Chocobo GP Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?

[@lazypines]

pretty disappointed this review didn't mention anything about how aggressive the microtransactions and paid money systems are in this game. glad there's a free version that showed just how bad it was because this review doesn't feel honest with how this stuff is being handled

[@arendking]

Didnt all the microtransaction bullshit come out after the reviews? While yes this needs to be redone to include that info, a lot of scummy microtransactions are held back until the game goes live in order to avoid being part of the reviews

[@lazypines]

@@arendking yeah that could be the case, it's just so unavoidable in the menus I assumed the reviewer was aware too. NL reviews are usually very fair imo so it could be it was left out of review copies before launch, and at the end of the day I'm disappointed in SE more than anything because I really was looking forward to this game

[@jonathanlgill]

@@lazypines I'd heard the microtransactions were disabled during the review period. It'd still be nice for Nintendo Life to add an update or a pinned comment providing that information.

[@mandarinduck]

@@arendking Even so I think it was a bad sign when they announced Cloud as a season pass reward.

[@Stratelier]

@@jonathanlgill Now I am curious just how similar the review copies were compared to launch day. e.g. was the frontend menu still just as cluttered with like three types of currency counters and was the grind rate for said currency the same as on launch?

[@Jaies_]

The microtransactions alone make this a horrible thing to support. This sets a precedent that they'll continue to follow if we don't keep this game lambasted.

[@mattb.1236]

I completely agree and if Nintendo Life is actually doing this I'm happy to stop showing any support and start building some word of mouth on these shady practices :D

[@lssjgaming1599]

@@mattb.1236 the issue is Square Enix turned off micro transactions in the review period purposefully so the reviewers would make the game look better

[@hedgehoundable]

Precedent doesn't even matter anymore. Square's been doing this for years. They really don't care whether or not people rightfully roast them for it at all.

[@Yahikkox]

As in p2w, you can only play for a certain time before you have to buy energy or just cosmetics? I love persona and after seeing this I was thinking about buying it

[@lilacdratini]

@@Yahikkox you don’t have to buy ‘energy’, just cosmetics

[@_cityjunk]

Kinda surprised to see a positive review for a $50 mediocre kart racer with season passes and premium currency.

[@charlestrudel8308]

thats the danger when not enough game of a style come out. mediocrity sometime receives good scores just because a sub marked is underserved.

[@thediamondtntplays]

According To Noisy Pixel. You can earn mythril by racing or buying them like in ctr nitro fueled. So you can technically get them for free.

[@charlestrudel8308]

@@thediamondtntplays Yeah but, im here waiting for a kart racer that wont have microtransaction beside mario kart... theres a reason why MK8 still sell, no real competitor exist, they all are cash grab... as would be the f2t racer from disney...

[@saturnfirefly3714]

The eshop doesn't even tell the difference between the lite and "DLC" of the game other then you can't select tracks or run tournaments and that you should buy the "DLC" instead of the lite. It's very confusing.

[@ProjectBIRDRYAN]

@@charlestrudel8308 Race With Ryan is amazing

[@NickEnlowe]

Chocobo Racing for PS1 wasn't a 'let down' at all. It had great tracks with lots of shortcuts and alternate paths, and a stellar soundtrack. Plus you could build your own custom racers once you beat the game. The only criticism I can lob at it is that it could've used a few more tracks. I enjoyed it even more than Crash Team Racing, Diddy Kong Racing, and Mario Kart 64.

[@fadlihermawan9123]

And you can play as S.S Invincible, the fastest racer lol but it's quite difficult to control it on Fantasia track.

[@solonavi3928]

I agree. You get to play as Aya in a police car how cool is that. The end credit and its music is so nostalgic for me.

[@SeijiWeiss]

I miss using Bahamut as a playable racer haha. That guy's a load of cheat 😂

[@stanzacosmi]

and you also don't have to worry about missing out on characters by spending your premium currency on a track

[@orangeyellow9695]

I was a fan of kart racers in the 90s and early 2000s, but nothing, not even Mario kart, comes close to crash team racing for me. Ctr really knows how to make little details crank up the excitement. Like the target appearing on your racer when you are being targeted by homing missiles. Chocobo racing is fun, but it isn't as complex as ctr. There are some things in chocobo racing that are a let down, but the game itself is really good for me. I particularly like abilities, but many of them are either too weak or too powerful. Flap and grip up? Lmao. Dash is too good. Barrier is good. Mug and receive is too situational. I like magic plus and megaflare. I prefer charge to dash since there is a lot more interaction when using it. For the sound track, Cid's test track is classic. My head can't get over the catchy goblin mine soundtrack.

[@RayearthIX]

Given what we've learned since launch about the microtransactions of this game, I think this review needs a re-look at to include information about it.

