Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

 Switch
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Oct 20, 2022
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 242 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 165 out of 242
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 242
  3. Negative: 40 out of 242
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  1. Ksl3e
    Oct 25, 2022
    6
    Overall I like the game, but am disappointed with several aspects. The 'real time' gameplay adds a new dynamic which is fun to explore. I am really enjoying playing with Bowser and the characters from Kingdom Battle. I am not keen on the new rabbid heros.

    For me, the story and plot has potential but is a bit weak compared to Kingdom Battle. In Kingdom Battle, each world had themed    Overall I like the game, but am disappointed with several aspects. The 'real time' gameplay adds a new dynamic which is fun to explore. I am really enjoying playing with Bowser and the characters from Kingdom Battle. I am not keen on the new rabbid heros.

    For me, the story and plot has potential but is a bit weak compared to Kingdom Battle. In Kingdom Battle, each world had themed villains that were introduced in a fun way, the bosses were themed too. In Sparks of Hope, the worlds seem pretty much the same (I've just complete world 3). I like that it's set in Mario Galaxy, but it would have been fun to have a few more elements from galaxy to tie everything together.

    I like the Sparks! They're cute and fun. Although some are little over powered.

    Overall I find the game very easy (I have it on the hardest setting). I try not to heal too often to add some difficulty. On the topic of healing I find it annoying only rabbid peach can heal.

    I think the worst thing about the game is Beep-o's voice. I have had to turn off the volume for voices as it was unbearably annoying.    … Expand
  2. DolphinReviews
    Dec 20, 2022
    6
    Didn't capture the magic of the first game. It's less of Mario + Rabbids and more of boring new OC characters. Barley any new Mario elements added. The battles no longer take place in the actual world, you just get teleported to a battlefield. The core gameplay is still good.
  3. thelonesoldier
    Dec 23, 2022
    5
    This is the video game equivalent of a Disney straight-to-video sequel. It's a low-effort pale imitation of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Some of the many negative changes:

    - Major graphical downgrade - Much fewer bosses - Reduced difficulty. Even on Hard mode, it's way too easy - Removal of Challenges and Coop - Removal of ranking and the ability to replay battles to earn a    This is the video game equivalent of a Disney straight-to-video sequel. It's a low-effort pale imitation of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Some of the many negative changes:

    - Major graphical downgrade
    - Much fewer bosses
    - Reduced difficulty. Even on Hard mode, it's way too easy
    - Removal of Challenges and Coop
    - Removal of ranking and the ability to replay battles to earn a better rank.
    - Much longer and more frequent load times
    - Smaller worlds
    - Very few battles that were actually designed by level designers; most battles are now extremely low-effort procedurally generated battles that are pathetically easy.
    - Removal of weapon upgrades
    - Removal of secondary weapons
    - Much lower-quality cutscenes
    - Extremely boring story
    - Bad writing. All of the jokes fall completely flat
    - Too many reskinned enemies with different abilities. I could never remember which of the 5 ghost enemies was which

    The developers claimed in interviews that they removed coop because this game was bigger in scope, but that's an outright lie. They either had a tiny budget or lost all of their skilled devs. Rather than building upon the greatness of the first game, they needlessly reworked the grid-based movement into free-form movement, and phoned in the rest of the game.

