Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the sequel to an already great kart racer that is an improvement in almost every conceivable way. It takes inspiration from Mario Kart 7 and Diddy Kong Racing with the additions of planes and boats and combined with this game's high speed action manages to handle those mechanics in a way that gives them a run for their money. The game does also add some customization options for each racer's vehicle that accommodate different playstyles. The physics feels much tighter and a bit refined compared to its predecessor. You really feel the weight of your vehicle as you race with it whereas, in the first game, it felt a bit lighter most of the time until you finished your power drift. In comparison to other games in the genre, I will say that the story mode is rather lackluster. You don't get any fancy hub world to explore, but instead you pretty much just click whatever race you have enough stars to do. The last gameplay bit worth mentioning that is actually a positive is that it is much harder than its predecessor. Despite the increase in difficulty, rarely did my losses ever feel cheap and it truly tests your skill in the more advanced difficulties. Every boost, turn, and item will count if you want to win and beat some of the later levels and unlock everything in the story mode.
Now onto the other aspects this game has to offer, the roster and tracks. Losing Billy Hatcher, the ChuChus, and the Bonanza Bros were definitely a big loss but they are replaced with better options such as Vyse, Joe Musashi, and Nights & Reala. I do wish Banjo-Kazooie came back for the 360 version and that we got more DLC characters like Ristar, Kiryu, and Toejam & Earl but overall I'm satisfied with what we got even if some of the guest choices were strange like Danica Patrick and Wreck-It-Ralph. AGES was also a really cool callback to Sega's older games and the Dreamcast that I figured was worth mentioning. In terms of tracks, there is a lot more variety in this entry than in the original where you had 3 casino tracks, 3 final fortress tracks, and 3 seaside hill tracks. Every track is unique in this one and that's something I greatly appreciate.
In conclusion, it is a kart racer that not only is a worthy rival to Mario Kart & Crash Team Racing, but also an amazing game that serves as a love letter to Sega's history. I would normally recommend playing this on any version, but PC has by far the most exclusive content so if you do pick this up I'd go with that one. Either way, it is still fantastic and very much worth playing.
Now onto the other aspects this game has to offer, the roster and tracks. Losing Billy Hatcher, the ChuChus, and the Bonanza Bros were definitely a big loss but they are replaced with better options such as Vyse, Joe Musashi, and Nights & Reala. I do wish Banjo-Kazooie came back for the 360 version and that we got more DLC characters like Ristar, Kiryu, and Toejam & Earl but overall I'm satisfied with what we got even if some of the guest choices were strange like Danica Patrick and Wreck-It-Ralph. AGES was also a really cool callback to Sega's older games and the Dreamcast that I figured was worth mentioning. In terms of tracks, there is a lot more variety in this entry than in the original where you had 3 casino tracks, 3 final fortress tracks, and 3 seaside hill tracks. Every track is unique in this one and that's something I greatly appreciate.
In conclusion, it is a kart racer that not only is a worthy rival to Mario Kart & Crash Team Racing, but also an amazing game that serves as a love letter to Sega's history. I would normally recommend playing this on any version, but PC has by far the most exclusive content so if you do pick this up I'd go with that one. Either way, it is still fantastic and very much worth playing.