[@Yahikkox]

As in p2w or just cosmetics? Google doesn't mention amything

[@RayearthIX]

@@Yahikkox So... that's a loaded question that might have changed in more recent updates (I haven't played the game in a couple months, so this is based on what it was 3 months ago, can't speak to specifics now). - P2W: ... Not really. It could be argued that certain racers are better than others, and completing the battlepass levels unlocks up to 2 additional characters (Cloud via the battlepass and Squall with currency earned only in the battlepass). So you do not get an advantage in that sense by paying. - Cosmetics and progression: Yes, yes, and yes. To upgrade the battlepass, you need to play the game, but in order to level up at a reasonable clip, you need items that are awarded from the battle pass very very slowly... or you can pay for them. The paid version of the battlepass gives you currency to buy these items as well as cosmetics, and it gives them a LOT faster than the free version (which means you can buy Squall dozens and dozens of levels of the pattlepass sooner). Further, only one mode upgrades the battlepass, online GPs, so if you do anything except that mode, you get no in-game progression at all in terms of ranking that up and earning cosmetics or other characters. Further, completing the story doesn't award all the non-BP characters, and the rest need to be earned through further play. The fastest way to do that is to do online GPs, over, and over, and over again, and the rate you earn things is increased if you buy the battlepass, or spend real money for in game currency. Basically, the game is overmonetized and presents itself as a mobile F2P kart racer, when in fact it is a full paid release title.

[@Yahikkox]

@@RayearthIX alright, I understand. This does suck. Thanks for the thorough reply

[@Yahikkox]

Welp, I'll play the demo and then that's it, CTR is my next cart game anyway

[@Evenmoresteven]

It looks cool, but there's something oddly stiff about the way the karts move. Is it just me? It just doesn't seem to have the smoothness of Mario Kart.

[@TeltStory]

looks like double dash's movement but stiffer

[@lightnigstriker]

yea they definitely look stiff. none of them seem to be animated turning properly, and the karts shift just in a direction. it looks awkward

[@zebjensen4251]

It also feels kinda slow like you don't get that sense of movement I don't feel. But maybe they will adjust it to improve the game.

[@Ponaru]

Whoever recorded this footage seems to be terrible at drifting. I think that might be a big reason it seems so stiff. Don't know though, I'm gonna give it a try at least and see how it plays.

[@zebjensen4251]

@@Ponaru that's fair I just wish the game felt faster.

[@briantucker4568]

Don't waste your time even downloading the free version. I'm lucky I tried the demo. I began story mode, sat through a few cut scenes, and started to race. Only what began was utter madness. I had to make it through the tutorial, which explains how the controls work. Hold down A to start boost as the number 2 shows. "OK got it, just like Mario kart." So I boost to the first turn. It pauses the game to explain drifting. Hold R1 and point the right stick while pressing a to begin your drift. "OK, just like Mario kart." Only my drift ran straight into the dirt. YOU DID NOT COMPLETE THE DRIFT, LET'S TRY AGAIN. At the starting line.. you make one mistake and the entire tutorial starts over. I can't make it past the first turn because I either turn into the dirt or lose the drift trying to countersteer.. and i can't even practice because the stupid game starts the tutorial again. I got so frustrated I screamed at the TV, and Uninstalled the game before even beginning a single race, and that was before I began reading online about microtransactions. I was so excited about this game because I'm obsessed with all things Final Fantasy, but it was a huge NO for me. 😡

[@alphaomegabeast169]

There is plenty i do like what Chocobo GP offers as I do love FF. However the gameplay looks slow. I will try the lite edition and see if that will hopefully change my mind. The 64 player online tourney really gets me interested and content updates really make me hope for more replayabilty.

[@WorldLoveGaming]

That's what I thought as well.

[@iliya1933]

100% agree. If it turns out the gameplay in this video and others is just something like the 50cc equivalent in Mario Kart, it might end up being interesting to play, but if this is all it is, I’m definitely going to pass.

[@cuccooverlord9812]

There are many speed options like in Mario kart

[@alphaomegabeast169]

@@cuccooverlord9812 you already played it?

[@roxaskinghearts]

I want to ride my chocobo all day. Kweh!

[@kitsune0rei]

I loved Chocobo Racing on PS, I in fact still have it. I don't expect anything to be as solid as Mario Kart, but it was really good, particularly for the time. The first couple characters you unlocked were pretty normal, but some of the unlocks were just ridiculous and I think more for playing with a funny character (like there was an 8-bit chocobo that was like max speed and no control). I actually spend the time unlocking everything lol. I plan on trying to light game to see if it has a good feel, I was rather happy to see this come back again (as well as Chocobo Dungeon.)

[@RappingNinja]

NINE tracks? NINE. Like, TOTAL? Oh my god. The 23 characters is great, but… NINE friggin’ tracks!!! I wouldn’t even pay 20 bucks for that few of options :(

[@AndyLarz]

I’m going to have to play the trial, In the footage it looks so slow and weird to handle but all the buzz has me intrigued!