    The fact that this has good ratings from critics has made me lose all faith in the review industry.    … Expand
  4. Hackattaque
    Dec 15, 2022
    7
    As a big fan of the first game I found this sequel lacked a lot of its predecessor’s magic. Visually it’s a step backwards, using a space setting with some ugly-looking planets that have none of the charm of the Mushroom Kingdom. The story also robs us of the chaos and wit of the original, which used Rabbids to gently poke fun at their Mario counterparts. Instead we get a dull quest to ridAs a big fan of the first game I found this sequel lacked a lot of its predecessor’s magic. Visually it’s a step backwards, using a space setting with some ugly-looking planets that have none of the charm of the Mushroom Kingdom. The story also robs us of the chaos and wit of the original, which used Rabbids to gently poke fun at their Mario counterparts. Instead we get a dull quest to rid the universe of evil, and a new hero called Edge who isn’t very interesting. Thankfully the core gameplay is still as entertaining as ever, with a decently long campaign and one or two challenging boss fights. Still, for every quality of life improvement (such as turning the old movement grids into more natural circular zones) there are some new mechanics that I didn’t enjoy, such as the huge array of power-ups and a focus on Spark abilities that make fights less strategic. And the less said about the puzzles in between the better. A fair effort, but could have been more.… Expand
  5. Lani337
    Jan 31, 2023
    5
    To be honest, I haven't finished the game yet, but I have a hard time doing so. The Combat, while decent, isn't quite as good as the grid system of the First Game and XCOM, arguably the Idol of the Mario + Rabbids Games. But Problems don't stop there. The charm of the first game vanished almost completely. The Voice Actors did a good job, but it really hurts the humor of the game. In termsTo be honest, I haven't finished the game yet, but I have a hard time doing so. The Combat, while decent, isn't quite as good as the grid system of the First Game and XCOM, arguably the Idol of the Mario + Rabbids Games. But Problems don't stop there. The charm of the first game vanished almost completely. The Voice Actors did a good job, but it really hurts the humor of the game. In terms of Graphics and Soundtrack, they did a fantastic job, but sadly, the game just is worse than its prequel in almost every way. You can still have fun with the game, but it sadly couldn't fulfill my expectations. Maybe my thoughts on it will change once I'm finished… Expand
  6. Krami
    Nov 24, 2022
    6
    It can gets boring very fast and the idea of the open zones wasn´t a good one. I just wanted a new Mario+Rabbids not a completly new Game
  7. sloomo
    Dec 10, 2022
    7
    It is OK, but not as fun as Kingdom Battle. I was eager to play this and feel disappointed, even though I got it on sale for $35. If you want to play this I would wait until it’s around $20, as this feels like a fair price.
  8. Pasqui
    Apr 30, 2023
    4
    I sincerely don't know how, but I didn't enjoy this game at all. I loved Kingdom Battle, but I almost hate this one. The map feels dispersive, the battles are too repetitive and it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to not get hit in the battles. I played at normal difficulty and these motherfuc*ers always hit me, every fuc*ing time. At first I thought it was just a skill issue, but I've soonI sincerely don't know how, but I didn't enjoy this game at all. I loved Kingdom Battle, but I almost hate this one. The map feels dispersive, the battles are too repetitive and it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to not get hit in the battles. I played at normal difficulty and these motherfuc*ers always hit me, every fuc*ing time. At first I thought it was just a skill issue, but I've soon realized that it wasn't. It doesn't feel rewarding at all and it bis also graphically glitchy. And also... WHY DO THE FREAKIN' RABBIDS TALK… Expand
  9. arh3399
    Dec 7, 2022
    7
    I like a lot of the new elements they added to this game like the deeper world exploration, more quests, and free movement in battles instead of a grid. That said this game is really repetitive and it gets old by the end. There are 5 worlds in total and the quests are basically identical copy and pastes across each world. The gameplay is good, but overall the game is way easier then theI like a lot of the new elements they added to this game like the deeper world exploration, more quests, and free movement in battles instead of a grid. That said this game is really repetitive and it gets old by the end. There are 5 worlds in total and the quests are basically identical copy and pastes across each world. The gameplay is good, but overall the game is way easier then the first to the point where strategy really doesn't matter anymore. I like the world designs but since you just do the same stuff in each by the end I was just hoping for it to end. Overall its a good game, but it could of been a lot better with a bit more creativity. My other big complaint is that there are some major bugs that prevent you from 100% the game, which otherwise is super easy to do. The only way to correct one of them is to start a new save, play up through the third world again and hope you don't get the glitched quest again. Also the game in general just gets buggier the deeper in you get which seems like it was rushed but they did delay the game to polish it more so theres no excuse for it.… Expand
  10. CopperCone89
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    New fighting gameplay is good but I miss some solutions form kingdom battle. Also on Kingdom battle I was laugh like small kid because of rabbids, in this part rabbids at not funny anymore, they are actually annoying. Weird is that some of characters talk all text, another just first words, and other just make some weird noises. After Mario + rabbids Kingdom Battle I had big expectationsNew fighting gameplay is good but I miss some solutions form kingdom battle. Also on Kingdom battle I was laugh like small kid because of rabbids, in this part rabbids at not funny anymore, they are actually annoying. Weird is that some of characters talk all text, another just first words, and other just make some weird noises. After Mario + rabbids Kingdom Battle I had big expectations from spark of hope, but it fails…… Expand
  11. Labkor
    Nov 27, 2022
    7
    Spark of hope m'a laissé le même sentiment que Kirby et le monde oublié, des mécaniques fun, un visuel soigné mais tellement sur-accessible qu'il gâche la satisfaction en jeu et bride son level design.

