Chocobo GP - Black Mage Benjamin

[@BenjaMage]

UPDATE (6/07/2022): I've had a few people lately suggest that I give the game another go, now that Season 2 of the game has launched; supposedly several of my criticisms with the game were addressed and fixed. I decided to give the game a try again, and I can confirm, there have actually been some pretty significant changes, particularly in regards to progression. The Battle Pass now only goes to Level 20 (rather than Level 200), and the Season 2 characters are unlocked at Levels 1 and 6 of the Battle Pass; the rate at which you gain GP Points is also quite a bit more generous than before, making unlocking the new characters a much quicker process than it was in Season 1. Additionally though, the Season 2 characters can be unlocked with tickets (which can be gained at a slightly faster rate than before), so you don't have to rely on just buying the Battle Pass to unlock them. The microtransactions are still there, granted, but I definitely feel like the game's not pushing them as hard, which is certainly an improvement over how they were before. Now that said, the gameplay itself does feel largely the same as before, so I don't know how much I'm gonna find myself coming back to the game, but at the very least, I will give credit for the improvements made to progression.

[@LegendaryGoku100]

Agreed

[@tsyumamatsuthehavenofguard32]

Yeah, it was dead on arrival and immediately 5 months later had its servers pulled

[@keybladeknight5289]

And now rereleased with micro transactions gone.

[@Confuzed54]

Ending the video with you actually deleting the game has to be one of the biggest power moves I’ve ever seen.

[@juliannocartagena2007]

But did he also delete the save data?

[@absentcoder4552]

- Reduce price tag to a pittance - Consolidate currencies into just Mythril - Multiply level up speed by 5-10 - Increase max speed across the board - Tighten drifting Being on a mobile console does not make it a mobile game, Squeenix. We get what we pay for, and we didn't pay for this.

[@dsshocktrooper7523]

Or better yet, just completely remove this mobile game garbage out the window. Or the very least make it truly free to play.

[@baalfgames5318]

Also enlarge the tracks so they're not so claustrophobic and reduce the flashy effects so they aren't dissorienting.

[@thegaveon5546]

Blackmage Benjamin disappointed by Final Fantasy spinoff he was looking forward too. “Ah shit, here we go again” -CJ Well, At least this is a game that absolutely deserve to get bash.

[@krimsonkatt]

Dissidia NT was bad too, but nowhere near this level. At least that game didn't have microtransations and the loot boxes were just cosmetic and non-purchasible. That didn't even change when the game went F2P in a last ditch effort to save it, but even that wasn't enough. Just a massive disappointment compared to the last two games on PSP that were easy 10/10s. NT could have been a 7/10 fighting game if only it was 1v1 instead of a forced 3v3 against everything. It was like the devs saw competitive league of legends and was like LETS DO THAT BUT IN A FIGHTING GAME. Problem is the AI sucks and even when fighting with real players you can lose when it's entirely not your fault. And because this game failed we'll never see another Dissidia game again. Sadface.

[@sarasaland4709]

Playing the Shinra theme at the microtransactions segment. Nice~

[@BenjaMage]

I felt it was thematically fitting.

[@alex_-yz9to]

@@BenjaMage considering they trademarked the Shinra name for a cloud service of thiers...

[@orangeslash1667]

@@BenjaMage Fun Fact: the original Chocobo Racing was directed by Takashi Tokita, who is most known for Chrono Trigger. However because he was busy directing Live A Live Remake, he couldn't be involved in Chocobo Racing GP.

[@SpeedStar1642]

It's so embarassing how Crash Nitro Fueled did a better job on having a live service and microtransaction system than Chocobo GP. You can't deny this fact now; there's no escape. Activision is finally better than Square Enix at SOMETHING.

[@Michael_H_Art]

It's such a shame this game ended up being not exactly great because more Kart racing games can only be a good thing... but yeah it just did not jive with me so I'll be sticking to Mario Kart for now. Awesome Video Ben!

[@ddjsoyenby]

yea.

[@galfinsp7216]

It’s DLC will keep my racing desires.

[@greatsageclok-roo9013]

And the other thing about Nitro-Fueled that you didn't mention… As time went on, they completely nuked the point of having the micro-transactions by giving you even MORE ways to earn Wumpa Coins! And quickly too! What's this game’s excuse?

[@TekkenGirl4Lyfe]

Greed.

[@rodrickgoldberg2324]

“As time went on”. Maybe this game will clean up its act later in their lifespan.

[@AuthorNumber2]

@@rodrickgoldberg2324 Considering the CEO of SQE's new year's letter doubling down on nfts and the metaverse that nobody wants to do with, I doubt that despite wanting the opposite to be true. It unfortunately stems from the upper management from Square for the longest time making horrible choices for their IPS even BEFORE the merger with Enix (to which most of Enix's management jumped ship)

[@rodrickgoldberg2324]

@@AuthorNumber2 Yikes. Okay, maybe not in the near future. But hopefully someone who doesn’t have their head up their ass will climb the corporate ladder eventually.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@AuthorNumber2 The difference Activison Blizzard and SquareEnix is that. With Blizzard it felt Vivendi forced Blizzard to merge with Activison. With Square, they work in order to merge with Enix. Enix was considering not merging Square, because Final Fantasy Sprits Within, caused Square to lose a lot of Money, but Kingdom Hearts did well and Enix's trust was earned.

[@jacobs1834]

Y’know it’s really unfortunate how in love Squeenix has been with live-service titles lately. Avengers, Babylon’s Fall, and now this.

[@BenjaMage]

Also Outriders, though I think most everyone's completely forgotten about that game.