[@austinmull8515]

It has to have different speeds

[@Blackcherrysyrup]

There is casual mode and normal mode speeds

[@skombiejones4388]

It’s great, even just free version I’ve been having fun

[@TROBassGuitar]

It's microtransactions the game, not worth it

[@AndyLarz]

@@TROBassGuitar Yeah I’ve heard about this and it’s definitely put me off, Luckily we have the Mario Kart DLC in a few days which will scratch any itch Chocobo GP could have

[@alexeicauchi9968]

While I'm glad this game got a positive review, I feel that some comparisons and criticisms were flawed. Here's where - in my opinion - the original was doing things better: 1. Each character in Chocobo Racing (CR) comprised 20 increments of each stat (speed, drift, acceleration, grip, AGS). This provided tonnes of granularity for character uniqueness / feel. While I can understand dropping AGS as a stat, each of the other stats have 10 increments (5 stars with half-star options). Many characters also have identical stats, while others have far less stars. I presume the balance would then be derived from the special ability, and that the speed stat carries far more weight (note how characters with high speed have less stars overall). 2. The choice of magicite in this game is random. In a game where you can boost the same magicite to make it stronger, that removes tactical play. In the original CR, you had distinct magicite balls to pick up (apart from the black random ones) allowing the player to pick up magicite based on their needs, and deviating their path in order to take this risk. 3. The speed does look slow here even at Master. In the original CR, Behemoth and Bahamut class Grand Prix games had nice scaling in pace / difficulty. 4. The tracks look blander than the original CR, despite some interesting inclusions with the dashing strips, and obstacles. TLDR; they changed some core elements which made the original so great, which is a shame. Still very excited to try this game, and can only hope it will keep getting supported / improved.

[@NickEnlowe]

Now THIS is a review from someone who actually spent some time with the original game and understood it.

[@Bmage28]

I was wondering about that, played through the lite version, which was insultingly short, even for a demo, but they didn't explain anything regarding the items. Did a few online races and was wondering why I wasn't able to get my 3x powerups like in the original. Not sure how I feel about that personally, though I've read one powerup (wormhole?) is pretty broken/OP.

[@alexeicauchi9968]

​@@Bmage28 after sinking a good few hours into the game: - The demo is definitely too barebones! - Thankfully, within the game's options, a hefty "How to Play" section exists. I believe this expands with time - for example, when unlocking new characters, it adds information on their Special Ability. - The x3 Powerups are gathered differently. If you already have a type of Magicite, you have to collect the BLUE / SILVER eggs in order to guarantee a Magicite of the same type you already own. So if you have Fira (x2 Fire), getting that Blue egg will ensure it will become a Firaga (x3 Fire). - While I still need to play more to judge whether certain items are broken, I do have to say: 1) The game is faster than I thought. Seeing it in a video doesn't do it justice. It is indeed very challenging. 2) The tracks are more interesting than presented in the original sneak-peaks. They all must be approached differently, and will take hours to master the right times to drift, dash, avoid obstacles, etc. 3) Characters, unfortunately, don't feel as distinct as they did in the original. Some characters literally have identical stats, or with very slight variations. The distinction was focused heavily on the Special Abilities. The archetype is one of these 3: - balanced all around (averaging 2-3 out of 5 on each stat), Fast and Loose (high speed, low everything else), Control-Focused (lower speed, high on everything else).

[@Ironborn]

You gave a 50 dollar game that requires you to buy an additional pass to unlock characters an 8/10? Fuck that.

[@JCO78]

Don't even care if it's worse than Mario Kart 8. Just stoked to race to some kickass FF tunes

[@G.L.999]

If there are to be any DLC characters from 3rd parties to join Mario Kart 9, I can see Chocobo having enough potential to join the roster!

[@DuBstepAnDa98]

I was looking forward to this but now I'm a bit on the fence about it. It looks really slow, the tracks look way too simple, and the turning looks very stiff. I'll check out the lite version and maybe that'll change my mind but I doubt it tbh.

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

This person was playing on beginner mode. Master Mode is faster paced. Similar to Mario Kart's CC feature. the karts do look stiff and levels look simplistic though

[@baalfgames5318]

To be fair, Mario Kart 8 is kind of stiff too in my opinion. CTR:NF is the real deal for me.

[@RobinsMusic]

@@baalfgames5318 well if you find Mario kart stiff, then be prepared for this game lmao

[@baalfgames5318]

@@RobinsMusic Really? Because I didn't find this game quite as stiff.

[@RobinsMusic]

@@baalfgames5318 huh.. okay I find that the drifting in this game feels kinda weird, but you do turn faster so i guess its less stiff in that regard

[@CasepbX]

It looks really, really slow on some races. Is that the 10CC mode? lol

[@CronoEpsilon]

It does look very slow. But then again, I'm also used to playing 200CC a lot. Lol

[@EvilPikachu]

There's two difficulties by default, one is slow, the other is more like 150 cc.

