Reviewed
06.06.2019
Publisher
Sega
Developer
Sumo
Digital
Format
1x
BD
Digital
Available
05.21.2019
(JP)
¥5,990
05.21.2019
(US)
$39.99
05.21.2019
(UK)
£29.99
Platforms
XB1,
PS4, NS
Steam
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
3D
View
3rd
Person
Genre
Combat
/ Racing
Player(s)
1-4
1-12
(XBL)
2-3
(co-op)
Options
Content
DL
Xbox
Live
Requires
n/a
ESRB
E
- Everyone |
| Introduction |
> Ever since the release of Sonic R on Sega Saturn,
I've been a fan of mascot racing. That membership was solidified with the
release of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (SASRT)
on the Xbox 360. I loved all the vehicles, plus Sega
game inspired locales and music. Well, Team Sonic Racing
(TSR) aims to carry on right where SASRT left off. Sumo
Digital has a lot to live up to, especially with popular competition
from the likes of Nintendo with Mario at the
helm.
> Although not required, TSR is be based mainly on (you guessed
it) team racing. It features typical kart racing with all your favorite
Sonic heroes and villains driving unique cars. It's available
across all current consoles, which is nice. Let's see if it lives up to
the good name of its predecessor. |
| Graphics |
> The various locales are gorgeous to look at, though at these speeds,
there's not much time for sight seeing. The graphics engine provides a
stable frame rate, even with multiple cars, objects, and scenery on-screen.
The sense of speed is visceral, especially when boosted and in turbo mode.
The special effects are decent, but the only one I consider exceptional
is the one for boost mode, which envelops one's car in a gold aura with
flying sparks.
> Back to the environments for a minute. I was expecting all real Sega
game themed race tracks, like SASRT so eloquently featured.
Just about the only areas I've seen that look familiar, could be characterized
as having come from Sonic Adventure. That's not necessarily
a bad thing, but it's much harder to identify with this game's locales. |
| Control |
> I'd say TSR has the gameplay pretty well down. My only
gripe is the transition to and from drifting. It just doesn't feel as intuitive
as SASRT -- and that's a big disappointment. That
being said, maneuvering through the obstacles, collecting and using power-ups,
and cooperating with teammates is easy enough.
> Make sure to collect rings along the way for a bonus score and higher
top speed. Of course, if one is hit by a competitor's weapon or manages
to crash, all the rings go exploding away! Lastly, performing a boost off
the line merely requires one to hit the gas for every point of the count
down to begin a race. Overall, very good. |
| Sound |
> The sound effects are good enough satisfy, but don't feature anything
new. The expected tires chirping, ring chimes, explosions, projectiles
firing, power-up jingle, and more are all present. Perhaps some more environmental
effects would be in order?
> The music varies from mainly forgettable to mildly reminiscent of Sonic
Adventure's benchmark soundtrack. That's not really going to bother
anyone that hasn't been well initiated into the Sonic series
via Sega CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast. Overall,
pretty good. |
| Fun |
> Oh my, there's a nice selection of modes to choose from, both on/offline.
Most of them are team-based, with teams consisting of three members; any
number of which can be human. Sumo Digital even saw fit to
throw in some dialogue to spice things up -- thankfully, one can quickly
skip through it.
> Racing and winning is naturally the objective, which earns points towards
customizing the vehicles with a multitude of unlockable items. The difficulty
is selectable, but I found team play to be easier than single play, overall.
My only complaint is the lack of boat and plane vehicles. It is what it
is, and what's there is done well. |
| Bottom
Line |
> Take Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, delete the
boats, planes, Sega game inspired environments and music,
then transform (pun intended) it into a team racing game on current consoles.
This game is largely new to the eyes, ears, and controller -- some people
will score it higher for that. Anyway, that's what Team Sonic Racing
amounts to in a nut shell.
> It's above average for sure, but doesn't have a compelling feature to
its name. Still, if one likes the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise,
and enjoys racing cooperatively, this game might just fit into one's library
nicely. The MSRP is only $39.99, which is a bargain for new games these
days. |
| Ratings |
| Overall: 7.4
| Graphics: 8.0 | Control: 7.0 | Sound: 7.0 | Fun: 7.5 |
~Shinobi~
|
