Our quick take
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - 4.0 / 5
Hitting the right tone
Plenty to explore
Deeper gameplay
Getting tactical
To recap
Ubisoft’s second Mario + Rabbids game for the Switch might just be the closest thing to a proper Mario game ever made by anyone other than Nintendo. It marries an authentically Mario-esque vibe (with added knockabout humour from those often maligned Rabbids) with gloriously strategic turn-based gameplay, which feels like a gateway to the likes of XCOM. Throw in some decent puzzling, rewarding exploration and a satisfying meatiness, and it feels as though, with its second take on the franchise, Ubisoft has really fleshed it out into a well-structured, coherent triumph.
