On Sale Today! Chocobo GP" Experience Report! Cute "FF" characters collide with each other in an exhilarating race with lots of obstacles! Game Review

Square Enix released "Chocobo GP" on March 10, 2022. Prior to this, an online play experience was held for the media, and we will report on it along with the play feel of the main game.

Please note that the version we played this time was prepared for review purposes and may differ in some respects from the actual production environment.

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The characters from the "Chocobo" series and "Final Fantasy (FF)" series appear as adorable characters. Chocobo GP" is a game in which players race on a variety of vehicles. This is the first new title in 23 years since the nostalgic "Chocobo Racing" for the original PS generation, but first-time players need not worry, as the "Story Mode" will kindly teach you the controls and techniques.

This mode is full of gags, including famous lines and parodies from the "FF" series, so fans of the series will enjoy searching for the source material. The performances by the splendid voice actors are also worth listening to. As usual, Chocobo's voice actor is "? but the voice cast includes Atora (cv. Yuu Sugimoto), Chocobo's buddy, the wimpy Mowgli; Claire (cv. Yuma Uchida), the slow-paced fat chocobo; the gentle and serious Shiroma (cv. Ayaka Sembongi); Sid (cv. Riki Kitazawa), the self-proclaimed scientific genius; Tina (cv. Yukari Fukui), who is in a trance all the time in this work; and the timid Tina (cv. Yukari Fukui), a young girl with a fearless spirit. (cv. Yukari Fukui), and the timid black mage Bibi (cv. Ikue Otani), all of whom are in a trance in this production, tell us a story full of laughter. The storyboard-style presentation is also amusing, allowing players to learn the basics of the game while having fun.

The characters are lined up in a row. The characters are all lined up in a row, with a few meta-somethings to make you laugh.

Tina's dialogue includes many famous lines from "FF VI. Behind her is her father, Madin, who also participates in the race.

The tutorial of the story mode. The tutorial teaches you how to operate the car.

The game features unique characters riding in a variety of vehicles. The human characters like Shiroma and Bibi use cars, while the chocobos wear roller skates, Sid rides a tank, Tina rides magic armor, and so on. Although it is a racing game, the variety of vehicles, which cannot be described as "car" racing, is very interesting.

The unique characters race in unique vehicles, but of course, they are not just competing for speed. The "FF"-esque magic stones and abilities are used to sabotage each other, and a crazy twist is waiting for the players. The magic stones and abilities may sound a bit complicated, but don't worry, the controls are easy to use.

Just remember the four controls: A for gas pedal, R for jump, L for magic stone, and Y for abilities. If you keep drifting with R while cornering, the wheels will spark, and if you release at the right moment, you can accelerate with the drift boost. The series of drifts and drift boosts will allow the driver to easily negotiate sharp curves and bends, which is very exhilarating. There are three types of button settings to choose from.

Atra looks at the camera while drifting.

Holding down the gas pedal button at the right moment before starting will activate the "Start Boost" function. The logo on the airship is the logo of Square (at that time) when the old "Chocobo Racing" was released.

There are round "magical eggs" and blue "crystals" on the course, which can be taken to use magic stones and abilities, respectively. The magic stones are used to obstruct rivals, with "Water" setting up a water obstacle behind you and "Quake" sending out a shockwave around you, each with a different effect. Since there is no way to know which magic stone is contained in the "Magical Egg," it is important to use it appropriately depending on the situation.

In addition, collecting 10 crystals will increase the maximum speed of the character. When the Ability Gauge is filled, different abilities can be used for each character. Shiroma puts up a barrier for magic defense & counter attacks, Tina shoots missiles from her magic armor, Claire disappears and becomes invisible, Atra bumps off a rival's crystal in front of her, and many more variations. If used at the right time, they can turn things around in a flash.

The round shape is the "Magical Egg. A gold Magical Egg will give you two magic stones identical to the one you have, silver will give you one, and bronze will give you one at random.

The "Bahamut" magical stone is an invincible Bahamut that automatically runs the course for a certain amount of time.

The blue stones are "crystals," which can be collected to increase maximum speed and use abilities faster.

Tina fires missiles from her magical armor

Ben the Behemoth runs by himself with his cart and crashes anyone he touches.

With such a collection of people with so many tricks up their sleeves, there was no way the race would go off without a hitch.

During the media test, there were many situations that kept us on our toes until the very end of the race. When I was relieved to be in first place in the race, I was hit from behind with a "fire" stone and burned to a crisp. At a sharp curve, I went off the course with other players and ......, and there were a series of unintentionally funny developments.

There were times when Claire, who had been made invisible by an ability, would slip past the author and another player and take advantage of the fisherman, and I would sit in front of the game console and think, "Oh, I've been hit. ...... I was sometimes in front of the game console with my head in my hands. This is the kind of drama that can only be experienced in an online competition among human beings.

Shining Gold Saucer also in the race

When you receive a "death sentence," you get a blow from the Grim Reaper.

The two of them went off the course together.

Some of the magical stones can be released backwards, so you can't let your guard down just because you are in the lower ranks. However, the selection of magic stones from the "Magical Egg" is random, so it seems that it is difficult to be set up or set down.

One of the most interesting magical stones was "Change," which created a warp hole on the course. Those who entered the blue warp hole would move forward, while those who entered the red warp hole would be put back toward the rear. Therefore, when the opponent placed them in the perfect position, such as just beyond a turn or in front of an acceleration zone, they would repeatedly enter a warp hole, return to the front, and then enter the same warp hole again, returning to the front ....... This was more laughable than frustrating, and I admired my opponent who had placed the warp hole in the right position. This kind of fun can only be had in online matches.

Although the game was not yet released, the simplicity of the system made it easy to grasp the controls, and I was impressed by how quickly I was able to enjoy the tactics of the online matches.

A well-timed jump is an air trick, allowing the player to accelerate for a certain period of time.

With simple controls, this game offers a slapstick and varied racing experience that can be enjoyed by both old-time FF fans and those unfamiliar with the genre. Why not have a copy of this game in your home?

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Product Information

Chocobo GP

Genre: Racing

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Support for Oshozowake Play

Online play requires a subscription to "Nintendo Switch Online" (charged).

Players: 1 to 8 players

Scheduled release date: March 10, 2022 (Thursday)

Suggested retail price:

Normal Edition (package/download): 6,578 yen (tax included)

e-Store exclusive set (package): 9,658 yen (including tax)