[@heribertosalais4678]

Everyone wants a Crash Team Racing.

[@G.L.999]

I loved playing Chocobo Racing on PS1 back in the day. Played it at a friend's place way back when. It was my 3rd favorite Kart Racer right behind Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing.

[@ericleyba3157]

No mention of the music? That is definitely a big seller to me. Final Fantasy has some of the best OSTs of all time.

[@alvstar84]

I feel guilty for not picking this up right away because it’s nice to see a nice exclusive like this on the Switch because I’ve got a feeling this might go under the radar and not sell too well, but there’s other games I want this coming month more but I will 100% be getting this at some point.

[@Roboshi2007]

to be fair it's a remake of a pretty bland psone game, seems like they really fixed it.

[@CrowTRobot]

You didn't pick it up right away- I don't think it's out yet? Or is it?

[@TheMail518]

that's okay. Everyone has a opinion. I'm not buying this game either. There are a LOT of games this year and not everyone has a big wallet.

[@electroshock58]

Guilty? This is just greedy microtransaction trash with a Kart skin on it. It deserves to fail.

[@noyukikun]

its shit that its full priced and has a fomo battle pass that you have to constanly buy afterwards to get new stuff when they could of easily did 30 track and just added dlc racers after its going to go under and crash and burn cause all it is is fomo just like crash nitro kart

[@IaconDawnshire]

From everyone's response on the aggressive microtransactions and the season pass? HELL NO

[@sofaris576]

I am going to play this just becuse of Vivi. It just felt so good seing how happy he was in a trailer. After all he went through in his own game its nice seing him just being a child having fun.

[@curri189]

6:20 it looks like you're absolutely crawling here. is it so slow because the tracks aren't big?

[@0451Jim]

So you guys really left out how ridiculously monetized this game is huh. Not a single word about the mythril store or the premium passes

[@EvilPikachu]

From what I've heard there's a severe lack of track variety, as well as season pass and MTX shenanigans to unlock things that used to just be in the game like Cloud and Squall. I'm a huge chocobo fan, I even collect the plushies. But I don't see this taking off, and when it relies so heavily on the online GP mode for most of its content, if it doesn't take off it'll be basically unplayable and dead on arrival. Especially with MK8 getting new tracks just a few days after this releases, making it even more pointless. It's such a shame, this looks to have plenty of charm. But it also seems to be little more than an elevated mobile game. It needs so much more than it has. It needs way more tracks and variety as standard, not hypothetical future DLC. I may try the Lite version, but even as a fanboy this hasn't convinced me. And if it can't win me over, I doubt the average gamer will be interested.

[@roxaskinghearts]

A free racing game on the switch where you dont need switch online to play sign me up

[@baalfgames5318]

@@roxaskinghearts Sorry. You need Switch Online.

[@roxaskinghearts]

@@baalfgames5318 yep not even mario karts got me to buy it And yet here i go

[@MikeSharpeWriter]

It's funny seeing Esper-form Terra driving the Magitek Armor from the Intro of her game.. and Shiva having a Bike echo her sisters form in FF-XIII.

[@baalfgames5318]

I have a feeling that they were worried about the sales of this game, because there are microtransactions. Not only can you buy mythril, but there is even a season pass. I personally don't mind microtransactions as much as most people do depending on how they are handled. Crash team racing nitro-fueled had them, and I didn't think it was that bad because the coins you could buy were easy enough to get. From what I can tell, the mithril is also pretty easy to get oh, so I don't mind it here, either, but even crash team racing nitro fueled didn't have a season pass (at least not when I played it. Apparently it did have one at one point). Not to mention, this is a $50 game if you get the full version. It doesn't affect the game that much for me, but it's still a little disappointed that they resorted to that.

[@kaikiske7436]

I just purchased the full game. Looks good, runs nice, fun to play except for the major flaw of the CPU CONSTANTLY attacking you. You only win a race by sure luck. I've done about 20 races, and in at least 15 of them I was in 1st place in the last lap, only to get hit by an attack, have almost all of the CPU cars fly by, and then can't catch up. I know this is a "fun staple" (lol) of Kart racing games, but they've gone completely overboard here. C'mon. Every single race constantly getting zapped? If that was toned down, it'd be great. If it's worth playing, it's worth paying (full price), so the whiney complainers really don't affect me at all

[@LeSomeGuy]

The video made the game felt pretty slow and pretty janky, I didn't get the sense of speed. I will have to try it out for myself to see how it plays.

