If you were hoping for some more multiplayer action in the upcoming Switch release Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, we're sorry to say but there won't be any options like this on offer.
Speaking to Screenrant, producer Xavier Manzanares clarified how the team decided to focus exclusively on the "solo experience" in the new entry. As you might recall, the original game had co-op, and Ubisoft patched in a versus mode in a free update.
So what's the reason behind this decision? According to Manzanares, in the middle of production, the team was worried about the balance. Here it is in full:
"We decided in the middle of production to focus on the solo experience. Because, actually as we brought many things from the original concept, we started to see how many elements it brought to the table, and to balance that, this revamped system, we wanted to focus our attention on the solo aspect. So, it was really important for us and we decided to assume that the decision, in order to scope out dangers, where we could go many directions, but then it's unbalanced everywhere and it's a game that never ships. So, it was a decision we took during production."
Nintendo's official website listing also notes how this follow-up Mario + Rabbids adventure is single-player. Of course, given the fact that post-launch content has already been confirmed, and considering how Ubisoft patched versus mode into the original game, who knows what could possibly happen in the future?
How do you feel about the developers ruling out multiplayer in the new Mario + Rabbids... at least for now? Did you play the co-op or versus modes in the original game? Leave your thoughts down below.
[source screenrant.com, via gonintendo.com]
Comments 63
It's crazy how many games are going to be released in October.
I have so many in my basket but can only get one.
It will be a difficult choice.
Mario + Rabbids was an amazing game so I'm considering getting this one over the others.
A bit of a shame. I hope the single player mode makes up for it.
It's fine.
I played my games mostly alone.
Whoa! Really? Hard pass then.
I think it's just lazy honestly. It would be so easy to have a second controller used in the single player campaign. Just program it to have one controller controller half the characters and another controller for the other half. Yes you can pass the controller around, but since they're making this claim I want to point out the ease of something the could probably knock out in an afternoon to include multiplayer. In their defense, maybe the the discussion was focused more on PvP.
Well I'm out. I was planning for xcom style strategy but with coop.
I'll still be getting it.
My favourite Mario game on Switch, I'm sure it will be patched in later and if it's not my family will be fine passing the controller around as an ad-hoc multiplayer mode anyway
Didn’t even know there was a versus mode in the original, but I don’t mind. I never tried the multiplayer in the original anyway.
This isn't a big deal to me, there are enough Multiplayer games on the market and I would rather a development team who didn't have multiplayer in mind for their game not feel obligated to tack it on.
Eh, the multiplayer in the original always felt extremely tacked on to me (because hey: the Switch has two controllers so we MUST add multiplayer, right?) so I don't really mind this whatsoever if it means the solo experience is all the better for it.
Frankly, it's fine by me. I'm more of a solo player anyway. The few games I want to play with friends, they either don't have or won't play (such as Genshin Impact).
Agree about the amount of games releasing the rest of the year in the first half of the year the only games I wanted and got were Pokémon arceus, Kirby, lego Star Wars and fire emblem warriors. The only games I’ve gotten in the 2nd half so far are xenoblade 3 in July and splatoon 3 in September but in the next months there’s nier automata, no man sky, Mario+ rabbids sparks of hope, Persona Royal, Bayonetta 3, sonic Frontier, Pokémon violet and FFVII Crisis Core R that I’m interested in. So far I’m locked in on nier because i found a really good deal for it, Persona Royal because I love the series and can replay it portably Pokémon because I expect it to be a whole new experience with the new multiplayer features and don’t want to miss it also Pokémon games never go on sale. I’m gonna wait for the reviews on this one but everything I’m hearing makes it seem like it’s probably gonna be a buy it would’ve definitely been one if it was part of the voucher program because I have one after getting splatoon 3.The rest are probably gonna be on my Wishlist
Forgot to mention Tunic as well really fighting the temptation to preorder that game
@Cheez maybe pass around the controller yourself?
Same effect
This will be the Mario game of 2022 so count me in.
I didn't really play the multiplayer in the original anyway so if Yoshi's exclusion wasn't a deal breaker for me already then I still would've gotten it.
If no multiplayer means a more high-quality single player mode then I'm all for it!
I mean, the multiplayer was a nice add-on that I used in the original. But Mario + Rabbids suits itself better as a single-player experience anyway.
Ubisoft couldn’t figure out a way to sell the second player a battle pass so they scrapped it.
Good to know! Now I just have to take the game of my wish list and I can move on!
I don't mind, I always have been a solo player anyway.
Feel bad for those who really wanted to play multiplayer though.
That’s a plus in my book.
Fine by me. No need multiplayer here.
Games like this i always play solo
No problem for me. I played the original through once alone and twice with my girlfriend taking turns. Honestly one of the best games on Switch, expecting a lot from this one too
It's possible w/ the new game mechanics of being able to move all over at any time vs just won't work and co-op seemed unnecceasary.
Only played the 1st game single player, wasn't expecting 2 player in this, so no harm done on my end.
This is actually a good thing, in my opinion. I'd be worried if this were Mario Kart or Splatoon we're talking about, but in this case it's exactly what I would hope for.
@PhantomD You should try it out first. Less like Zelda and more like Demon's Souls unless you use the accessibility options. Other than. That it's brutal, fun and mysterious. Love the music and the mystery.
No....really?
Multiplayer is great in the first game!
So....you NEED to put MORE DIFFICULT settings in this one!
Normal - Hard - Hardest.....something like that.... and New game+ with new enemy patterns.
The first game is easy and the multiplayer versus was the best part of the game!
i didnt know the first one had a versus mode. But local multiplayer is always a plus in my book and being the switch a portable console with already two controllers into one, it makes so much sense. But here's for a hope that it can come in a patch or DLC
@Ryu_Niiyama Same! Since it's not there, I know they put all of their energy into the single-player side of things.
