Charybdis
We are returned! Death to the False Emperor!
With the long awaited announcement of Mortal Kombat 11 almost shattering our collective minds, it’s easy to get lost in the hype and nitpick the handful of screenshots and the trailer that we have to judge the game from, overthinking things and making wide ranging predications predicted on precious little evidence.
So let’s do just that shall we! Stick on your favourite tunes, don a tinfoil hat and join let me be your guide on this intrepid journey!
The first thing to note is that we get Scorpion and Raiden in the reveal. This is a combination of what we got for MK9 (Raiden and Shao Kahn) and MKX (Scorpion and Sub Zero). We obviously don’t know what, if any, story implications this may have but considering Raiden is very much in ‘Dark Raiden’ attire with red lightning, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the story will see Scorpion attempt hunt down and destroy Raiden to save the realms, or at least see the Shirai Ryu opposed to the God of Thunder.
It’s worth noting that the twosome are fighting in the (remains of) the classic Courtyard stage. With the Masked Guards slain and rotting, the monks decomposed where they sit, Shang Tsung’s throne and dais wrecked, braziers overturned and the entire edifice ruined, it’s barely recognisable from the tranquil, Enter-the-Dragon style arena we last saw in MK9. It’s also confirmed in later screenshots as returning stage for the actual game, which means it features in story mode. Given that MK11 will focus heavily on time travel and multiverses (more on that later), this may be the Courtyard from numerous timelines, not just the MK9-MKX timeline.
At 0:14, Scorpion hits Raiden with a stylized version of his classic air throw and we get a good look at our returning ninja spectre, showing a stripped down version of his classic attire with pauldrons and a really cool hood and mask combo that emphasises the spectral aspect of Scorpion. This ain’t cuddly ponytailed Hanzo.
He also stabs Raiden in the chest: there’s a huge emphasis on weapons in this fight, including Raiden later snatching up a naginata used by a now dead Masked Guard, Scorpion making prodigious use of both of his swords and his kunai and Raiden summoning his staff to beat the **** out of Scorpion with. This may hint at weapon stances, weapon gear or even an expansion of the interactable system along the lines of the weapons strewn throughout Deadly Alliance, Deception and Armageddon stages.
At 0:23, Raiden hits Scorpion with a Tornado and we see the stripped down, less ornate “Dark Raiden” look….complete with Shinnok’s Amulet in pride of place on his chest.
The two then proceed to engage in some fisticuffs (and stabbings) for a while. It’s worth noting that it’s been stated on Twitter that the trailer is very representative of the gameplay (which would seem to be reflected in the screenshots) and graphics. The graphics look phenomenal, several steps up from the rubbery looking animations which bedevilled MKX and even from the lauded looks of Injustice 2. Included in this fight is a move very similar to Scorpion’s MKX X-Ray (although I’d bet more XRays can be unlocked in loot boxes) and may be his XRay in MK11.
At 0:58, Raiden summons his own weapon and bashes the mask clean off Scorpions face: note, there’s no moustache or any facial hair beneath.
Raiden then smashes Scorpion into the wall and, when he tries to rise, breaks his fingers. The viciousness in this trailer really is a level above MKX’s and anyone who’s broken small joints before winced in remembered pain at that.
Raiden then breaks Scorpions leg, smashes his head into the wall, brutally punches his head in before making his head explode. This is very much classic Raiden fatality but, given the style of this execution, seems to be a reference to Brutalities returning from their incredibly popular re-debut in MKX.
And so, Raiden wins.
Wait what? Scorpion loses? Hold up, this is a Mortal Kombat launch trailer, the big yellow dog never loses. DJ, run that **** back!
Raiden then turns to see….Scorpion approaching. But this isn’t the new costume Scorpion he just killed, no this….this is Scorpion in his UMK3 attire. And unlike the (let’s be frank) awful implementation of classic skins in MK9 and MKX to a lesser degree, this looks perfect. This would heavily imply that the story of MK11 will see various timelines and universes within the MK multiverse face off to determine the correct order of things, thus allowing for multiple fighters who died in previous iterations, costumes and gear from older games and, most importantly, allow NRS to effectively determine precisely where they want to go next from a story perspective without rebooting the whole thing.
