Mortal Kombat 1 has presented its gameplay trailer during Summer Game Fest showing great graphics, diverse fighting scenes and new Kameo / combo attacks.
Coming September 19 to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch, Mortal Kombat 1 marks a fresh start for the franchise with a renewed focus on story. This timeline starts with Liu Kang creating a new universe after he graduated into a fire god at the end of Mortal Kombat 11. Here rivals are allies – Sub-Zero and Scorpion are brothers, and Jean Claude Van Damme will join as Johnny Cage.
MK 1 also adds what is called Kameos, which are a sort of combo where a secondary character comes to the rescue if needed. For example, we can choose Kitana as the main fighter and Sonya as a Kameo, and by a press of a button (R1) – plus a direction using the stick to vary the attacks a bit – the second character jumps into action and delivers a quick couple of punches before leaving. Apparently, there are even Kameo Fatalities. As usual, to stop players from spamming this, there will be a cooldown after each use.
With that said, the part that struck me the most is the insane art direction, detailed skins / models, blood baths, X-ray bone-crushing – you name it.
May I add that the 2.5D background environments are varied, beautiful, and highly detailed? From the Asian-themed bar with those lovely paper lanterns to the luxurious billionaire villa and its breathtaking panorama, not to forget the opulent gardens of the royal palace and the grandiose statues of the monastery / village, I can’t decide which one I like the most, so I’ll take them all.
Obviously, we didn’t see all the available arenas, so maybe the others are of lower quality, though seeing the level of polish, my confidence is high.
If I had to complain about something, I would say that more permanent damage to the characters would be welcome. Apart from blood here and there, there is no persisting damage to the clothes or flesh, even though a character, in one fight, was pierced by a sword. I know, it’s pushing it a bit too much, but hey, at least his clothes could look burned after he’s lit on fire.
If all of this sounds interesting, you may also want to check out our article about the game’s PC requirements here.
