Mario Kart World Review Bombed After Controversial Update

The Switch 2’s release has been a resounding success, and the system's only launch title, Mario Kart World, seemed to satiate fans. The game has now received intense backlash following a controversial update.

Despite being critically acclaimed and well-received by fans, the Switch 2’s sole new launch title, Mario Kart World, has drawn the ire of fans due to a controversial new update. Mario Kart World has reinvented the classic formula, introducing a vast and vibrant open world for players to race in. However, this is a double-edged sword when it comes to multiplayer. Once races have finished, players must drive to the next circuit in “intermission” races, which showcase the game's open world. However, this format has caused some frustrations with players.

Nintendo Wants Players to Explore Mario Kart World's Map

To circumvent this journey, many took advantage of the “random” course selection option, which instantly teleports racers to a new track. Nintendo has taken note of this, and in the game's latest update, changes have been made to make the “intermission” races semi-mandatory. While traditional three-lap races are still available for selection, this move has made it more difficult for players to find them. There are 118 intermission tracks compared to the 32 standard tracks, with the chances of getting a traditional race being around 13 percent.

As per The Gamer, Mario Kart World’s user review average on Metacritic dropped by from 8.5 to 7.5 by Jun. 27, and as of writing, it sits at 7.3. Many of the latest reviews range from 0 to 4, with gamers specifically singling out this change. “We told you we don’t want to play the intermissions, and instead of listening, you made it WORSE!” wrote one user, with another writing, “The new update has made my enjoyment of this game tank. We already had knockout tour to play intermissions”. The ability to teleport to a track is not gone, but the probability of it happening is a lot less. The only surefire way to race consecutive three-lap races is by playing against bots or joining a competitive lobby.

Still, Mario Kart World reigns supreme, having raced past several milestones. While many third-party games have failed to find their footing, World has exceeded sales expectations, moving over 1 million physical copies in Japan alone. The worldwide sales of the game have totaled 1.88 million copies, positioning it to become one of the franchise's best-selling entries. Critics have praised its open-world approach and how the new game modes are well-optimized for this new format. Whether Nintendo will address fans’ concerns remains to be seen, but for now, players will have to make do with the unwanted trek to races.

Source: The Gamer