Deal-breaker for me. Happy I read it first before pre ordering. The main story was short on the first one and most of my time with it was spent in versus mode local multiplayer.
Sad news
I'm honestly fine with this. Not all games NEED multiplayer. However, the one game I was quite excited about coming to Switch I am LESS excited for now is No Man's Sky...because I found out recently that it won't have the multiplayer that the other versions have. Its launching solely as a single player game on Switch. Maybe they will add in the multiplayer later, but that's supposed to be a big part of the experience of the game now, from what I know. So while I'm still probably going to get it, I'm less excited about it now than I was. THIS game (Mario + Rabbids) doesn't really need multiplayer for what kind of game it is, in my opinion. That's like saying Final Fantasy Tactics had to have multiplayer, which is certainly not true.
That's some dumb sheeeeet right there.
@Ralizah same. I hope this means there will be a nice involved and lengthy story mode.
Don’t care about multiplayer in this game. That was never the draw. That is like playing Bioshock 2 for the multiplayer.
@Cheez imagine working your as$ off only to be called lazy for not including a tacked on multiplayer mode when the team's focus clearly is on making single player be the best it can be.
While the original multiplayer modes were fun, they’re likely a lot less played than the campaign.
A bit sad, to be sure, but it looks like the game will be great and bigger than the first one.
In the wake of multiplayer centric, and live-service games, I am A-OK with games focusing on the single player experience. Well done. Looking forward to playing this game.
When it’s too much effort to hand a controller to the person sitting right next to you… well, let’s just ‘lazy’ is an interesting word to be slinging at others.
Has no effect on me whatsoever as I prefer to play these sort of games alone anyway.
@Dijita Me too. Don't need Multiplayer in this game.
I'm fine with this. I honestly forgot Kingdom Battle even had multiplayer. I'd rather have them focus on the single player, which Sparks of Hope already looks bigger and better than Kingdom Battle.
When Ubisoft is involved there is often a catch somewhere... I was pleasantly surprised up until now with Sparks, but alas, here is the catch!
Makes no different to me, fortunately, but there will be some that enjoyed the multiplayer and will be put off by this.
I understand the choice I guess, with so much work being put into the DLC it kinda makes sense.
I am gonna miss the good ol multiplayer modes though, an online type of mode could've been great.
Why would someone want coop in a game like this? .-.
I'm seriously asking, I think Pit people has coop as well, are strategy games really fun in coop?
Good. Let them focus on a great experience without bogging it down. The single player experience looks amazing.
@Tendogamerxxx Just for no multi-player? Really?
Multiplayer in Kingdom Battle felt extremely tacked-on, so I'm fine with this.
A Switch exclusive with no multiplayer? That's something you don't see, almost ever in fact. But it's unusual for a traditional RPG to have multiplayer, maybe they couldn't find a way to make it work with this real-time strategy genre. For now at least.
Having tried the multiplayer of Kingdom Battle with my nephew. I can say Jay Sherman's, aka The Critic, famous quote about the removal of multiplayer.
Didn't need multiplayer anyway. It's sad how many modern players will pass on this because they think every game these days should have multiplayer. Oh and shame on who ever wrote this article. It's like you're baiting people into finding fault with this game or somehow trying to suggest that Nintendo was too lazy or behind the times to include it.
It’s a pass from me then.
This does not deter my interest in the slightest. Let’s-a go!
That is unfortunate, I really enjoyed the multiplayer a lot in the first game. Me and my cousin would spend hours playing versus mode trying to outsmart one another. Is perfectly understandable, but I will admit it is kind of a bummer.
Oh NO!
Wait, I don't have any friends to play with, so that's ok.
Ay OK....
@Arkay some people feel any game in development must meet there personal expectations and if not the development team get called lazy. It's disrespectful to the profession full of self entitlement is which is unbelievable.
I actually enjoyed the versus multiplayer in the first one. Bummer
"Studio Decides Not to Blow Huge Chunk of Budget on Useless Feature 90% of Target Audience Will Never Use"
There, fixed the headline for you
Good. More developers need to focus on the most important part; the game. Multiplayer is typically the most shallow, unbalanced, and boring mode of any game, generally shoehorned into a product that didn't need it and it's always at the detriment of the actual game itself.
As for co-op, some games can benefit from it but it has to be a focus from the start. This also greatly changes how the game is presented and played though. Borderlands wouldn't be the same if it was developed for a single player then patched in co-op, just as Metal Gear Solid wouldn't if it focused on co-op over the narrative. Mario Rabbids was an amazing SP experience that lost its luster when multiple players were introduced whether it was co-op or multi, and the devs are making a great decision here to make the game the best it can be without trying to shoehorn multiplayer into it.
@NoPhysicalNoBuy So go play another boring, shallow, unbalanced, shoehorned MP title. Most are free now or use the highly anti-consumer GAAS model to suck money out of you using a mobile game business model. I prefer real games like this one that the devs clearly have passion for and are memorable. That's what gamers want. Casual hobbyists like yourself just want something as important as social media.
Beside Pikmin 3 a rare multiplayer tactics game you could play with two players on Switch.
The multiplayer of the first game was great and fun. Beside the frequently crashes that never got fixed as UBI-Soft did not care as the game sold so well.
With the new one, they fixed that issue like a boss by removing the feature. Bah.
This is really disappointing. For those who don't know what the problem is you've missed a large chunk of the previous rabbids. After you complete the game in story mode go over to the rabbids gym where the two player options are. There's a whole load of challenges including escorting toad and DLC section. Getting to have four characters in play instead of 3 is great too. After completed the game spent more time on that section and 2 player versus mode than the game itself. Another useful option is trying the challenges by resetting the characters orbs and re assigning them for different improved skills.
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