Rabbids: Party of Legends
The Story Of Party of Legends Is An Interesting One
The Rabbids series began as a spinoff to the Rayman franchise with 2006's Rayman Raving Rabbids. Rather than utilizing the 3D Action Platformer genre, the series was known for, Raving Rabbids focused on party games and minigames. The spin-off series wound up more successful than the main series it deviated from, spawning many titles on Nintendo's consoles alone. It even found a spin-off series of its own in collaboration with Super Mario. Rabbids Party of Legends marks the first non-spin-off Rabbids title in years and the first to debut on a PlayStation and Xbox console in over a decade. There is a caveat to how Party of Legends came into existence.
Originally, the game went under a different title, titled Rabbids: Adventure Party released either in 2020 or 2019, depending on the source, as a China-exclusive title. Developed by Ubisoft Chengdu, it's to be assumed that it was originally meant to release worldwide eventually. What's cool about this detail is that it is rare that a game is developed for China first and released outside of the country everywhere else. With a new title in tow, as well as armed with this information, Rabbids Party of Legends started to make a lot more sense.
Party of Legends Is Journey To The West But Made Silly
The plot for Rabbids Party of Legends centers around a group of Rabbids who find themselves in a magic washing machine that teleports them into the land that's based on Journey To The West. Rather than Sun Wukong for example, it's a Rabbid on a cloud for example. As the washing machine teleports and the Rabbids cause chaos, they lose these mythical books. In order to return home, they must find these books and return them all or risk being trapped forever.
Yeah, so, I didn't know anything about Rabbids before playing Party of Legends but as it turns out there is indeed a time-traveling washing machine. It's the source of many of their antics, including the Mario + Rabbids games. Players do not need to play any of the previous Rabbids titles. They also do not need to play the original Rayman series although I'll always recommend Rayman 2 to anyone. Party of legends is split into several Acts and for each act, the player selects a Rabbid to control.
All Notable Figures From Journey To The West Are Rabbid-fied
As mentioned before, figures like Sun Wukong and other important characters of legend have been given the Rabbid treatment. The Rabbid I chose for Act 1 was a basketball player complete with a jersey and a basketball itself. Following the decision, there's a choice to go through the first act solo or be paired with a team rabbid. I decided to go solo, although I wish I changed the difficulty of the gameplay. Rabbids Party of legends is not necessarily a difficult game although there were some minigames I struggled to understand.
One minigame required me to lift a tower from the ground and pull out a sword at the right time. I failed to understand the timing for this particular mechanic, but the other minigames were easy to follow. This isn't like Mario Party Superstars where four players have their way on a giant board to collect the most stars. Like most Rabbid games, the winner is determined by who wins the most games identified by the number of books earned.
Each Act Plays Like A Mini Tabletop Journey
The minigames range from various familiar archetypes players have seen before. A last man standing minigame where players try to roll each other off a cliff? Present. Avoid the giant hands that form various shapes by finding the safe zone? Check. An impromptu rhythm game where players have to match the motions at the right time? Of course. Each minigame comes prefaced with a scenario that the Rabbids find themselves in, making each minigame relevant to an extent.
Aside from winning minigames, the other way to earn books is through these chance scenarios. Occasionally there will be a scenario that puts the Rabbids in a predicament with three possible solutions. The most sensible solution will offer players a chance to win a paltry number of books with little risk. The crazier the solution, the bigger the reward but the greater risk involved. Players low on books will want to take that chance while players with a comfortable lead can rest easy with a modest one. These strategies are important for ensuring you remain the top rabbid.
No Online Multiplayer Hinders This Game's Potential
For reasons I can assume is related to its origins, there are no online game modes for Rabbids Party of Legends. For a minigame collection, it's a shame as some of the games are quite enjoyable. There is local multiplayer with up to four players, but it would be cool if an online element was introduced in some way. As this is a Ubisoft title, Party of Legends is compatible with Ubisoft Connect. The rewards leave a lot to be desired as completing certain objectives in-game will reward players with in-game experience. As the player levels up, bonus mini-games and characters are available in free mode.
Overall it's hard to gauge Rabbids Party of Legends as it's mechanically not a terrible game. The most interesting aspect of the title is its development and the Xbox One port is similar to the original Switch port. For PlayStation and Xbox owners, this may be a "must buy" if you're in the mood for a solid multiplayer party game. Switch owners have Mario Party. That's all that needs to be said. Plus with the new Mario + Rabbids game due in a few months, it's hard to recommend it to a Switch owner but other console owners will find fleeting enjoyment.
Rabbids Party of Legends is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and Nintendo Switch