Summary
Mario Kart Worldis the biggest game in the series yet, and not just because of its scope. Yes, its unprecedented Free Roam mode and extensive roster of characters, costumes, collectibles, and vehicles all make it a large game in size, but it’s also the headlininglaunch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. That alone makes it a big deal for theMario Kartseries in general. At the core of all of this, though, is a renewed design philosophyMario Kart Worldhas adopted in order to be a truly immersiveMario Kartexperience even the series' veteran fans are unfamiliar with.
Immersion isn’t an unfamiliar characteristic to the racing genre of video games, as franchises likeForzahave shown. However, it’s difficult to say that a racing series likeMario Karthas ever been what one would call “immersive,” although it certainly has its own idea of the concept.Mario Kart World, on the other hand, takes immersion to an entirely different level as it redefines what the word even means to the franchise. That same whimsy, arcade-style design, and larger-than-life character that’s always been there is still present inMario Kart World, but the latest entry embraces the idea of “games as a place” in a way no installment before it has ever explored.
How Mario Kart World Turns Its Tracks Into a Living World
Menus Melt Into the Environment With Seamless Transitions
The heartbeat ofMario Kart Worldis the same heartbeat the series has long fostered, where players compete in fun, high-octane races across a variety of tracks, all while using power-ups they find along the way to gain an advantage in either speeding themselves up or slowing their opponents down. That being said, the latest entry is, in all reality, named on account of its new Free Roam mode andworld design. Whereas past entries have contained players on the tracks,Mario Kart Worldtakes them to the open expanses beyond those tracks, where they can explore to their heart’s content.
While the idea is, in and of itself, an ambitious and exciting one, it’s not just the explorable portion ofMario Kart Worldthat makes it an immersive experience, but the way it’s presented to the player. This begins with the main menu screen, which shows the last racer and vehicle players were using, zooming through the world. On this screen, players can enterMario Kart World’s Free Roamsimply by pressing the Start button, but rather than going to a loading screen, the menu just quietly disappears, and players seamlessly take control of the racer that was already on the screen driving through the world.
Mario Kart World’s enhanced visuals on the Nintendo Switch 2 help with immersion too, but they’re only half of it.
It’s simple and potentially overlooked and underappreciated design, but it’s effective for whatMario Kart Worldseemingly wants to accomplish. It’s clearly not so much concerned about getting players into the action as quickly as possible, but more concerned with immersing them in its world as quickly, efficiently, and as seamlessly as possible.Mario Kart Worldhas truly created a world for players to discover and get lost in, even if it does still have that same whimsy and cartoonish fun the series has always been known for.
Grand Prix and Knockout Tour Aren’t Separate From the World
This design philosophy isn’t just present in Free Roam mode either, as it can be witnessed inMario Kart World’s Knockout Tourand Grand Prix modes as well. Rather than loading players into a separate instance for these races, every track inMario Kart Worldis integrated directly into the world itself to maintain that immersion across all game modes. Knockout Tour is an especially excellent example ofMario Kart World’s emphasis on providing an immersive experience, as it takes players through multiple interconnected tracks with no breaks in between them.
Mario Kart Worldhas truly created a world for players to discover and get lost in, even if it does still have that same whimsy and cartoonish fun the series has always been known for.
By all accounts,Mario Kart Worldredefines what aMario Kartgamecan be by making every mode, every race, and every moment a continuous, uninterrupted setting. In this, the world isn’t just a backdrop for the gameplay, but the gameplay itself. Whether players are zipping through Knockout Tour or entering Free Roam straight from the main menu, everything is designed to feel like one unified experience.
