It’s reboot time! Of the ultra-violent variety. As has been expected and teased in recent days/weeks, the latest entry in the long-running Mortal Kombat video game series has been announced, and it will be hitting consoles and PC this fall. But instead of Mortal Kombat 12, we’re getting a fresh start with Mortal Kombat 1. And, while many questions linger, one thing is for certain: the blood will run more feverishly than ever before. If this teaser is to be believed, the legendary violence associated with these games will hit new levels of brutality. Check it out.
Things are pretty tame for the majority of the first half of the trailer, with many familiar characters introduced and looking updated for the forthcoming reboot. But the back half? It’s buckets of spine-ripping, head-stomping blood. Seriously, in the age of 4K Ultra-HD and wildly lifelike graphics, this is truly, astonishingly over-the-top. But hey, why else would one play an MK game if they weren’t up for this sort of thing? While the full story has yet to be laid out, the folks at Warner Bros. Games and NeatherRealm Studios released the following description of the game:
“Mortal Kombat 1 is the latest title in the acclaimed Mortal Kombat videogame franchise developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios. The game will introduce a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe that has been created by the Fire God Liu Kang, featuring reimagined versions of iconic characters as they’ve never been seen before, along with a new fighting system, game modes, bone krushing finishing moves, and more.”
The recent games in the series have incorporated a compelling story mode that offers a story-driven campaign to go along with the standard PvP fighting. That will continue with Mortal Kombat 1, which will be available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC. It will also come with a price take of $69.99 for the standard edition, which is now the going rate for a AAA game. Ed Boon, Chief Creative Officer of NetherRealm Studios and Co-Creator of Mortal Kombat, had this to say:
“Mortal Kombat 1 marks a new beginning for the franchise and we couldn’t be more excited to share this original storyline and fresh take on classic characters with our fans. We’re also introducing our Kameo Fighter system which brings a unique roster of partner characters into the mix, and we are looking forward to showing this feature as well as more new elements of the game very soon.”
Mortal Kombat 1 hits shelves on September 19. Pre-orders go live on May 19 and those who pre-order a copy will get Shang Tsung as a playable character. Additionally, those who pre-order the game for the PS5, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S will get access to the beta, which kicks off in August.
