Mario Kart World Review thread

Shaki12345 said:
Free Roam will be criticized and lack of tracks as well. Game misses some soul 8 had. It's an uneven and incomplete experience.

Low 8, high 7.
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Agreed, this is the first entry I've sat there playing and think "thats it?"

They should not have tried to combine GP with their new darling knockout mode. What happens is the GP maps end up feeling shallow, because 3/4 of them are only designed to be raced around once. People complained when they did this to Rainbow Road N64 in 8, well 3/4's of all world tracks are like this now and it sucks.

The knockout mode is fun, the entire game was designed around it afterall, but the wide tracks and most of the levels being generic roads really detracts from the experience, it feels like im driving the same route 70% of the time.

I just have no drive to get back on it, im having great fun with the new Rune factory so il be focusing on that instead, but the new Mario kart is just not for me.

7 outa 10.
 
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STARSBarry said:
Agreed, this is the first entry I've sat there playing and think "thats it?"

They should not have tried to combine GP with their new darling knockout mode. What happens is the GP maps end up feeling shallow, because 3/4 of them are only designed to be raced around once. People complained when they did this to Rainbow Road N64 in 8, well 3/4's of all world tracks are like this now and it sucks.

The knockout mode is fun, the entire game was designed around it afterall, but the wide tracks and most of the levels being generic roads really detracts from the experience, it feels like im driving the same route 70% of the time.

I just have no drive to get back on it, im having great fun with the new Rune factory so il be focusing on that instead, but the new Mario kart is just not for me.

7 outa 10.
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Doesn't help that collecting stickers is boring as F. But you're right. I also don't feel motivated to go and play it. Big problem.
 
9/10 at the moment, and very well-deserved. I went into the game almost wanting to dislike the open world nature, but I can't deny that the game is basically as perfect as a kart racer can get.

The soundtrack, alone, makes this game worth it.
 
So there are 150 little missions (p-switch triggered) hidden throughout the world? That doesn't sound so bad, odd that a couple or reviews implied there was nothing to do in the exploration.
 
Watched my daughter drive around the open world and it looked really fucking boring. Track racing is as good as ever though in my opinion.
 
I beat everything in 1 morning. Haven't done the open world yet. 8/10. Its a downgrade from 8 in all ways but graphics. Simplified and more casual for sure. MK8 is probably the only time they accidentally made a technical, great racer. $80 for this is inexcusable. Its fun and I enjoyed it. But not earth shattering.
 
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Punished Miku said:
I beat everything in 1 morning. Haven't done the open world yet. 8/10. Its a downgrade from 8 in all ways but graphics. Simplified and more casual for sure. MK8 is probably the only time they accidentally made a technical, great racer. $80 for this is inexcusable. Its fun and I enjoyed it. But not earth shattering.
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It may not be as technically competitive, I don't know. But there's definitely more content than 8 had at launch and new stuff. 24 player, Knockout tour, Free roam, and the trick and grind mechanics are all great. Mario Kart's always been about the replay value more than just seeing everything and we'll have to see how it holds up.
 
Tomeru said:
I played mk8 with my 7yo son. I'll never understand how respectable adults say its a good/fun game.
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Same with me. Great for kids, but i hate the random part. But away the nintendo bonus/IP and is it still so great?
Dunno. I've more fun with Forza Horizon.
Blur was so much more fun back then.
 
Sweden85 said:
Its mehish, not mk8 standard…boring free roam.. 7/10.
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Meh that's fine for a MK game. Don't spend $80 if you don't live for MK. Have you played it or are you summarizing what you think it is based on this thread and YouTube impressions?
 
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Punished Miku said:
I beat everything in 1 morning.
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Punished Miku said:
Haven't done the open world yet.
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Confused Thinking GIF
 
Might be the perfect launch game besides Mario 64 and SMW. Just a great pick up and go that should keep you busy until something else comes out.
 
Robb said:
Seems to be upward to around:
400 P-Switch missions
200 hidden Peach Coins
150 hidden Question Mark Panels
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But same meaningless reward for all of them

The game is super fun and the tricks are amazing and change up the game big time... but:
  • The open world is not too well designed for exploraration and the mini map doesn't help, you end up going in circles around the same area withouth noticing most of the time in free roam
  • No events happen in the overworld. Nothing else to do apart from P switches and looking for question marks and coins. Would have been cool to have set pieces and "story" like Forza has. Mario can do this easily with all the elements from the main series. For 90€ I would have expected they were keeping those kinda stuff under their sleeve before lauch (like they did with TotK underworld) but nope. The only thing happening on the titular world is you pressing blue buttons and npcs moving around.
  • The way you do cups now have you spend more (or at least as much) time on the overwolrd road than the circuits themselves. That makes circuits have a less of an impact and be less memorable since you don't do too many laps on them
  • Survival mode is super cool but I wish routes were randomized each time instead of doing a fixed rally.
  • The character select screen is stupidly bad.
  • Still no real online matchmaking, very important in a title were dedicated players are going to be galaxies ahead of casuals.
It's still a great ass game but with so much money earned with 8 and a lenghty development time and a highest ever price for Nintendo I did no expect to have this issues. I was expecting them to go above and beyond. They didn't.

It's an 8 for me, but since it's so pricy I have to knock it down to a 7. You'll have a great time with it but I won't rush to recommend it. As a system seller, there is no other casual racer at this level of quality but it was never about remaining in the lead - it was about being a game paying 510€ for. That's too much to ask from any game but It was Nintendo putting the pressure on the game, not me. This is no Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Bros. or Mario 64.
 
