Mario Kart 8 is graphically superior to Bloodborne . There, I said it. Now before you go straight to the comments section, just hear me out. I’m willing to wager that the only group of readers who want to punch me in the face right now are those who own Bloodborne , but don’t own Mario Kart 8 . If you’ve spent serious time with Mario Kart 8 (this means more than YouTube videos and reviews), you know that everything – from the space station in Rainbow Road, to the surface of a shell, to the treads of your tires – is stunningly rendered with a loving attention to detail. There are few games as polished as this one, and I think that compared to Sony’s “game of the year” Bloodborne , MK 8 is the more pleasing experience, visually.
Let me get something straight. I love Bloodborne . In fact, I love most everything From Software puts out. The last time you wanted to punch me in the face is when I declared Dark Souls the best game ever. I love my PS4 and my Wii U, and I want both to succeed, so there are no malicious motives here. I simply hold that Mario Kart 8 is the prettiest console exclusive we’ve seen in a long time. Let’s entertain a very scientific, imaginary experiment. Gather 10 stoners into a room and give them a joint. After everyone stops giggling, put two displays in front of them: one will display Bloodborne gameplay as a hunter battles his way through Yharnam in all its gritty, detailed beauty, with a hazy sunset eclipsed by the tower of an enormous gothic cathedral in the distance. The other screen will feature replays of Mario Kart 8 races through the new Rainbow Road and the Animal Crossing map. I’d be willing to bet some premium munchies that 8 out of 10 subjects would be blown away by Mario Kart 8 , and for a few good reasons.
The framerate in MK 8 is an incredibly consistent 60fps, no matter how crowded or crazy the action on screen becomes. Whether blazing through a hairpin turn in a 300cc race-turned-battle as Bullet Bills and fireballs whizz past you or watching Luigi give baby Mario the death stare in slow motion as he passes by in a Mercedes, the game never trips or stutters. Bloodborne understandably has a greater number of demanding assets to process at any given time, but that was a choice that was consciously made. If I see some rising smoke coming out of the ground along my path, I’m going to walk through it because it looks cool. When I do, though, I’m jerked out of the experience as the framerate goes up in smoke as well. Panning the camera and engaging in intense battles consistently slow things down, and it’s rather jarring for people like me who like to get absorbed in a game.
Effects and textures are showcased much more brilliantly in MK 8 ; there are more of those little details that make you stop and say, “woah.” I’ve had a few ‘woah’ moments in Bloodborne , but they usually occur when I’m standing still and make an effort to appreciate my environment and the backdrop. MK 8 drops woah bombs from beginning to end as your stage is previewed, as the race ensues, and as you enjoy your replays. You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you how much time I’ve spent replaying and rewinding tiny, seemingly insignificant moments in many of my races; I swear this game was meant to be viewed in slow-motion. There is nothing like the sight of a shy guy celebrating as you launch off of a cobblestone bridge, passing the twinkling Christmas lights that adorn the snowy trees of the Animal Crossing town and soaring through the air as his parachute flutters and flaps in the wind. I remember introducing the game to some of my more competitive friends and marveling at just how much fun they had coming in last as they struggled to navigate Sweet Sweet Canyon for the first time. It made for a lot of wide eyes and lots of laughter.
When it comes down to it, the difference is polish. That word has become very ambiguous, but I mean it here in the way that foodies use ‘umami.’ It’s that undeniable, detectable something that has to be drawn out of your hardware and software through clever optimization and creative, artistic application. This is something that Nintendo has done consistently with its hardware; it’s this dedication to polish that made Super Mario Galaxy the masterpiece that it is, and it’s what makes MK 8 the best looking exclusive of this generation so far. I stand by that. Come at me, bros.