![]() Having the option to constantly modify your line-up also helps alleviate the issue of mission parameters repeating themselves too often. Being able to swap out abilities and characters upon getting a look at the combat area is crucially important. Outside of the handful of challenges where you're locked into using certain characters, you are given freedoms that previously weren't available to you. The XCOM-lite gameplay was satisfying in the first title, but the copious changes here significantly improve upon it. The sequel does what any good sequel should do, which is successfully build upon the framework of what worked in the prior entry. There are plenty of ways to build your team, and it's important to figure out what line-up suits your playstyle. The new trio is made-up of fan favorite Bowser, and new characters Rabbid Rosalina and Edge. Your options include six returnees from the previous game, as well as three new squad members. However, for this adventure, you can create your ideal line-up from any of the nine playable characters. In Kingdom Battle, your team of three was always locked to include Mario and a Rabbid. In addition to movement and special abilities, you are also given increased control over the team you have on the battlefield. Increased flexibility seemed to have been one of the core ideas that went into developing Sparks of Hope. There's a greater flexibility to map positioning, and I felt like I was able to get my team into the exact places I needed with greater ease. ![]() I was surprised, though, at the ways it impacted my strategy during battle. Going into the sequel, I figured this would feel more like a cosmetic change than anything else. Movement can be extended by executing a Team Jump, or by using specific items as well. Each character still has a set amount of space they can cover in a single turn, but instead of shuffling around a grid, you are now free to move to any area in your given range. It may remove some of the harsh difficulty that was inspired by XCOM design origins, but this change ultimately makes for a much more enjoyable time.Īnother noticeable change is that mobility in combat has switched from grid-based to free-moving. Personally, I've gotten a lot of use out of launching enemies in the air with a water attack, then having them get targeted in mid-air by another member of the team. With the threat of the effect missing removed, it's now easier to plan out combo attacks between your team. This go-around, once you equip the Spark you want to use, it will work no matter what. The last game only had a handful, and they were often hampered by having a probability meter. Not only are these specials now easier to use, but there's a much greater amount of variety to them. Sparks are essentially a more fleshed out revision of the Super Effects from the previous game. Some of them give your attacks modifiers such as frost or electric, while others offer different abilities such as being able to pull enemies to your position. Each character can have two on their being at a time, and the Sparks come in a variety of fashions. As you play through the campaign and complete missions, you'll unlock these goofy looking creatures that can be equipped onto a character. ![]() The biggest change in the sequel is the addition of Sparks. There wasn't enough personality or motivation to keep me engaged during the campaign.Īlthough both Kingdom Battle and Sparks of Hope borrow heavily from the excellent XCOM, there are major differences between the two. New Rabbid Edge only gets fleshed out during the final portions of the narrative, and Cursa is a lackluster baddie. The grating humor combined with new faces that fail to leave an impression makes for a bore of a story. Simply put, I really don't care for the Rabbids, and I don't find their style of humor enjoyable. I feel like I'm slightly in the minority when I say that I was not a fan of the story in Kingdom Battle, and that same dislike carries over to Sparks of Hope. Eventually, the entire team is absorbed by this substance, and in order to escape back to their home world, they must defeat Cursa, the mysterious being behind the invasion. ![]() This goopy substance has a corrupting influence, and soon begins to envelope the kingdom. ![]() However, their peace is soon threatened with the arrival of the cosmic matter known as Darkmess. Mario, Peach, and Luigi are living side-by-side with their Rabbid doppelgangers in surprising harmony. Following their invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom, the Rabbids have generally made themselves at home in their new land. ![]()
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