Updates at the bottom -F

With E3 now in full swing we’ve already learned a lot about the new Mortal Kombat X game.  Netherrealm Studios have been showcasing their gameplay footage and all the new features to come with Mortal Kombat X.  Some of these things have been spelled out for us, while others you have to be paying attention to.  Of course so far the game is still a beta, so these things may change.

New Characters
The beta game that Netherrealm brought to E3 shows off six characters. Of course there’s the fan favorites Sub-Zero and Scorpion, but what’s very surprising is that the other four are new faces.  The fact that a majority of the revealed characters are unfamiliar to the fans shows that the last Mortal Kombat game was an actual reboot.  On the roster there is Cassie Cage, who is the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade.  There’s also Kotal Kahn, who all we know about so far really is that he likes  to squeeze the blood out of people’s hearts onto his face.  There’s also the half-insect half-human type creature named D’Vorah.  Last but not least there is Ferra and Torr.  Ferra and Torr are a team character, Torr being a big bruiser and Ferra a little girl that rides on his back.  Ferra can be throw as a projectile and assist Torr.

Story
The story takes place after Mortal Kombat 9′s ending and spans over the next 25 years.  We can expect some of the same characters (but not many since they’re all dead) as the previous game, but older.  There will also be a new generation of fighters.  One of the most interesting questions is who will the new villain be?  Ed Boon revealed that it will be a surprise returning character.  Could it be Dark Raiden, zombie Liu Kang, or even Onaga the Dragon King?  It’ll probably be a character that fans of the original Mortal Kombat trilogy will be familiar with.

Game Play
On the character select screen you’ll now be able to choose your warrior’s outfit and fighting style.  Each fighting style will have a varied set of moves.  So you could chose Scorpion’s ninjitsu mode where he uses his swords or his inferno mode where he uses his hell specter powers.
Besides that the gameplay seems very similar to Mortal Kombat 9, and Injustice: Gods Among Us.  The energy bar, although newly stylized, is the three factor bar we saw in the previous Mortal Kombat.  X-Ray moves are still there, and looks more brutal than ever.  Even the fatalities feel like the previous version of Mortal Kombat.
The environment can now be used during the fight, giving characters chances to evade the opponent or even bash their skulls in with what’s lying around.  Using the environment is a familiar concept to those that played Injustice, however Mortal Kombat players may not be used to it.  One addition to the integrated environment is that it now flashes to indicate it can be used.  I found this a bit distracting and annoying, hopefully that’s a feature that can be turned off.

Final Thoughts
The fact that the game is very similar to it’s last version is not necessarily a bad thing.  Mortal Kombat 9, and Injustice were incredibly successful and continue to sell well today.  MK9 sold better than all the previous Mortal Kombat games.  If it’s not broke don’t fix it.  The addition of so many new characters gives the game an all new feel, and nostalgia so far is playing less of a roll in the newest incarnation of the game.  It is perhaps a little disappointing to those who were expecting an entirely new game that would leap ahead in fighting game innovation, but we have yet to see all the surprises Netherrealm has in store for us.

-F

UPDATES
As E3 continues so does the coverage of Mortal Kombat X.  As creative director Ed Boon sits down for interview after interview we’ve gathered new information about the game that may have been overlooked.  In the most recent interviews Boon has clarified that the game doesn’t take place immediately after MK 9, but will cover a span of about 25 years after the ending of the last game.  The story will jump back and forth in order to establish a well rounded plot.  As for the name, the game is officially pronounced “Mortal Kombat Ex” but the X can be interpreted as X as in 10 or even X as in next generation (as in next gen consoles and characters).

The background integration isn’t as intrusive as Injustice.  Since these characters are mortal and not gods the background is mostly used for interaction to evade and move around the screen.  There are a few projectiles in the background but not as many as were in Injustice.  There is also a run function and a stamina bar in the new game.  The designers didn’t want the players to be able to continue to run so running and other things can lower your stamina bar.  X-Ray moves are now much quicker.  One complaint about the previous games was that the cinematic scenes, although amazing and epic, were very long.  The new X-Rays are very quick, yet still beautiful and horrible.  After the fight both players will have the choice to continue fighting or go back to the character select menu, similar to Injustice’s after battle screen.

Character silhouettes in the select screen currently has 24 characters, BUT it doesn’t necessarily represent the characters that’ll be in the game.  A few of the silhouettes are even fake.  One of Ferra Torr’s battle modes is where he has Ferra on his back.  You’ll be able to throw Ferra like a projectile, but if you do you will have some down time on that move. After you throw her she has to scramble to get back on top of Torr so you won’t be able to use her during that time.  All the characters will acknowledge the other fighter at the beginning of the match, so they’ll have a mini conversation.

 

Related
Is E3 important anymore?
Mortal Kombat X Official Announcement

Thanks to twitter user @Arjs_Eye for catching the the mistake on the story setting.  It takes place over a span of 25 years, not 25 years after the last game.