Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Final DLC "Coming Later In 2023", Here's A Teaser

This game had so much potential to build on the surprise success of the first, but sadly it underwhelmed on every front. The worlds just weren't as inspired and the battle maps, especially the non-story maps, were pure filler that could typically be beaten in a single turn. Character balancing was also a huge problem when you could own any map just by trotting Luigi (long range, overwatch), Peach (Shield), and Rabbid Peach (healing) out there every time. Lastly, the shift in focus toward the Rabbids and Ubisoft properties was truly a missed opportunity given what might have been had this adventure involved say, the likes of Link or Samus and their respective "universes". Oh, and the humor that worked so well in Kingdom Battle fell absolutely flat here; I found myself skipping the long-winded "points of interest" this time around.

As for the DLC, it's been months (and months) since the game's release, and most players, myself included, have long since moved on to other games. In short, Ubisoft waited WAY too long to release these "waves"; as someone who bought the Season Pass based on the expectations the first game's experience seemed to promise, it's too little, too late by now. It's a real shame that their handling of this entry may well end up making it the last one for this collaboration.

So, no screen time between Mario and Rayman? That's what I was hoping for.

I'm glad I didn't buy the game yet.
The DLC stuffs just really made me turned off, unless Ubisoft release the Deluxe version with all DLC inside the cartridge like the first game.

It will go on sale, it will go on sale, it will go on sale, have some self control me, it wil, go on sale, it will go on sale! Must have self control!

Nice to see Rayman back, even if it's not a new game.

I have the Gold edition so I'll be ready for this when it drops.

@Snatcher It's on sale right now! Not Ubisoft low though.

@Anti-Matter Yeah, about that. That was just a download code...

@Poodlestargenerica it’s already hitting 30 bucks? It will definitely go on sale for ten dollars lower, that’s when I strike!

I'm just not a fan of these kinds of strategy games. I never picked this game up, as I only got halfway through Kingdom Battle before I gave up. It's great for what it is--lots of charm and personality, but this kind of gameplay just isn't for me.

I just wish Ubisoft would release a remastered collection of the original Rayman trilogy. My experience with the Rayman franchise is very limited, but I absolutely adore Legends. I think it's the best 2D platformer ever made. I really want to experience the rest of the series on modern hardware. I got maybe halfway through Rayman 2 on 3DS, but I don't think that's the best way to experience the game.

I almost want to purchase the DLC despite not having the game required to play it, just to send a message to Ubisoft that we want more Rayman... I mean, I probably won't, but I want to, and it's the thought that counts, right?

@Not_Soos For Rayman 2 you want either Dreamcast (best version with no changes), or the PS2 version (Changes). Rayman 3 on Gamecube is probably best, but that was made by different people. Most of the 2d Raymans from before origins aren't very fun for me personally. But I mention all of this because the reason everyone hates rabbids is because they derailed the series for the better part of a decade, and Origins/Legends sort of saved the series. But the old games aren't like legends at all.

Doesn’t Rayman hate the rabbids? Wonder what his interactions with the Mario ones will be?

@AtlanteanMan we’ll always have Kingdom Battle…

It’s a great game. If you liked the first one you’ll enjoy the second. If you like the game you will buy the dlc. They are not forcing you to buy. It’s a full game without the dlc

Watching the Star Wars clip I hate how most of these big companies have gone with this character talks to itself nonsense. Sometimes they basically tell you how to solve puzzles before you even get a chance to think about it.

@Snatcher it is on sale, like, right now. At least in my neck of the woods, anyway

"You can see this brief scene play out at the 1:04:30 mark in the video above."

Seeing as this is wrong, can someone point me to the actual timestamp in the video where I can see the footage?

These kinds of DLC are spoiling the devs' creativity. Rayman could be a character well hidden in the game, especially in the case that they were already making this DLC before the launch of the game, making the player search high and low to find him and make him a member of their party.

Instead of this, we have to pay to have access to an extra stage that could be in the base game, making the players really search the game to find it.

I dont know why but something is holding me back from buying this game.

@Anti-Matter The dlc was a downloadcode, and a gold edition of the sequel with a downloadcode is available. I have both gold editions, and I would have liked it to be on the physical medium, but I have no regrets and love both games. The dlc of the first game was AMAZINGLY good, and I have high hopes for Rayman's return in 3D, hopefully stepping out of the shadow of the rabbids for a next game.

@AtlanteanMan sums it up neatly. I finished it on hard without breaking a sweat and was really disappointed. The first one was incredible.

In case you don't want to watch 2 hours of mostly-non-switch games, the actual time of the teaser is 0:53:50 when I look for it, so I suppose the video has been shortened of the given time stamp is just a mistake.

