Mortal Kombat XI returns to its bloody roots

[Timstuff]

OK, there's not really a whole lot of info available on the next Mortal Kombat game, but here's the facts we know so far:

1) The game has been in development for over a year
2) The game is being tested extensively throughout production
3) This is a "pure" MK game, not a sequel to MK vs. DC Universe
4) This will be an M-rated game with the signature over-the-top violence
5) Motion capture is being used in the game. Unknown whether it will be for gameplay, or just cutscenes
6) Ed Boon is excited (when isn't he )

Also, as of yet unconfirmed is that WB Games Chicago (formerly Midway Games Chicago) is that they may be changing their name. WB recently registered the name "Netherrealm Studios," and since the Netherrealm is part of the Mortal Kombat mythos it stands to reason that WBGC will be changing their name to Netherrealm. Again, the change has not been confirmed yet, but it's highly probable.

So, what can we expect from this new MK game? Who knows. All I know is that I really hope that this time they can put together a truly competitive fighting game that holds up well in tournament play. Hopefully they beta test this thing long enough to reduce the infinities problems that previous 3D entrees in the series have suffered from, because those kind of prevented the game from having any real competition potential. Maybe with Warner Bros.' funding they'll be able to hire enough testers to iron out any serious gameplay wrinkles this time around.

 

[Paroxysm]

So stoked!!!!!

 

[Havok83]

MK has sucked for the last 2 games. The entire franchise needs an overhaul

They dropped the numbering a long time ago but if this were to be given one, it would be 8 not 9. DC was a side project, not a proper sequel to the series

 

[Spider-Vader]

Haha! Fighters are getting good again!

 

[Havok83]

Haha! Fighters are getting good again!

They got good when SC IV was released. Its been a steady stream of them since with BlazBlue, SF2HD remix and MvC re-release, SFIV, Tekken 6

 

[ImWithTeamConan]

Am I the only one who when hearing of a new MK game is more interested in the story than actually playing the game?

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Am I the only one who when hearing of a new MK game is more interested in the story than actually playing the game?

Theres a story in these games? Where!?

 

[Timstuff]

Actually, for a fighting game the MK series has a surprisingly robust mythology. Compared to most games in its genre the mythos is relatively sane, with storylines for the characters that are actually possible to keep track of. Most Japanese fighters have very convoluted plots that don't really pay much attention to continuity, and the character's storylines are very convoluted and generally lose their importance after the first game they appear in.

Mortal Kombat's storyline is very comic book-like, and as such it's pretty easy to keep up with for the most part. If you watch the game's intro and see the character's ending, you can usually figure out what the general plot is and where the character fits in. In most other games though, the plot either is so complicated yet underrepresented that you can't tell what's going on, simply doesn't matter and the developer doesn't give a crap.

 

[Michael Frost]

Problem with the latest MK games is that each character winning the tournament gives you a different continuity to the story that was set up.

They're just choosing one as canon and continuing anyway, no harm done. I've always been a sucker for MK games. Love 'em.

 

[Soapy]

I feel like if you're playing a fighting game for the story, then you care about it way more than the people who wrote it.

 

[Nathan]

After the last couple games my expectations are extremely low. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be another forgettable title.

 

[Havok83]

I found that MK's story got ridiculously complicated and convoluted when they introduced the last trilogy of games on the previous generation.. When they added that adventure mode, I found the backstory and all the new characters just way to overwhelming and found it to be a major turn off.By the time Armageddon hit, it just became a big clusterf---- mess

 

[Gamma Goliath]

I hope they really get back to basics, and bring out a game with a nice fluid fighting style, and a story that feels like classic MK. I always thought there were too many new characters, I'm not against new blood, but keep it simple.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Being arguably the biggest Mortal Kombat fan on this forum, I'd like to see the gameplay improved substantially (no more broken ********, no infinites, nn 50/50 mix ups and no more band aid game mechanics like breakers) and a proper resoloution to the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception. I refuse to accept Armageddon as a "canon" entry in the series. If they are going to reboot, they need to focus the fighting, if they intend to focus on the narritive, they just need to give us a solid adventure brawler with a VS mode like they did Shaolin Monks. Above all else, they need to utilize the new found wealth of resources they acquired when they were bought by WB.

 

[Havok83]

Id actually prefer they do a true reboot and throw out any canon from the previous games bc like I said it got too convoluted towards the end. This game should be a reinvisioning of the franchise. It should incldue common elements of course but shouldnt necesarily feel as if it has to be tied down to what happened before.

I want them to really focus on the fighting mechanics bc thats where it got weak. The game wasnt fluid and the animations were stiff. Id throw away the fighting style system and weapon combat. Id just integrate weapons into regular attacks instead of making them their own style. I actually wouldnt mind if they the fighting system was similar to SCIV bc that was fluid

Graphics were rather disappointing with MK vs DC. It did look like a high res PS2/Xbox game. No excuse for that, especially with other 3D fighters like Soul Calibur IV and Tekken 6 looking absoluitely amazing.