I've only played a handful of races but it's a good time. Certainly wouldn't have paid £70 for it, so I'm glad I got the bundle. Kids are having a great time playing it which is all I really care about.
 
There is a bit of learning curve for people who have played 8 a lot. there is a slightly different feel to the driving. I think that is going to lower some scores just because 8 was such a hugly poplar game that any gameplay change is going be heavily scrutinized. The airplane controls are also different. But overall it's a super solid game and will be another huge Mario Kart as people settle into the newness.
 
RoboFu said:
There is a bit of learning curve for people who have played 8 a lot. there is a slightly different feel to the driving. I think that is going to lower some scores just because 8 was such a hugly poplar game that any gameplay change is going be heavily scrutinized. The airplane controls are also different. But overall it's a super solid game and will be another huge Mario Kart as people settle into the newness.
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Counterpoint: people who played 8 the most are the kind of people who really want it to feel different. Although I agree the plane controls caught me and my GF off guard, surprisingly hard to control precisely. But I suppose that's to offset how useful always landing on a useful rail is (and make it more rewarding when you manage to).

Honestly everything that has to do with the racing itself is geniously designed and will take a lot of time to get old. But its easy to notice this was the first time doing an open world racer.
 
Also 8/10.

Battle being a coins game was disappointing. The mode is unbelievably boring.

Races feel like a spam of using items or items being used on you until the race is over.

Free roam is meh. Prefer to have a "skip nonsense" option after each race and just wait at a loading screen.

Character select screen...stupid. Skins should be selected from each original character, not flooded across the selection options.

Positives: race maps are cool. Rainbow Road super fun. Hoping for a 90+ score, real system seller soon.
 
I wouldnt give this anything more than an 8, just because the online is so barbebones and trash. Playing with friends againts randoms is a pain in the ass. There is no cup in online, why nintendo? You cant do knockout tour with friends againts randoms, again, why nintendo? Incredible how barebones the online is
 
Mario Kart 8 is essentially a perfect game (for its genre), so I understand why Nintendo felt the need to take a wildly different approach with MKW, but there are definitely some major changes they need to patch in.

The new wall/rail riding mechanic changes the entire dynamic of the game, but the game itself does not teach you how to utilize these new tools. There are no training missions or skate-park-type training areas. Most casual players (the bulk of the games audience) will never know how powerful and important these techniques are unless they watch youtubers pull them off. I've seen videos where guess guys are bouncing off walls and rails and roofs, creating shortcuts that look like glitches and barely touch the actual track at all for the entire race.

For that reason there's gonna have to be some kind of ranked matchmaking at some point, because the wall riders are going to be completely unbeatable for anyone still playing the game the way it's been played for 30+ years.

I'd give it an 8 right now, but the game has a extraordinary foundation and I hope Nintendo builds on it and listens to feedback from the community, because it could surpass MK8's level of perfection some day.

Edit: the game also needs a bettrr way to track/find secrets and events in the open world, even if it's through the app like BotW.
 
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It's no where near as good as 8, those tracks were god tier. Far too many of worlds are straight paths with no deviation. Also I think 24 players makes this far too hectic even for Mario Kart. You can be first and end up 18th after one shell. The infinite boost because of all the straight sections is actually one of the most powerful items.
 
Free Roam is kind of a bust but the game does so much else right. I really love the roster, though I wish the enemies could get new costumes too. It feels a little sad finding food in a race only to get nothing.

I really love the course design, the music, the new mechanics. It feels so fresh after a decade of Mario Kart 8, which I would happily never play again at this point.

I see a lot of people lament the lack of car customization but honestly I love that we're back to prefab karts. It cuts down on the time to start a race and they generally are more interesting anyway since the build doesn't have to fit into part categories.

I haven't even tried knockout tour yet which sounds like it's the best part, but I've rolled credits completing each Grand Prix with my wife and we've had an absolute blast.
 
Is it just me, or do I feel like when playing online... Some players are actually Bots.... I mean the ones with names like, Ryan... Wendy... John... Etc.
 
Can we agree this game is overrated with the current state it is in? Nintendo went out of their way to ruin online and there is barely any meat to the SP content unless you really like time trials or free roam nontent. Ok, the free roam is not necessarily nontent as some of the challenges are fun... But it would have needed a better structure and not just "fuck around a bit and unlock stickers lol"
 
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Robb said:
I think the 8/10 range is pretty spot on, personally.

More so overpriced than overrated.
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I have sunk in over 35 hours so far and have not really done all that many missions etc. I have been mainly driving around the world and exploring and even then have not been everywhere. I have done a couple of 50cc grand prix and one knockout tour. The pull to just get out there and drive with this is very strong.. That being said I am a huge fan of open world games and rarely play online. So from my perspective this is simply awesome value.
 
I'll give it a 9/10. The replay value is fantastic, even in solo mode. I stopped playing MK8D after trying all the tracks, cause at the end it's just basic Mario Kart. But this one is very fun to play, to go around the whole world, brilliant.
 
Mozza said:
So from my perspective this is simply awesome value
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It's a weird case for me. I can't really argue about there not being heaps of content or anything like that. There's definitely a lot here. I just personally feel no incentive to do any of the singleplayer stuff, the stickers aren't something I care about collecting. I'd have liked more unlockable karts or accolades (like at least getting a star on your online profile if you've completed all cups with 3-stars etc.).

Multiplayer is fantastic though, as usual. I've spent the vast majority of my ~30h on that.
 
I don't have the game. But another website I frequent has lists of missing basic features and just weird choices. And that character selection screen... Does not scream new and improved.
 
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