Apart from Chocobo from the original game, player characters include Camilla (Chocobo’s female counterpart), Mog the Moogle, Shiroma the White Mage, and Behemoth.
Renowned video game developers and publishers Square Enix recently revealed that its upcoming game Chocobo GP is likely to feature more than 20 playable characters. The game is slated to release in 2022 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
This recent announcement came at the 2021 Tokyo game show. The developers also discussed gameplay elements in detail and highlighted the ability of player characters to get iconic magic spells.
What we know so far
According to GH reports, Chocobo GP is similar to the Mario Kart series of kart racing games and is a direct sequel to Chocobo Racing, a 1999 game for the first PlayStation. In this Nintendo Switch exclusive, players get to choose characters from the Final Fantasy video game series, and the objective is to beat the competition and win the races.
Apart from Chocobo from the original game, player characters include Camilla (Chocobo's female counterpart), Mog the Moogle, Shiroma the White Mage, and Behemoth. Cid the inventor, Mecha Chocobo, and Fat Chocobo are some of the recurring characters that will also make an appearance. Steiner, Vivi, Gilgamesh, and Ramuh are set to appear as well, being the only original Final Fantasy characters to appear in the game.
In-game abilities and powers
In terms of abilities, players will have the option to do power-slide drifts, which give extra speed boosts and also help navigate the tightest corners. Special "magicite" items are also available for players to collect by driving into "magic eggs." These items will come in handy for player characters in two ways – some help the player character's progress while others create obstacles for the competition.
Players can level up every magicite item for more powerful effects. For example, players can place water-based obstacles using the Water magicite. There's also a Fire magicite for blowing the competition away, quite literally.
There are several special abilities you can use as well, with each individual player character having their own set of abilities. When timed right, these abilities can give players an upper hand. Players can use spells such as the Doom spell, which can crash competitors, and the Aero spell, which twists competitors inside out. There are defensive spells like the MBarrier, which can be used to defend magicite attacks. Players can customize their vehicles too.
The game will feature multiple racing tracks as well. So far, only four tracks have been revealed – Zozo (Final Fantasy VI), Cid's Test Track, Gold Saucer (Final Fantasy VII), and Alexandria (Final Fantasy IX).
Players will get to choose from three game modes – online races, custom races, and a 'story' mode. An additional game mode within the online mode will allow players to compete in a 64-player elimination tournament.
The story mode revolves Chocobo, who sets out on a journey along with his friends. Their objective is to participate in a racing tournament. Whoever wins the race is granted anything that they desire.
Something to look forward to for the original Chocobo fans
It was exciting times for the original Chocobo fans in 2010 when the sequel to the original game was announced. It was slated to be a Nintendo 3DS exclusive release. However, due to outsourcing the development of the game, its quality didn't live up to expectations. Eventually, the developers called it off in 2013, much to the disappointment of the fans of the original.
However, trademarks were filed for two Chocobo games in March 2021, which were noted by publications. The official announcement came in the month of September 2021 as a part of a broadcast on Nintendo Direct.
Fans are also eager to see whether any secret characters are included in this game like they were in the original.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