    Les 2 premières heures de jeu étant plutôt bonne, on découvre son univers plutôt sympathique, le gameplay plutôt intéressant avec chaque personnages qui à sont propre gameplay,    Spark of hope m'a laissé le même sentiment que Kirby et le monde oublié, des mécaniques fun, un visuel soigné mais tellement sur-accessible qu'il gâche la satisfaction en jeu et bride son level design.

    Les 2 premières heures de jeu étant plutôt bonne, on découvre son univers plutôt sympathique, le gameplay plutôt intéressant avec chaque personnages qui à sont propre gameplay, l'utilisation des sparks pour bien varié nos stratégies, il y a des phases d'exploration plutôt agréable, ça partait du bon pied.

    Mais malheureusement, la désillusion est vite arrivé, et tout cela viens, encore une fois, de la sur-accessibilité dans ces 3 domaines :

    :d) La difficulté : Pourtant (comme Kirby), je l'ai mis au maximum que je pouvais, mais rien à faire, les combats sont trop simples, il n'y pas à se creuser la tête trop profondément et on peut faire les 3/4 des niveaux en pilote automatique, sans réel gestion d'équipe et de sparks, et sans besoin d'utiliser les objets, c'est un peu dommage
    :d) Le Level desgin : Des maps qui se ressemble beaucoup trop, des ennemies recyclés, parfois quelques **** coup de folie bienvenue mais c'est très rare (Notamment le niveau avec le Wiggle géant), encore une fois, on sent les idées, mais on sent aussi qu'il ont pas voulu faire quelque chose de trop compliqué pour ne pas perturber les jeunes joueurs de chez Nintendo, et donc, pas de prise de risque, beaucoup de niveaux aseptisé, plaisir du jeu réduit et redondant.
    :d) L'histoire : Bien que Nintendo à l'air de s'en curer l'oignon dans ses jeux-vidéos, l'ajout de pas mal de doubleurs compétent et d'essayer un petit développement du personnage de Jeannie offre pas mal de dialogues et de cinématiques, encore une fois avec un joli visuel, mais qui est trop infantile, on est plus proche du dessin animé pour enfant plutôt qu'une histoire à la Pixar, donc, le fait de mettre autant de dialogues inintéressant peut briser le rythme et force le joueur à passer, encore une fois, dommage.

    En fait, tous le jeu est "dommage", tous ce qu'ils ont implémenté est bien, mais se retrouve bridé, le jeu à mis une phase d'exploration une fois les combats terminés, on y explore plusieurs planètes, toutes différentes, avec des DA inspiré, un visuel sacrément joli pour de la Switch, qui me fait dire qu'il s'agit là d'un des plus beau jeu Switch voir le meilleur, des quêtes de "Spark" intéressantes, avec parfois des Puzzles à la Captain Toad qui essaye de varié le jeu, mais c'est gâché, des énigmes simpliste en mode, je casse un rocher qui bloque l'interrupteur pour pouvoir l'activé, des persos trop rigide, incapable de sauter qui nous force à prendre des échelles, des tuyaux avec des animations répétitif qui rend l'exploration longuet, une touche accélération, qui si, vous effleurer un mur ou un petit obstacle, vous vous tapez une animation d'étourdissement de 3 secondes, beaucoup trop de détails dans les maps parfois, qui rend illisible les endroits où on peut visiter et ce qui fait parti du décor. Sans parler des mobs niveau 10 qui vous aggro alors que vous êtes niveau 15, déclenchant un combat inintéressant et un temps de chargement beaucoup trop long.

    Et comme Kirby, la dernière planète était tout simplement... Génial ! Il à fallu que je retry, les combats de boss était assez compliqué, il à fallu que je revoie mes stratégies, ma gestion d'équipe, ma gestion des spark, optimiser au maximum pour avoir la victoire, et un combat de boss en 3 phases, toute différentes, toutes intéressantes, si SEULEMENT le jeu aurait été comme ça tout le long, on aurait eu un sacré titre.

