10 Brilliant Video Games That Surprised Everyone

What happens when you take gaming's most beloved mascot and pair him with gaming's most irritating, obnoxious army of screeching sidekicks? And what happens when you pair them in a game whose genre is completely alien to both franchises? Somehow, you aren't greeted with the stream of diarrhoea one would expect from such ludicrous choices - instead, you're treated to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, an incredibly well-executed turn-based tactical RPG in the vein of the excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

The gameplay itself is deep and well-balanced, requiring a lot of thoughtful strategy - but featuring special abilities such as bouncing off teammates to deal damage and traverse the battleground. These additions refer effectively to the Mario series' platforming roots, resulting in a neat blend of strategic action and acrobatic fun. The heightened mobility of both enemies and player characters promotes an aggressive play style, and the game therefore keeps pushing forward rather than getting bogged down.

The game's design is dripping with visual personality throughout, and its beautifully animated cutscenes convey a lot of satisfying physical comedy - the Mario/Rabbid hybrid characters are nothing short of genius in their portrayal. And of course, you get to shoot Rabbids in the face with a shotgun. What more could you ask for?