Summary
- Mario Kart World aims to reinvent the series with an open-world format.
- Breath of the Wild changed Zelda forever with an open-air design.
- Mario Kart World could have a lasting impact on the series, similar to Breath of the Wild.
The latest Nintendo Direct was full of big surprises after its in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, many of which are brand-new games coming to the console when it launches in June. One of those games, Mario Kart World, was an especially big surprise, as it aims to reinvent the series with an open-world take on its well-oiled formula. It's too soon to tell whether such a drastic change to that formula will pay off, but if it does, Mario Kart World could very well end up being Mario Kart's own Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most ambitious Zelda games ever made, as it turned everything the series had done for decades on its head and offered a fresh approach to gameplay. Needless to say, it changed the Zelda franchise forever, and now that Mario Kart World seems to be heading down a similar path, it's possible the Mario Kart franchise will never be the same after its launch, especially if it ends up hitting a home run with its new formula.
Every New Character Confirmed For Mario Kart World So Far
Mario Kart World will be adding a huge slate of new characters to the Mario Kart roster, albeit with a few interesting omissions.
Mario Kart World Could Have a Breath of the Wild-Sized Effect
Breath of the Wild Has Changed Zelda Forever
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild may have been a hard sell for longtime fans of the franchise who have remained committed to it for its linear dungeon-crawling adventures, but it's difficult to argue that it fundamentally altered the series' DNA upon its release. Breath of the Wild threw out the linear dungeon-crawling format the series had built for decades in favor of a massive open world with minimal hand-holding, dropping players into a massive iteration of Hyrule with the freedom to go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted.
Nintendo actually called Breath of the Wild an "open-air" game instead of open-world, emphasizing nearly limitless exploration over the traditional structure of an open-world game.
Despite how divided some Zelda fans may have been about Breath of the Wild, it went on to become the best-selling entry in the franchise's history, which says something about its unconventional design. Because of that fact alone, there is really no turning back for The Legend of Zelda from here on out. It doesn't necessarily mean that things won't ever change again, but considering both Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom have followed a similar approach to Breath of the Wild since its release, future games in the series are likely to do the same.
Mario Kart World Following the Same Model Could Ripple Far Into the Future
Just as Breath of the Wild was for the Zelda franchise, Mario Kart World marks a significant turning point for the Mario Kart series. Open-world racing games have been done plenty of times before, but Mario Kart has always been about tracks and the characters that race on them — never about exploration and the activities that often fill larger worlds. In Mario Kart World, players can explore a vast, interconnected world, racing through unique environments like grassy plains, bustling cities, and wide-open waters. The game even features a Free Roam mode, which allows players to venture off traditional tracks and discover off-road areas.
Despite how divided some Zelda fans may have been about Breath of the Wild, it went on to become the best-selling entry in the franchise's history, which says something about its unconventional design.
Given all that Mario Kart World is introducing to the series in terms of its open world, it could be headed down the same path that Breath of the Wild laid in front of The Legend of Zelda. If Mario Kart World's open-world format ends up working, it might be difficult for the series to revert to its traditional formula after its release.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