[@cuccooverlord9812]

There are speed options

[@oldyoutubelogobetter8913]

Yeah... I'm just gonna get the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC

[@TheInfinityMaster1]

My top 2 favorite racing games of all time are *Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed on Steam/PC (10/10)* and then *Team Crash Racing Nitro-Fueled on PS4 (9/10),* so I'm hoping that *Chocobo GP* could be added there as well to form a "Top 3" list after I play it (can't wait to try it out when the demo drops next week).

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

Yaya Panda Deserved Better.

[@jmpa6435]

I cant remember when but I played the original chocobo raing wayback 2001 or 2002, and I can still remember how OP Bahamut and how hard the final stage was.

[@Appl_Jax]

The lack of "restart race" is what's killing me. Trying to do missions is a chore especially for those harder to get ones.

[@rexdrag3038]

Just get better, I took it down in just a couple hours

[@Appl_Jax]

@@rexdrag3038 well that's not so much the issue. I did beat them (on master) but it was unnecessarily long winded. Especially when missions are "beat the par times" and "be first place in all laps" and if you're extremely unlucky to get constantly hit by abilites and being out of the race for 4-5 seconds per hit. That's no fun.

[@rexdrag3038]

The lack of restart race does make it take longer than I think it should have, I'll give you that.

[@Memesis]

lmfao a 8/10 for a title full of microtransactions how biased can someone be

[@Toastkruemelchen87]

This Game looks very slow and the courses seem to be very short (11:30 - Last lap after 45 Seconds?! WTF?). Are the courses all so damn short? 😶

[@GameArts1]

You know what's good about this game? Some of the music remixes, that's it. I was looking forward to this as I grew up with the original on the PS1. Unfortunately the gameplay feels unpolished and so much stuff going on in the menu that it reminds me of a cheap mobile game that only wants your money. If they went this route they should have done it like Pokémon unite, it's there, but not constantly in your face.

[@MrDiana1706]

I think it all moves really good but that moment where you come from a drift and then keep moving forward... those look really stiff, I'd understand it if it drives like that when there has been no speed in the race but that's not the case. Even the animations look kinda out of place which is weird since jumping, drifting, boosting and using ítems actually feel and look satisfying as heck

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

Well the actual game controls perfectly fine and feels great.

[@gustinex]

Triangle Strategy, Chocobo GP and Rune Factory 5 this month... man jrpgs are on a roll

[@TeltStory]

The movement looks like MarioKart Double Dash + DS, but stiff, I bet snaking will exist in this, which will be sorta cool.

[@KonkeyVG]

Now that the game is out it is highly suspect that this video doesn't mention the microtransactions at all. We know that the microtransactions were present in early review copies because the Switch game is based off of the Japanese mobile game. This is a really disgraceful lie by omission, very anti-consumer. I know to steer clear of Nintendo Life.

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

Yeah, why did Nintendo Life Brush Off the Micro-transactions part?

[@axelvoss9653]

I feel like anything positive one could say about this game is entirely undermined by the fact that this is a $50 game with a *battle pass.*

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

Does this channel stand by this score with the monetization details now known?

[@Nel_Annette]

I'd like to know that as well. Did the review version have no signs of the aggressive microtransactions?

[@ghostin3274]

A season pass in a already £40 game? No thank u!

[@Cooperid]

Microtransaction is gone? Full game all dlc included available in June 2023 from what I've known.

[@Max-ws9kh]

From Someone who plays alot of Crash Team Racing, ChocoboGP sound like a great change of pace.

[@dsshocktrooper7523]

Why is this only on switch? I feel like it should've been on all platforms especially if it's gonna do a live service model.

[@wowza_6867]

I got a Mario kart booster course pass ad on this video 😭

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

Am I hearing a remix of The Man with the Machine Gun in the background? If all the tracks have remixes of classic Final Fantasy songs, that will kick so much ass.

[@DragoonMyuutsu]

I love the Chocobo spinoff games, but the upcoming season pass(es) which is most likely the 2 tier roadmaps seen in several mobile games now including Pokemon Unite, has me worried and I might reconsider getting this game when I see it in action. I also heard of additional microtransactions in the game which doesn't help provide more reassurances.

[@kevinlee7678]

There do appear to be microtransactions, though I can't outright confirm with Lite.

[@DragoonMyuutsu]

@@kevinlee7678 A lot of gaming outlets including NintendoLife and a number of youtubers have shared the details about all the microtransactions/ currencies/ season pass(es), and they are as disgusting as we had all feared especially for a fully priced game. Off the top of my head, I only remember Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp doing this crap and it too wasn't well received in the least either. $quareEnix showing their true colors as usual.

