"Mortal Kombat" has a long standing reputation for gore and "Mortal Kombat 11" doesn't disappoint. Character models look more detailed than ever, especially as they're being dismembered. The new game makes excessive use of its impressive blood splatter effects and more than a few moves show eyes, bones, and organs being knocked out of the enemy fighter.
"Mortal Kombat 11" is a 2D fighter, just like the original games, as well as "Street Fighter." Characters fight head-to-head on a 2D plane, meaning you can't sidestep attacks or escape the fight. Players can use a variety of attacks, including special moves that are triggered with specific controller inputs.
Each character has its own unique set of attacks that will determine their fighting style during the match. A big part of the fun is finding your favorite characters and building an offensive or defensive strategy to suit your style.
Like every past "Mortal Kombat" game, every character has multiple "fatalities" — ultra-violent finishing moves that can be used to kill the opponent at the end of the fight.
Inputs for the moves were kept secret in the early "Mortal Kombat" games, but the "Mortal Kombat 11" beta tells players how to kill one another upfront.
Brutalities are fatal attacks automatically triggered if you beat the opponent with certain conditions. For example, if you use Skarlet's throw to win a match while holding forward, she will kill the opponent with a brutality prior to "Finish Him" flashing on the screen.
While the gruesome ending can come as a shock, brutalities are entertaining, and they reward players for finishing matches with a variety of moves.
Quality online play is a necessity for modern fighting games, and "Mortal Kombat" has some of the best netplay in the genre.
When playing online, the game shows connection quality between players, but will also display whether a player is using wired internet or WiFi. When you find a solid connection in casual match, "Mortal Kombat 11" will let you rematch the other player as many times as you like, and you can even go to character select before playing against the same person.
Towers are a big part of the single player "Mortal Kombat" experience. When playing Tower mode, players fight against a series of AI opponents under specific conditions. Towers give players unlockable rewards upon completion and can provide some solid practice against a moving opponent.
The cast of "Mortal Kombat 11" has mostly been revealed; there are only a few characters left unannounced. Confirmed characters include Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Jax, Shao Khan, Kano, Erron Black, Cassie Cage, Baraka, Jade, Geras, Kabal, Raiden, Skarlet, Kung Lao, Noob Saibot, and Kotal Khan.
NetherRealm Studios will continue to add to the roster with six downloadable characters during the year. Players can pre-order the season pass to access all six, or purchase them individually.
The first downloadable character will be Shang Tsung, the soul-stealing boss of the original "Mortal Kombat."
"Mortal Kombat" games have dabbled with character variations and customizable styles since "Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance" (that would be "Mortal Kombat 5" for those keeping count).
"Mortal Kombat 11" innovates on the system by letting players build their own custom loadouts using their favorite moves.
It may come as a surprise that "Mortal Kombat" has a cohesive storyline. "Mortal Kombat 11" will pick up just after the events of "Mortal Kombat X," pitting the game's heroes against a time-traveling villain named Kronika. Due to Kronika's manipulation, the cast of "Mortal Kombat 11" ends up encountering younger versions of themselves.
We'll have to wait for the full game to drop to find out more about story mode.
Players who pre-order on Xbox One and PS4 can play the closed beta through March 31st. Those who pre-order will also receive classic "Mortal Kombat" boss Shao Kahn as a downloadable character on release.
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