Mortal Kombat 11’s new trailer is bloody good stuff

Mortal Kombat 11, the next installment in NetherRealm Studios’ iconic franchise, was first announced late last year at the Game Awards. Apart from a pretty slick cinematic trailer though, we didn’t get much information about the upcoming fighter.

NetherRealm has shown off a lot more of the game at a recent reveal event in L.A, with a heap of new information about the game’s story, mechanics, and characters.

Based on the newest gameplay trailer, it looks like the series is sticking to what it’s most famous for and what it does best: that is, insanely graphic, absurdly over-the-top violence. And boy do they deliver in that regard! There are stabbings, electrocutions, broken bones, face rippings, people being set on fire and even eaten. It’s truly (ahem) eye popping stuff. Check it out:

In regards to fighters, we of course see series’ veterans Scorpion, Raiden (looking mighty evil), Sonya (who will be played by Ronda Rousey. Yes, really – Ed), Baraka, and my boy Sub-Zero, as well as the return of Mortal Kombat 9’s bloody Skarlet. We also get a good look at a new character, an imposing fellow by the name of Geras, who seems to specialise in manipulating earth elements as well as time.

Noticeably absent from the footage were the new generation of fighters that were introduced in Mortal Kombat X – although given how dull most of them were to begin with, I doubt many fans will be complaining.  That being said, we’ve only seen 7 of the 25 rostered characters, so it wouldn’t be surprising if some made it into the final game.

New features of the upcoming fighter include deeper character customisation options, defensive and offensive meters that allow players to unleash more devastating attacks, and the ability to do a ‘flawless block’, which lets players perform a counter attack if they block at the perfect moment.

Additionally, a story prologue trailer gives an indication of what the 11th installment of the fighting franchise will be about, teasing a new female big-bad named Kronika, who has the ability to manipulate time.

Mortal Kombat 11 releases on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on April 23.