This is reflected in the press release for the game, which reads as follows:
It also means that anybody, and I mean anybody, could be in this roster. If this is essentially a “Krisis on Infinite Earthrealms” (TM pending), I would expect it to be something of a greatest hits roster. Jax, Sonya and Cage, for instance, were all past their prime in MKX but Cassie, Jacqui and Takeda didn’t exactly capture the hearts of millions. How do get back the characters we love while giving the newbies another chance to establish themselves? Multiverse baby. It also opens up the DLC field to basically the entire roster and beyond, not that it wouldn’t have been already, but it keeps the lore nerds like me happy.
I’ve argued previously that MK11 (then unnamed) should eschew the standard roster and take some bold roster steps: one of the main complaints with MKX is that no one was happy with the roster. For some, they didn’t like having new characters jammed down their throats, others didn’t like the preponderance of Earthrealm based characters, while some (yo) disliked the repetition of the roster. Provided the roster is big enough, MK11 could satisfy all of those criteria (though I’m not holding out much hope for my dream reinvention of Kobra as a serial killer antihero John Wick. Some day kid).
It also allows NRS to handwave away the multiplicity of media which exists in a state of either semi canon or not canon but very well known. For instance, the MKX comic was originally supposed to be canon but wildly contradicted MKX. Solution? Both canon! The MK movie is so well known and beloved that Goro is most often connected to Cage, despite them never fighting in canon. Solution? Now they have, because the MK Movie is now a different multiverse!
This is a bold step by NRS but not entirely novel for them. In MK9’s story mode, two things indicate that the new timeline was categorically a multiverse: firstly, Scorpion’s backstory with Quan Chi and Sub Zero is altered and secondly, Mileena and Kitana did not grow up together, erasing that backstory from 10,000 years before the first tournament. This could only have occurred if the new timeline was, in fact, a different reality within the multiverse.
Back to the trailer, Scorpion PsychoCrushers his way through Raiden’s ribcage, a shout out to his MKX XRay setup, leaving Raiden’s midsection a charred, smouldering skeleton. Scorpion then stylishly decapitates the corpse, kicks the head up high and spears it. I suspect we’ll see that as a fatality.
The tagline for the game is revealed as: “You’re Next”, a callback to the “Who’s Next” of MKX fame.
Now, I get proper pumped.
At 1:50, we see the ‘dream woman’. No no, not Eva Green (seriously Eva, call me), but the woman who originally appeared in Jade’s ending in MK9 and Kitana’s in MKX. She’s stroking a huge hourglass draining of sand, another reference to the theme of time which apparently forms a massive part of MK11. Part of her arms are translucent and shimmering with energy.
Whenever she’s appeared, our dream woman has been associated with a realm of crystal which seems to intersect the various timelines, a hub between realms. We’ve been told that her motive is to prevent the destruction in the ongoing “darkest” timeline but there have been distinct darker implications. Regardless, the backdrop here (presumably her lair/home realm) appears to be a void with several interlocking, flowing metal tendrils. According to a leak which seems to have gotten a fair chunk of details right, her name will be ‘Oracle’. Time will tell.
Note: it’s possible that this is actually a male, given that the figure is bald, but to me it appears distinctly feminine in contour and dress, as well as with long fingernails.
A recurring theme throughout all the leaks (most of which were probably BS anyway) was that MK is set to have its first female boss character. Right now, this appears to be our best guess. The official WB press release refers to this as “a tease of a new character who is at the center of Mortal Kombat 11’s story.”
After confirming details which are discussed below, we see the most badass character in the entire franchise swagger his fine self onto a throne, rest his hammer and remind us all who’s the baddest mother****** around. No, not Shaft.
Shao Kahn or, as he shall forever be known, The True Emperor of Outworld.
My boy looks amazing here. While I’ve been bitten before by the curse of declaring a main sight unseen, dammit if he isn’t top of my list, especially if he can zone. Oh Lord, let him be able to zone.
The model, as you can see, is gorgeous. It’s much more “high Asian fantasy general” than the classic Shao look but no worse for it while maintaining the signature elements. Two things of note: first of all, it looks like his throne is in the classic Kahn’s Cave arena from MK3 and secondly, what’s going on with that left arm? It almost looks…scaly, like Onaga’s arm? It’s been highly speculated, given that Quan Chi had Kahn’s armour and hammer in his laboratory in MKX and that we saw a massive humanoid forming in the ‘bloodbath’ in that stage, that Quan was indeed working on the cloned Shao Kahn we saw in his ending. Maybe the process went slightly wrong?
