Mortal Kombat 1 is fast approaching release, and with the constant stream of news and announcements from franchise creator Ed Boon and developer NetherRealms Studio, it’s hard not to get excited.
Contrary to the name though, this’ll be the twelfth instalment in the franchise, and after all those games, it’d be understandable if the developer was allowing things to get stale in their gory, over-the-top fighting sim. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Here’s eight of newest features announced for Mortal Kombat 1.
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8. Dashing
A proper quick-dashing system is being included in Mortal Kombat 1, after its surprising exclusion from Mortal Kombat 11. With the faster gameplay of the upcoming sequel, it’s no surprise it’s back, and now we’ll be able to continue to heap pain and blood on our rivals at an unprecedented pace.
7. Up Blocking
No more leaving yourself open to attack from the air whilst you’re busy protecting and blocking ground attacks. The new and improved diagonal up block will offer a new dynamic to think and contend with. For those that actually block of course.
6. Quitality Animations
First making their appearance in Mortal Kombat X, the Quitality animations have been brought back to Mortal Kombat 1. Introduced purely to make a mockery of those that quit before the end of the match, they were first convoluted and gory, but now they’re more simplistic, with the player who quit suffering a self-inflicted broken neck.
5. Unique and Individual Loading Screens
Current generation consoles and their SSD’s have largely put pay to loading screens, which for the most part is for the better, but in some cases not so much. Take a look at Marvel’s Spider-Man 1’s lack of a loading screen when fast-travelling, or the arena in the FIFA franchise now being pointless, this is a worthy sacrifice for gamers to make. In the case of Mortal Kombat 1, loading screens are hidden by the banter and interactions between the two chosen fighters, and then the wait is over, and you’re straight into the fight!
4. Taunting
Crouching in fighting games is considered to be in bad taste, usually employed when there is a high skill gap between the two combatants. Thankfully, NetherRealm Studios seem to have realised that being on the receiving end of this mockery is likely to result in some players leaving the game behind, and so have implemented a unique ‘punishment’ for this sort of gloating.
Crouching four times on the trot will start a taunt animation, which of course will sometimes go off without a hitch, but in the fast and frenetic looking gameplay of Mortal Kombat 1, it’s just as likely to leave you open to attack.
3. Air Combos
Air combos are nothing new in fighting games, but Mortal Kombat 1 is putting a greater emphasis on the mechanic. Previous Mortal Kombat games have limited exactly who can spend their time juggling enemies in the air, but with the gameplay trailer showing the likes of Sub-Zero and Scorpion getting involved, it looks like it’ll be opened up to any fighter being capable.
2. Flawless Block
The flawless block system introduced in Mortal Kombat 1 will remedy an issue that has plagued all fighting games for years – those players who spam the same moves again and again. If a player wants to throw a fireball or continually kick, that’s not a problem, because one flawless block from the recipient, and the spammer will be open to attack for a few seconds and their meter no longer increases. Various fighting games have attempted to fix this issue, but it’s yet to see if this new system is the one to finally succeed.
1. Kameo Fighters
You’ll be right in thinking that Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo fighters system is one that has been introduced in countless fighting games over the years, just with different names of course. A tag-assist fighter brought in to disrupt the opponent is nothing new, but the potential with Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo’s is genuinely exciting.
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Once you’ve chosen your fighter to control, you’ll then be given a second menu to choose your Kameo fighter from. This menu will include some of the same characters, but also some specifically chosen for the job. Calling these Kameo fighters into the fight with a quick press of the shoulder buttons on the controller will allow players to continue combos, interrupt attacks of their opponent or merely frustrate them. It’ll bring a completely new dynamic into what is fast becoming the best fighting franchise out there.
These are just eight of the announced features in Mortal Kombat 1, and no doubt we’ll be finding out more as time goes on and we get closer to release. Are you planning on picking up Mortal Kombat 1? Let us know in the comments!
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