Ditch the Adventure mode. While it was good to offer something new, it always sucked and its what helped contruibute to makin the story overly complicated.

I hope they really get back to basics, and bring out a game with a nice fluid fighting style, and a story that feels like classic MK. I always thought there were too many new characters, I'm not against new blood, but keep it simple.

Defiently and they had no personality. How many of the newer chracters were either really generic or clones of previous characters? They didnt develop alot of them and they came across very forgettable. Id limit the number of new characters in this to like 2 or 3. MK has a large and healthy list of fighters to choose from

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Id actually prefer they do a true reboot and throw out any canon from the previous games bc like I said it got too convoluted towards the end. This game should be a reinvisioning of the franchise. It should incldue common elements of course but shouldnt necesarily feel as if it has to be tied down to what happened before.

I want them to really focus on the fighting mechanics bc thats where it got weak. The game wasnt fluid and the animations were stiff. Id throw away the fighting style system and weapon combat. Id just integrate weapons into regular attacks instead of making them their own style. I actually wouldnt mind if they the fighting system was similar to SCIV bc that was fluid

Graphics were rather disappointing with MK vs DC. It did look like a high res PS2/Xbox game. No excuse for that, especially with other 3D fighters like Soul Calibur IV and Tekken 6 looking absoluitely amazing.

Ditch the Adventure mode. While it was good to offer something new, it always sucked and its what helped contruibute to makin the story overly complicated.


Defiently and they had no personality. How many of the newer chracters were either really generic or clones of previous characters? They didnt develop alot of them and they came across very forgettable. Id limit the number of new characters in this to like 2 or 3. MK has a large and healthy list of fighters to choose from

A Mortal Kombat game running on Criware would be amazing, but I doubt it will ever happen.

 

[Spider-Vader]

Actually, for a fighting game the MK series has a surprisingly robust mythology. Compared to most games in its genre the mythos is relatively sane, with storylines for the characters that are actually possible to keep track of. Most Japanese fighters have very convoluted plots that don't really pay much attention to continuity, and the character's storylines are very convoluted and generally lose their importance after the first game they appear in.

Mortal Kombat's storyline is very comic book-like, and as such it's pretty easy to keep up with for the most part. If you watch the game's intro and see the character's ending, you can usually figure out what the general plot is and where the character fits in. In most other games though, the plot either is so complicated yet underrepresented that you can't tell what's going on, simply doesn't matter and the developer doesn't give a crap.

That's the main reason why I love MK over SF. I like SF's gameplay more, but MK's characters & story interests me. Not saying MK has bad gameplay, though.

 

[Aztec]

Story is definitely what separates MK from SF. Great characters and great plotlines have been the hallmark of most of the MK games (aside from the bloodletting of course). I hope this continues. I eagerly look forward to this game.

With Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Super Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Mortal Kombat 9 all being recently released/in development this is a great time to be a fighting game fan! Perhaps one day we will get the ultimate fanboy crossover fighter:

Marvel vs. Capcom vs. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe?

One can only dream?

 

[Aztec]

Story is definitely what separates MK from SF. Great characters and great plotlines have been the hallmark of most of the MK games (aside from the bloodletting of course). I hope this continues. I eagerly look forward to this game.

With Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Super Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Mortal Kombat 9 all being recently released/in development this is a great time to be a fighting game fan! Perhaps one day we will get the ultimate fanboy crossover fighter:

Marvel vs. Capcom vs. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe?

One can only dream?

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

as cool as it is that we are getting a new MK game that will go back to its roots, i am actually still hoping we can get a sequel to MK vs DC in the near future

 

[venom892]

I remember before MKvsDC came out Boon talked about giving the next MK a God of War feel.I hope that's still true.I actually bought MKvs.DC recently and really liked the story mode.It kinda sucks we never go DLC.I heard Quan Chi and Harley Quinn were candidates but they didn't have funding.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Story is definitely what separates MK from SF. Great characters and great plotlines have been the hallmark of most of the MK games (aside from the bloodletting of course). I hope this continues. I eagerly look forward to this game.

Maybe thats why MK has always been second compared to SF. They care too much about story and not about actual gameplay.

 

[Nathan]

I hope either the developing staff has been replaced or they got some good additions. Because the normal Midway staff couldn't program a decent fighting game even if their lifes depended on it.

Four 3D games and they still couldn't make animations flow smoothly.

 

[Havok83]

I dont get why they are going back to the fighting game. I wish they would give that a break for a year or 2 and work on bringing out a sequel to Shaolin Monks. That game beats out any other MK game they've released in the last 10 years. Id rather expand upon what they offered in there

If they wanted another fighter, Id have expanded upon teh fighting mode from that game. It seemed like a mix between MK and Smash Brothers. Was really fun. I could see that as a PSN/XBL title

 

[Nathan]

Agreed. Bring on a sequel to Shaolin Monks and most importantly, let the same people work on it. You main MK staff stay away from it.