Mario + Rabbids local co-op mode ups the squad size to four and lets two players take on a series of increasingly difficult challenge battles
The bulk of the game sees you choosing a three-person squad (always Mario with two others)
Take them into cordoned-off combat zones, then use a combination of movement, stat-heavy combat and special abilities to fight off an opposing force
There doesnt appear to be any ability to revive a downed squadmate
The games combat areas arent just disconnected maps, but part of distinct worlds
Areas include a lush garden, an ice-covered desert, a ghostly-themed area, and a volcanos innards
Each combat area has a single, seamless set of challenges
Combat missions with different objectives
Missions include defeating whole enemy forces, or reaching an end-zone
Game has puzzle areas that require no combat
Boss battles require bespoke tactics to beat
First world takes 2-3 hours to complete
Each world takes longer
Every combat area is turned into a more difficult challenge objective once completed
Game puts a huge premium on movement, particularly as a team
Characters can technically only move once a turn
By using both friends and enemies, that single move can be prolonged
Running into an enemy performs a Dash melee attack that offers an extra spurt of movement afterwards
Some characters can Dash multiple times, meaning you could attack three enemies, run through a Warp Pipe (another extra burst), run up to a squadmate, Team Jump (an extra-long bonus move) into cover, then fire again at the enemies you already hit
Different character abilities
Luigi has the Steely Glare ability that allows him to take extra sniper shots at any enemy moving past him
Rabbid Yoshi has a move that scares enemies into moving during your turn, setting up Luigi to take extra shots
Heroes differently to different situations, right down to how they take cover
Rabbid Marios got a toothpick-chewing swagger, Rabbid Luigi is clumsy, Rabbid Peach has pathological sass
The camera regularly zooms in and out, by turns picking out cinematic little details, then swooping up to turn the whole stage into a tilt-shift toybox
Second level is from late in the game, called Spooky Trails
Peach and her fire shotgun, a lethal close-quarters weapon that, if it doesnt kill, leaves your enemies with a nasty burn
Its devastating power causes enemy Rabbids to scatter around the map holding their burned behind
Enemies have intelligent AI and can outthink and outflank you with ease
Local co-op mode puts you and a friend in charge of a pair of fighters each
Easy mode included that heals your squad and boosts their HP count by 50% at the start of a fight