Chocobo GP
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is a 2022
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developed by
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and published by
Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...
for the
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. The game is a spin-off of the ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' series and is a sequel to 1999's '' Chocobo Racing''. It was released in celebration of the series' 35th anniversary and features locales and characters from across the franchise. ''Chocobo GP'' received mixed reviews from critics; while praise was given for its controls, track designs, items and character-specific abilities, criticism was given for the game's monetisation model.


Gameplay

The game is a
kart racing game A kart racing game, also known as cart racing game or go-kart racing game, is a subgenre of Racing game, racing games. Kart racing games have simplified driving mechanics while including unusual racetrack designs, obstacles, and Vehicular combat ...
featuring
single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...
and
multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
modes. The player chooses a character from the ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' series of video games and directs them through a
race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
in efforts to finish before the other racers. Players can perform power-slide drifts to help make tight turns and get extra speed boosts. Items called "magicite" can be collected by driving a character into "Magic Eggs", and can be used to either help the player's character, or hinder other racers. Individual characters also have specific abilities, and vehicles can be customized by the player. The game features multiple modes, including a "story mode", custom races, and online races. The online races include a 64 player elimination tournament mode as well.


Setting

The game's story mode includes characters entering a racing tournament offers a winning prize of "a wish for anything their heart desires". Race courses are set in locations from various ''Final Fantasy'' games, such as the Gold Saucer from ''
Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation. The seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released in Japan by Square and internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment, becoming the first ...
'', the town of Zozo from '' VI'' and the town of Alexandria from '' IX''. Characters in the game include both specific party members from previous ''Final Fantasy'' games and characters from the previous ''Chocobo'' spin-off games. The roster includes
Chocobo The is a fictional species created for the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise by Square Enix (originally Square). A galliform bird commonly having yellow feathers, they were first introduced in '' Final Fantasy II'' (1988), and have since featured in ...
s,
Moogle are a fictional species of diminutive, sentient creatures and a recurring element of the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise, starting with their initial appearance in '' Final Fantasy III''. They also appear in the ''Mana'' and ''Kingdom H ...
s, White Mages, Black Mages, Vivi, Steiner, Terra Branford,
Cactuar The Cactuar, known in Japan as is a fictional species of plant-like beings from the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise. They are usually depicted as anthropomorphic cacti with ''haniwa''-like faces in a running or dashing pose. One of the ...
, and Maduin, among others.
Cloud Strife is a character in the media franchise ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'' by Square Enix. He is the protagonist of the role-playing video games ''Final Fantasy VII'' (1997), ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' (2020) and ''Final Fantasy VII Rebirth'' ...
and
Squall Leonhart is a character and the main protagonist of ''Final Fantasy VIII'', a role-playing video game that was produced by Square (video game company), Square (now Square Enix). Within the game's plot, Squall is a 17-year-old student at Balamb Garden, a ...
were added to the roster in Season 1 as a prize pass unlockable and purchasable character with Gil, respectively.


Development and release

The game is a sequel to the 1999
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
game '' Chocobo Racing''. A follow-up to the game was first announced in 2010 for the
Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
, though its development was outsourced, the quality suffered, and was quietly cancelled by 2013. In March 2021, publications noted trademarks being filed for a ''Chocobo GP'' and ''Chocobo Grand Prix''. ''Chocobo GP'' was officially confirmed during a
Nintendo Direct Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...
broadcast in September. It was released for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
on March 10, 2022, alongside a free version of the game, titled ''Chocobo GP Lite''. This
free-to-play "Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
version of the game included the Story Prologue, Chocobo GP mode, three characters, local and online multiplayer, and allowed players to transfer their progress over to the full version of the game after purchase. The full version featured a
battle pass In the video game industry, a battle pass or rewards track is a type of monetization approach that provides additional content for a game usually through a tiered system, rewarding the player with in-game items for playing the game and complet ...
and
microtransaction Microtransaction (mtx) refers to a business model where users can purchase in-game virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransactions ...
s. The game's soundtrack was composed by Hidenori Iwasaki. Nine months after the game's release, Square Enix announced that support in the form of future content would end for the game, as well as the ability to purchase the in-game premium currency, Mythril. The game was re-released in June 2023 with all microtransaction content being added to the game in the form of in-game unlockables for $49.99. Players who previously downloaded the free version could purchase an upgrade to receive all of the content as well as transfer their save file to the re-released version of the game.


Reception

''Chocobo GP'' received "mixed or average" reviews according to
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. ''
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'' gave the game a 6.5 out of 10, writing, "...if you're looking for a serviceable racer to play on the side that's full of old school unlocks ''Chocobo GP'' is a fine option; provided you can get past a few hurdles. Hopefully a series of patches, the eventual possible elimination of the season pass system, and a price cut will make this package way more enticing". ''
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'' and ''
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'' reviewed the game more positively, praising the controls, tracks, character-specific abilities, items, roster, modes, performance, and the potential of the Chocobo GP mode, while criticizing the weak story mode and paid season pass. ''Chocobo GP'' monetization model also received some criticism. In response,
Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...
gave players a set amount of the free in-game currency "mythril", and adjusted settings to make progression easier. It was discovered by players that free mythril would expire five months after it was accrued, while any mythril that players paid for would remain. ''Chocobo GP'' was the sixth bestselling retail game during its first week of release in Japan, with 12,414 physical copies being sold.


Notes


References


External links

* {{Chocobo series 2022 video games Arika games Chocobo (series) Kart racing video games Nintendo Switch games Nintendo Switch-only games Square Enix games Unreal Engine 4 games Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Hidenori Iwasaki Multiplayer and single-player video games