    Je parait encore un peu saignant et aigri sur ce test, mais purée, encore un jeu qui apporte de jolies idées mais ne veut jamais les exploitées à 100%, donnant donc une déception car on sait que ça peut être mieux. ça n'en fait pas un mauvais jeu, loin de là, mais c'est OK, plutôt oubliable(Comme ses musiques d'ailleurs).    … Expand
  12. Pymloll
    Feb 13, 2023
    7
    The game is really good. The battle system is great and improves on the one in the original game. It's more creative, diverse but easy to understand. The strategy part goes in the the creation of the team: you can mix and match characters, sparks and abilities to make your team stronger. I played on Normal difficulty and found it maybe a little easy but the difficulty was exactly what IThe game is really good. The battle system is great and improves on the one in the original game. It's more creative, diverse but easy to understand. The strategy part goes in the the creation of the team: you can mix and match characters, sparks and abilities to make your team stronger. I played on Normal difficulty and found it maybe a little easy but the difficulty was exactly what I wanted: Normal. The open areas and sidquests are a great addition and they never get boring if you don't do them all at once. The biggest issue with this game is that it get SO REPETITIVE. The entire third world could've just been deleted and I would've liked the game even more. With how long battles and especially bosses take the game needed to be a bit shorter. It's not even a story issue, because the story is actually decent, it's mostly just that it starts getting boring and repetitive.
    The game itself is actually good though, and definitely something I do not regret buying, but I never see myself replaying this game again.    … Expand
  13. wrongpassword
    Oct 25, 2022
    7
    The combat system is improved from the first game but the presentation in general is a step down. There is far too much reliance on text this time around and I am not a fan of the new voices. Whenever I hear Beep-O, I want to shout "Shut up C-3PO!". I also wish they used the splash screens for villains. The mook intros didn't have as much of a punch in Spark of Hope.
  14. Surg3on
    Oct 30, 2022
    7
    Its not bad but you can see Ubisoft management have got their dirty fingers into this game. Rabbids are not meant to talk but for some reason have voice lines in battle. Maps covered in things to complete rather than the natural discovery of the first. I'm not sure who in ubisoft thinks a map isn't a map unless its drowned in icons but its belittling to the audience. Weapon selection isIts not bad but you can see Ubisoft management have got their dirty fingers into this game. Rabbids are not meant to talk but for some reason have voice lines in battle. Maps covered in things to complete rather than the natural discovery of the first. I'm not sure who in ubisoft thinks a map isn't a map unless its drowned in icons but its belittling to the audience. Weapon selection is gone but replaced with Sparks so thats OK.

    Worst of all being the portals that spit out enemies that are allowed to move and act the moment they appear. A turn based game no-no.

    Core battle gameplay (except the portals) is excellent though.    … Expand
  15. DudeManLegacy
    Oct 29, 2022
    8
    I'm a big fan of the previous installment. This sequel carries over the concept of Turn Based Strategy and the unique combat abilities and that's it. If you came for Kingdom Battle 2.0, this is not the same experience. Where KB had structure and each character had their own playstyle, Shards of Hope flips that on its head and comes up with a fluid design that allows you to trick out yourI'm a big fan of the previous installment. This sequel carries over the concept of Turn Based Strategy and the unique combat abilities and that's it. If you came for Kingdom Battle 2.0, this is not the same experience. Where KB had structure and each character had their own playstyle, Shards of Hope flips that on its head and comes up with a fluid design that allows you to trick out your squad in whatever way you see fit. Random encounters on the overworld are introduced and Sparks generate that variability that changes your character playstyle. The way movement works now, there's tons of abuse to be had, in terms of strategy. This is making the release state of the game rather easy. However, two DLCs are guaranteed and I hope that they take notes of how players are engaging the content in order for them to make more engaging battles.… Expand
  16. lilboa
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    I'm impressed by the combat system. The movement mechanic in combat has huge potential!
  17. ElSmasher
    Oct 26, 2022
    8
    5 years after the first album, La Switch gives us an appointment with Mario+ Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft has given itself some freedoms compared to the first opus, and it works rather well. Artistically, the game is excellent and offers us a much deeper story than what Mario usually offers us. The gameplay is more airy and the difficulty better gauged. We would have liked a lifespan5 years after the first album, La Switch gives us an appointment with Mario+ Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft has given itself some freedoms compared to the first opus, and it works rather well. Artistically, the game is excellent and offers us a much deeper story than what Mario usually offers us. The gameplay is more airy and the difficulty better gauged. We would have liked a lifespan at least equal to the first but it’s not serious, the voices are more put forward and the rabbits too, to our greatest misfortune!… Expand
  18. prw_88
    Oct 29, 2022
    0
    1. They should have stayed with the grid system. It was easier to pre plan your moves before you commit. You also don't have to commit with any movement you make. In the prequel all moves were final and that's what made it fun. It was like playing chess. Moves are only final after you shot. It makes it too easy to position your team with team jumps than it should be and omits a large1. They should have stayed with the grid system. It was easier to pre plan your moves before you commit. You also don't have to commit with any movement you make. In the prequel all moves were final and that's what made it fun. It was like playing chess. Moves are only final after you shot. It makes it too easy to position your team with team jumps than it should be and omits a large portion of the strategy. 2. Open world. Too many side quests and forced puzzles. It takes way too long to go from one stage to the next. The prequel didn't waste anytime. Puzzles should be optional. If I can skip a puzzle I always do. I rarely skipped a puzzle in the prequel. 3. No weapon specialties like honey, push, ink, etc. I'm mostly done with the second world and I have yet to see any. Maybe I am wrong. 4. Annoying voiceovers. I had to turn them off. This is rare for me. Very rare. 5. The sparks can be handy but I would prefer the secondary attack in the prequel. You shouldn't have to make the decision to use either a spark or activate Healing (rabbid peach), etc. I also find that most of the sparks are not as helpful as they could be.

