Final Fantasy’s new kart racer is rife with microtransactions, despite the $50 price tag

If you are interested Chocobo GP, a $50 full-price kart racer launching Thursday, first realize that the game has a lot of microtransactions and extra sales on them. Final Fantasy fans who have paid the bill say they feel cheated, and those who play even the free “lite” version available on the Nintendo Switch say the whole thing feels like something you play. on your phone.

The games are good. Choose a chocobo or a Final Fantasy character, run around a track and boost your speed, or knock your opponents down with power-ups and spells. As for the rest of the game, “everything is [built] around the purchasable season passed even though it was a paid game,” wrote one player on the Final Fantasy subreddit. “[I]Basically, unlike the currency system we see in the gacha game, the only difference is that it’s all about customizing the mini cart. “

While the racers and levels are unlockable, the karts, costumes, and other items must be purchased at different stores, using a variety of in-game currencies. Players must keep track of Gil and tickets, which they earn from playing the game, and then Mythril, available only for real money.

“[I] launch the game, immediately greeted with the ingame currency you buy with mtx,” one redditor said, “Pass the battle for rewards with two levels and the whole design makes it feel like my nintendo switch is a phone. Like am I paying a $50 game or an f2p mobile game? ”

According to some players, progress through the game’s Prize Pass can also seem slow and frustrating. One person tweeted that, after an hour of playing online for Chocobo GPhe won a tournament but only Level 7 – only a tenth of the way to level 60 and its ultimate reward, playable Cloud Strife.

It also has the problem of the cost of the Prize Pass itself. That runs 800 Mythril, and to be fair, some premium games also sell battle tickets. While the first season is functionally free, players return 800 Mythril once the player logs in, they still have to purchase the aforementioned Mythril, and that’s usually $10 for 1,000 in currency.

A launch promotion is offering 1,600 for $8, but it’s actually only $2 off if you’re just joining that program to unlock things in the Prize Pass. Furthermore, the 800 Mythril you get back from the Prize Pass will expire if you don’t use it within five months. Apparently Square Enix wants players to acquire and spend that Mythril even if they don’t want anything it buys.

“I wonder how long it will take for Square Enix to find out just because games like Fate 2Just because Call of Duty and FIFA can double down doesn’t mean they can do it with their lower budget games as well.” another player wrote on Friday. “You need content or branding to do that, ideally both. Chocobo GP both are not available. “

Kotaku note on friday that this real money Mythril economy was not present in the game when the reviewer played it. But its intent remains clear to some reviewers. “To watch [unlockable characters] Squall and Cloud are relegated to the next season pass and/or the purchase of Gil just makes me absolutely delighted,” wrote Destructoid, “Because these important members should join the game without any strings.” The review called for the elimination of the Prize Pass and price cuts to make the game “more attractive”.

Polygon has reached out to Square Enix for further comment on the Prize Pass, microtransactions, and player response to both.