Games Inbox: How would you improve Mario Kart World?

The Wednesday letters page fears next year could see the reveal of the PS6 or next gen Xbox, as one reader wants a Fallout game set in Russia.

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Constructive criticism
I’ve really been enjoying Mario Kart World but there is a few tweak/options I would like to see. The obvious one is three lap races, but they need to reduce the players to 12 in that mode, as 24 is just too chaotic on small courses. Also, I would like to see the options back that can turn what weapons you want on/off in private matches, as I feel some are too overpowered.

The last thing is they need to improve the battle mode, it hasn’t been good since Mario Kart 64 and I couldn’t put my finger on it till I played it again. In Mario Kart 64 karts turn really sharp, so you can spin round quickly to attack or change direction, in Mario Kart World the karts feel sluggish in turning and it takes an age to turn round, making it frustrating.

Maybe they need to add a handbrake option but then I realised that all the karts feel like that, even when racing on some sharp circuits. All the karts struggle to turn sharp, even when you slow down, so I feel all the karts need a handling tweak. But even with these issues I can’t stop playing the Knockout Tour mode, it’s got that one more go because I think I can do better.
Rob

Old/new blood
I would be absolutely fine with someone else making a new Fallout, or The Elder Scrolls for that matter. Bethesda broke the mould with The Elder Scrolls and Fallout 3 but all those games are very old now and they’ve not done anything as good since. In fact, they’ve barely done anything at all since.

Apart from New Vegas 2 by Obsidian. I think my dream project would probably be Fallout set in Russia by one of these new start-ups founded by ex-BioWare or CD Projekt devs. There seems to be plenty of them about nowadays and I’d hope they’d be able to combine some old school experience with new ideas from a hungrier team.

Something tells me Todd Howard will drag his heels though and this chance to expand things won’t be the opportunity it should’ve been.
Taylor Moon

It’s happening again
So we’re probably going to see the hype for the PlayStation 6 and next gen Xbox building next year, right? Possibly even an official reveal for one or both. I’m not going to bother saying it’s too soon, because I assume that’s what everyone’s thinking, but what is this going to mean for new game releases?

Sony has already slowed to a crawl so are they just going to give up entirely and try and start with a fresh sheet? Could Microsoft be thinking of holding things like Fable back, maybe that’s why we haven’t seen it properly yet. Maybe they’ll even make it an exclusive again, not that I think they should.

Although I think this will happen, I hope it doesn’t because I don’t want to go through the whole circus of reveals, pre-orders, bad launch line-ups, and two years of middling games before they get into gear. It always happens and we don’t need it again so soon.
Winston

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The next reveal
It’s quite perplexing to nail down when the next trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 will be announced. But since the game is set to release in May 2026, surely it could be either January or March at the latest? Personally, as long as it includes a release date and a gameplay reveal, since we’ve yet to actually see any footage nad we’ve only seen the backdrop of Vice City, Jason and Lucia’s reveals, and not much else.

I’m hoping personally to see more from the numerous rural areas of Vice City. If there’s any wacky characters to meet, the pastimes, and hobbies. If we’ll see surfing and beach activities, for example. Maybe even throw in a strip club as well.

I’d also like to see how the wanted system works. Will an army response be warranted, after the maximum wanted level is achieved, like the old titles, or is it more realistic? I’m just very much anticipating the gameplay reveal and to see if it’s a change from GTA 5, or maybe it’s just a similar follow-up. With the delays I expect interstellar quality.

As far as my gaming life is concerned, I’m currently playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows on PlayStation 5. So far, so good.
Shahzaib Sadiq

Marry and reproduce
Anyone remember when people were defending the Activision Blizzard acquisition and rubbishing people who said there’d be job cuts? We don’t hear from those people much anymore, huh?

And now the other obvious thing has been proven: Microsoft wants to replace everyone with AI. Because I know I can’t wait to play a game where the story and level design was created by a puffed up autocorrect.

