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I've always felt like the videogame industry doesn't feel right without a Mortal Kombat. So many games are always striving to be these serious affairs, and it takes something like Mortal Kombat to remind people that oh right, videogames can also be dumb, stupid, awesome fun.

Mortal Kombat X looks to improve upon what we got with the last game, taking us into the near-future after the last tournament for Earth Realm. We'll get backstory on what has lead us up to this point in the story, and learn about some new characters in the franchise (finally.)

I'm mostly curious how someone like Sonya Blade would even be attracted to someone like Johnny Cage, let alone have his child.


It sounds like I just wrote fan-fiction but it's true! I played as Cassie Cage, daughter of the two legendary kombatants, and was exposed to one of the first new features.

After selecting your character (I counted 24 character slots), you're then able to pick between one of three combat variations. This is an added layer of special moves and abilities which will give you different gameplay styles on top of the core setup. I went with the Hollywood play style that makes Cassie fight closer to how her dad would.

From there, we went to the Cove level, which highlighted how much more interactive levels will be in X. Taking a cue from Injustice: Gods Among Us, players can interact with various objects in a level ranging from using an object as a weapon, to using a wall or platform as a way to move around another player quicker. These interactive elements will have a white glow to them so you can easily spot them in the stages.


My time was short with the game, but one other thing I learned was that the developers at NetherRealm are using their experience from the past games to make shorter combo strings that will all link together in a more fluid and easier manner. I'll wait for the pro players to experience that first hand just to see what this adds to the legendary fighting series.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I made my opponent's nuts explode! The X-ray attacks are back, and after filling up your power meter all the way you can unleash a devastating set of attacks which will break bones and cause all sorts of bodily damage. With Cassie, I first punched a dude in the nuts so hard they exploded, then pistol whipped him, and finished by shooting him in the eyes. Your opponents won't get crippled or anything -- it's just more of a visceral, visual kind of thing.

And of course, fatalities. The matched ended with Cassie literally getting split in half, right down the center of her body where her guts and other organs on full display.

Yup, sounds like a Mortal Kombat all right.