

- #Sonic and sega all stars racing review drivers#
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They can participate in almost all of the modes, including the Career modes, which are traditionally single-player affairs in kart racers. The main menus constantly flash tiny icons at the bottom of the screen that invite up to three additional players to join the game. Nearly everything in Racing Transformed is multiplayer-friendly. Multiplayer is the true experience, not an accessory The longer you maintain it, the more powerful it becomes. It’s natural and not finicky like in other kart racers, and you can easily switch the direction of your drift without losing steam. The actual gameplay works how you’d expect: On the Xbox 360 (the version we reviewed), the A button launches items, the Right Trigger accelerates you forward, and the Left Trigger - in conjunction with the gas - drifts. It resurrects you and puts you back on the track almost immediately, a record for kart racers. If you happen to fall off the edge, don’t fret. All you need to worry about is finding the quickest path possible - you’ll almost always want to fly when you have the option as it’s the fastest mode of transportation. Speaking of transforming, your vehicle automatically changes into a car, boat, or plane as you progress through the course. But you can also attack opponents using your special shot, which is unlimited for that brief time. It’s like getting a star in Mario Kart, and it renders you invincible for a short time. Activating an All-Star power-up during a race transforms your vehicle into its ultimate form. These change how a vehicle behaves, altering its performance in speed, acceleration, handling, boost, and your All-Star power, which is unique to each character.
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Whether you succeed or fail, completing tracks gives you experience points that level up characters to a max of five (a good incentive to play as them), unlocking mods for their vehicles in the process. Another power-up, the Glove, protects you from taking a single hit and also “catches” and fires back enemy shots. It releases a cluster of giant bees on the track, so anyone who encounters it before it disappears has to maneuver through it without hitting the insects. However, you can also direct the Swarm backward, and it doesn’t just endanger the player in the lead.

One of my favorites, Swarm, has the same basic function as the notorious Blue Shell: It targets the first-place player.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed’s items are recognizable variations on Mario Kart’s staple inventory, but little tweaks to how they work make them even better. This is key to knowing when to drive defensively or to close the distance. In addition, little symbols appear next to a driver’s name, indicating what item he’s currently holding. You can hold two items at once during a race as long as you switch one into your reserve first. This happens in multiplayer as well, but it’s not confusing when you hear the announcer gab about another player. He tells you what power-ups you receive so you don’t have to take your eyes from the road - giving you an extra second of time that you can always use. The announcer is a little overbearing on the menu screens, but during races, he’s helpful.
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This should come easy to anyone who’s played Mario Kart or other games in the genre.ĭeep racing gameplay is full of great features Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed also cycles through a nice-sized collection of tips on the loading screen, which helps acclimate the player to the different power-ups and controls available.
#Sonic and sega all stars racing review drivers#
You unlock some drivers in different modes, too, but you can at least learn where you do so by looking at the blank slots on the character select screen. It won’t lower your total star count, either. You can clearly identify spots for extra characters on the map and read their names once you get to them, but as long as you have the required number of stars, you can access them and anything else you need.
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It’s a simple but more interesting way to present a long series of races.īeating tracks on each of the three core difficulties - Easy, Medium, and Hard (and later Expert) - nets you a corresponding number of stars, and earning more enables you to pass through gates to new areas and unlock characters. You travel along a linear track, playing races and other challenges as you go, until you reach a branching path and can choose which course you want to attempt next. World Tour is the main campaign in Career mode, and you’ll mine at least 8 to 10 hours out of its five interconnected maps (not counting the bonus tour that unlocks after the credits).