[@minionofgruumsh]

Ok, I feel compelled to put something here out of angry disagreement... This review can only have been paid for, or written by someone who has never touched a racing game... ever. Comparing to being almost as good as Mario Kart 8? Pure shining praise? This game is *barely* acceptable as a racer. It's absolutely a mobile game on Switch, down to multiple currencies and microtransactions. And the currency you can buy expires at the end of the month 5 months after being acquired, even when bought. And to be allowed the *privilege* of purchasing things from the store, you have to shell out for the full version; the free trial cannot do so. And it *plays* like mobile game, too. Mario Kart Tour plays better than this thing. And I'm not saying this as someone who's only ever played Mario Kart and has "unrealistic expectations of a racing game". I've played all the Mario Karts, I've played all the F-Zeros, I've played Sega All Stars Racing, I've played Diddy Kong Racing, I've played Cruisn' Blast, and I've played *many* others in between. This game is shamefully subpar. Chocobo GP is an absolute farce and mockery.

[@somebodyelseathome]

I will try the lite version. So the full game will have 23 characters and 9 levels? Also isn’t the first season free?

[@luxdalet]

Looks really fun. As a diehard mario kart fan, I do fondly remember having fun with racing games on the family's ps1. This game gives me the same fun vibes from that era.

[@G.L.999]

If there are to be any DLC characters from 3rd parties to join Mario Kart 9, I can see Chocobo having enough potential to join the roster!

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

The microtransactions do ruin it though.

[@desh206]

Since were not getting mario kart 9 in another 3 year's or later this is probly the closest thing that we got

[@Ray_2112]

We get 48 further tracks as DLC, also we already have Team Sonic Racing and CTR which are very good alternatives.

[@sgarrue]

It looks slow, awesome graphics but seems slow and a bit stiff

[@Wuss2ns]

I think something went wrong when they were recording footage

[@cuccooverlord9812]

Reviewers tend to choose the slowest speed option

[@denimchicken104]

Y’all neglected to mention the predatory microtransactions shoved in the player’s face. Shame.

[@courage1363]

Well currently its likely not worth it because of the post content is COMPLETELY different compared to Mario Kart 8/DX since you have to forced to do curtain things to get both Squall and Cloud for a Limited time than getting the post content character for Mario Kart any time without rushing about.

[@Bmage28]

Tried the demo, unfortunately it's pretty bad. Only 1 race (against "Greg") in story mode and they poorly teach you how to speed boost at the start, drift and the drift limits. The tutorial itself is pretty horrible, since they stop the game/interupt during the actions you need to perform and took me ~10 tries to pass. (Because if you screw up any 1 of the 3 required actions, you need to start EVERYTHING all over again.) I actually had to go online and realized the interupts go away after a certain amount of time and not a separate button input. Thankfully I was not the only one who had issues with this. After the tutorial, you get your 1v1 race with 3 laps and no items, then the lite story mode is over. **TADA!!** No explanation of items, abilities, ect. So overall it does a pretty poor job of generating excitement and fun to continue. The only other playthrough options are the online GP, which while fun, is a bit aggressive for not knowing what to do. One other area that I am disappointed in (at least in the demo/lite version) is there is no way to switch between english->japanese vocals. The entrance song is pretty annoying in english and the voice acting is cringeworthy. (I normally ALWAYS prefer subbed over dubbed dialogue, so this is more subjective). As a Chocobo Racing fan (still got my original disk), I had always wanted either a remaster or another rendition. Chocobo GP might be good, but overall I'm not sure if it's worth the pricetag yet. And that's not even getting into the whole online transaction/cashgrab situation with mythril...

[@pencilcheck]

I still remember playing the game on ps2 (probably a different name). Can't believe it is on switch now.

[@GomerJ]

I know Vivi’s repping FF9 but Quina Quen would fit so well in this aesthetic and where else are they ever going to use he/she?

[@LastFootnote]

So, no mention of all the microtransactions in this $50 game?

[@GomerJ]

I’ve been kinda excited for this as an FF fan and it looks good enough but man is a kart racer with only 9 tracks a tough sell when MK8 exists. I guess the focus is more on characters? I’ll check it out though I’m glad there’s a demo to try.

[@RobinsMusic]

Damn only 9 tracks.. although there are different ones per track.. but still, that had so many things to choose from.. plus all the in game purchases

[@Neo_Way]

I didn't know about the lite version and I immediately downloaded it. I'm optimistic about the game, and I'm probably going to grab it sooner rather than later. As for characters, I already got Shiroma and I'm expecting to see Squall in there as well, so I'm actually gonna say bring on the World of Final Fantasy protagonists.

[@Scoptimus7]

Again, thanks so much to PJ and Zion for the great reviews!

[@ddg4169]

how dare you call the old chocobo racing tracks uninspired, go back and play them again, the tracks I saw on this review for Chocobo GP look boring in comparison.

[@likealaddertothesun]

I'm grabbing this probably day 1, but it's lame they continue to push Cloud, Squall, etc in everything. Would like to see some of the less repped characters get some love, especially my faves, like Gau, Quina, Gogo, etc

[@toraman1010]

so did you buy it? your honest review? share it with us.

