

The cars themselves play a significant role in Team Sonic Racing as well. The longer you stay in the stream, the stronger the slingshot. Also, there is a maneuver called the slingshot, in which one racer will follow a yellow streak left behind by a teammate in order to receive an acceleration boost. If an ally was recently spun out and is moving slowly, you can “skim” by them and provide a speed boost. The team functionality doesn’t stop there. Some wisps can’t be found in regular item boxes and can only be obtained through an item box transfer, just in case you needed any more incentive to utilize the feature. This works in reverse as well, you can press circle and request an item box from your squad if you’re ever in need of a helping hand. Instead of randomly firing it off, I simply pressed circle and transferred it to a teammate a few places behind and they used it to take out the foes ahead of them. I had several instances while playing where I was leading the pack and acquired an offensive powerup like a missile. We’ve all had those times where you’re so far ahead of the competition that the majority of powerups serve you no purpose, so you end up holding onto or wasting them.

However, Team Sonic Racing puts a spin on this feature by allowing players to pass off an item box to other teammates who are more in need. The abilities themselves are what you’d expect: missiles, speed boosts, shields, bombs, etc. As with most kart racers, Team Sonic Racing has item boxes laid out over the course that will grant participants different boosts, weapons, and abilities. This is where wisps and item boxes come into play.

Playing against the CPU, it’s not too difficult to finish in first place, but now I have to actively work to ensure that my two teammates also finish in solid standing if I have any hopes of taking home the gold. I absolutely loved this twist to the gameplay. For example, if Sonic comes in first place, but knuckles and tails finish ninth and tenth, it’s extremely unlikely that Team Sonic will emerge victorious over a team that finished second, fourth, and fifth. Therefore, being number 1 isn’t good enough to secure a win. Everyone races independently, and at the end, points are allotted to teams based on the placement of their different racers. A typical race is composed of 12 racers sorted into 4 teams of 3. As alluded to in its title, there is a strong emphasis on the team aspect in Team Sonic Racing. In terms of skill, I found Team Sonic Racing to be one of the most tactical and strategic kart racers I’ve ever played. I’d love to see the team at Sumo Digital take the cuffs off and add some wacky and fun side content to Team Sonic Racing in the future. Outside of this, the different game mode options seem empty. It hits predicatable beats and doesn't really leave you with any sort of lasting impression.Īs mentioned earlier, there are some bonus missions littered throughout Team Sonic Racing’s story mode, but that’s pretty much the beginning and end of side content offered. The story itself I found to be okay, not terrible, but nothing special either. It made a story with practically no cutscene animations still feel alive. I appreciated how all of the conversations had fully voice acted dialogue. Players that are in it strictly for the gameplay can skip them in their entirety by pressing X when selecting a race. Before each race, there is a brief conversation cutscene that gives more insight into the narrative. The ring challenges were a nice test to my skill, but ultimately felt like they weren’t worth the hassle. You can choose to follow the linear path and play only the mandatory races, or stray off to the side levels and bonus missions. Each chapter is mapped out like a game board, similar to the style seen in old-school platformers. The campaign is broken into numbered chapters. Dodon Pa’s motives become clear and begin to take shape as you work your way through Team Adventure. Furthering the mystery, Sonic is greeted by old allies and foes such as Amy Rose and Vector, who’ve also been roped in by Dodon Pa to participate in the tournament.
#Team sonic racing logo series
Things kick off with Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails being mysteriously invited to participate in a series of races and tournaments by a new character named Dodon Pa. The story of Team Sonic Racing takes place over the course of the Team Adventure game mode. Once again developed by Sumo Digital, this kart racer brings back fan favorites from the Sonic series, including some new faces. About seven years later, the franchise is back on the scene with Team Sonic Racing. Sonic The Hedgehog’s racing franchise has been on a bit of a hiatus since the release of Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed in 2012.
