Mortal Kombat 1’s Summer Games Fest reveal brings fast-paced violence back

A return to form

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NetherRealm has revealed howMortal Kombat 1will play at the Summer Games Fest with faster combat and a fully immersive story. The game looks to be incredibly fast-paced with an emphasis on colourful brutality.

Some cues forMortal Kombat 1have clearly been taken from the developer’s Injustice series, however, animations have taken received a serious glow-up. One thing that immediately stands out is the pop of color and the youthful energy that all the characters showcase, with iconic scenes such as Kano’s heart rip and Sub-Zero’s spine rip present and accounted for. It also happens to be bloody as hell.

We also got our first look at how Kameo fighters will work in the upcoming game. Similar to tag-ins worked back inMortal Kombat(2011),Mortal Kombat 1uses additional characters in the roster to add a new dimension to fighting. The speed of the game is the biggest surprise, looking incredibly aggressive, as withMortal Kombat X.

Classic versions of the characters return, as can be seen with Sonya Blade and Kano as well as new versions of Scorpion and Sub-Zero looking far younger than ever before. The new Kameo system seems reminiscent of how things work in the likes ofMarvelvs CapcomandPower Rangers: Battle for the Grid.  The old Mortal Kombat energy appears to be alive and well with this title.

We’ve also got our first look at the story mode which is a vast departure from NetherRealm’s previous titles. The scenes look a lot more dynamic, possibly being rendered in real-time, as conversations take place between iconic characters such as Raiden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches onXbox Series X,PS5, PC, andNintendo Switchon It launches on September 19.

For more info on games released this week, check out all ourE3 2023coverage.

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Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.

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