Since 1992, the Mortal Kombat franchise has been delighting audiences with its ultra-violent aesthetic, crowd-pleasing finishers, and bizarre intersection between dark humor and melodramatic lore.
The first Mortal Kombat game was framed around a fictional martial arts tournament and shared much in common with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon film. But as the series progressed, the writers began adding fantastical elements, like alternate realms, sentient cyborgs, and a convoluted backstory concerning Elder Gods, destiny, and vengeance.
The gameplay of the Mortal Kombat franchise has changed significantly since its heyday. The early video games were unbalanced and glitchy—heavy on flash and shock value, less so on competitive strategy. But starting with Mortal Kombat 9, and continuing into Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios began designing these games with a more serious, competitive intent.
Mortal Kombat 11 continues this trend, incorporating all-new meta-mechanics for the hardcore fighting game community to sink its teeth into. The recent, early access beta provided a positive indication of things to come. Here is everything to know about Mortal Kombat 11 that we've learned thus far.
Pre-order and Release Date
Cross-Generational Kombat
A Large Roster
Familiar Voices
DLC and Microtransactions
General Gameplay Changes
Dual Meters, No Overlap
Fatal Blows Versus Krushing Blows
Flawless Block Counterattack
The Fatalities Are Disgusting
The fatalities in Mortal Kombat 11 are extremely grotesque. Baraka rips off his opponent's face, skewers his brain, and takes a bite. Liu Kang performs a one-inch punch on an opponent, causing him to break apart into bloody chunks. Sonya Blade pushes her opponent into the whirling blades of a helicopter. The end of each fatality is animated in slow-mo, to accentuate the carnage.
These moves are ridiculous enough to make you nervously giggle and realistic enough to make your stomach turn. If you want a game that thoroughly earns its Mature rating, try this one on for size.