[@likealaddertothesun]

@@toraman1010 I did. Honestly, the core gameplay is pretty solid and fun to me. The item system and special abilities for characters helps make it unique from Mario Kart. I do think it falls a bit short of its potential however in that the story mode is a bit blehh with only a few jokes or moments really landing, there could be more track setting variety like an airship course or other FF staples, and I only like a couple of the racer and car designs. It gets a little overblown, but Square Enix really designed this game to look like a mobile game with it's menus and the way it has 3 different in game currencies for unlocking stuff. It's a bit unfornate they setup it this way to tempt people to spend additional money to unlock stuff, but you can just get the unlockables by playing, it's just a time consuming way to try to hook you into playing daily. I also really hate the obnoxious main menu theme and wish they'd give us the option to change it, even just to the Japanese version would be nice. Overall, I still enjoy it and will probably keep playing it for awhile but it has the potential to be better and I hope Square Enix will support it for awhile with updates.

[@toraman1010]

@@likealaddertothesun Thanks for your review.

[@catriamflockentanz]

I was already happy with the roster from the first character reveal. Why? Because Vivi is in. And it IS "Vivi" instead of merely "Black Mage", which I really appreciate.

[@dukemon6163]

Every other reviewers are giving the game mediocre scores close to 60. Buy with caution (Not to mention the microtransactions and season pass).

[@charlestrudel8308]

does the season pass contain the micro or the microtransaction are an adde fee. if yes, well, another crash team racing fuckup in term of screwing over the player base with recurring revenue non sense...

[@saturnfirefly3714]

None of the reviews are mentioning this, I want to know why.

[@TeltStory]

Zions personal opinions are muchmore reliable than PJ o reily

[@wiseman8728]

I certainly like the gp. But could be problematic trying to figure out which one if your teammate. And just imagine getting hit by dozens of items and dropping go last

[@Peetah.]

The turning/drifting is probably worse than the too much text problem I have with the game ngl

[@uppercutgrandma4425]

Where's the consumer protection/scrutiny in this review? What about the additional costs?

[@sourgummyworms45]

Now I'm interested I love the idea of elemental attacks, I'm glad to see it has a more important/worth roaster.

[@TROBassGuitar]

The fact you don't mention the microtransactions a single time really brings y'all's journalistic integrity into question

[@rambo_ando]

Hold up so you couldn't test the eponymously named Chocobo GP mode yet published a review anyway? Surely online multiplayer is the main reason most people would pick this up, without assessing this the review seems a bit premature. A bit like a CoD review without playing any online multiplayer. Good review (as usual) otherwise and hopefully the online play is as good as hoped!

[@pikaboom6539]

Uh…no. The racing is literally still in the base game. The mechanics aren’t going to “suddenly” change for online mode. Online mode is LITERALLY the racing already available in the offline mode… but online. Your reasoning for why the review is “premature” is actually dumb.

[@pikaboom6539]

Holy shit, I'm coming back to apologize because my comment did not age well. I should have done my research before buying the game. The online mode is ATROCIOUS, littered with microtransactions and battlepass bullshit, and "buy gems to buy battle pass!" type bullshit. This is literally a $50 mobile game, except I would argue that mobile games are less insidious because they are AT LEAST free to start...Chocobo Racing GP makes you pay to start and then makes you pay to have the rest of the game 💀 . So yeah...you were right. The full version of this game blew.

[@AzrialAlaria]

The game is absolutely stiff as all hell and is full of predatory microtransactions! Don't even bother!

[@TortoRacoon]

It seems nobody plays it anymore... couldn´t match because there only were 3 players in matchmaking

[@undercoverduck]

happy to see Mario Kart have some quality competition!

[@G.L.999]

If there are to be any DLC characters from 3rd parties to join Mario Kart 9, I can see Chocobo having enough potential to join the roster!

[@brianh7684]

Do you think this is quality lol? You have low standards.

[@kentawong9439]

Looks more like a 2000s PC online game with microtransactions

[@raulsantos8106]

I was hyped for this game when they annouced it, but maaaan... why only 9 tracks?? We're getting eight in the first wave of the MK8D DLC and the game will end up having 96 tracks. I know that Chocobo GP will have seasons to add more stuff but having only these few tracks to work with in Story and other modes feels cheap. If people got bored of 48 tracks that MK8D has, imagine with this game playing the same thing over and over again. I'll still try the Lite version but for the price they're asking I think it's not worthy at the moment.

[@thediamondtntplays]

There is actually 21 tracks in the base game.

[@raulsantos8106]

@@thediamondtntplays but he said 9 in the review...

[@thediamondtntplays]

When?

