Chocobo GP Switch Review – Enough RPGs! Let’s Race!

I am not the go-to Final Fantasy or RPG player on the Nintendo Link team, but Chocobo GP is not your standard Final Fantasy title. This is a kart racing game more akin to the Mario Kart franchise than anything else, which makes this a title much more up my alley, as I do love the kart racers. Chocobo GP even comes in two versions, a Lite version which is free to try for everyone and the normal version which is $49.99 USD and comes with all the characters and tracks.

So is this relatively free-to-play kart racer from Square Enix a worthy competitor to the kart racing market? Or do they need to stick to RPGs? Let’s find out!

Okay. Let’s get something out of the way immediately. Chocobo GP is technically a free-to-play game with a premium option, but it is free-to-play in a similar way to other titles that offer seasons, treasures, unlockables, costumes, and more. This kind of stuff costs real money most of the time, but it is possible to unlock the things you want the most for free… albeit with an incredibly rare chance. Paying the full price does not eliminate all of these free-to-play strategies, so even the paying customers will still need to shell out more money if they want those exclusive, seasonal goodies.

Surprisingly, Chocobo GP has a Story Mode with voice acting, cut scenes, and more! It is actually well done and tells the story of a Fleeing Moogle that becomes Racing Hero X after some fun inspiration. There is just a bunch of racing-based stories to take you on a little journey, and they are quite fun for what they are. I am honestly impressed that this is even included in the game, as kart racers tend not to go further than they have to.

There are a few things locked behind the premium price of $49.99 USD, and that includes the full story mode, online multiplayer, Time Attack, Series Races, and Custom Race, among other things, and honestly, the premium price is worth it if you enjoy both Final Fantasy and kart racers. There is a ton to do here, but if you are looking for that genuine free-to-play experience, you will basically be limited to Chocobo GP (the main mode), local multiplayer, and just the first chapter of the story mode (As well as only a couple characters). Despite the limitation, the Chocobo GP Lite version is still a solid experience for the price of nothing.

Chocobo GP is the mode you will likely spend the most time in, as it is the constant tournament that pins you against 64 other players. The way it works is that once they find 64 players, everyone is split into 8 groups of 8 players. Only the top four from each group advance until it is down to the final 8 players for the last race. This mode is a ton of fun, but it can also be a bit nerve-wracking, as tensions can get high quickly and getting 5th place at any point feels devastating.

But that is what makes this online experience so entertaining! It is a well-made racing tournament that does not take a whole lot of time, and advancing through each round feels like an accomplishment! Making it to the finals is exhilarating, and getting there requires some solid racing, as usually the casuals are knocked out in the first or second round.

During races, you gain experience based on your performance, and leveling up earns you rewards. There are also magicite (blue crystals) sprinkled around the tracks, and collecting enough of these will earn you more rewards that can further your customizations and more. These are your standard free-to-play parts of the game, and it does not matter which version you have, this and the Seasons will be part of the experience whether you like it or not.

Controls in Chocobo GP feel a bit stiff, especially when compared to a franchise like Mario Kart. They are not bad controls at all, but when it comes to areas like drifting, I found myself not using it nearly as often as I do in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and I think it has a lot to do with how the kart in Chocobo GP magnetizes to a particularly direction while jumping. In Mario Kart, for example, jumping and drifting feel so seamless and natural, but in Chocobo GP, it lacks that seamless feel and is a bit clunky as a result.

Graphically, the game looks great! Colors pop all over the place, and the extensive roster and wonderful variety of stages keeps things fresh for a long time. Seeing areas from familiar games used in a kart racer like this was a joy, and skating around as a Chocobo (One of my favorite Final Fantasy creations) constantly made me smile, as it is one of the only characters not actually on a kart.

The soundtrack of Chocobo GP is a strange one for me, though. It is not necessarily bad, but some songs are just so mediocre that you do not care to hear them again. Unfortunately, they just keep coming up over and over and over as you play, and the menu music is a bit of an ear worm in a not-so-good way. Overall, though, most of the songs are excellent as they also are reminders from familiar games in Square Enix’s catalog. I hate to even point it out again, but this is just another area that Mario Kart excels in and Chocobo GP pays for it by entering the market and not doing their soundtrack as well the king of kart racing.

At the end of the day, Chocobo GP is a solid kart racer. It contains a lot of familiarity thanks to its inspirations, and the characters and environments are stunning. Races are fun, and Chocobo GP mode is definitely the centerpiece. As long as Square Enix keeps the Seasons interesting enough, fans will continue to race around.

I do find it odd that these types of free-to-play console titles continue to encourage full-price paying fans to pay even more for extra content. If someone has already thrown down $49.99 USD for the full game, I would expect everything to be open at that point, but that is sadly where greed comes in. These free-to-play models tend to ask for a whole lot more than they should, and it is at the expense of individuals who do not know how to manage their spending well.

Despite that, if you can refrain from spending extra money on Chocobo GP, this is still a fulfilling experience that will entertain through all of its modes. Story Mode and Chocobo GP are the standouts, but there is even more to dive into and it is all genuinely fun and worth your time (But maybe not your money).

Chocobo GP Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Review also found on OpenCritic
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Release Date: March 10th, 2022
Price: $49.99, £39.99, €49,99
Game Size: 7.8 GB