The hype train for Mortal Kombat 11 continues to chug along nicely thanks to the series’ official YouTube page, where NetherRealm Studios staff showcase new characters, moves and stages on a weekly basis. Now, the train seems to speeding up, as the team have not only revealed two more characters in the last few hours, but have also given us our first look into the story of the game.
First off, we get to see the return of Cassie Cage, who in her reveal trailer gets paired up against Kano. She’s as snarky and tough as ever, now accompanied by a drone that isn’t afraid to make a low blow when the opportunity arises. Her fatality is not for the faint of heart. Kano meanwhile looks as fast and deadly as ever, wielding bowie knives and talking smack like an evil Crocodile Dundee. Veteran and newer fans alike ought to enjoy seeing these characters make a return.
Next up we have our first look into Mortal Kombat 11’s story mode. The remainder of the article will be covering events from this and past games, so a spoiler warning is in effect below the following video.
Those who’ve been following the story of the games will know that the series’ timeline received an in-universe reset thanks to Raiden in the 2006 title Mortal Kombat Armageddon. Intended to prevent the doomsday scenario that had befallen that timeline, Raiden sent his past self a message that would hopefully prevent the same series of events from occurring; unfortunately, the message was too vague, and the past Raiden’s attempts to decipher it created a brand new timeline that did manage to change certain events, but in some ways made matters worse.
It seemed that this new timeline, while not the one we once knew, was stable enough, albeit with the usual villains to beat up to keep Earthrealm relatively safe. Unfortunately, it seems that matters have diverged enough that a new villain has chosen to take it upon themselves to set things right, no matter the cost.
In a more meta sense, having the series’ timeline folding in on itself is a great opportunity to show off just how much has changed. We get to see an older but no less smart-alecky Johnny Cage teaming up with his younger self, as well as the return of previously dead characters like Baraka and Shao Kahn, who’ve been plucked out of their own times to suit Kronika’s needs. In addition, the roster is harder than ever to really predict, as being dead or otherwise indisposed is no longer a deterrent for showing up good-as-new.
Lastly, this may either be a great opportunity to give the former timeline one last hurrah before being overtaken completely, or a chance for the studio to pick and choose their favourite details of both worlds to create their perfect timeline. All bets are off this time in Mortal Kombat 11, but we can at least be sure that heads will roll, blood will flow, and bones will break.
Perhaps Johnny will FINALLY get to wear Raiden’s hat?
About the Author
Sonii Winters
She/her
I'm a plural trans woman who's been gaming since she was little. I grew up on Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man X, and I still love to play all sorts of games to this day! I love to draw, sprite, figure paint and even voice act, so yes, I'm a big ol' dork and proud of it :P
