The Rabbids are one of Ubisoft’s most malleable characters. They can fit in nearly any type of game and become agents of chaos or fun-loving protagonists. They have given a hand to Nintendo’s legendary heroes. They’ve been party games and sent flying in space.
In their latest adventure, one intrepid Rabbid goes on a multidimensional adventure via the Time Washing Machine. Armed with a special Polaroid-ish camera, the protagonist can snap a picture of another Rabbid or object and clone them, turning them into cards. The device comes in handy as the hero ventures across five worlds, battling villains of the locales.
The West Valley world in “Rabbids: Legends of the Multiverse” has a Wild West theme and collectible characters that armed with pistols or pickaxes. (Ubisoft) BUILDING AN ARMYInitially, players start off with a few photographed clones to call on, but over the course of the campaign, they acquire more allies from the themed worlds that include Barbe Kingdom, Dragon Mountain, West Valley, Pirate Lagoon and Futuropolis. They also have a neutral set of characters that can go in any deck. The combat units come in the seven flavors: ranged, melee, totem, assassin, tank, trap and spell.
Before entering a level, players build out a deck of 12 cards and a hand of five is randomly selected at the start. Players deploy them by dragging and dropping them on the field of play and the units fight automatically. (Players can also use a controller.) Each unit has an energy cost and some of the more powerful cards take longer to deploy as energy is built up over time. The gameplay is akin to a Tower Defense game but in reverse. The Rabbid photographer marches through each level and its minions defend the protagonist.
Occasionally, the units have special charged move that they can deploy, and that can help turn the tide of battle. The strategy in “Rabbids Legends of the Multiverse” comes from mixing and matching the minions. Each level requires a different strategy. One stage may require several tanks to soak up damage up front others while others may need the offensive firepower of assassins. Still, other stages may need the the healing powers of the Lady of the Lake to support a barrage of enemies. The one caveat to deck build is that players can mix units from two universes.The Futuropolis level of “Rabbids: Legends of the Multiverse” features characters that excel at battlefield control and limiting damage. (Ubisoft) STRATEGY AND MINION GROWTHOver the course of the campaign, players will learn the strengths and weaknesses of each unit, and they’ll develop their own strategies and favorites to help pull them through the level. It’s important to focus on the cards that fit a playstyle because they can be leveled up with resources earned after completing a stage. In the right hands and with enough support units, a low-energy grunt could be powered up to carry a deck.
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The stages are fairly short but Ubisoft extends the gameplay by making players grind through levels again and again. They’ll need to do that to grab randomized resources to upgrade their cards. After beating a level, players also have three challenges that if completed gives players a new card to further bolster their roster of minions. The grind can be annoying, especially if players hit a tough level and need to power up their units to overcome it. Because it’s random, players may have to play through levels multiple times to get the right upgrade materials and that’s a slog.
Ubisoft Da Nang tries to mitigate this with a store that offers free card packs every few hours and purchasable resources that cost coins, another in-game resource. Players can also challenge each other to PvP battles. Skirmishes are short at 3 minutes and it lets players show off their hard work when it comes to their deck building and upgraded units. The Arena even has its own store, giving players another avenue to power up their minions and earn new ones.
The only other major problem with “Rabbids: Legends of the Multiverse” is that it does have bugs. The game freezes up and it will force players to restart a level. That’s especially annoying when trying to complete challenges. Still, the core game is good and mixes addictive gameplay with satisfying strategy.
Rabbids Legends of the Multiverse
Three starsPlatform: Apple ArcadeRating: 9+ years old