Reviewers criticized or had little praise for the core gameplay and controls. "GamesRadar+" derided the loose, floaty physics engine, writing it caused cheap deaths. "Eurogamer" thought the premise showed promise and worked well as races started, but found it ultimately became messy, complicated, and convoluted. "IGN" lamented that the game was "neither a full-fledged racer or an engaging snowboarder, but a shallow compromise of both." They also found the hoverboards were technically pointless when considering that Sonic is fast on his own. "GameSpy" described the gameplay design of racing, attacking opponents, and performing tricks as inconsistent: "Most games quickly prioritize these actions for you based on results," they wrote, "but "Sonic Riders" seems to yield similar results no matter what".