The default settings hold up fairly well, however, with accelerating/braking (R2/L2) and boosting (L1) mapped to the shoulders, and drifting/jumping (X), weapons (square) and shields (circle) on the face. You can also sideswipe other karts by flicking the right stick toward the offending vehicle. So while things are still straightforward, there’s some strategy lurking just below the surface.

The game offers two control setups: manual and auto. In manual your gun and laser are mapped to separate buttons, whereas in auto one button fires both of them. Both have a special attack that can be deployed. To do this you’ll need to fill a meter, which is done by locking onto and destroying your enemies with the laser. It’s the weapon you’ll use most often as it’s capable of hitting both aerial and ground targets, whereas the gun can only take down flying foes.

I can’t honestly recall a situation quite like this one. On the one hand, 2k has pumped out some really strong new content. The maps are absolutely top notch, Kill ’em Kindly is a fun alternative to the standard modes and Rebirth gives players that have maxed out a reason to return. However, what good is all this new content if you can’t jump online and just play the maps?

Given the throwback vibe at work here it should come as little surprise that the game offers a very streamlined control scheme. In fact, you’ll primarily use two buttons in any combat situation you encounter with X wielding your sword and the circle deploying your secondary item — such as a boomerang or a bow and arrow. You’ll also learn a dashing attack that is executed by pressing the square button. The shoulder buttons are used for cycling through items, checking out your map and using your shield to block enemy attacks.

Most of the action here will find you engaging in hand-to-hand combat with your enemies, and as is usually the case with first-person fisticuffs, things can be hit or miss (literally). The triggers control your attacks — right is a weak punch, left is a powerful one — and you can sprint with the bumpers and block/dodge using the “A” button. Time it just right and you’ll slip or deflect your enemy’s blows, opening their guard so you can deliver some powerful counterattacks.