I know there's been a debate on which Mario Kart game is better, World or 8. Personally, I consider 8 the better game, but that's not to say World isn't good unto itself. I'll tell you why.
First off, while there's a large selection of vehicles to choose from, there is no vehicle customization like in 8, which I found to be a let-down. Instead, we get 50 characters to choose from, each with their own stats such as speed, acceleration, weight, and handling. Half of the racers, like Mario, Peach, Bowser, have different outfits that can unlock by finding and eating dash bags that you find in the middle of races. New racers include Nabbit from New Super Mario Bros. U, Goomba is finally here and can somehow drive without any hands, a cow from Moo Moo Meadows, and a Dolphin from Super Mario World. Your vehicles aren't limited to karts; you can race with boats too.
The levels are a mixed bag with roughly half being new and the other half from past titles. New courses with their own features, details and hazards, like oncoming traffic, streetlights, and fire hydrants on the bustling streets of Crown City, oncoming trains on the railway styled racetrack on Whistlestop Summit, and DK Spaceport gives us cannons and a giant robot Donkey Kong launching huge barrels ala the original Donkey Kong from 1981. The worlds are more open and have alternate, off-road routes you can take and get ahead of the other racers.
The races are bigger and even more intense than ever since they involve 24 players competing against each other, so you can expect hardcore racing. Plus, there's new vehicle maneuvers you can perform for speed boosts, like rail griding and wall driving, and the ability to perform multiple tricks in mid-air, making the races even more dynamic than before. For me, this was the most enticing part of the game.
The newest feature was the free roam gameplay. I loved the freedom of movement, which granted you the opportunity to explore and familiarize yourself with the tracks and collect dash bags more easily. The size and amount of detail was a nice touch too. There were Peach medallions and question mark pads to find and unlock stickers to customize your vehicles and characters with. The only downside was that the worlds tended to be deserted and a bit lacking in activities for the most part aside from the P-switch challenges. They could have added more events or NPCs to interact with, but then again, that might have made it too similar to Grand Theft Auto.
Like all previous Mario Kart games, the soundtrack is awesome and fast-paced. We've got DK Spaceport's jazzy tune with brass and bass guitar riffs, Crown City with lively combo of brass and electronic guitar and keyboard notes, and Starview Peak with bright triangle twinkling, violin strokes, and fast percussion. The songs from the previous games have been remixed and modernized, so they sound as great or even better than before.
This is ultimately a great new entry in the Mario Kart series and a nice start for the Switch 2's tenure. Although many gamers prefer 8 over this game, I guess you'll have to try it first and see which one tickles your fancy the most.
