Mortal Kombat 1 was one of the headliners at Summer Game Fest 2023 with a lengthy trailer during the event’s showcase, and we got hands-on with an early build of the game. It seems to be both an evolution of the series from a gameplay perspective and a sort of reset for its story and characters. While we saw some of the over-the-top hijinks expected from a Mortal Kombat story, playing MK1 gave us a feel for how the brand-new Kameo system works and how a familiar roster of fighters play much differently this time around.
We spoke with series co-creator Ed Boon about the design philosophy behind revamping characters we already know and love. But we also went in-depth about how new mechanics have led to noticeable changes for the flow of matches–for example, aerial combos and Kameo assists add a new dynamic that wasn’t present in MK11, and the result is a game that plays faster and looser. We also went through specific changes to the playable roster in the demo, which included Kitana, Liu Kang, and Scorpion, and how the return of Kenshi adds a new layer of complexity to the fight system.
(This interview was edited for clarity and readability.)