Mortal Kombat X Characters and Trailer: Too Much Violence For an M-rated Game?

Jan 31, 2015 02:34 AM EST

Those who have missed the Mortal Kombat fighting series of games will have it return in the form of Mortal Kombat X, which will be released worldwide on April 14, 2015.  Players can expect a lot of bloody Kombat, as well as some interesting DLC characters.  The game could be controversial with its level of violence, mirroring back to the early nineties when video game violence began to come into question. 

According to IGN.com, Mortal Kombat X will be "fueled by next-gen technology", that "combines unparalled, cinematic presentation with dynamic gameplay to create an unprecedented Kombat experience".  Players can choose from multiple variations of each character for the first time ever, which will impact both strategy and fighting style. 

Fans have a lot to look forward to as four-armed Shokan fighter Goro will make his return, according to Game Rant.  This character appeared in the last incarnation of Mortal Kombat, often known as Mortal Kombat 9.  Goro was merely a sub-boss for that one, but now he will be a playable character.  If you want to play Goro, you will need to pre-order the game prior to its launch, or have to wait until he becomes available as a paid DLC. 

It is not known if Goro will be the only DLC character, but the game director Ed Boon has talked about the return of guest characters, so why not more?  Of course, Mortal Kombat 9 featured Freddy Krueger as a playable character, which seems an odd mix of this video game franchise and the horror movie franchise Nightmare on Elm Street

Boon has also stated that Mortal Kombat X will have the largest roster in the series' history, and this includes Sub Zero, Raiden, and newcomers like Johnny Cage's daughter, Cassie.  The Latin Post has reported that Cassie Cage looks very similar to UFC fighter Felice Herrig.  Herrig has even posted on Instagram a picture of her with Cassie Cage side-by-side, and claimed that Mortal Kombat X used her likeness.  It doesn't look like Herrig minds this. 

Mortal Kombat first hit arcades back in 1992 as a fighting game that featured graphics that looked very realistic at the time.  The game then hit the consoles, and it became very controversial as it featured "Finishing Moves" that were extremely graphic, and the Mortal Kombat series aroused concerned parents groups that eventually led to today's Game rating system. 

Mortal Kombat X is currently rated M for Mature, and the trailer for the game looks extremely violent.  It is possible that it could be raised to an A rating, but only few games have achieved that status, and a rating like that could increase sales to its target adult demographic, which would be those who played Mortal Kombat as kids and then told not to play it by their parents.

Mortal Kombat X, or MKX, will be released to the Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on April 14, 2015.  It should be rated M, but don't be surprised if a rated A version comes about.