[@IamaPERSON]

@@BenjaMage I didn’t even know that was a game. Could you please tell me what it’s about?

[@WilliamKnee]

@@BenjaMage It being released on April Fools Day is nothing but ironic poetry.

[@krimsonkatt]

@@IamaPERSON A blatant destiny clone in literally every single way with a champion based system like Apex Legends. It was released om April's Fool Day, was buggy and neigh unplayable day one, and the servers were shut down only 6 months after launch since literally NO ONE was playing and you can't even play it anymore.

[@IamaPERSON]

@@krimsonkatt wow, you’d think Square would care about QUALITY, not quantity.

[@ZayZenBlaze]

I remember when I was excited about Chocobo GP. And then the news came out regarding how Square Enix put a lot of the good stuff behind paywalls and that AWFUL season pass. The game may be alright, but Square KILLED any hope this game had of being played for a long time with how much Nickel and Diming they did -_-

[@BaconMageLv0]

I find it hilariously cringy that "The 'privilege' to buy microtransactions" is an actual thing you unlock by buying the full version

[@ampkenryu7145]

Ah yes, because letting people who haven't even bought the full game access to mythril for items they can't even use is a smart idea.

[@BaconMageLv0]

@@ampkenryu7145 I can see the logic behind it, "you have to spend money if you want to spend money" is just funny to me. EDIT: Plus the issue that a $50 (USD) game has F2P game level microtransactions

[@orangeslash1667]

@@BaconMageLv0 Fun Fact: the original Chocobo Racing was directed by Takashi Tokita, who is most known for Chrono Trigger. However because he was busy directing Live A Live Remake, he couldn't be involved in Chocobo Racing GP.

[@LasagaMan]

Square: Puts in a Live Service Game Everyone: *that's gotta be a choco-no*

[@MicharionAQ]

So, they used an off-brand Exdeath? Also Necroshell, you aren't fooling anyone. It's the amethyst from the first Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon game. Who also possessed people to further it's plans.

[@ddjsoyenby]

yes they did because i have no idea.

[@krimsonkatt]

There's no reason why they couldn't have used Exdeath. The Exdeath tree was literally right in the background. Maybe they thought that having an Exdeath ripoff was funny instead of playing it straight with actual Exdeath? IDK. Also the gilgemish joke could have been more funny if the dialogue was less copy and paste with gilgemish saying different things and getting angrier and angrier every time that no one can remember him while also having only 2-4 characters respond each time saying different things instead of LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@krimsonkatt Maybe because Exdeath English VA is voiced by M Bison from Street fighter. Square thought that kind of voice would be too intimidating for kids, so they replaced him with a less threatening villain who sounds like Frieza from DBZ. Kinda like how parents though Clancy Browns performance as Dr. Cortex was too scary for kids.

[@krimsonkatt]

@@orangeslash1667 Necroshell doesn't sound like Frieza. Maybe it's because I've only watched DBZ Abridged (IDK his voice might be different in other dubs) but Necroshell sounds NOTHING like Frieza.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@krimsonkatt Wrong, Necroshell is voiced by Daman Mills, who voiced Frezia when Chris Ayres was unavailable. no joke.

[@nintendolife25]

Pretty fitting that you play Shinra’s theme as soon as you started discussing about Chocobo GP’s live service feature. It’s really unfortunate.

[@VigilanteLulu]

Good review! And yeah, This game while fun in small doses and has some nice ideas like special character specific moves, when I finished the story mode once, there wasn't much else there, especially compared to the much tighter-to-handle MK8D with its recently started DLC pass! Cristina Vee is amusing as a Moogle though, kupo! And don't even get me started on those microtransactions, makes me glad I didn't get a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. I will say that the Main Menu theme is cheery and catchy as all heck!

[@BenjaMage]

I'll admit that, at the time of me playing, the theme song really got on my nerves (especially with it being on every menu), but I have warmed up to it since.

[@Red4Herodom]

I know Christina Vee from her performances as Frost Queen Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom and a Slushi from Chikn Nugget. I actually remembered when you brought up Ray Chase in your Dissdia NT video. He plays as Almond Cookie in Cookie Run Kingdom as well. However CRK is a mobile game :(

[@ConnorTheUndying]

As someone who really wanted to try a Chocobo Racing game, I came to the decision... NOT to buy this, once the battle pass was unveiled. But I had _no_ idea how deep the rabbit hole went. It's tragic, because I was all ready to give the game a shot, but I guess I'll just look forward to Kirby and the Forgotten Land this week.

[@isenokami7810]

One of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

[@ConnorTheUndying]

@@isenokami7810 I know, right?

[@orangeslash1667]

@@ConnorTheUndying Fun Fact: the original Chocobo Racing was directed by Takashi Tokita, who is most known for Chrono Trigger. However because he was busy directing Live A Live Remake, he couldn't be involved in Chocobo Racing GP.

[@RicPendragon]

Thanks for saving me some money! That Paid Battle Pass and 3 different currency thing absolutely killed the game for me. I'll stick with grinding out my CTR Switch save and getting those last few skins on my PS4 save instead

[@misterzygarde6431]

I think if we could find these shareholders and executives who are having Square Enix do these live service BS, we could get them to stop doing it. If we “persuade” them. In all seriousness, I feel bad for the fans of the original Chocobo Racing that a sequel ended up being another failed attempt at live service. Also what would’ve been people’s reactions if the MTX were dirt cheap?

[@krimsonkatt]

Literally every single one of their live service games has failed. Not sure why they keep doing them despite them losing more and more money every time and their failed endevors hurting their brand and IPs more and more. Squeenix must hate money...

