Hands-on preview: Mortal Kombat 11 showcases the series’ staying power

Netherrealm’s next entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat 11, looks to raise the bar once again, both in terms of storytelling and gameplay.

Even before sitting down with Mortal Kombat 11 it’s hard to think this game is still three months away. Visually this game looks like it’s ready for release. The fighters, fatalities, stages, and even the tease of story cutscenes we saw look crisp and polished with so much detail that can only be spotted during the slowed beat down sequences. The success of Mortal Kombat X didn’t come without criticism, which the studio took time to listen to and address. The slightly out of place look of facial animations from Mortal Kombat X have been completely redone and look just as natural and detailed as the rest of the fighter.

After my hands-on demo with Mortal Kombat 11, I still could not believe this game wasn’t launching tomorrow. Aside from the limited menu options and character/stage choices, this game looks and sounds ready to release. I caught myself being disgustingly impressed by the amount of detail put into Baraka’s nasty toenails on his wrinkled feet while performing a rib-shattering kick to Sub-Zero’s chest.

The audio was just as impressive. The clang of Scorpion’s chain on his spear, the stinging zap of Raiden’s electric hits and of course, the spattering of blood all over the place sounded so damn good.

Players will be able to customize their character variations this time around, as well as their physical appearances. This seems to be building upon the gear collecting feature introduced in Injustice 2. Costumes, intros and even victory poses will all be customizable. The best part? Everything can be unlocked within the base game, no microtransactions required.

Mortal Kombat 11 splits its traditional resource meter into three separate meters; one for offensive moves, one for defensive maneuvers, and one for a new feature called Fatal Blow. Fatal Blow is a special move reserved for when a fighter’s health dips below 30%. These last-ditch effort moves are set animation attacks that almost rival fatalities in terms of raw powerful violence.

Stomach-churning, over-the-top, extreme fatalities are back with all of the blood, guts, and glory you’d expect from Netherrealm, though not all characters’ fatalities were available to perform in the demo. They are all as violent and extreme as you’ve come to expect but most of them boil down to different styles of decapitation or lobotomies. By far and away my favorite fatality has to be Skarlet’s. Nothing else even came close to impaling your enemy through the head with their own bloodsicle.

Of a 25 slot character selection screen, seven were available to choose in the demo; Scorpion, Sub Zero, Sonya, Raiden, Skarlet, Baraka and newcomer, Geras. Personally, it’s hard to argue that any characters are more fun to play than the staples that are Scorpion and Sub-Zero, but each character is properly balanced and feels completely unique. There should be zero doubt that more characters will be released post-launch as DLC.

Only three stages were available on the demo, but each one looked fantastic and had their own personality. My personal favorite was the Black Dragon Fight Klub, a damp and dark underground venue littered with broken beer bottles, blood-soaked cardboard, plastic cups, bent folding chairs and even a chainsaw, which either player can pick up and use on their opponent. Silhouettes of spectators are watching from behind a chain linked fence cheering on the violent fray in front of them. If the stage select screen is any indication, expect 17 stages to choose from upon release.

For a franchise that is over a quarter century old, Mortal Kombat 11 shows no signs of slowing down. Netherrealm has instead picked up the pace, set the bar and is blazing the trail for the fighting genre.

Mortal Kombat 11 releases on April 27th, 2019 for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.