guy (quite a bit!) but it feels a bit mad to have Persona, Vocaloid, Minecraft, Yakuza,

Spoiler: Not Officially Revealed

TMNT, Avatar and Spongebob

all in a SONIC racing game. The Fortnite-ification of everything is just making it hard to stay invested. What if I just wanted Sonic, and at a push SEGA, characters in my Sonic racing game? I’ll see how easily swayed I am by a Persona track. (And what would the Miku track be I wonder?)

 

You should probably spoil what I've spoiled here, buddy - that's all leaked content.

 

Lol, edited.

I agree the models definely needs to improve, but I dunno they don't look that bad for me. I will say hope they will update the renders in the characters select, tho'.

 

Sonic model discourse is infinitely less embarrassing or exhausting here than it is on general social media and it still feels like we've had the discussion a thousand times. I feel like everyone is at least on pages close to each other. I think it makes sense that they should be trying to iterate on their own designs and strive for aesthetic perfection, but I also think that the problems are exaggerated and minor tweaks could help with a lot of the supposed issues, to say nothing of just better rigging, animation and posing.

 

Oop sorry hadn’t kept up with what was officially shown.

 

Its truly impressive how fans have managed to break down all game models and spot their differences and all.

But also their obsession with detail and them making charts lowkey reminds me of those incels who draw charts over people's faces and rate them.

 

Okay, guilty as charged, if they had still been using the 06 model this whole time I would be complaining. I hate that fuckin' thing, and I have no idea how people say it's secretly the best one of the bunch. Poor bastard looks like he got put through the taffy puller, and has materials to match.

 

I don't see why it's controversial to want new character models in new games. Pretty standard artistic practice. I'm not that bothered by it. But would I want new models? Yes? Why wouldn't I want to see new models and a new artistic interpretation.

 

You know what no, I'm gonna say it: I'm sick of Sonic's current design.
He's looked the exact same for over 24-ish years now and I'm tired of it.
I'm sick of seeing the same proportions, the same soulless green eyes and smile. I want them to give Sonic a refresh beyond new models, or at the very least games that dare to try and go for different art styles for once instead of sticking with the same sterile stuff we've been seeing since Sonic Boom scared SEGA off in regards of something truly new.

 

On the subject, I'm fine with games recycling assets all over the place if it at least means that games can stay affordable. But they haven't, so I'm not.

I think Sonic's model is fine as is, but I really wouldn't mind a change. It's been a while and even Mario is toying with new styles.

 

Unpopular opinion, but maybe ‘lowkey’ categorizing creatives who value the design of their favourite media in with the sexually-entitled misogynists isn’t a good thing to do, methinks.

Additionally, and this is more of a case-by-case basis deal, but I wouldn’t put terrible value in this hypothetical general audience if they’re so totally blind in the media they’re consuming, no? Not considering how demeaning that generalization is to both others and oneself, I don’t think partaking in thought-terminating clichés is a healthy conduit for discussions for just about anybody.
The model debate may seem silly, and on some level it is, but it shouldn’t be silly because people care, y’know? It’s indicative of a much larger frustration people have with the treatment of the franchise.

 

fwiw I've noticed in Sonic's mouth in Crossworlds is animated to naturally move around his muzzle instead of staying permanently on one side so hey there's some improvement.

I saw these edits by @roxochixo on twitter and they look brilliant honestly.

Spoiler

I know model talk can sound annoying if you don't care about that sort of thing but at the end of the day it all boils down to what you value out of this series. I'm big on aesthetics and character design, it's a big part of Sonic's appeal to me so naturally I would prefer that the characters play to the strengths of their designs. Obviously this stuff does matter otherwise Nintendo wouldn't have gone out of their way to create new models for the Mario cast to allow them to be more expressive and visually appealling.

heartbreaking: they're doing phrenology on a cartoon hedgehog

 

I just think Sonic's quills look a bit off since they're a little shorter and more pulled back.

Sort of like Classic Sonic, but his body is shorter so there's not a lot of dead space between the quills and his body.

But since Modern Sonic is taller it is noticeable.

For those that have had shoulder length hair, you know when it's humid and the back long part of your hair/mullet puffs up?

That's how he looks like now.


Not a huge deal but when you notice it you do wish they gave him back his longer quills back.

Though the models would go a long way if they just made their hands a little bit smaller.

Especially Knuckles, though that's the only character that I say that does need a redesign. His head shape/face look awkward and his hands look like large tumors at this point.

 

https://x.com/famitsu/status/19325585044407952
DLC Characters will not have interaction dialogue between Sonic and company what is EVEN the point of a crossover anymore

 

This is no longer canon

 

I'm pretty sure the point of the crossover is to play the crossover characters.

Them not having interactions is the most expected part of them, since that's not common in many crossover games, including, oddly enough, games all about the fact that it's a crossover.

Mortal Kombat had unique crossover interactions, but it also had a lot of generic lines even for characters in the base game.

 

A little dissapointed but I guess make sense why it will be like that.