[@a1goldenrunner]

People who dislike mtx would be mad even if you could buy everything for a penny. They don't care about price. They want all extra content to be free unless it's a whole games worth of new content

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

@@a1goldenrunner Maybe because most of the stuff that's nowadays locked behind microtransactions USED TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE EFFING BASE GAME!! It worked like this: You paid for the game ONCE and you had all of it, done. Whatever was included in the game, you either had from the start or just had to unlock. And since you COULDN'T patch games after being released (most of the time), you had a complete and mostly bug-free game on release (if the studio behind it cared/didn't have troubled production). And before you say "But then you can't get more content for the game", yes, yes you could. THEY WERE CALLED SEQUELS! So yeah, to conclude... Go to hell for even daring to defend mtx, insert here whatever colorful insult that applies to your gender or what.

[@magolor152]

@@nobodyinparticular9640 I'm not sure which decision is worse the decision to release kingdom hearts games on switch as cloud versions only, or locking content on a racing game behind a damn battle pass

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

@@magolor152 why not both, lol?

[@jambles3752]

Sorry your experience was a disappointment, we've all experienced the same thing and we're here for you.

[@linkelank]

About the final boss in the game (SPOILERS)... It's true that the final location is a clear reference to FF5 and they don't hide it. But this game is kind of a reimagining of the first chocobo mystery dungeon. In that game, there is a crystal (amethyst here) that controls people and creates dungeons. First one to be possessed is Camilla's father, and yeah, he didn't have a proper name in that game. Then Atla is posessed, and the final boss is Cryshale, which is actually Necroshell's kart. After you beat that game, the crystal controls a scarecrow which offers an endless dungeon. This is also referenced in both the story and in the Chocobo Farm track where you can see the scarecrow. Clair is also from that game, where he tries to stop Cryshale too. Necroshell (Neo Cryshale in Japanese) is a new character for this game, but it is basically a reference to Cryshale from Chocobo Dungeon. After all, this is a Chocobo game, and it has a lot of references and characters from the dungeon games. Atla, Camilla, Camilla's Pa, Clair and Necroshell are from Dungeon 1. Shirma, Cid, Ben and Bahamut are from Dungeon 2. Irma is from Tales/Fables mystery dungeon, and Hero X is from Fables too.

[@memeontheinternet6232]

I just realized it a kids game that no microtransaction should be in E for everyone...

[@krimsonkatt]

For one, Chocobo GP is rated E10+, not E. Secondly, microtransations aren't considered for the rating system, at least here in America. Loot boxes aren't considered stimulating gambling here either, even though they really should which would garentee every game with lootboxes would be rated T at minimum. There IS a "contains in-game purchases" thing on the rating banner, but that means literally nothing as it doesn't affect the rating and also includes harmless ad-ons like DLC. Also, it's completely baffling how NBA 2K, a game series with an in-game casino with slot machines, roulette wheels and pachinko that you can spend REAL MONEY on, is rated E. Maybe it has to do with multiple EA and 2K executives owning major stock for the ESRB so they get to basically decide their own game's ratings...

[@ericwijaya2119]

To summarise Chocobo GP : Chocobo All Stars Racing Royale

[@Hugelag]

The sad part is that this actually could've been a competitor to Mario Kart. I love the Chocobo spinoffs and the races I played felt good. However, all of the live service nonsense and the apparent grind has put the thought of buying away. Which is a shame. Here's hoping they go full "Realm Reborn" and try again from square 1.

[@ilikecurry2345]

All the Bravest, with racing cars!

[@CMGThePerson]

"How many times do I have to teach you this lesson old man?!" Black Mage Benjamin, in refrence to Square Enix, probably. 2022

[@Percival917]

Square Enix in the late 2010's and current 2020's has been a goddamn metronome swinging between "just make/publish a game and sell it without additional BS" and "just do live service BS."

[@goldengamer-b2z]

The finest definition of asking what your looking for

[@aquapyro1]

I feel if Square Enix got Sumo Digital, the devs behind Sonic and All Star Racing Transformed, and gave them the same freedom like Sega gave Sumo. It should be a hit.

[@Dragonmist19X]

About the whole Exdeath thing. If they did go with it being Exdeath instead of original character with how much they like making direct references and jokes they could have even said hero x got processed after getting a splinter and Exdeath being said splinter. It writes itself.

[@LoudToon99]

It's a shame this turned out the way it did. Because I was looking forward to trying it out for myself. And yeah, kinda says something when the Activision game was arguably less scummy with the MTX than this (even though it's still bad they added them post launch).

[@baalfgames5318]

And let's be honest, CTR:NF blows this game out of the water in general. More characters, tighter controls, less chaos for people who aren't a fan of MK8's weapons (like me tbh) more tracks, BETTER tracks, tracks with room to breathe and aren't claustrophobic, etc. And if you DO like the chaos, MK8DX has most of that, too, and no microtransactions. Just a reasonable 25$ DLC Pass that more or less will eventually double the tracks.

[@polocatfan]

no I'd argue adding microtransactions after launch is more scummy EDIT: Chocobo racing still sucks though

[@orangeslash1667]

@@polocatfan And the other thing about Nitro-Fueled that Ben didn't mention… As time went on, they completely nuked the point of having the micro-transactions by giving you even MORE ways to earn Wumpa Coins! And quickly too!

[@Naterkix]

Whoof. Nothing's more savage in a video game review that ending it by showing yourself deleting it.

[@metal_gear_rayquaza8914]

That look on his face is giving me Dissidia NT vibes. Where’s my popcorn?

