Need something to wash away the awful taste and subsequent night terrors given to you by the latest Sonic movie trailer? You’re in luck, because SEGA just happened to release an eight-minute gameplay video for their latest offering Team Sonic Racing, which is set to come out this May 21 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch. You can watch the whole thing below.
First impressions of the game looks really, really sleek. The graphics and animations of the characters in their karts are also quite impressive. I wonder if there’s different divisions like the ‘cc’ groups in Mario Kart, as I thought that the speed in which they were going at was kind of lacking. Maybe it just comes down to preference, though, since I found all the other aspects just fine. I especially loved the music, which was worked on by industry legend Jun Senoue, who is very well-known for producing much of Sega – and Sonic’s – music.
The game is being developed by Sumo Digital, who are also the brains behind Sonic’s foray into kart racing including Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Team Sonic Racing features both single-player and multi-player modes, with support for both online and split-screen play. The game also differs from other kart racers in that its primary focus is on cooperative gameplay instead of a free-for-all, hence the title. You, as the player, are part of a team of racers, working together to win the race. Unlike other kart racers, however, winning isn’t just decided by being the fastest, it’s also by combining your points with your other team members. In the end, the most efficient team wins. A total of three teams filled with four members each can play together every race, totaling up to 12 players.
The characters featured in Team Sonic Racing are all from the Sonic series, in contrast to Sumo Digital’s previous works which featured other Sega characters. There are 15 playable characters, divided into three racing classes: speed, technique and power. The game also features 21 tracks in total, including returning ones from the previous Sonic karting games.
Team Sonic Racing will release for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC this May 21. Pre-orders for the console versions are now available here.