In any event, pre-order to get Shao Kahn? Yessir. NRS continue their tradition of (likely non-story mode) big bruisers being pre-order bonuses, previously seen with Goro and Darkseid.
According to the press release, we can pre-order RIGHT NOW for $59.99 SRP or for $99.99 for the Premium Edition, which includes the Kombat Pack. Given the extra 40 dollars, it’s safe to assume that there’s in the region of 8-10 additional characters with additional skins and, maybe, even those classic DLC arenas we’ve been speculated about but rarely received. Let’s just hope the guest characters are a step up from goddamn Leatherface.
STEAM SCREENSHOTS
The entirety of the Steam Screenshots can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/DvSUadb
I’m going to go through the more interesting ones
SCREENSHOT 1
Here we see UMK3 Scorpion in-game in the Courtyard Stage, confirming that this appearance in the trailer wasn’t just for cinematic effect. He’s either in a fatality (which seems likely, given the blacked out background) or a winning stance and, either way, looks boss as ****
SCREENSHOT 2
Here we see Scorpion and Raiden in their new costumes: note the totally new red accents on the Scorpion’s uniform. Two things to take from this screenshot: first of all, this confirms a new stage, which appears to be some kinda desert SF base (I’ll bet cash money that gun turret in the background is a Stage Fatality) and secondly, Scorpion is categorically NOT spearing Raiden. The tip of the chain isn’t the ‘stinger’ design we’ve gotten used to, but a classic kunai, the bend of the chain suggests a slash rather than a throw and Raiden is being knocked away from Scorpion rather than being pulled to him.
To me, this suggestions a variation/gear ability which allows Scorpion to substitute his standard ‘GET OVER HERE’ for the more realistic use of the kunai as a long range slashing weapon.
SCREENSHOT 3
Back to the Courtyard, and we get a great visual of Raiden shocking Scorpion from behind and a good look at the ruined Courtyard we can expect to play host to many brutal battles in the next four years.
SCREENSHOT 4
Finally, we see the beginning of one of Raiden’s fatalities on Scorpion in the Courtyard stage. Fittingly, particularly given the red colour of the lightning, this is very similar to Raiden’s badass entrance to the Nethership in the MK movie
LEAKS
I’m not actually going to get into the “leaks”, as any asshole can make something up and put it on 4chan. There was, however, one leak which seems to be somewhat in tune with what we’ve seen so far. I shall quote it below:
WHAT NEXT?
Well, we have a unique ‘community reveal’ on Thursday, January 17th. This will be livestreamed on www.twitch.tv/NetherRealm at 11am PST and 7pm UTC, for those of us who live on the civilized side of the Atlantic. It will also feature hands-on MK11 gameplay, likely what we previously referred to as ‘E3 Build’ (4-6 characters on 2-3 stages).
This is the first such event of its kind in MK history and fairly unique in the gaming community: rather than piggybacking on E3 as it had done previously or is more standard fare, MK11 will be the standalone, single attraction to it’s own ‘premiere’. This is great move from NRS and a big sign of trust in the sales of MK11 from WB, though we should remember that MKX was the single best selling game of 2015.
After that, pre-ordering will get you access to the Beta (from select retailers which will HOPEFULLY be available outside of the US because don’t do me like that NRS) from March 2019 with the release date being….APRIL 23RD 2019!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a brilliant move by NRS and something I was praying they’d do. It essentially cuts out the dreaded “deadzone” we experienced from October to February in previous games, condensing all the hype into 137 days! For all the complaints we all made about the non-reveal at E3, we’re in such a better position for it so you gotta hand it to Ed and his team on that one and on the total radio silence they maintained in the last few months.
Speaking of E3, the distance between E3 and now is greater than the distance between now and April 23rd. Yeah. This…this is gonna be good.
Whew. Well, that’s all we know and can glean from the materials released to us thus far. NRS pulled off a hell of a sneaky one on us all huh? Be sure to check back to TYM every day, especially as we get closer and closer to January 17 and the biggest reveal of all, for the latest news on….Mortal Kombat 11.