[@SuperRandomNation]

After that beginning all I could think was "And the finger on the monkey's paw curls"

[@oluvids]

SQUARE REALLY MADE A 50 DOLLAR FREE TO PLAY GAME

[@DZAladan]

Gotta say, the powerup system in this game kinda reminds me of PS1 LEGO Racers, where you could pick up white bricks to make your pickup more powerful. That said... man, gotta love that, on top of the online play on console requiring a subscription by itself (as if the internet provider alone wasn't enough) and the game costing a kidney, it expects you to spend MORE money for content that's locked behind a paywall. It almost feels like you actually bought a pack of virtual currency bundled with a free to play game.

[@Sparklespeed]

I’ve only played the demo, yet I don’t think I’ll get the game at this point in time. But since I’ve been playing the mystery dungeon series, seeing Racing Hero X and hearing his theme made me smile big time! The game seems to be targeted to more final fantasy audiences, so while I wouldn’t get the references, I’m still happy that my boy Hero X gets to have a major role in the story! ✨

[@jvts8916]

I think this is the first time I've seen Esper!Terra be used as her main form.

[@themirrorsamurai8885]

Yeah, it feels really weird not having any human Terra at all. But Terra is Terra, I'm happy my favourite Final Fantasy character got justice.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@themirrorsamurai8885 Fun Fact: the original Chocobo Racing was directed by Takashi Tokita, who is most known for Chrono Trigger. However because he was busy directing Live A Live Remake, he couldn't be involved in Chocobo Racing GP.

[@meta527II]

9:49 That "power-up" actually makes it look like that character is going slower.

[@nifinland]

Guru: ''Power up!'' Gohan: ''Will this actually matter?'' Guru: ''Probably not.''

[@G.R_777]

So square enix basically pulled a Activision

[@cybercritic8834]

I guess that makes two FF spinoffs getting a new entry that ended up disappointing Ben, the other being Dissidia NT. How did square do this twice?

[@Manectrix2000]

When this video originally launched, it’s when the game was maybe a week or so out. In case of spoilers for anything, I decided to wait on watching this. Since I finally cleared story mode a few days ago, I decided to watch this. There are a few more updates that were only just recently shared, and I wanted to give my opinion and story as someone who has put in 28 hours. Go to the replies for my thoughts on updates and people giving this game a shot. Prior to the launch, it was announced that Cloud would be some sort DLC added onto the game. I took this to mean there might be a chance I have to pay to play as Cloud. So, I was mentally prepared for the extra hit when the launch came. Game was about $29.99 plus tax and the mythril for the premium pass was like $25. I did find it slightly scummy that there was a premium battle pass despite my mindset. Since I forecast the full game to be a normal Nintendo price ($59.99 plus tax), I didn’t end up spending more money than I originally invested in. As for the actual game, I was really having fun with the game. I don’t know why I stuck with it, but I managed to make it feel not as terrible. Though I also find original Nitro Kart fun, so take me with a grain of salt. There’s a lot of track knowledge you need to keep in mind, despite the short list. Like for Big Bridge, I have to keep in mind what version the track is on and how the boosters are going. This doesn’t mean I didn’t eventually feel toll of the massive grind. I started getting tired about two weeks of daily playing. My goal was to get to level 200 so I could have all of Cloud’s customization. Despite me being ahead of the curve, with me only having to do one or two levels a day. I grew very anxious. It soon became a stressor to even fit racing in. There was one solution, but it required me to basically take a deal with the devil. In other words, spend money to get the last levels I needed to alleviate the need to fit it in. I succumbed to my anxiety and spent money to get the last forty levels I needed. There was relief but also anxiety born from that transaction. I had just supported the model that I do not want to see in the future. What irony and I should be ashamed of myself. For a while I didn’t want to play Chocobo GP not just because I was burnt out, but also because of the shame I felt. Felt like I didn’t deserve the gold coloring for Cloud and I have no right using it online. I was only able to slightly recover a few days ago. After all, if I didn’t do story mode, there was no way for me to get the “running cactus” my mom liked so much.

[@Manectrix2000]

Story over, now to those updates a few days ago. I’ll go in order of the important ones. 1. Mirror Mode is an option for online tournament mode. Basically like what MarioKart 8 Deluxe does for its online. 2. Items can be used while taunting. Taunting is done by clicking in the left stick, which is very easy to do. 3. Premium Prize Passes (skip to level 60), Level Up Tickets (1 ticket bypasses a level), and Team Stickers (if you’re trying to level without these you’re crazy) will no longer be sold. 4. All items added to the mythril shop will be able to be purchased outside of Season 1. Assuming this works similar to CTR’s, this means Cloud will be available even if you didn’t grind Season 1’s pass. 5. All major items starting with Season 2 will be obtained by level 20. From beyond level 20, the rewards are mainly focused on earning Gil. 6. The only items in the Gil shop will be alternate colors and wallpapers, no alternate colors, characters, or cars. I’m very hopeful this changes things for the better. Maybe the events can be fun to do like CTR’s! In my opinion, I recommend getting the Lite version (free) and looking at all of the tutorials. Give the game 8 hours like Ben did. Then decide if you think it’s worth it. Hopefully more people can give this game a chance. -Manetrix2000

[@SoundsideSherry]

Necroshell is #NotMyExdeath

[@playtoonsrv6209]

Yeah, that's kinda sad for x death. Sorry evil dude. As for the microtransactions, it seems like it's becoming more common on home consoles. I'm worried about what will happen to the non-microtransaction games in the future.