For some reason I can’t help but think of the John Carpenter film They Live. I used to think that message was too blunt and comical but as time goes on you realise that consumerism really is that blatant. Just take everything companies throw at you and never question authority.
Gifford

Direct requirements
Count me as one of those also desperate for a Nintendo Direct… and I haven’t even upgraded to the Switch 2 yet. To say the console launch has been a disappointment is obviously ridiculous, it’s only been out a month, Mario Kart has reviewed well (though there is a surprisingly about of discourse around it) and the machine is selling like hot cakes.

However, the lack of nailed on releases dates, news over third party support, and Nintendo’s big franchises AWOL has me a little worried. Like a letter the other day said, I was expecting Nintendo to come out firing their big cannons not the staid rollout we’ve seen.

The varying quality of the ports so far also has me concerned; Cyberpunk 2077 looks good for a handheld… but it is a noticeable step down on PlayStation 5 from what I’ve seen in side by sides. Hitman is a poor effort and Wild Hearts S dropped last week with shocking results, looking worse than the five-year-old Monster Hunter Rise on the original Switch.

You might expect this from a new format, but I haven’t yet upgraded to PlayStation 5 either (like the Reader’s Feature at the weekend, I’m stuck on last gen completely, with Switch and a PlayStation 4) and looking at the current situation on Switch 2 does have me thinking ,’Why wouldn’t I just get a PlayStation 5?’. I mean I could be playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth or Baldur’s Gate 3 out of the box next week, instead of keeping fingers crossed for inferior Switch 2 editions however many years down the road.

Nintendo will be able to ride out the year (and probably next) with upgrading super fans… but need to do more to entice the next level down of Switch user to invest.
Marc

GC: Third party support for the Switch 1 was very poor and yet it could end up as the best-selling console of all time. The Switch 2 already seems to be doing better in the regard, assuming the current issues don’t linger.

Zero information
What happened to that Star Wars XCOM game? Zero Company. I was really looking forward to that, but we still haven’t got any real gameplay or sign of when it’s coming out. I don’t mind a teaser a long time before a game comes out, but I do like at least a hint of when that’ll be. Have we had all the Star Wars events this year, is that what we’re waiting for?

I’m really hoping for EA to comment on Star Wars Battlefront 3 too. I love that Battlefront 2 is having a moment but I have no idea if a new sequel could happen.
Sausegg

GC: We’ve had Star Wars Day and Star Wars Celebration already this year, so there’s really no way to guess when it will be show again. Maybe Gamescom or The Game Awards.

To grind or not to grind
In regards to game difficulty, I don’t think there’s ever going to be a consensus on if games should always have difficulty levels or not, but there’s something else that has been bugging me since playing Lies Of P and that’s levelling up characters.

In Lies Of P you collect ergo as you defeat enemies, which you then exchange to increase your character’s ability. This ultimately means you just replay levels until you’ve the boss has got easy enough to beat. The game has no difficulty setting, but any concept of the boss being an intentional difficulty level by the developer is lost.

It’s a similar situation in Clair Obscur, except that game also lets you pick a difficulty setting too. I’m awful at parrying, so when it got to bosses I had no chance with I made it easier (which I’m very thankful for). But later in the game I noticed recommended levels, that different guides were suggesting, were around 10 levels higher than what I was on. So, after replaying some of them I realised the levels people were suggesting make the boss fights easier than mainlining it on the difficulty below.

These are far from the first games to be set up like this. I’m sure most of us as some point have got completely stuck on a boss, looked it up on YouTube and found everyone else has a health bar twice the size.

Personally, I’d rather games let you pick a difficulty level that gives the right challenge for your ability followed by the satisfaction that you achieved it. Otherwise, you defeat a boss, but did you really do it, or have you levelled so far you’re now in story mode?
Tim

GC: We mean… that’s the whole nature of role-playing games, especially more old school ones.

Inbox also-rans
Can confirm that I also love John Wick Hex. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
Opal fruit

I would absolutely love it if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 convinced Square Enix to make the next mainline Final Fantasy turn-based. I can’t see it though, they’ll chicken out and overcomplicate it.
Turo

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The small print
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