Mortal Kombat X is almost here: NetherRealm Studios' long-awaited fighting game will hit consoles this April. There's a lot to look forward to: new characters, new arenas and, most important, new Fatalities.
That being said, NetherRealm has already revealed a lot of information -- so much that it can be a hassle trying to keep track of everything.
That's why we've made this guide: here is everything we know about Mortal Kombat X so far. All of the confirmed characters, stages and Fatalities that NetherRealm has revealed are here -- and don't be surprised if a bit more gets added in before the game launches next month.
While there have been plenty of memorable arenas throughout Mortal Kombat's long history, they will play a far more crucial role in Mortal Kombat X. The inclusion of interactive environments means that players will need to know the stages like the backs of their hands to win, and while only a handful have been revealed, Mortal Kombat X's arenas look fantastic so far.
First on the list is the Kuatan Jungle, and it looks to be Kotal Kahn's home turf. With a distinctly Aztec theme, it's easy to imagine just how brutal a Stage Fatality could be. The Refugee Camp is a distinctly human stage (a bit of an oddity for Mortal Kombat), but the idea of fighting for sport in front of caged refugees is just plain barbaric, which is perfect for the game. The Destroyed City wears its intentions on its sleeve: the arena takes place in the middle of a plane crash, and the destruction is only going to get worse when the fighters get going.
Outworld has never been a pretty place, and the Crossroads arena is no different...mostly because of the lava, rocky spires and hanging corpses. Mortal Kombat's also never shown the civilized side of Outworld, though some of the new arenas could reveal something along those lines. That being said, the Outworld Marketplace arena is hardly civilized, especially with the constant deathmatches going on.
It's both a twist on a Mortal Kombat classic and a breath of fresh air: the Dead Woods stage may not have the sentient trees of prior games, but the icy arena sure is picturesque. On the other hand, most people think of the ocean as something pretty or relaxing...the Kove arena, on the other hand, is dark, stormy and littered with dead bodies.
Of course, the lifeblood of any good fighting game is the character roster: without an interesting group of fighters to play with, gamers are going to get bored quickly. Mortal Kombat has always had a great stable of characters (even if it did get a bit bloated a few years back), and the Mortal Kombat X roster looks to be one of the series' best, with eight new characters so far joining in the stable of 15 returning stalwarts.
Cassie Cage
The daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Cassie works as a mixture of the two: expect plenty of guns, explosions and low blows.
It's a big list, and that's only a piece of the final roster: fans won't know the entire list of fighters until the game hits store shelves next month.
That being said, while the characters are important, there's one thing that's truly essential for any Mortal Kombat game: the Fatalities. Mortal Kombat 9 did a great job of reintroducing fans to absolutely brutal Fatalities, and Mortal Kombat X looks like it'll top its predecessor in every way possible.
First and foremost, the standard Fatalities were confirmed when the game was first revealed. In general, Fatalities haven't changed much: after each match, the winner inputs a special button combination that leads to a character-specific finishing move. Each character still has multiple Fatalities, and it's easy to assume that some characters may have a few extra classic Fatalities thrown in for old time's sake.
Stage Fatalities, a Mortal Kombat tradition, are a bit more elusive -- some claim that the feature's already been confirmed, while others merely assume that NetherRealm is holding out on the reveal. Either way, most people assume that the environmental Fatalities will be back -- it's just not official yet.
Ever since the original games, certain arenas contained hidden Stage Fatalities. Basically, instead of using a standard Fatality, another button combo will unlock the Stage Fatality, which usually involves falling into or onto something sharp within the environment. If you've ever heard of "The Pit," then you know just how brutal a Stage Fatality can be.
The most interesting new addition to the system are the Brutalities. In previous Mortal Kombat games, Brutalities were another form of Fatality, but required a much longer button combination. In Mortal Kombat X, Brutalities are modified forms of each character's special moves, and will instantly kill an opponent if certain conditions are met. Brutalities are only possible during the final round of a match and don't do any extra damage, but they are incredibly satisfying to watch. Plus, there's going to be over a hundred of them in the final game!
Even with all of this, there's still a lot about Mortal Kombat that fans don't know: the full character list won't be revealed until the final game ships, there are still plenty of stages that have yet to be shown and Fatalities are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finishing a match. Even before release, it's clear that Mortal Kombat X will be brimming with an immense amount of content.
Thankfully, the game's almost ready for release: Mortal Kombat X will hit store shelves on April 14 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. However, the game will be delayed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
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