[@krimsonkatt]

Non-micotransation games will never go away because adding in microtransations into your game garentees bad press unless it's F2P and will very likely piss off your fans, hurting your brand and IP. These "live service" games fail 9 times out of 10 and are often a huge burn on resources. I doubt this trend will last much longer especially with how much money Square is losing while pissing off the FFXIV fanbase by dedicating their service space to crappy live services like Chocobo GP and Babelon's Fall instead of decicating the majority if not all of it to FFXIV. It's been almost a year and the servers still haven't recovered since Endwalker released.

[@extremmefan7305]

I got the Lite version of the game to try it out with sis, and then found Custom Races, which is basically Mario Kart's traditional multiplayer mode, is LOCKED BEHIND THE FULL GAME. W H Y. Also, the way you describe him, Necroshell sounds like they really wanted to use Exdeath but had to switch him out at the last second.

[@eastonmoon]

Loved the last bit where he just deletes the game

[@galfinsp7216]

Shame to have this ripped to shreds. … gonna need to add this to the list of potential topics brought up in top 10 fails 2022.

[@ChibiSkitty19]

You know... I had a feeling the game was going to pull something like that when I saw that there was a free version called Chocobo GP lite in the eShop. Granted it was only in the States so I'm not sure if that is also the case in Canada's eShop so if anyone from Canada want to mention if it does have that same free or not feel free to mention it. Side note: I seriously thought the game was called Chocobo Racing GX.... until I realized it's just called Chocobo GP. I don't know why I thought the name was different, but that was what I thought the game was called. It's like people calling the game Balan Wonderworld as Balan Wonderland all over again.

[@BenjaMage]

We did get the Lite version in Canada as well.

[@ChibiSkitty19]

@@BenjaMage Thank you.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@BenjaMage Maybe because Exdeath English VA is voiced by M Bison from Street fighter. Square thought that kind of voice would be too intimidating for kids, so they replaced him with a less threatening villain who sounds like Frieza from DBZ. Kinda like how parents though Clancy Browns performance as Dr. Cortex was too scary for kids.

[@isenokami7810]

Wait, Cristina Vee? Oh my gah, Racing Hero X is Fwench Fwy.

[@grinbrothers]

I've had no issue gameplay wise (aside from not being able to set Drift to ZR) but that Mythril angle really hampers an otherwise fun game. As pointed out at 11:44, there are some great power-ups and the roster is huge. Too bad the gameplay loop is so stingy that it never feels like you progress after hours of playing. I've never played Final Fantasy V so it was interesting hearing all the things that related back to Exdeath. Fantastic coverage of this game!

[@IosLocarth]

I was initially really happy and excited for this game when I saw them including Fantasy 9 characters over the more popular games that aren't as good but seeing as how it's handled I'm just disappointed

[@matthewgaming2408]

Hey, @Black Mage Benjamin, have you ever reviewed the DS version of "Crash of the titans", before? That version seems to be following the crash formula somewhat better than the console version, if you wanna avoid spoilers then you don't have to read the rest, but there ARE some interesting (at least to me) details about that version, so if you wanna try the version out without any spoilers, DON'T READ THE REST OF THIS COMMENT, but yeah, it actually looks good, but if you already played it, then I'm sorry. Here are some details of the DS version: there are bonus routes, you ACTUALLY FIGHT THE BOSSES BY USING THE MUTANTS, also, there's actually a character that (to my knowledge) WASN'T in the console version, dingodile is in the ds version, heck, that version even has some references to some of the previous games, such as crash doing his classic victory dance, even after defeating a boss, there's an idle animation where crash pulls out a DS, reference to the gba games in an idle animation where pulls out a gba, and other things that I won't tell you about HERE, but I do wanna bring up that the DS version has full-on VOICE ACTING! Anyways that's all I have to say, I'm sorry if you're not interested in the DS version of crash of the titans, I am VERY SORRY, Ben.

[@anudee7142]

13:51 its just a pet ben-hemoth

[@ddjsoyenby]

honestly i thought this was a mobile game from seeing it, but knowing this is a console game that costs money makes me feel dirty.

[@brendonwelsh-mccarthy9186]

I felt like coming back to this now that the mythril shop has been remove

[@thehatman7051]

man, I was actually really looking forward to Chocobo GP when it was announced, its a shame to hear that the gameplay was clunky and it fell victim to Squenix's Live Service idiocy

[@mediabaron2416]

21:12 Oh yeah. Team Sonic Racing just got made free for PlayStation Plus users, didn't it? I should go fire it back up. Might finally have people to play it with again. Thanks for reminding me, Black Mage Benjamin.

[@justinnzamora5366]

Expiring in-game currency? Me in my best AVGN impression: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!

[@krimsonkatt]

Apparently it's only for the "early purchase bonus" and once you received it it never goes away. It was a misunderstanding.

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

@@krimsonkatt it's still complete bs. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if even the rest of the "premium" currency expires as well, just maybe with an invisible timer or what.

[@theenderengineer1943]

Thank you for the review, and the major heads up about how this game is trying to nickle and dime players. I was SO EXCITED to get this game, but now I don't want it at all. I'll stick to something that isn't going to force me into spending tons of extra money left right and center to get all the stuff.

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

The PS1 game is exactly that, heh.

[@Nathan-rb3qp]

The virgin Racing Hero X VS The Chad Pilot X from Freaky Flyers.

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

I didn't even know about the battle pass and the microtransactions until playing the free trial version. When I started up the game, I saw the message that said "get the full version for the battle pass" or something, and I just went, "Oh no." I played the game for about an hour before I got frustrated with the stiff controls and online annoyances, and deleted the free trial game for space. Seems I made the right call.

[@SpeedStar1642]

13:51 You should get a pet Behemoth.