    6. Special activations only last one enemy turn! If you activated a defensive spark, or Counter Blow (rabbid Mario), Hero sight (Mario), and the enemy doesn't hit you, or not in the line of sight for Hero Sight, on their turn, it will not carry over to the next turn! You lose it! I could be wrong, but in the prequel if the special attack wasn't used it will remain active until it is used. 7. There is no benefit to prevent your characters from dying. No rating on how well you performed. No incentive to do better. Minor Critiques

    8. The menus could have been designed better. It takes longer than it should to adjust to them. 9. The rabbids act too serious. They are not crazy anymore. It is strange to see. If this was a standalone game I would have given it anywhere from 5-7. The battles are still very fun. However, the prequel was a MASTERPIECE and when you compare to the prequel, it is pretty bad. Too much emphasis is on the puzzles and open world and that's not what Mario rabbids is all about. This is a switch game I would sell once completed but I am losing motivation to play because I have zero interest in forced puzzles. I was hyped about this game and maybe that is a reason why I feel so negative about it. It is not what I expected at all, based off the prequel.    … Expand
  19. GameforGamers
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    such a fantastic sequel to the first game, MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE added more stuff and more depth to the starategy gamepla.
  20. WindMaster25
    Oct 22, 2022
    10
    Honestly this might be one of the best Mario spin-off game i have ever played, the gameplay has really improved, the visuals is amazing, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the story is really good, seriously go buy it it's amazing!
  21. Phobophile89
    Oct 29, 2022
    4
    Ubisoft what have you done?

    Graphically it's unbearable. Textures are all squared, not pixelated, literaly there's visible squares. Shadows are terribly bad, shading is atroceous, resources poping is constant, frame drops constently and everything is so badly aliased i cannot believe this game was developed specificaly on the Switch. Some text lines are fully voiced, some only have    Ubisoft what have you done?

    Graphically it's unbearable. Textures are all squared, not pixelated, literaly there's visible squares. Shadows are terribly bad, shading is atroceous, resources poping is constant, frame drops constently and everything is so badly aliased i cannot believe this game was developed specificaly on the Switch.

    Some text lines are fully voiced, some only have the first couple words voiced, some have just a couple keywords voice, and some lines have different text vs. what the voice actors says!

    Then there's that thing where Team Jumps doesn't show where you can land and you have to eye-ball it and commit to it as it's active time based now, in a turn base that an annoyance. But there's those blowing statues that are also active time based, which mean you can get blown away while trying to think what your next action will be. The bob-ombs will explode if you don't throw them fast enough. Some monsters do area-of-effect damage when they die, you can just kill them by dashing and run to avoid it.

    Then some encounters have so much jump pad that some "Reach area" encounters can be done without even firing at the enemies in a single turn.

    The whirlpool in the sand, why not explain how to interact with them?