So let’s do just that shall we! Stick on your favourite tunes, don a tinfoil hat and join let me be your guide on this intrepid journey!
The first thing to note is that we get Scorpion and Raiden in the reveal. This is a combination of what we got for MK9 (Raiden and Shao Kahn) and MKX (Scorpion and Sub Zero). We obviously don’t know what, if any, story implications this may have but considering Raiden is very much in ‘Dark Raiden’ attire with red lightning, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the story will see Scorpion attempt hunt down and destroy Raiden to save the realms, or at least see the Shirai Ryu opposed to the God of Thunder.
It’s worth noting that the twosome are fighting in the (remains of) the classic Courtyard stage. With the Masked Guards slain and rotting, the monks decomposed where they sit, Shang Tsung’s throne and dais wrecked, braziers overturned and the entire edifice ruined, it’s barely recognisable from the tranquil, Enter-the-Dragon style arena we last saw in MK9. It’s also confirmed in later screenshots as returning stage for the actual game, which means it features in story mode. Given that MK11 will focus heavily on time travel and multiverses (more on that later), this may be the Courtyard from numerous timelines, not just the MK9-MKX timeline.
At 0:14, Scorpion hits Raiden with a stylized version of his classic air throw and we get a good look at our returning ninja spectre, showing a stripped down version of his classic attire with pauldrons and a really cool hood and mask combo that emphasises the spectral aspect of Scorpion. This ain’t cuddly ponytailed Hanzo.
He also stabs Raiden in the chest: there’s a huge emphasis on weapons in this fight, including Raiden later snatching up a naginata used by a now dead Masked Guard, Scorpion making prodigious use of both of his swords and his kunai and Raiden summoning his staff to beat the **** out of Scorpion with. This may hint at weapon stances, weapon gear or even an expansion of the interactable system along the lines of the weapons strewn throughout Deadly Alliance, Deception and Armageddon stages.
At 0:23, Raiden hits Scorpion with a Tornado and we see the stripped down, less ornate “Dark Raiden” look….complete with Shinnok’s Amulet in pride of place on his chest.
The two then proceed to engage in some fisticuffs (and stabbings) for a while. It’s worth noting that it’s been stated on Twitter that the trailer is very representative of the gameplay (which would seem to be reflected in the screenshots) and graphics. The graphics look phenomenal, several steps up from the rubbery looking animations which bedevilled MKX and even from the lauded looks of Injustice 2. Included in this fight is a move very similar to Scorpion’s MKX X-Ray (although I’d bet more XRays can be unlocked in loot boxes) and may be his XRay in MK11.
At 0:58, Raiden summons his own weapon and bashes the mask clean off Scorpions face: note, there’s no moustache or any facial hair beneath.
Raiden then smashes Scorpion into the wall and, when he tries to rise, breaks his fingers. The viciousness in this trailer really is a level above MKX’s and anyone who’s broken small joints before winced in remembered pain at that.
Raiden then breaks Scorpions leg, smashes his head into the wall, brutally punches his head in before making his head explode. This is very much classic Raiden fatality but, given the style of this execution, seems to be a reference to Brutalities returning from their incredibly popular re-debut in MKX.
And so, Raiden wins.
Wait what? Scorpion loses? Hold up, this is a Mortal Kombat launch trailer, the big yellow dog never loses. DJ, run that **** back!
Raiden then turns to see….Scorpion approaching. But this isn’t the new costume Scorpion he just killed, no this….this is Scorpion in his UMK3 attire. And unlike the (let’s be frank) awful implementation of classic skins in MK9 and MKX to a lesser degree, this looks perfect. This would heavily imply that the story of MK11 will see various timelines and universes within the MK multiverse face off to determine the correct order of things, thus allowing for multiple fighters who died in previous iterations, costumes and gear from older games and, most importantly, allow NRS to effectively determine precisely where they want to go next from a story perspective without rebooting the whole thing.
This is reflected in the press release for the game, which reads as follows:
A lot of speculation has been to the tune of “each character will have a variation from each timeline they appeared in and slots for you to create your own timeline variations”, which makes a lot of sense.