[@tonysonic456]

Balan Wonderworld, Kingdom Hearts Cloud versions, and now Chocobo GP. Square Enix just can't do anything right nowadays. Ironically enough, Avengers had a live service system as well, and it failed horribly along with the game itself. So why on earth would Square try the same thing AGAIN when the first attempt at doing it fell flat on its face?!!

[@thelonemask]

Don't forget Babylon's Fall. That game was also live service which failed miserably.

[@tonysonic456]

@@thelonemask So that makes THREE attempts at doing the same thing and hoping for success where there is none. Someone's going on Joshscorcher's 2022 Fails list.

[@IamaPERSON]

@@thelonemask Silver lining: the name is accurate about it’s live service!

[@krimsonkatt]

They've made a crappy live service game like 5 times in the past year and EVERY SINGLE ONE FAILED. Why haven't they learned they're lesson yet? It's baffling.

[@krimsonkatt]

@@tonysonic456 Don't forget Outriders too. That game was also a live service and failed miserably. That makes: 1: Marvel's Avengers 2: Outriders 3: Babelon's Fall 4: Chocobo GP That's FOUR failed live service games within a year. When will SE learn?

[@nicholaskonkle4841]

This game studied from EA university and it showed! No wonder it didn’t last a year.

[@scottschiff327]

Honestly, I just find it baffling that Square-Enix thought it would be good idea to release two games with costly and demanding live-service models within the span of about a month.

[@krimsonkatt]

And they both suck too. A double whammy!

[@baalfgames5318]

What was the other?

[@scottschiff327]

@@baalfgames5318 Babylon’s Fall.

[@baalfgames5318]

@@scottschiff327 At least with Babylon's Fall, it looked like a pretty typical "Human Slays Giant Monster" type game that I wasn't interested in, but with Chocobo GP it especially hurts for me, since it looked like a charming game, but aside from the microtransactions, it's just not as good as CTR:NF or MK8DX.

[@brandonlewis2861]

I was so looking forward to this game I had it on my wish list and I had plans to buy it later but then when I heard about the battlepass and the grind yeah..I lost intreast in the game and removed it from my wish list. Square had a good thing here if they wanted to make the online important just have you earn a little more of the currency like CTR nitro fuel did thats it!

[@apagan0075]

Bruh, I've played F2P kart racer called KartRider Rush+ and that game can be generous with the currency in that game. It does have those paid Season Passes but also gives the F2P some good karts too.

[@godzeromart9468]

Thank you for the info. I was excited for it but I don't think I'll get it.

[@the_ark_king]

This seems to be the new Dissidia NT.

[@LegendaryGoku100]

There's now an update saying you CAN buy Cloud with tickets now. Wish they done that SOONER!!!

[@michaelmarbach6250]

Crazy that Stranger of Paradise is the LEAST controversial release from Square. Chocobo GP is… fine, but there’s plenty of better racers on Switch.

[@krimsonkatt]

FF Origin is actually really good and is getting stellar reviews. Apparently people say it has a suprisingly good if a bit edgy story and challenging yet fun gameplay. People were really turned off by it's cringy first trailer and all it's "I want to kill chaos," it's overall edginess and un-final fantasy ness, and the memes that followed. If you actually play the game the game certainly feels like Final Fantasy especially later on and faithfully re-creates the first Final Fantasy in fantastic new detail. It's basically FFVII Remake but FF1 with a touch of soulsborne, crazy twists that weren't in the original game that completely recontexulizes the original story and all. TLDR: FF Origin is actually really good.

[@tannertaylor6716]

So there is a BIG trick with the drifting. As your drifting on a corner, tap the brake (B) button while turning. It allows you to maintain speed and control on the corners. After the first day of fixes, that caps the required exp to 1600 until lv 100, I unlocked Cloud after 4 hours or so of play. Now I’m level 118 and have been having a lot of fun once I learned this technique. I’m hoping this games takes notes from CTR:NF and improves later on. If anyone has any other questions, I’ll be happy to ask. Edit. Correction on level up requirements and my level. Square has also given out 600 mythril. With an extra 50 per week until early May. That’ll be enough for the second season pass. More rewards such as extra Gil and Mythril will be added as rewards for the second season pass. Any unearned rewards from the previous pass will be added to the Gil shop.

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

Braking barely helps. I know, because I played the game, and I think I can say I'm pretty good with kart racing games, seeing as I can keep the sacred blue flame in almost all the CTR:NF tracks... Even while tapping, if you do it too much you just lose the drift. It's a combination of both the drift not doing curves as tightly as it should but also the tracks that are minuscule, you barely have any room to race in them. Also it's ESPECIALLY fun how you can bump into other racers and lose the dang drift, but bumping or sliding against a wall doesn't matter...

[@tannertaylor6716]

@@nobodyinparticular9640 If you’re still having trouble brake/drifting, imagine it as if you are playing 200cc MK8d. This was also a mechanic in the Ps1 original. Rapidly tap the button, only a couple times as you make the turn and use the stick to guide you. With enough effort you can pass the final 90 degree turns on the Golden Saucer easily. If you claim to be good at kart racers and CTR, maintaining and controlling your drift speed should be no problem, with a little practice. If your still having troubles, try using Metal Chocobo or a grip type vehicle to help.

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

@@tannertaylor6716 Mean... Don't want to brag, I can play the Ps1 game flawlessly, lol. I recently replayed it to, like, scrub away the poor taste this awful new game left me xd I think it's just the game that's a mess, or it really doesn't want you to be boosting and drifting all the time or something, dunno... I could only race half-decently with characters that had the same stats as Steiner, but even with those some curves felt half-impossible to do properly without bumping or sliding against the walls all the damn time. I'll say I tend to prefer speed over grip, but still, if in CTR I can make all the tightest curves with the stats that have the worst curving/drifting and here I barely can, suppose it's on the game too maybe... Sigh, I just wanna forget about this game already... Haven't felt this disappointed, angry and sad in quite some times...