    The secret-zones, why remove them from the map if we need to go there a second time after completion?

    Why preventing me from replaying the final boss???

    The scripts are bad. Anything trying to be half epic is so cringy it's actualy embarassing. The riddles seems to have been written by a 12years old. Most characters catch phrase makes them despicable...

    Sometimes, the white dots that are supposed to turn into a prompt to activate, a door, a ladder, whatever, will not appear. Meaning if you were doing a secret-zone time trial, or even trying to do a coin challenge, you can just try again. Tough luck.

    In some cinematics, the caracters will just zoom into place. Sometimes they will just pop out of nowhere, but some time they literrally are positioned very very far from the camera and just get dragged into place.

    I found a couple places where Mario will just stop in it's course, as if there was an obstacle. But no, it's just that some tiles are a couple pixels over the others actualy fracturing the plane on which the characters progress. If you restart a secret-zone time trial, only the main caracter will populate at the right place, the others will be where you left them, and they'll just teleport back into place when you move.

    Before a combat, you can dash in an enemy, or get dashed by the enemy... It serves absolutly no purpose. When you jump off a cliff, or take a ladder, there's a moment when you can't use Beep-o for no apparent reason. When you find a memory the character stalls there a moment, as if it's reading. Instead of wasting time on those annoying and useless details, Ubisoft could as well have polished the game...

    Compared to the first installment the planets are less linear, but does not look as good, and now the battles interupt the trip.
    Luigi's react ability have a black bar in the middle of the screen, covering the energy aura. It looks very bad and is terribly amateurish.

    I could continue ranting on this game but i can't keep track of what complaints i still have since there's so much!!!

    Oh, one last. The last line of the credit roll doesn't display properly.

    I'm throughly disgusted i spend 120$Canadian on this poor excuse of a game.
    I LOVED Kingdom Battle and was extatic when Sparks of hope was announced, but it is not only a lesser game, it's terrible. Ubisoft put absolutly no effort in that title. Nintendo are usually very meticulous and proud of their franchise and i hope they see how bad Ubisoft handled their franchise. Poor design, poor execution, it's a shame.    … Expand
  22. CptCaleb
    Oct 30, 2022
    5
    Not sure why they thought the combat mechanics needed to be simplified so much. They eliminated all secondary weapons, the skill trees are small and not very unique for each character, with no variety of weapons (only 9 weapons in the game). Each character functions so similarly now that it just feels stale.

    I loved the first one, so I was really excited about getting a sequel but this is    Not sure why they thought the combat mechanics needed to be simplified so much. They eliminated all secondary weapons, the skill trees are small and not very unique for each character, with no variety of weapons (only 9 weapons in the game). Each character functions so similarly now that it just feels stale.

    I loved the first one, so I was really excited about getting a sequel but this is pretty disappointing to the point I might not get thru it. Can’t for the life of me imagine how anyone feels this is an upgrade on the original in every way. Seems exactly the opposite. Humor and environments are nowhere near as good as the original either.    … Expand
  23. Jt0429
    Oct 21, 2022
    9
    Good-
    Fun story with a unique sense of humour and endearing characters; Real-time movement changes the combat in fundamental ways; Combat feels much more dynamic; A vast and varied roster of characters, each of whom is a blast to play as; Expanded progression mechanics make for impressive build variety; Significantly expanded exploration; Plenty of side content; Stellar soundtrack; Looks    Good-
    Fun story with a unique sense of humour and endearing characters; Real-time movement changes the combat in fundamental ways; Combat feels much more dynamic; A vast and varied roster of characters, each of whom is a blast to play as; Expanded progression mechanics make for impressive build variety; Significantly expanded exploration; Plenty of side content; Stellar soundtrack; Looks great.

    Bad-
    Side activities can get a little repetitive; Some technical issues.

