It’s a great year for fighting game fans, and in the wake of Street Fighter 6’s successful launch, it’s time to get bloody with Mortal Kombat 1. The first reveal for the game was a CG trailer full of familiar faces and some incredibly brutal imagery, but at Summer Game Fest, developer NetherRealm Studios showed off the first gameplay trailer for brutal brawler.
As you’d expect, Mortal Kombat 1 turns the dial up to 11 when it comes to violent showdowns, but the game also has a few new tricks up its sleeves. In the trailer above, NetherRealm showed off the new Kameo Fighters system—a special selection of fighters that aren’t fully playable but can be used to assist you in battle–and how the core gameplay elements work alongside one another.
This version of Mortal Kombat deviates substantially from the lore and storylines of the original games. One such example is the relationship between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, who are blood brothers in Mortal Kombat 1. Raiden has been reincarnated as a human in this timeline–but still has his trademark lightning powers–Mileena is Kitana’s elder sister, and Kung Lao doesn’t have his sharp sense of fashion yet.