If the recent Mortal Kombat reboot made anything clear, it was that making the old new again was winning strategy for even the most tired of franchises. Now that momentum is being put to use in Mortal Kombat X, a next-gen follow-up that is keeping to the series' gruesome roots, but taking the new story in an even more staggering direction: the future.
Our preview of the game revealed one new fighter added to the mix due to the jump forward in time - Cassie, daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade - but yet another fighter has been revealed online, thanks to a Finnish gaming magazine. Fans both old and new will be happy to hear that Kung Lao will once again be entering the fight, with the "proudly aged hat thrower" offering even more hat-themed variety than ever before.
The details reportedly come from Finnish mag "Pelaaja" - translated by online fan site TestYourMight. The first question that may pop into any MK player's mind may be exactly how Kung Lao has possibly returned given the... previous game's events, but whatever the case, he's back, he's greyer, and his hat is far from dull.
With a few low-res images from the magazine comes a brief tease of the future setting, and how Kung Lao's quest to prove himself worthy of his legacy (he, like Liu Kang, is a descendant of the Great Kung Lao) may play out:
"Unfortunately we couldn't get to play the story mode yet at the studio visit, but the game's story jumps 25 or so years into the future from where MK9 ended. From what we've seen and heard the ruler of the Outworld is now Kotal Khan and Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade have a daughter called Cassie. Even Scorpion has a new Sub Zero to face off against. The biggest question mark right now must be Kung Lao, who has proudly aged and seems to have escaped the last game's ending."
The only clear image of Kung Lao's visual changes show him to be boasting a grey goatee, but it's the gameplay changes in store that will be of most interest to veteran players. Along with the rest of MKX's roster, Kung Lao will be given a variety of fighting styles, now reflected in his signature hat as well as his moveset. With the Tempest style comes an emphasis on spinning attacks, as well as the ability to use his hat as a type of shield. Buzz Saw introduces an even more deadly (pointed) version of his hat-blade, and an emphasis on thrown attacks. Finally, Hat Trick - called "the most experimental of the three" - allows the player to throw and recall their hat at will, using it to extend combos or catch inattentive players off-guard.
Kung Lao is likely a character the season MK players will either adore or feel indifferent towards, but joins the likes of Goro and Kano as yet another classic character set for a slight re-imagining. Interestingly enough, the older Kung Lao doesn't appear to be one of the mystery characters previously teased by creator Ed Boon, which means there is still hope of seeing other favorites join the fight in the coming months.
Mortal Kombat X releases April 14, 2015 for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source: Pelaaja via TestYourMight