    Thoughts-
    Ultimately though, this is an excellent game. Given how much I liked Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, I would have had absolutely no issues with a sequel that played it safe and didn’t change things up too much. Sparks of Hope deserves credit not only for taking risks where many may not have felt they were needed, but also excelling in the execution of its new ideas. An expanded and much more dynamic system, a charming and humorous world and story, and a satisfying level of mechanical complexity come together in what may very well be one of the best games in the Switch’s esteemed library.    … Expand
  24. Saldor100
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    They still make very good light srpg game and kid friendly. If you liked the first one, you will love this one.
  25. Olitechno
    Oct 22, 2022
    9
    A must play game!
    2022 has brought us the most expected game of the genre, a mix of Nintendo characters with the rabbids madness just can mean one thing: FUN.
    Refurbished quest system with a well detailed world, not to mention about the battle system, it has been enhanced too.
  26. Spassbremse
    Oct 27, 2022
    1
    I cannot enjoy this game because
    (1) The voiced characters never shut up and are annoying as hell
    (2) The Ubisoftification of the over world makes every area feel like a litany of icons, side quests, and busy work which makes me not want to explore (3) The game overtutorializes for the first hour or more (4) There is a weird amount of heavily flashing lights in the backgrounds of some    I cannot enjoy this game because
    (1) The voiced characters never shut up and are annoying as hell
    (2) The Ubisoftification of the over world makes every area feel like a litany of icons, side quests, and busy work which makes me not want to explore
    (3) The game overtutorializes for the first hour or more
    (4) There is a weird amount of heavily flashing lights in the backgrounds of some levels which gave me eye strain and might cause seizures in certain players.

    I wanted to love this game...I 100%ed the first one I loved it so much, but I am a few hours in and I am /just/ not enjoying this one. It feels bloated and overstuffed with typical "Ubisoft" bland game design, whereas the original was simple, elegant, fun, and funny. Seriously downgrade and seriously disappointing.    … Expand
  27. Vondalex
    Oct 22, 2022
    10
    Un jeu incroyable, d'une grande qualité et très original. Le challenge est présent et on se sent fier de réussir et d'avancer dans l'histoire. Il y a aussi des modes faciles dans les options si necessaire. Je recommande !
  28. Dany8
    Oct 21, 2022
    9
    Una secuela superior, donde ubisoft se marca tremendo juegazo! Divertido, estratégico, no faltan las risas y te pone a marcas una estrategia con un equipo que sea perfecto para la aventura
  29. Erroriste
    Oct 24, 2022
    10
    In a few words: I love the combat system, they traded a bit of strategy for more action, which i felt was a good trade off. The music is really awesome, the worlds are interesting to explore. I like the talking rabbids, it makes them feel a bit more likable and gives a bit more depth to the story.

    That is definitely a game to put under a christmas tree!
  30. Jdevs
    Oct 28, 2022
    0
    A sequel that destroyed everything once good, by trying so hard in fitting in open world and RPG elements into the game like as if it's an objectively superior method to evolve any game. People praising things like "exploration" don't even know what they are talking about. If a developer somehow brought exploration into a Tetris game, they would be mindlessly praising it also. Just go playA sequel that destroyed everything once good, by trying so hard in fitting in open world and RPG elements into the game like as if it's an objectively superior method to evolve any game. People praising things like "exploration" don't even know what they are talking about. If a developer somehow brought exploration into a Tetris game, they would be mindlessly praising it also. Just go play a proper open world RPG if you are looking for such elements. This game doesn't excel in open world RPG elements, nor the elements of its prequel as a result of such try-hard attempt.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Switch Game of 2022
13
#13 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 122 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 117 out of 122
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 122
  3. Negative: 0 out of 122
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 25, 2024
    80
    Sparks of Hope is an interesting sequel to the first game, and even though it has its flaws, you'll still have a great time and enjoy the vast majority of the tactical battles. [Issue#323]
  2. Het Nieuwsblad
    Jul 31, 2023
    60
    He lands in theaters next year, with a movie of his own. But until then, Super Mario continues to reign supreme on the Nintendo. 'Sparks of hope' is yet another game centered around the world's most famous plumber. Just a shame that the piping shows more wear and tear than in the previous game.
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  3. Movies Games and Tech
    Mar 10, 2023
    95
    From start to finish, this game really has taken me through some amazing missions, entertaining video content, and action-packed gameplay with levels of massive and destructive villains. For the beautiful art which makes up the graphics, well let’s just say there is plenty to gawk at! Everything that Mario represents is shown in this game, with the addition of those humorous Rabbids. Plus, the ability to build a team of unlikely characters really makes for some entertaining storylines and some marvelous defeats! Lastly, even if there have been many Rabbid games in the past, I felt this game might have just topped them. It has exceeded my expectations and has me curious to see what the future beholds with the Rabbids. So I fully stand beside this game and recommend it for a worthwhile, new experience worth playing.
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