Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was one of the biggest surprises at E3 2017. A turn-based, tactical RPG featuring Mario, Princess Peach and Co., the game puts rifles in the hands of the heroes as they take on Ubisoft's wild Rabbids.
A new Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle trailer has now been released, highlighting the tone of Mario's next adventure. A live-action featurette, the footage sees a soldier move stealthily behind cover as bullets whizz on the battlefield and take out nearby allies.
With fatigues, flames, and the fear of being picked off by a sniper, the video may seem more fitting for a new Call of Duty or Ghost Recon than it does a game in the Mario universe. It's also quite a bit different to the recent Luigi trailer, which focused more on abilities, but the soldier's colleague who shows up towards the end of the live-action sequence injects a bit of humor into the video.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has been compared to XCOM many times already and even the developer behind that sci-fi tactical game has weighed in on the similarities. But this latest live-action trailer plays up that tactical aspect and shows that players shouldn't go into this thinking that it will be easy. Players will have to keep their wits about them and think carefully about their moves. Although the Rabbids may look relatively cute, they can still pose a significant threat.
The trailer for the upcoming Nintendo Switch title also suggests that it may not take itself so seriously and will still find time to be silly. Princess Peach snaps selfies in mid-air, while the giant Rabbid enemy at the end looks menacing but in a fairly comical way. Ubisoft has confirmed that Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle takes some inspiration from Mario Kart, as it looks to keep things colorful and fun while giving players something to think about. Keeping spirits high even when the game poses a challenge is vital.
While the game represents a relatively new direction for the Mario game universe, it is still expected to be a system seller when it arrives next week. The Nintendo Switch is the most successful Nintendo launch ever and the console continues to sell out across the world due to its slate of exclusives. Kingdom Battle adds to the list of high-profile Switch-only titles, which already includes ARMS and Splatoon 2, and is expected to help the strong sales of the console continue.