Quintin Mario Kart World Review

Being the first new entry in the Mario Kart series since Mario Kart 8 (I’m not counting Tour sorry mobile gamers), the open world connectivity of the tracks of World promised an revolution of the Mario Kart formula, rather than an evolution. What we get, while a fun new entry in the franchise, is a promise unfulfilled. The open world is mostly empty with not a ton to do, aside from the P switches, coins, and ? blocks scattered about. The game oddly enough could really benefit from a Ubisoft type checklist system, as there’s no easy to keep track of what you have found, and how many are left. The game still spots all the classic modes with the addition of a new mode knockout tour. In multiplayer knockout tour is great fun, and is the standout new addition to the series. Grand Prix feels a bit weaker this time around. As you transition to different courses, the interconnected nature sounds cool in theory but in practice falls a bit flat. The first two laps of every race aside from the beginning track have you driving to the next, which is much more flat and boring compared to the zaniness of the courses proper. I feel like you lose out on a lot of the courses charm in Grand Prix. The racing has some new additions too with wall jumps and rail grinding. They add a whole new dimension to racing and I think will result in the skill ceiling for Mario Kart raising. I’ve already seen some pretty crazy tech’s online of players jumping off the map and back on for a shortcut, and I’m sure the longer the game goes the more of this we’ll see. I enjoyed Mario Kart World despite some gripes. I was expecting this to come out and be the best Mario Kart, and while it isn’t that, it’s still great fun. I’ll continue to play this for years to come, and I’m sure we will see new additions throughout its life with DLC and updates.