[@orangeslash1667]

@@nobodyinparticular9640 Fun Fact: Crispin Freeman voices Steiner, odd choice????

[@mysticmind4563]

Activision is far from a saint, but examples like these show how there the lesser evil.

[@yogibear8683]

Who doesn't love this cute lil' birdie?

[@darniusstudios5139]

This “cute lil’ birdie” has fell victim to the micro transactions.

[@AlonzoTompkins]

People who don’t want to be scammed. Lmao

[@firehea1995]

I remember being so excited for this game when it was announced as I'd never had the chance to play the original but hearing about all the micro transaction stuff put me right off which is a shame because I feel like this could have been a decent kart game

[@crimsonflame2k]

methinks ben might've edited the thumbnail a little while ago.

[@themirrorsamurai8885]

Well... this stings. At least it didn't leave you as emotionally drained as NT did, but... yeah. I definitely don't condone this kind of pay-to-enjoy, let alone in a paid Switch game. A shame, too, I was excited for this game as well... The moral of the story? Well, the same moral as NT, don't get your hopes up for anything ever. Do you think a virtual hug would help?

[@nobodyinparticular9640]

I would need one... The original Chocobo Racing on the PS1 was a childhood darling of mine... Was genuinely excited for this sequel...

[@Bread-kun]

I was surprised with it being switch exclusive too. I feel like if you're playing a kart racer on the switch you're just gonna play Mario kart.

[@RaidenKaiser]

Honestly my trust in the entire industry now at an all time low even from Japanese legends. After seeing square Enix sink this low this fast I don't think any company is immune to this level of corruption anymore. I fear the only solution is to burn it all down by boycotting the entire industry on an 80s level gaming crash to set things right i don't see any other way out.

[@CaptainAshSpearow]

Depending on what happens with the updates, I guess I can file this revival under wishes granted by a cursed monkey's paw.

[@Majin_151]

What is it with companies fucking up remasters/remakes lately like there's pokemon bdsp(which didn't include platinum content and had glitches that was in the original d/p plus a few more), gta trilogy the "definitive" edition(need I say more) and chocobo gp with its monetization like come on guys

[@_-Lx-_]

Don't forget Sonic Colours Ultimate (glitchy AF, ruined music, generally looks worse, and the new content is atrocious), Monkey Ball Banana Mania (they ruined the physics in a physics based platformer, butchered the best minigame, removed the cutscenes, and downgraded the visuals to an absurd extent), and worst of all Warcraft Reforged (everything about it is impressively atrocious, no other remake has ever managed to retroactively kill the original title). I honestly don't know why companies are remaking games only to make them worse, they're putting in more effort just to make an inferior version, they could much more easily re-release the originals for little to no effort and the games would be happier the product would be better and they'd make more money. It's mind boggling.

[@GlitchanBlack]

@@_-Lx-_ Not to mention, the Sonic model in Colors Ultimate is ripped STRAIGHT OUT OF SUPER SMASH BROS.

[@missleiadragonitemaster7597]

Money first, quality later! We have arbitrary deadlines to meet! -CEO of every current AAA company The employees deserve better. We all know deep down they wanted their games to be good...

[@krimsonkatt]

Pokemon BDSP was good tho and DID have platinum content. The only platinum content it didn't have was like 10 minutes of extra story and the battle frontier. It had the gym leader rematches, all exclusive Pokemon, all platinum exclusive events, etc. It added everything it could while still staying true to the original Diamond and Pearl games. The games are also pretty impressive for only being made in 5 months. The water especially looks amazing. It's also not nearly as glitchy as people say. In my playthrough I only encountered one glitch and it was relatively minor. I was stuck in the air by a bike connector thing while not on a bike, and getting on my bike quickly fixed it. Nothing super crazy. Plus all the major ones have been patched so it's no big deal. Later copies of the game will start with 1.3 built in so it's not even a preservationist issue. The only really bad thing about this game was that pretty much all online features such as mystery gift, the GTS, and Union Rooms with more than 2 people had to be patched in months after release, so that sucked, but otherwise it was a pretty good faithful remake all things considered. Colors Ultimate was only bad in the first few days because of how buggy that game was, but that all got patched within about a week. I'm not a frame rate junkie so 30 FPS instead of 60 didn't bother me. Other than that it was fine. Obviously not as good as the original due to a lack of 60 fps and the many launch day bugs but the hate for it was MASSIVELY overblown. Won't defend GTA Trilogy though. That game sucked beyond words. Also Chocobo GP wasn't a remake so it didnt count, and plenty of good remakes came out recently or are coming out soon like the ArcRaiser Remake, FFVII Remake, the Mario and Luigi remakes, ORAS, FF Origin, Demon Souls, and the upcoming DQ3 and LiveAlive remakes as well.

[@krimsonkatt]

@@_-Lx-_ WTF Monkey Ball Bannana Mania was great! What are you talking about?

[@saurodinus9812]

I was looking forward to this game... guess Square Enix just saved me some money...

[@OhBeeBumbles]

Square really took a rocket launcher and blew the whole leg off with this game. I was excited for this game when they announced it, I was gladly gonna buy it then I learned about the microtransacrions and the battle pass and all that other junk made me choose to not get it. If it was free to play them maybe play it here and there but this is iirc a full priced game (In btw NY) idk which Number this is but This is how you kill hype for a game

[@DaviddeBergerac]

At this point I'm just not gonna spend money on any Square Enix games until they clean up their act. Holy shit

[@nifinland]

6:52 Oh hey, it's Frieza

[@sergiomendoza5165]

I prefere Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart because the game and all the content is free and is a chaotic fun game.

