Thanks to Geoff Keighley and the folks at Netherrealm Studios, we were able to get an extended first look at the gameplay from Mortal Kombat 1.
After watching Sub Zero scrap with a decidedly young and inexperienced Kung Lao, it’s abundantly clear that the core combo and juggling gameplay foundation from the previous games remain wholly intact. However, where Mortal Kombat 1 looks to separate itself from other games in the series is through the use of ‘cameo’ fighters that can be called in mid-fight to tip the balance of battle.
Think how the tag interventions work in games like Marvel Vs Capcom and you’ll have a fair idea of how they work here – the difference with Mortal Kombat 1 is that depending on which direction you press when you summon a cameo fighter, you’ll get an entirely different sequence of combos and moves that can be used to further your own combo attacks.
Though playable fighters can be used in a cameo role, many of the cameo fighters are nods back to previous games and lore of the franchise with the likes of Goro and others making their return as a cameo fighter only. Elsewhere, gore-fiends will be happy to know that not only do the various bone-breaking deathly blows return, but so too do a range of grisly new fatalities that make the Hostel films look like Peppa Pig World.
Beyond that, it’s somewhat refreshing to see that many of the classic characters from the Mortal Kombat canon have been reimagined as younger, different characters with different relationships. Sub-Zero and Scorpion are now brothers rather than rivals hellbent on each other’s destruction, while Raiden appears to be a fledging deity who is still trying to come to grips with his powers, for instance.
You can catch the extended gameplay trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 below.
Mortal Kombat 1 releases for PS5 on September 19, 2023.