[@raulsantos8106]

@@thediamondtntplays 4 minute mark

[@thediamondtntplays]

@@raulsantos8106Its 21 tracks based on 9 environments. Found it on some websites. The way they said it in the video makes it confusing. (Its still few tracks compared to mario kart, but its better than just 9)

[@hanzo90]

At least the Mario kart community will be pretty satisfied for a week before the booster course lol

[@darkwingderp2335]

When Chocobo GP was announced I was hoping for a physical US release but I couldn't find anything about that so I waited. The early reviews before microtransactions were pretty good but when mtx were figured in no way a $50 buy in plus all those extra FF add ons were going to be worth it. Thankfully though those are finally gone & by playing the game you earn tickets to purchase all shop items. I recently grabbed it for $25 on the eShop & have been mostly playing as the female chocobo Camilla who's not only fast but super cute. 🐥

[@maxbyer]

Very worried about the battle pass, but at least can play around with the light version til I see how that situation pans out

[@cordellriemer5177]

Screw the lite version I'm gonna full out purchase Chocobo gp

[@NagiVii]

I hope Sephiroth, Kadaj and his ride will comes to the game, the roster will be amazing.

[@Yddor1]

for some reason I kinda like the stiffness to it. Reminds me of arcade racers.

[@kitestar]

CID was an average kart racer but a brilliant scientist

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

Can't wait for people to blame Nintendo for "killing" another promising game! No seriously, there was a video by Player Essence that blamed Nintendo for "killing" the mediocre Nickelodeon All Star Brawl game, even though nobody had no way of predicting how huge the final Smash Presentation would be, especially when it would be Sora, as well as Game Mill Entertainment not thinking things through when releasing NASB way too early. God, that video was awful... No offense to O.J., but man was that... overblown. I feel like people are going do the same thing here, when Mario Kart 8 DX's Booster Course Pass rolls out later in March. Sure, Chocobo GP might get some traction before the Booster pass, but people will be flocking to Mario Kart 8 DX not soon after. That said however, I am looking forward to this game, despite the setbacks it might look to have. Sure, the gameplay may be slower than Mario Kart, but I do think the Magick system where you use Magick to hinder your opponents to be really fun! I really do hope this game doesn't get overshadowed that much...

[@kevinlee7678]

If this game dies, it will be because of Square-Enix's greed and stupidity!

[@decusq]

i'll try the lite mode and see how it fairs for me, considering this game is still up against Mario Kart 8 and the new Pixar Kart game coming out it's got some huge competition to overcome.

[@PaulvonOberstein]

I hope Aya Brea and the Galbadia City course make an appearance, as DLC or something at least.

[@fernandoportal5422]

Sadly no 4 player split screen

[@drew8235]

That's the issue that always bothers me about non-Mario Kart racers is that they never handle quite as well. The only one I've ever found that handles just perfectly is Crash Team Racing. I wish that when developers set out to make a kart racer they'd start by copying the handling of the Mario Kart series from the outset.

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

Sonic racing transformed was really good

[@edgemaster334]

I was rlly excited for this game Ive played the trial and I was so let down, The gameplay is just annoying it’s complete chaos worse than mario kart wiis item frequency, games are way too short and sometimes a grim reaper shows up and u just get hit, When u get hit u r put behind for way too long and the visuals make it unclear where ur going. Also Ik part of the game is free but it’s rlly mobile game like I was really looking forward too this game as im a fan of both final fantasy and kart racers so this upsets me :(

[@AmandaRogersarock1988]

Would've liked to know what CC the races demo'd were on. I'm a fan of kart racers all the way around though so I'm definitely going to give the demo a spin!

[@Octo_Chara]

The Lite version doesn't have the time attack mode, but it MIGHT be fine as unlike fighting ex layer another dash, it shouldn't have very complicated controls.

[@saravelasco5807]

I recently made a speedy Chocobo for a dnd Campaign and thought of this game as I was thinking of a fighting style. (Even flavoring the melee weapons to be different kinds of talons or claws) Maybe I’ll just give my pretty bird medieval style roller blades instead!! 😂

[@sombrego2260]

I'm interested in this game but the track layouts and quantity is a bit worrying. Diddy Kong Racing on the N64 had more tracks than that ... I'll try it out and see how it goes :D

[@BaronLector]

A great driver idea would be all 4 of guys from FFXV stuffed in the Regalia, unless this is already playable.

[@WitchDoctor87]

Chocobo racing was so awesome, haven't played this. Chocobo racing was far from average to me. I have to be honest Chocobo racing looks better to me.

[@sakshamdeol7055]

Ohhh my god!!! When i gone one google to search nintendo consoles i got notification of thist at exact time when i tapped on search!!!!

[@steamedyam]

I saw they had a free lite version available for download last night and went for it

[@EM_vi_ix]

And it's coming out around the same time as Mario Kart 8 DLC, Kirby, and Final Fantasy Chaos, Chaos, Chaos.

[@EruYagami]

What did you expect before release, that there are enough reviewers online at the same time? Silly complaint…