It also means that anybody, and I mean anybody, could be in this roster. If this is essentially a “Krisis on Infinite Earthrealms” (TM pending), I would expect it to be something of a greatest hits roster. Jax, Sonya and Cage, for instance, were all past their prime in MKX but Cassie, Jacqui and Takeda didn’t exactly capture the hearts of millions. How do get back the characters we love while giving the newbies another chance to establish themselves? Multiverse baby. It also opens up the DLC field to basically the entire roster and beyond, not that it wouldn’t have been already, but it keeps the lore nerds like me happy.
I’ve argued previously that MK11 (then unnamed) should eschew the standard roster and take some bold roster steps: one of the main complaints with MKX is that no one was happy with the roster. For some, they didn’t like having new characters jammed down their throats, others didn’t like the preponderance of Earthrealm based characters, while some (yo) disliked the repetition of the roster. Provided the roster is big enough, MK11 could satisfy all of those criteria (though I’m not holding out much hope for my dream reinvention of Kobra as a serial killer antihero John Wick. Some day kid).
It also allows NRS to handwave away the multiplicity of media which exists in a state of either semi canon or not canon but very well known. For instance, the MKX comic was originally supposed to be canon but wildly contradicted MKX. Solution? Both canon! The MK movie is so well known and beloved that Goro is most often connected to Cage, despite them never fighting in canon. Solution? Now they have, because the MK Movie is now a different multiverse!
This is a bold step by NRS but not entirely novel for them. In MK9’s story mode, two things indicate that the new timeline was categorically a multiverse: firstly, Scorpion’s backstory with Quan Chi and Sub Zero is altered and secondly, Mileena and Kitana did not grow up together, erasing that backstory from 10,000 years before the first tournament. This could only have occurred if the new timeline was, in fact, a different reality within the multiverse.
Back to the trailer, Scorpion PsychoCrushers his way through Raiden’s ribcage, a shout out to his MKX XRay setup, leaving Raiden’s midsection a charred, smouldering skeleton. Scorpion then stylishly decapitates the corpse, kicks the head up high and spears it. I suspect we’ll see that as a fatality.
The tagline for the game is revealed as: “You’re Next”, a callback to the “Who’s Next” of MKX fame.
Now, I get proper pumped.
At 1:50, we see the ‘dream woman’. No no, not Eva Green (seriously Eva, call me), but the woman who originally appeared in Jade’s ending in MK9 and Kitana’s in MKX. She’s stroking a huge hourglass draining of sand, another reference to the theme of time which apparently forms a massive part of MK11. Part of her arms are translucent and shimmering with energy.
Whenever she’s appeared, our dream woman has been associated with a realm of crystal which seems to intersect the various timelines, a hub between realms. We’ve been told that her motive is to prevent the destruction in the ongoing “darkest” timeline but there have been distinct darker implications. Regardless, the backdrop here (presumably her lair/home realm) appears to be a void with several interlocking, flowing metal tendrils. According to a leak which seems to have gotten a fair chunk of details right, her name will be ‘Oracle’. Time will tell.
Note: it’s possible that this is actually a male, given that the figure is bald, but to me it appears distinctly feminine in contour and dress, as well as with long fingernails.
A recurring theme throughout all the leaks (most of which were probably BS anyway) was that MK is set to have its first female boss character. Right now, this appears to be our best guess. The official WB press release refers to this as “a tease of a new character who is at the center of Mortal Kombat 11’s story.”
After confirming details which are discussed below, we see the most badass character in the entire franchise swagger his fine self onto a throne, rest his hammer and remind us all who’s the baddest mother****** around. No, not Shaft.
Shao Kahn or, as he shall forever be known, The True Emperor of Outworld.
My boy looks amazing here. While I’ve been bitten before by the curse of declaring a main sight unseen, dammit if he isn’t top of my list, especially if he can zone. Oh Lord, let him be able to zone.
The model, as you can see, is gorgeous. It’s much more “high Asian fantasy general” than the classic Shao look but no worse for it while maintaining the signature elements. Two things of note: first of all, it looks like his throne is in the classic Kahn’s Cave arena from MK3 and secondly, what’s going on with that left arm? It almost looks…scaly, like Onaga’s arm? It’s been highly speculated, given that Quan Chi had Kahn’s armour and hammer in his laboratory in MKX and that we saw a massive humanoid forming in the ‘bloodbath’ in that stage, that Quan was indeed working on the cloned Shao Kahn we saw in his ending. Maybe the process went slightly wrong?
