Overview
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a tactics game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft, released in 2022. I played it on Nintendo Switch.
I enjoyed this game just as much as its predecessor, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle!
Story and world
This time, the adventure leaves the Mushroom Kingdom for outer space. An evil entity, Cursa, is spreading dark matter across the galaxy and is trying to capture the Sparks, creatures born from the fusion of Lumas and Rabbids. Mario and his crew travel from planet to planet to stop it.
Gameplay
The first one was good, and so is this one. It adds a few new features, but just like the previous entry, I have nothing to complain about.
The main new feature is movement: it no longer happens tile by tile on a grid, but freely within an area around the character. The Sparks, which you equip on your heroes, grant extra powers (elemental attacks, shields, etc.).
The cast also grows, notably with Bowser, Rabbid Rosalina and Edge. Between battles, exploring the planets is more open than in the first game.
Graphics and music
The colourful art direction of the first game is back, spread across planets with varied atmospheres.
The soundtrack is by Grant Kirkhope, Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura.
Verdict
A sequel just as good as the first, adding a few new features without breaking anything. As with Kingdom Battle, I have nothing to complain about: I loved going through the adventure!