Final Fantasy is one of the biggest franchises in gaming and has branched off into many different genres. There are tons of spinoffs, so it is hard to imagine Square Enix passing up the opportunity to make more of these games. Chocobo GP is only the second kart racing game in the series to date and serves as a sequel of sorts to Chocobo Racing, which originally hit the PS1 in 1999.
There were plans to make a sequel around 2010 for the 3DS, and it was even shown off in one brief trailer under the codename of Chocobo Racing 3D. Unfortunately, it was never seen again and was ultimately canceled. Now though, after more than two decades, a sequel is finally here, but was the wait for Chocobo GP really worth it?
8 Loved: The Art Style
The graphics in the game are not going to win any awards. They are fine for a Switch game late into this handheld’s life cycle. However, the art style more than carries Chocobo GP into something mesmerizing.
The characters have a shine to them like they are toys or are made out of clay. Everything is bright, colorful, and exudes an extreme amount of whimsy. It’s hard not to smile while playing or even looking at this game.
7 Didn’t Love: The Gacha Mechanics
Something that won’t make players smile is the gacha mechanics. There are two versions of this game in case players were not aware. There is a free mode that cuts out a majority of the content. There is no way to play a multiplayer session online, for example.
Players can also hand over real-world money to unlock stuff in Chocobo GP. This is fine for the free version. However, the gacha mechanics existing in the normal $50 version is beyond wild and has already drawn criticism from players.
6 Loved: The Karts
Some kart racers are fine with using the basic formula. Give players a bunch of oddball characters, put them in karts, and add in some fun powerups just for good measure. That is enough for some racing fans.
Chocobo GP goes beyond those expectations. Each vehicle for the characters is different from the last. Chocobo uses skates, Terra drives her signature mech from Final Fantasy 6, and Steiner drives a metal horse for a car. Those are three examples among a plethora of rad designs.
5 Didn’t Love: Lack Of Final Fantasy
The karts for the characters are great, but the character variety is a bit lacking. For a Final Fantasy spinoff, there really aren’t a lot of games represented here. In fact, most of the drivers are monsters or Summons.
That’s fine if that’s all this game was. However, players are teased with Terra, Vivi, Steiner, Squall, and Cloud. The small taste they actually get may not be enough for fans who want to see more. What’s more bogus is the idea that Squall and Cloud are locked away behind a gacha paywall.
4 Loved: The Lighthearted Story
Chocobo GP has a story mode which is how the majority of bonus content can be unlocked. It is not the most thought-provoking tale in the Final Fantasy series, but the lighthearted nature is quaint and can be quite funny for those who have followed the franchise for a long time.
It is also a treat to get to hear voices from some beloved characters like Vivi and Steiner for practically the first time. Will the rumored remake ever happen? If not, at least these two will always have voices in Chocobo GP.
3 Didn’t Love: Not Enough Courses
There are nine courses players can unlock by going through the story mode. Each course has alternate tracks as well. The maximum is three variations, although players will eventually unlock a mirror mode as well.
That’s a decent amount of tracks to start with, but there really should be more. This complaint falls alongside the lack of major Final Fantasy characters. The more games and worlds represented, the better. This should be Final Fantasy Kart by now. Fans have waited decades for this.
2 Loved: The Music
Even though the amount of tracks and Final Fantasy characters is lacking, Chocobo GP is packed full of great music. Among other things, there are fun, albeit goofy original voiced songs. One of them is the menu music, which goes through the entirety of the plot in a few verses.
It is very Saturday morning cartoon-like in nature. It is a bit cheesy but fun all the same. Then there are the remixed tracks like Gilgamesh’s battle theme from Final Fantasy 5. That’s one of the best musical pieces in the series, and it has a good version represented in Chocobo GP.
1 Didn’t Love: Matchmaking And Limited Local Multiplayer
Playing kart racers can be engaging while alone. However, the real fun comes into play when racing against friends either on the same TV or online. When players can get into a match, it can be great. However, the matchmaking is not solid in Chocobo GP and the local multiplayer offering is not much better either.
Only two people can race on the same Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, on the other hand, allows up to four people on the same console. Adding in four-player races via a patch would make the multiplayer experience much better, as too would tweaking the matchmaking options. Right now the multiplayer just isn’t good enough.
Chocobo GP was released on March 10, 2022 and is available on Switch.