Hot take review:

I like Mario Kart 8, but I do not love it. This game is just missing something, an allure to keep me playing. It has great controls and tons of customization. The roster is decent. It's beautiful to look at and listen to. So what is it missing?

I think the courses aren't as fun this time: they either feel too expansive with not a lot going on, or they're really tight with hard turns. This is not applicable to every course mind you, but I feel like they don't stand out as much anymore. This game sorta just blends stuff together and everything can get kinda samey.


Battle Mode was so bad on Wii U they had to retool it into something better. But even still I don't find it that fun. Maybe just the courses again.

I think my biggest issue, and this isn't a fault of the game, is that they continued to bloat it with DLC for over 5 years when they could have just made another game. They're probably just waiting for the next system to do that though. But it's gonna make the next Mario kart feel small in comparison.

I think it's fun, but in bursts. Not really long term.