I just beat the game yesterday and oh my god it was a blast from start to finish! I played Kingdom Battle back in 2017 and I played it not thinking I'd ever like the idea of a Mario crossover with Rabbids, and with guns. After beating Kingdom Battle my opinion changed and many people seemed to like it as well. That just shows how Ubisoft and Nintendo made this work. Now in 2022 with the sequel being Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is easily much better than the first. The story is well written I'd say and the cutscenes and animations were great.
I really like the overworld stuff and that it's open world in a way and also not completely linear which was present in Kingdom Battle. The combat system of the sequel is much better. I like how we freely move at 360 degrees while Kingdom Battle had the grid, and the best part is you can do much more with this one. You can feel free to move around pretty much most of the time and it let's you make some quick last minute changes to your hero's position if needed. The only time you can't move is after you shoot an enemy which kind of sucks, but that's how the game works. Team jumping is much better with Beep-o acting as a mini helicopter to fly you a little bit further although I have no idea how he can carry Bowser. You can still dash as well which feels awkward but also hilarious because of the 360 degree movement. Lastly, Sparks are very interesting. I'm bummed we don't get secondary weapon slots but some Sparks act like secondaries so it's all good. Sparks can attack nearby enemies, support your heroes, and enhance your primary attacks.
Overall I think this game is a massive upgrade from the first. They took what was good and made it all better. The combat system, the overworld, and the graphics. The characters are fun too which I'll briefly mention: Mario is an allrounder, Luigi is the sniper and definitely the best character, Peach is a protector, Rabbid Mario is a up close and personal brawler, Rabbid Luigi weakens enemies, Rabbid Peach is a healer, Edge is a Blade master, Rabbid Rosalina is the Demotivator, and Bowser is basically a tank who has AoE (area of effect) attacks. All of them are unique and versatile. The gameplay is outsanding which makes a good game. So now Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is easily one of my 5 favorite games in 2022.