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Mario Kart World has been out for nearly a month now and I’ve put roughly 30 hours in if not a tad more than. I’ve raced all the Grand Prix races and did all the KnockOut Tours. I’ve played with friends online and had some laughs. Now, it’s time to get to the end of it all. How is the game? Let’s break it down.
Gameplay
I typically don’t do this but this game is pretty massive as far as how gameplay is handled. I’m going to break this into segments of their own to make this easier.
Singleplayer
This is where you’ll be going about your usual business, going for the gold in 50, 100 & 150cc races. There’s 8 cups to choose from in Grand Prix and then we have the new Knockput Tour, which is racing from one side of the map to the other. The game introduces new tricks to give you extra speed and a ton of shortcuts to discover. You also a couple of other mini games to play.
Collecting coins in free roam and while you play races goes towards unlocking new vehicles. There’s also food to be picked up that you can make characters eat to transform into different costumes which then unlocks them permanently within the character selection screen.
Your traditional Grand Prix races have been changed to have the road between the race tracks become part of the actual race. Some people don’t enjoy this aspect while some others accept it.
Multiplayer
You have multiple options in this area too, which is great. First, we have local multiplayer where you can play with people using multiple JoyCons or pro controllers in a Grand Prix, Knockout Tours, VS or other games. Then we have the online functionality that allows you to play all the modes listed above with people across the world. Then lastly we have the friendsultiplayer where you can either play the games I said above, Balloon Battle, Coin Runner or you can simply free roam, which I’m about to get into.
Free Roam
A lot of people have had a lot of negative comments to make about free roam. I’ll start by saying I was disappointed when I realized it was empty outside of stitches to find and P challenges. However, the amount of fun you can have just running around the map, flying over the edges and landing practically anywhere is a different kind of adventure.
Graphics
The graphics are overall better than any previous entry we’ve had. I know there’s been a comparison picture and video shown around that is claiming Mario Kart 8 has better graphics but that simply isn’t true in the overall scope. There may be moments where they look better but Mario Kart World has a lot going on that makes the game much cleaner and it’s constantly going, it isn’t just a few frames.
Soundtrack
I absolutely love the soundtrack for this game. It’s a mixture of new and old. It has favorites from different series such as Donkey Kong Country and Yoshi’s Island. Those are just a few examples but there’s plenty more there.
Controls
This game offers multiple ways to play and with tight controls all the way around. Except in one department. The motion controls are slightly too sensitive, but perhaps that was just on me. I’ve spent a majority of my time using the JoyCon sideways without motion controls and then in handheld.
Replayability
Like all Mario Kart titles, this gane offers a lot of replayability and I’m sure that will only grow with time due to updates and DLC. We had Mario Kart 8 for 11 years so I suspect we’ll have many years from Mario Kart World as well.
Scores
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Soundtrack: 10/10
Controls: 9/10
Replayability: 10/10
Overall:
Conclusion
Mario Kart World is a different kind of experience. While the Grand Prixs may have been changed, they’re still a load of fun and the new Knockout Tours just add to the fun. The best way to summarize this game is it is the same Mario Kart fun with a twist.
The journey is just beginning and I’m sure Nintendo will have plenty more for us to enjoy out of this game with updates. In the meantime, go get yourself a copy if you haven’t and have fun! Happy gaming everyone.
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