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At long last, NetherRealm Studios finally announced the next installment of the classic fighting game series, Mortal Kombat. The first trailer for the game was also released. The latest installment is entitled Mortal Kombat X and will hit the shelves in 2015. This will put four years between Warner Bros. Interactive and NetherRealm Studios’ 2011 reboot of the franchise, Mortal Kombat, and the sequel, Mortal Kombat X. While it’s a longer wait than some gamers might usually expect for a popular game franchise, NetherRealm Studios made the right move by waiting longer than expected.
With a four-year wait, it appears NetherRealm Studios took great care in developing the game and preparing for next-gen console releases. Based on the trailer’s description of Mortal Kombat X being “powered by next-gen technology,” my guess is the game will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The new trailer features an extended battle between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, the classic longtime rivalry of the franchise. While the trailer appears to be a CG cinematic, segments of the video resemble NetherRealm’s 2D-fighting game style from its Mortal Kombat reboot. So, it will be interesting to see if the final product will end up looking similar to the trailer.
As the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” After Mortal Kombat rebooted the franchise with great success in 2011, NetherRealm did not rush out a quick, underwhelming sequel. After Mortal Kombat, the company actually moved on to another universe entirely; specifically, the world of DC Comics with Injustice: Gods Among Us, released in 2013. Other publishers should take note and learn from this strategy. Rather than turning around and rushing out another sequel in just a year, it appears NetherRealm Studios took extra time and effort to make sure the game is up to par. Sometimes with game franchises, it can be a case of too much of a good thing; big publishers are constantly turning around sequels or new installments to their big franchises in under a year. One such example was UFC Undisputed 2010, which was released a year after the hit UFC Undisputed 2009 game. Fans were generally disappointed with the sequel and what it had to offer. Instead of releasing UFC Undisputed 2011, the development team took an extra year and half and brought together UFC Undisputed 3 in 2012. That provided a much stronger, exceptional gaming experience. In addition, the longer wait could build greater anticipation for Mortal Kombat X among the fanbase.
The longer wait means we’ll see the next Mortal Kombat game with upgraded graphics on the new consoles. According to NetherRealm creative director Ed Boon, “Mortal Kombat has always been about over-the-top, visceral fighting; and with Mortal Kombat X we wanted to utilize the power of new-gen consoles to give players our most intense game yet.” He added, “The team has worked hard to make sure Mortal Kombat X delivers everything fans expect, along with new characters, new game modes and an all-new graphics engine.” The official website for the game also describes players choosing “from multiple variations of each character, impacting both strategy and fighting style.” I assume this means that each character will include different variations that transcend only an alternate skin. Perhaps this means you could switch from modern Scorpion to a more classic Scorpion; and each variation of Scorpion would have his own unique moves, attributes, stats, and animation. The potential of this idea, and how far NetherRealm will take it, is very exciting. With the title just announced, some type of demo or first look experience at E3 would not surprise me. Ultimately, I’d rather wait to have a much stronger sequel, than have a shorter wait to an underwhelming, disappointing retread.
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