In the 1990's gore was king when it came to video games. A game simply wasn't cool enough if it didn't have a decent amount of blood and guts dripping, splashing or exploding on screen. This bloodlust led to videogames recieving age classifications, but it truly was a golden age of gaming with many AAA name franchises coming to infamous prominence amist the bloodshed - games such as id Softwares Doom series, 3D Realms' Duke Nukem, Capcom's Resident Evil franchise and of course, the game that started all the controversy - Mortal Kombat.
Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the first game in the series was, in terms of gameplay, weak beyond measure with choppy frame rates, limited controls and blocky, digitized graphics. But what it lacked in content, it made up for in terms of character and sheer attitude, with gallons of blood dripping off the screen from every bone-crunching blow to the games notorious Fatality moves. As the series progressed up until its third incarnation, things improved with the addition of character specific moves, combination attacks and a wealth of playable characters and unlockable content. But, inevitably the series became a victim of its own success with subsequent instalments and spin-offs diluting the gameplay to its repetitive beginnings, despite the additions of multiple fighting styles and an ever increasing number of Kombatants to choose from.
Yet, as with the last instalment, Mortal Kombat 9, the new instalment Mortal Kombat X looks to have learned the harsh lessons from its past, with the promise of delivering a fighting game, or beat-em-up with plenty of content, playability and action to keep us entertained. Made by Netherrealm Studios, the new name for Ed Boon's team, most of which worked on previous instalments, takes the foundation of Mortal Kombat 9, adds a splash of Injustice: Gods Amongst Us and a peppering of features including - multiple versions of each character, environmental attacks and the welcome return of X-Ray Attacks. Until we see more of the game at this years E3 expo, this newly released announcement trailer will have to sate your bloodthirsty appetite...
