Mario games have levels and loading screens. It’s part of the fundamental formula of every game in the core series.
But, what if Mario went open world? That’s the experimental question Bowser’s Fury answers… and it works!
This is perhaps the most innovative 3D Mario game ever made. All the core gameplay mechanics that Nintendo established in Super Mario 64 – and has refined since – are present, but in a large, interconnected, persistent sandbox. No loading screens (largely), no hub worlds; if you can see it, you can largely get there.
Punctuating completions of the “levels” is the persistent threat of a seriously pissed off Bowser who, every now and then, you’ll need to punch in the face as an oversized Cat Mario.
So it’s a great Mario game, that’s open world, and with cats. What more could you want?