[@BenjaMage]

Been meaning to give that game a try, it looks hilariously fun.

[@sergiomendoza5165]

@@BenjaMage and you can play any character in that game. People called "Mugen Kart Racing" for a reason because so many tracks and so many characters in that game.

[@krimsonkatt]

@@sergiomendoza5165 I can play as Pyra? LET'S GO. SUPER SMASH KART HERE I COME.

[@sergiomendoza5165]

@@krimsonkatt i think yeah,and you can play as Aegis from Persona 3.

[@Flamestar320]

Hey Benjamin, I'd like to see you do a review on the Sumo Digital Sonic Racing Trilogy someday.

[@BenjaMage]

I have thought about doing so in the past; no promises, but it could end up happening.

[@Flamestar320]

@@BenjaMage Alright, hope you're having a good one Ben!

[@BugsyFoga]

Top ten tragic anime moments

[@RavenWitchShade]

Honestly, I really like this game myself. I mean yeah, the microtransactions/battle pass thing is a bit of a bad move, but the fact that they're doing damage control on it so quickly after launch shows that they do want this game to succeed. Hopefully they'll take the time to fix it up, I mean they made the battle pass less of a grind (hit 90 earlier at the time of this comment), so baby steps. I'd probably be a bit more sour towards the whole 'full price game has an msx store' thing if I had payed full price for the game... but considering I got this for £7, if that, I can't really complain XD Might also be because I have fond memories of the original Chocobo Racing on the PlayStation, to the point where I still have my original copy of the game (just minus the case and manual, because 14-year-old me was dumb and didn't keep it). The GP mode does get a bit too chaotic at times, and I've had several GPs where I do fine in the first three races only to end up becoming everyone's punching bag in the 4th (and the less said about red portals the better XP), but I've been having fun with it, and I'm hoping they add some more content to this down the line - ya know, without locking it behind a paywall. As for the CTR comparisons, I can't make any of those myself because I'm still yet to pick up and play it. Mario Maker 2 was out at the same time and that was the one that interested me more to the point where I'd get CTR down the line, but after hearing about the whole microtransaction thing, that kinda put me off getting it. Yeah, I know, ironic in comparison to Chocobo GP, but after seeing a few videos on the microtransactions for that game from reviewers who were quite passionate about CTR, it really did put the breaks on me wanting to try it. Hell, I didn't even try it when they did the game trial on Switch, though admittedly that was down to me forgetting about it because I was busy with other games again ^^; It'll probably end up being given out on PS Plus eventually - they did Team Sonic Racing this month, I'm sure Crash will get a turn, and if it does, I'll try and check it out then. Who knows, it might be you worth returning to this down the line when some of the kinks have been ironed out. For now in regards to me, I'm just gonna do a few GPs a night to level up the pass whilst I work on finishing up Legends Arceus at the same time. Also thanks for the tip in regards to the silver eggs, I didn't realize they worked as a surefire magic upgrade and I used that to great effect in winning a GP earlier :P

[@DarknessIsTheTruth]

Wait... why is Steiner arresting Vivi? Steiner wouldn't do that!

[@LegendaryGoku100]

Good review. I couldn't agree more.

[@baalfgames5318]

It's so painful to keep seeing cute, charming ideas like this just get ruined. I really wanted to like this one, but CTR:NF is just better and less scummy (though even that has microtransactions. They're just not as bad).

[@baggelissonic]

11:49 Not really that creative when it's almost the same mechanic as a 15 year old game. Modnation racer is a ps3 exclusive kart racing game that used a power-up system similar to chocobo racing and one of the level 3 items in that game was a portal that teleported you farther in the stage but anyone could enter it. I doubt that they just happened to have the almost the exact same idea.

[@TerrorOfTalos]

That game needs a remaster

[@baggelissonic]

@@TerrorOfTalos Why not a sequel with a new career mode

[@TerrorOfTalos]

@@baggelissonic Well it's too late for a sequel honestly as the IP has been dormant for over a decade also instead of a remaster I think a reboot would be even better and would be reintroduced as Playstations exclusive kart racer with all the track and character creation and customization.

[@CyberDragoon656]

The best recipe to kill any game. Just add suits, microtransactions and charge an entry fee.

[@Zodia195]

I was genuinely on the fence whether to get this game at some point. Thanks for helping me decide to not get this game.

[@Gusername]

regardless of what people think about this game I think we can all agree that the song that plays in the main menu is catchy as hell.

[@_-Lx-_]

No, not at all. Even as a fan of bubbly pop it feels so insincere and grating. I'll take Disaster Of Passion over it any day in a heartbeat.

[@1TheVelociraptor]

ben the behemoth, pretty slick, huh the only other time i heard of free currency expiring was in yugioh's official simulators like duel links, but your gems only expire if you get more than the maximum of free gems, otherwise they last forever and god damnit, why do ps1 games get the short end of all the sticks?

[@krimsonkatt]

Xenogears be like:

[@Flamestar320]

Oh boy, this can't be good...

[@blueythedragonknight3949]

It seems that Chocobo GP fell flat on its face in the end. Square Enix is looking to milk this game for all its worth.

[@anothergamer112]

They swapped Exdeath with Necroshell so Square could have another character to include in the gacha mix for their future mobile games, mark my words Also that main menu is nauseating to look at. It genuinely looks like something from a casino.