Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will be the first time Rabbids actually talk
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In a turn up for the books, all characters in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will have voices, something Ubisoft had previously said could not happen.
Creative director Davide Soliani was initially told Rabbids were not to speak by Ubisoft. However, thanks to some creative manipulation of the rules and a successful bid by Soliani to "gain trust" from Ubisoft, Mario and his Rabbid companions will now talk during their upcoming escapades (thanks, IGN).
Let's rewind back to the start to understand how this all came about.
In the first Mario + Rabbids game, Kingdom Battle, Soliani made a choice to bend the wording of his orders from Ubisoft - yes, he had been told Rabbids couldn't talk, but he was never told that they could not sing.
So, what did we get in Kingdom Battle? An opera singing ghost Rabbid called Phantom.
This bombastic inclusion in the game was well-received by fans and critics alike, leading Ubisoft to soften its stance on the Rabbids finding their voice in Sparks of Hope.
"I gained trust from Ubisoft to venture towards a new horizon... Everything we are doing, it's part of a process of evolution that will lead us somewhere else," Soliani explained. "I think that as a team, we really love experimenting and we will keep doing it in the DLC. And then, who knows in the future what will happen?".
As for that DLC, this will see Rayman popping in and paying a visit to Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
The full game releases on 20th October exclusively on Nintendo Switch. As yet, there's no confirmed date for the Rayman DLC expansion.