@AtlanteanMan I just recently finished the sequel, and really look forward to continue playing with Rayman. But I see your points, and they are valid. Personally I think the music, the battles not just being part of the world map, and the guns all just literally being skins for the same weapon, made this sequel a little less enjoyable than the superb surprise that was the first game. Still a very good game though,in my opinion. Easy, yes, that's also true. My party was only wiped out once, when I was cornered by multiple spawning new enemies that just slaughtered my party in their instant turn upon spawning with massive area attacks, and they kept coming through the same portals, so it wasn't a challenge, just something completely unfair I could not have known in advance.

The first Mario Rabbids is one of my favorite Switch games. Absolutely brilliant, and I've completed it a few times.

Sparks of Hope... I was too bored to even complete the demo. Huge let down.

I enjoyed the game immensely, so ... pppbbbbbttt.

Luigi I can agree is OP, but that's no different than the first game. I got through more of the game running him with Bowser, who everyone swears sucks, but I found to be a great long-range partner for Luigi, blowing up enemy cover and forcing them into Luigi's crosshairs. So I kinda get the impression most characters are pretty usable. I'd say Rabbid Luigi sucks, but I know others like him, so.

On the other hand, I've never seen anyone defend Rabbid Yoshi's design from the first game. Just a poorly thought-out character all around, joins way too late to do anything and does nothing well.

I prefer the first game's approach to map design too, but the sequel still has a lot of great moments despite there being an element of generation in the maps. The map where you have to activate a series of blowers to blow a bomb to the end was really fun, and the train map, were particular standouts.

I enjoyed the worlds in the sequel, and liked having more characters that have dialogue. Brings the world to life that much more.

I do prefer the bosses from the first game though - save for the final boss, the sequel's final boss is definitely the better fight.

Really enjoyed the DLC so far. It's a fun little roguelike mode. Not incredibly challenging, but definitely forces you to think and engage with the game's mechanics and characters in ways the main game wouldn't be able to. I for onr feel absolutely spoiled for great strategy games this year, and am looking forward to the remaining DLC.

@Shambo
Even the Gold Edition was code in box for DLC?? 😨
Dang...

@AtlanteanMan

I think we have pretty much the exact same outlook on these two games. Let's just put it this way, I played through the first one and its DLC twice and loved both it both times. The second one felt like a chore. And the map suuuuuucks.

The battles were way too easy, the Sparks made the players way too overpowered, and there was no complexity to the battles in the second game. You could win them all in one or two turns.

The skill tree is awful. You can only fill up maybe one column, so it's really disappointing to have all these skills that you can never use. It was not like that in the first game. You could just about max everything in time. And that was fun.

And then there's Edge. Oh, Edge. "Poochie's dead!"

I'm definitely not buying anything Ubisoft has to offer ever.

@saturn3
You pretty much nail it. Plus (or should I better say "minus" instead?):
They cut Couch Coop completely. This mode was too good to be true in Kingdom Battle and is the reason why I still play KB from time to time with a friend.

Kingdom Battle was a freaking blast. Sparks of Hope had the potential to be even better; however, it never met the expectations of the KB. Sad; we were hoping the franchise would continue for a bit longer.

Well like Sam Fisher for Splinter Cell, Rayman gets thrown around as a cameo and honestly sick of it. Either use the character properly or don't at all simple as that. Or make merch if you still want to I won't buy it as I don't care for merch but still it's less patronizing.

We aren't interested Ubisoft we want the characters in better hands not a cameo to buy a product we still won't for DLC or otherwise. Make them actually useful in the game. Mario and Rayman is more cooler for gameplay possibilities and like Mario/Sonic collabing of just value then him being second to Rabbids who have barely any worth personality and are just annoying and put into costumes sure. I've seen better use of characters doing that costumes gag before.

Even when I saw Rabbids Land on Wii U in my retro game stores I look at it and go I could pick it up (I'd probably rather the Rayman Rabbids platformers on GBA instead because their closer to Rayman 4's prototype) but I don't like Rabbids and I'll stick to that.

Even if Sparks/Kingdom Battle are good tactics games (and I like tactics games) I just know I'll hate the Rabbids so much and it won't change my opinion on them and only so much of the game I can take/enjoy and ignore moments when wanting to enjoy the gameplay. I'd purely buy them cheap for the gameplay not the characters.

@Not_Soos Yes! That's a great idea lol. Although, you should probably buy the game first.

I hope Ubisoft features Rayman like they have been doing, but I also hope they bring him back. Hopefully, another Rayman game gets the green light.