Mario Kart World is the big launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2. We were able to play it for a long time. While the core gameplay remains the same, the formula is fundamentally shaken up by the appearance of an open world. Our first impressions.
The Switch 2 arrives on June 5th. To accompany the launch of its machine, Nintendo is betting on a sure thing with Mario Kart World. A new installment that we were able to play in preview.
Mario Kart is the ultimate friendly game. The one you take out at parties with friends or during lunch breaks at work, the one that everyone has already played at least once in their life. With World, the saga wants to remain this unifying title, but adds a little twist to its formula: the open world.
Just like at home
We were able to play Mario Kart World in three game modes: Grand Prix, Survival and Free Mode. Gameplay-wise, we instantly found our reflexes once we had the controller in hand. It's the fun, accessible, but technical Mario Kart of version 8. There are obviously new features, like the ability to "ride" on rails and guardrails, or even new items that allow you to change your outfit, for example. It's very nice and adds additional strategies during races, but it's not really what shakes up the formula.
The big new feature is the open world. No more closed races, since here, we are let loose in a mushroom kingdom as varied as it is gigantic. It is obviously possible to navigate in free mode in this universe in order to memorize the important sections, or to explore (alone or with friends) to find bonuses. We like the construction of this world, with the possibility of leaving the road to go driving in the fields or in the desert, where the treasures are hidden. In addition, it is very varied. We go from a coastal town to Bowser's castle via a desert in a few minutes. A Forza Horizon side that adds interest to the single-player game.
Obviously, this open-world shifts the decks when it comes to the other game modes. During our test of the Grand Prix mode, we drove circuits connected by sections. Concretely, we were made to go from one place across the map and each race was a part of this adventure, which gave us a real feeling of travel. We love it!
Another element that fundamentally changes the structure of the races: 24 players now compete. A large number that transforms each competition into a free-for-all, but which perfectly fits the open world philosophy: the roads traveled in Grand Prix are wider and filled with ramifications.
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We tested Survival mode with twenty-three other players, all human. The principle is simple: the route goes from one end of the map to the other, without a break, but is divided into sections. At the end of each section, four players are eliminated. A gripping Australian-style race that adds to the stakes at every turn. This is really the mode that appealed to us the most during our session. However, we have to admit: we got crushed every time, the other competitors being merciless, and above all much better.
In short, we were thrilled by our Mario Kart World session. It breathes new life into a fun series, but one that was starting to go around in circles. A game that we'll be bringing out to play with friends, but not only, given that the single-player aspect is pushed with the open world.
The release is scheduled for the same time as the Switch 2, on June 5th. The listed price is 80 euros for the digital version and 90 euros for the physical version. It's expensive, almost indecent, and it's undoubtedly the biggest drawback of this Mario Kart World.
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