As promised last week, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. took to the stage to reveal all of the juicy details for upcoming brawler Mortal Kombat 11. They revealed game modes old and new, a first glimpse at the roster, a peek at the franchise's famous Fatalities, and what players can expect if they pre-order the game.
At over 25 years old, the Mortal Kombat franchise has been building its lore for long enough. With this new title, a new story campaign will put players in control of several "past and present" characters as Raiden takes on a new foe. After Shinnok was killed, the balance of history has been upset, and Kronika is tiring of Earthrealm's defiance. Kronika is the Keeper of Time, and she "created existence at the dawn of history". She's the first female boss character to ever feature in a Mortal Kombat title, and she's going to bring order back to the universe however she sees fit. You can check out her story in the first of six trailers below:
Of course, the story mode won't be the only game mode on offer. Amongst the "multiple modes" is the Towers of Time, building upon the Challenge Tower and Living Towers modes that came before it. While details on the mode were scarce, players will take on a variety of challenges that promise to test their skills. You can get a first glimpse of gameplay in the next trailer, with musical accompaniment from an exclusive original track called "You're Next" by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs Bassjackers.
How many kombatants did you recognise? Well, the first glimpse at the roster revealed seven returning characters — Raiden, Scorpion, Skarlet, Baraka, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, and Shao Khan. As you possibly already know, Sonya is a decorated officer in the Special Forces and she'll now be voiced by Ronda Rousey, previously of UFC fame and currently found in the WWE. Ronda said:
I’ve been a lifelong Mortal Kombat fan, and Sonya Blade was the first kick-ass, female video game character that I related to. Now I get to voice her in Mortal Kombat 11. It’s a dream come true to be a part of the Mortal Kombat franchise that I grew up playing.
Not only will there be familiar faces, but there will also be new ones. New character Geras is a loyal servant of Kronika and is armed with powerful abilities like time manipulation. He's on show in the next trailer:
One of the game's new features will be the Custom Character Variation System, which NetherRealm promises will offer "nearly infinite" ways to customise their Kombatants. There will be Skins, Gear, Special Abilities, Intro and Victory Cinemas, Taunts, and Brutalities on offer for players to use to personalise their character as they choose — these can be earned through gameplay. Of course, each of the characters will also have their own unique abilities and Fatalities, the latter of which will have enhanced graphics and animations. The next trailer showcases some of the "most gruesome, over-the-top Fatalities in Mortal Kombat history".
If all of that information isn't enough, franchise creator Ed Boon took to the stage to provide players with a ten minute gameplay walkthrough of the new features, characters, and story. You can see that in the final trailer below:
Stay tuned for part two of our coverage where we reveal the game's pre-order bonuses, special Kollector's Edition, and a behind the scenes glimpse at the game!
We've got the full list of Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4) trophies - check the list for guides to unlocking them.