Early last week, Ed Boon put the world on notice when he confirmed that the next entry in the popular Mortal Kombat series is now in full development over at NetherRealm Studios. Mortal Kombat X is expected to debut on next-gen consoles in 2015 and is already shaping up to be one of the most brutally satisfying entries in the series yet.
On the first day of E3 2014, I had an opportunity to check out a behind closed doors presentation of the game. Here are a few of my thoughts on what I witnessed and why the wait until 2015 will indeed be a long one.
Mortal Kombat X takes place after the events in the last game and jumps ahead to roughly 25 years into the future. Ed Boon has described this sequel as a showcase for both the old and new generation of fighters.
The demo consisted of 6 fighters in total, 4 of which were actually highlighted in brutal one-on-one encounters. Longtime fans of the series can probably guess that Scorpion and Sub Zero where two of the characters that took part in these matchups. The other two characters where identified as D’Vorah (a winged woman with the ability to control insects) and Ferra / Torr ( a little girl warrior who rides on the back of a brute). Both of these characters were first introduced during the official Mortal Kombat X gameplay reveal at Sony’s E3 conference.
Interestingly enough, the other two fighters who we got a quick look at on the character selection screen where Cassie Cage and Kotal Kahn. Kahn is known simply as an Aztec god of war while Cassie Cage is the biological daughter of both Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. So far, it looks as though the game will include a meaty roster of 24 fighters right from the start. Ed Boon also added that he will reveal more in-depth details about these characters down the road.
When it comes to gameplay mechanics, NetherRealm Studios decided to focus on giving players the ability to use three different versions of each character. This move on their part single-handedly changes up the overall gameplay experience and allows hardcore fans to master new moves and techniques found in each play type. In addition to all this, the team also succeeded in incorporating various combat aspects from all of their previous fighting games into this one. Environmental attacks, X-Rays, and the use of weapons are all perfect examples of this concept and easily contribute to making this a truly enjoyable experience throughout.
The demo ended on a high note by showing off a few of the new fatalities that will appear in the game. While Scorpion’s 2nd fatality was teased during the Sony press conference, Warner Bros. didn’t hold back in showing us the deadly move in it’s entirety. While I don’t want to spoil it for any of you, I will at the very least say that this fatality may very well be one of the best that I’ve seen in awhile.
Mortal Kombat X will change the game when it launches on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 sometime next year. Stay tuned for more of our continued coverage on the game in the months ahead.