In any event, pre-order to get Shao Kahn? Yessir. NRS continue their tradition of (likely non-story mode) big bruisers being pre-order bonuses, previously seen with Goro and Darkseid.
According to the press release, we can pre-order RIGHT NOW for $59.99 SRP or for $99.99 for the Premium Edition, which includes the Kombat Pack. Given the extra 40 dollars, it’s safe to assume that there’s in the region of 8-10 additional characters with additional skins and, maybe, even those classic DLC arenas we’ve been speculated about but rarely received. Let’s just hope the guest characters are a step up from goddamn Leatherface.
STEAM SCREENSHOTS
The entirety of the Steam Screenshots can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/DvSUadb
I’m going to go through the more interesting ones
SCREENSHOT 1
Here we see UMK3 Scorpion in-game in the Courtyard Stage, confirming that this appearance in the trailer wasn’t just for cinematic effect. He’s either in a fatality (which seems likely, given the blacked out background) or a winning stance and, either way, looks boss as ****
SCREENSHOT 2
Here we see Scorpion and Raiden in their new costumes: note the totally new red accents on the Scorpion’s uniform. Two things to take from this screenshot: first of all, this confirms a new stage, which appears to be some kinda desert SF base (I’ll bet cash money that gun turret in the background is a Stage Fatality) and secondly, Scorpion is categorically NOT spearing Raiden. The tip of the chain isn’t the ‘stinger’ design we’ve gotten used to, but a classic kunai, the bend of the chain suggests a slash rather than a throw and Raiden is being knocked away from Scorpion rather than being pulled to him.
To me, this suggestions a variation/gear ability which allows Scorpion to substitute his standard ‘GET OVER HERE’ for the more realistic use of the kunai as a long range slashing weapon.
SCREENSHOT 3
Back to the Courtyard, and we get a great visual of Raiden shocking Scorpion from behind and a good look at the ruined Courtyard we can expect to play host to many brutal battles in the next four years.
SCREENSHOT 4
Finally, we see the beginning of one of Raiden’s fatalities on Scorpion in the Courtyard stage. Fittingly, particularly given the red colour of the lightning, this is very similar to Raiden’s badass entrance to the Nethership in the MK movie
LEAKS
I’m not actually going to get into the “leaks”, as any asshole can make something up and put it on 4chan. There was, however, one leak which seems to be somewhat in tune with what we’ve seen so far. I shall quote it below:
Without prejudice to the fact that this could be total nonsense and just got lucky, it all seems pretty realistic and is food for thought at least.
WHAT NEXT?
Well, we have a unique ‘community reveal’ on Thursday, January 17th. This will be livestreamed on www.twitch.tv/NetherRealm at 11am PST and 7pm UTC, for those of us who live on the civilized side of the Atlantic. It will also feature hands-on MK11 gameplay, likely what we previously referred to as ‘E3 Build’ (4-6 characters on 2-3 stages).
This is the first such event of its kind in MK history and fairly unique in the gaming community: rather than piggybacking on E3 as it had done previously or is more standard fare, MK11 will be the standalone, single attraction to it’s own ‘premiere’. This is great move from NRS and a big sign of trust in the sales of MK11 from WB, though we should remember that MKX was the single best selling game of 2015.
After that, pre-ordering will get you access to the Beta (from select retailers which will HOPEFULLY be available outside of the US because don’t do me like that NRS) from March 2019 with the release date being….APRIL 23RD 2019!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a brilliant move by NRS and something I was praying they’d do. It essentially cuts out the dreaded “deadzone” we experienced from October to February in previous games, condensing all the hype into 137 days! For all the complaints we all made about the non-reveal at E3, we’re in such a better position for it so you gotta hand it to Ed and his team on that one and on the total radio silence they maintained in the last few months.
Speaking of E3, the distance between E3 and now is greater than the distance between now and April 23rd. Yeah. This…this is gonna be good.
Whew. Well, that’s all we know and can glean from the materials released to us thus far. NRS pulled off a hell of a sneaky one on us all huh? Be sure to check back to TYM every day, especially as we get closer and closer to January 17 and the biggest reveal of all, for the latest news on….Mortal Kombat 11.
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