Ubisoft's sequel to 2017's excellent crossover, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, has taken the crossover genre to new heights. Taking the turn-based tactical format that made Kingdom Battle such an enjoyable oddity, Sparks of Hope is a wild and wacky return to form for everyone's favorite Italian plumber and his deranged rabbid sidekicks. With a new Chris Pratt-fronted movie also on the way, the most iconic character in gaming is in no danger of showing his age.
Sparks of Hope is set after the events of the first Mario/Rabbids crossover and follows Mario's efforts to stop a powerful entity known as Cursa, an intergalactic creature bent on capturing the energies of the titular Sparks. Not only does Ubisoft's colorful sequel give players access to many fan favorites from the first installment, including Mario, Luigi, and their Rabbid counterparts, but it also introduces Bowser, Edge, and Rabbid Rosalina into the mix.
How Long Does It Take to Beat Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope?
While ostensibly built around the same basic format as its predecessor, Sparks of Hope does make some significant gameplay departures that separate it from Kingdom Battle. The first game's grid layout has been removed, and there are now encounters and battles that can take place spontaneously outside the turn-based system. Sparks of Hope encourages players to experiment with the various characters available within the roster, with Mario free to be substituted if necessary. Discovering the squad's designating strengths and weaknesses is integral to getting through the game unscathed.
While there is no official data yet available on HowLongtoBeat, most preliminary playthroughs are reporting that the average player will finish Sparks of Hope's main story in around 20 hours if most of the game's side-quests and other diversions are disregarded. Others have cited finishing times closer to 15 hours, although one's speed will vary depending on skill level, how much of the game they choose to interact with, and the difficulty level they select. These times tend to start pushing the 30-hour mark once gamers start trying to get through the title's extensive amount of side content. 30 hours is very much the average, with some faster players getting things done in 25 hours and more leisurely operators allowing their times to clock in well above 40 hours.
How Long Does It Take to Complete Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope?
Simply beating Sparks of Hope isn't the whole story. Ubisoft's latest has various requirements that must be completed in order for players to attain a 100 percent completion record, a task that can reportedly take up to 40 hours of playtime. Sparks of Hope is broken up into various planets, each of which acts as a sort of hub stage offering two-story missions and various side-quests. Players also need to collect five Planet Keys, 30 Sparks, 45 Weapon Skins, and every single one of the 72 available Memories.
All of these playtimes are very much subject to variation depending on the numerous factors already described above. One of Sparks of Hope's greatest strengths is its versatile and often non-linear nature, meaning that players can often choose the amount of time they wish to spend playing rather than having these numbers dictated by the game itself. It's also worth pointing out that Sparks of Hope is set to enjoy three whole DLC expansions via a season pass -- something that will inevitably add hours of content to the base game's substantial size.