One of the most iconic parts of Mortal Kombat is the franchise's vicious finishing moves, with ultra-violent fatalities shocking audiences for decades - for better or worse. Developer NetherRealm Studios has promised that Mortal Kombat X will include some of the most over-the-top fatalities of the series, and the developer has already released footage of Scorpion and Quan Chi's gruesome finishers. The videos whetted the appetites of fans, ready to recreate the fatalities in-game.
Players may find these fatalities a little easier to perform than in previous Mortal Kombat titles, however, as it has been revealed that there will be "easy fatalities" available in Mortal Kombat X. The news was announced by Tyler Landsdown, a community specialist at NetherRealm Studios, during a Mortal Kombat X live streaming session. According to Landsdown, there will be about three easy fatalities at launch, but more can be unlocked by playing the game.
The easy fatalities are there for players who are unable to complete the combinations to pull off a regular fatality in-game, such as those unable to adapt to the timing required. This move will not affect the regular fatalities, however, which will still be available for those adept at Mortal Kombat's gameplay. The easy fatalities are instead a welcome option for casual players who would like to partake in the theatrical side of the series.
It's an interesting move from NetherRealm, opening up one of the most well-known parts of the franchise to fans less familiar with the intricacies of the controls. Easy fatalities are nothing new to the series, either. Mortal Kombat 3 had a cheat where one-button fatalities could be added, whilst Mortal Kombat 9's fatalities were easier to complete than in previous iterations. One flaw could be that the fatalities lose their lustre with repeated use: if every fight ends with a fatality, will those finishers still feel as special with repeated watches?
All in all, it's another decision from NetherRealm to help bring variety to the title. Whilst Mortal Kombat 9 returned to the franchise's roots, The upcoming X seems to be taking tentative steps towards other aspects of what made Mortal Kombat so well-loved. The Test Your Luck mode is returning, alongside a player-defined Kustom Kombat mode, and there will be over 100 brutalities for players to contend with.
It's very hard not to be excited about Mortal Kombat X, particularly given the playable characters that have been revealed so far. A number of fan favourites are returning to battle, with Liu Kang announced this week. NetherRealm Studios has also revealed a pair of incredibly exciting DLC characters in Jason Voorhees and Predator. All in all, Mortal Kombat X is shaping up to be fearsome.
Mortal Kombat X will be released on April 14 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with a PS3 and Xbox 360 release scheduled for the summer.
Source: IGN