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Rabbids: Party of Legends review

August 31, 2022

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Rabbids: Party of Legends

The Rabbids have had a crazy history dating back to their appearance in Rayman Raving Rabbids in 2006. Since then, these crazy rabbits have appeared in everything from adventure games, to party games, and even arcade games! It is no real shock that prior to their next epic adventure, Rabbids: Party of Legends, the Rabbids want to have a little bit of fun.

Although the big adventure for the Rabbids won’t be coming out until later this year, it’s always fun to throw a summer party! Rabbids: Party of Legends will give you all those Mario Party vibes. If you are looking to have wacky fun with friends, this could be the title for you. But does it hold up long term, and is the actual game fun to play?

Rabbids: Party of Legends Details

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
Developer(s): Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Genre: Party
Modes: Single player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

A Typical Party Adventure, with a Twist?

Rabbids: Party of Legends was previously a China only release, but has finally made its way to the west. There is nothing crazy or innovative here, but rather a safe experience that party game fans will instantly recognize. you will compete across various mini games attempting to earn books. At the end of a set number of rounds, the player with the most books is the winner.

In some instances, you will team up to compete in various challenges, but for the most part, it’s every Rabbid for themselves! The game is not completely void of a story, however. The Rabbids have climbed into their time traveling washing machine and gone back to 16th century China. The game itself, and the characters, are modeled after the book, Journey to the West. Journey to the West was a Chinese novel published during the 16th century Ming Dynasty. It centered around the character Xuanzang who was traveling to obtain sacred buddhist texts.

So how does this story translate into non-talking rabbits? Characters, locations, and the book concept are all tied directly to the book, and for the most part, the game does a fairly good job of keeping true to the source material. Games like this often lack story, so to see one here is a nice touch. The minigames are often themed around moments from the story, so while not a direct page-for-page retelling, those familiar will appreciate the connections.

Accessible Controls

Rabbids: Party of Legends only requires a single Joy-Con to play, which makes it an easy game to play with friends. Some games require you to use the Joy-Con horizontal, while others will require it to be vertical. Some games have motion controls, while others simply use button inputs. The variety here is great, but no control requirement is ever overwhelming or difficult to understand.

Lacking in Key Areas

The games in Rabbids: Party of Legends are rifts on things you might be familiar with. There are last man standing mini games, simon says games, games themed around racing, avoiding obstacles, and more. It’s standard fare, but interesting enough to be engaging, even when playing a game multiple times.

But the game is lacking in key areas, and it ultimately holds it back. The game does have an adventure mode that can be played through, and I applaud Ubisoft for including it. However, playing through the game’s story is the only way to unlock more mini games for use in party mode, and that becomes a slow, sometimes boring slog. Grinding for experience to purchase new games shouldn’t be a thing in a party game. While I understand what Ubisoft was doing here – forcing you to play adventure mode – it ultimately ends up being a frustrating experience, and limits what can be done right out of the box.

Another limiting factor is the game’s multiplayer capabilities. While playing local will always be an option, online multiplayer doesn’t exist. This is wildly disappointing, as other games in this genre have the ability to be played online with friends.

Rabbids: Party of Legends is a fun, somewhat flawed experience

Ultimately, you will have as much fun with Rabbids: Party of Legends as you put into it. The requirement to grind the adventure mode to unlock new mini games is definitely disappointing, but for those willing to put in the time, there are some great games to play.

The game looks great on Nintendo Switch, and this will easily appeal to a younger audience. Older players, however, might want to find their fix of party gaming elsewhere.

+ Fun variety of mini games
+ Solid adventure mode story
+ Accessible controls

– Have to grind to unlock new mini games
– No online multiplayer