The game plays similarly to its predecessor: it's a kart racer with heavy emphasis on maneuvering in order to collect turbo energy for boosting and getting ahead of rivals. There are several game modes: Race, Battle Race (racing with weapons and power-ups), Takedown (a mode where you try to take as many cars as possible in order to get the highest score), Stunt Showcase (a mode where you get scores by performing stunts), Best Lap Challenge (time attack mode), Master Level Events (boss battle mode) and Playground (a sandbox mode where you complete various challenges in a hub world). The game has an achievement system called "Skill Checks". After completing a certain amount of them, you unlock new cars and stages.
The game features a variety of characters from the third movie, as well as characters from previous movies. A few stages return from the previous game, such as the Oil Rig or the Tokyo Airport stage.