Sonic Forces: Speed Battle is a "Mario-Kart meets Subway Surfers" multiplayer game where we compete against 3 other players to finish first as we sprint forward on tracks of 4 rows (a bit like Subway Surfers), dodging obstacles and picking up power-ups that can be used as weapons to take down opponents or give us a speed boost, just like in Mario Kart.

New runners from the Sonic universe are unlocked and leveled up through a lootbox mechanic that has us wait for boxes to open, watch an ad to open them faster, or buy them via iAP, which adds a pay-to-progress-faster advantage to paying users.

The graphics look great, controls are simple, and matchmaking is fast, but due to a lack of players at higher ranks, seasoned players are reporting an unfair pay-to-win advantage. As long as you play casually, you can still have fun with the game, though.