Taking my time.
Developer Pathea Games has taken to social media to announce that My Time at Sandrock has been delayed from its original release date of September 26th, 2023 to November 2nd, 2023.
The reason provided for the delay is so that Pathea Games can “better ensure the game quality will meet your standards and expectations”.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Xbox’s biggest-ever gamescom booth opened this morning with a special presentation focused on – what else? – Starfield. In a purpose-built 300-seater theatre, attendees kicked off their gamescom experience with an extended look at the opening of the hugely anticipated new spacefaring RPG from Bethesda Game Studios. And, in a surprise appearance, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Game Director on Starfield Todd Howard introduced the game for the press and creators this morning.
“It’s totally awesome to be back at gamescom,” began Spencer. “It’s been so long, I couldn’t remember the last time I was here, I think it was 2017… It’s nice to see everybody back here at gamescom having a great time.”
The Head of Xbox went onto dive into why this is Xbox’s biggest ever booth, with over 50,000 square feet of floor space, 30 playable games, 150 demo stations, and multiple theatre spaces. Spencer also introduced some of the games at the show, from first-party titles like Towerborne and Forza Motorsport, to third party titles. He gave a special shout-out to STALKER 2, and the incredible work of its Ukrainian dev team, which received a round of applause from the crowd.
“I’m going to introduce someone who’s been a friend of mine for an awful long time,” he continued, “a friend of Xbox’s for an awful long time. But more importantly, someone who’s created some of the most amazing games, that literally tens of millions, of not hundreds of millions of players have played his games over the years.
“Two things when Todd talks about Starfield: ‘Over 25 years in the making’, which isn’t the development schedule – that’s how long Bethesda Games Studios has been around. And he also calls it ‘irresponsibly large’. For those who begin to play and see what he and the team have been building, you’ll see just a massively epic game, so please join me in welcoming Todd Howard to the stage.”
From here, Howard took the mic to huge applause. “This is the first time I have ever been to Gamescom,” he began. “I’ve heard about it for so many years, and what an incredible group of people come out.
“Thanks for all of your support – to the games that we’ve done over the years, and especially on this one. We have really poured ourselves into it for a long period of time, and it’s just a really, really special game to us.
“The other thing to say is how great it’s been to be part of Xbox – coming here and seeing this giant booth and their support. Like Phil was saying, we’ve known each other for a long time, we started working together over 20 years on the original Morrowind on the Xbox. So it’s been this long journey, and it feels like… culminating on a game like this, that I think in many ways we couldn’t have built without doing these other games. So we hope you like it!”
From there, we settled in for 15 minutes of Starfield, a mixture of gameplay and live-action trailers and, the centrepiece, an extended gameplay segment being shown only at Gamescom.
The booth itself is dressed in a navy blue galaxy map design, and even the holding screen before the event ran through some key terms from the game, from the Grav Drives that allow explorers to jump between star systems, to the background of the United Colonies’ capital city, New Atlantis. The impact of the musical score and visuals in this theater offer a good reminder: you’re going to want to experience Starfield on the biggest, loudest screen you can.
And what better way to show off the game than by revealing its opening moments? We’re introduced to the game amid a mining operation, where we see the player-character thrown immediately into the mystery at the heart of the game – and we saw a high-speed runthrough of the character creation process to establish a new member of the explorers’ group, Constellation.
As an opening to the game, it has a bit of everything – both on-foot and space combat, companions, threats, and even a trademark Bethesda “step-out moment”. Our time with Starfield ends as key character Sarah Morgan introduces herself by saying, “Welcome to Constellation – we have a lot to talk about.” Yes, we very much do.
Thankfully, you won’t have long to see it for yourself – Starfield will be released on September 6 (with pre-orders offering early access from September 1) on Xbox Series X|S and PC (with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass).
We’re off to a great start from Cologne, Germany! Please keep checking back with Xbox Wire this week and next as we share news and details for many of the biggest titles at gamescom.
Related:
How to Watch Xbox at gamescom 2023: Live from the Show Floor
gamescom Opening Night Live 2023: Xbox Showcases Starfield, Ara: History Untold, and Age of Empires IV to Xbox
This Week on Xbox: gamescom, New Games, Upcoming Games, and More!
Kazuma Kiryu may have faked his death and quietly walked away from a life of street brawls, tense hostage situations, and mini-games galore at the end of Yakuza 6. But an iconic character like that will never be shelved for too long. With the Yakuza series retitled to more closely match the Japanese translation, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has roped in Kiryu for one last simple job. And we all know how well “one last simple jobs” tend to go. Even though it was a bit disappointing that my playthrough strayed away from details of the main story arc, what I did see strongly justified bringing our boy out of retirement for another go-around.
Now working under the codename Joryu, our badass protagonist is tasked with a basic security gig that goes wrong, spiraling into a whole new story in the criminal underworld of Japan. Leaving the streets of the fictional Kamurocho, Tokyo, this new spinoff entry heads to Osaka, Yokohama, and the Castle – a container ship in the middle of the ocean fully decked out as a casino where anything and everything goes.
The Castle, featuring the centerpiece of a full-sized replica of Osaka Castle, was the only area available in my playthrough, which flew by as I canvassed the deck full of bright lights, loitering people, and seedy distractions. Immediately upon entering the Castle, Joryu got jumped by a not-small group of guys questioning whether or not he belongs there, and he proved his qualifications with his fists and new gadgets in a throw-down. This was my introduction to the two fighting modes in Like a Dragon Gaiden: the classic Yakuza style where powerful punches and leg sweeps rule, and the James Bond-esque Agent style where Joryu has four handy, on-brand gadgets at his disposal.
It’s easy enough getting a handle on deploying these AI combat drones, rocket-propelled shoes, bombs that look like cigarettes, and lasso wires, and they add a satisfying touch when Joryu’s faced with an impossible matchup. Tossing out wires can wrangle a horde of bad dudes which Joryu can fling around like air before smashing their faces in with a close-up, slow-motion finishing blow.
Once I fought my way into the Castle, it was time to experience the ship’s many delights, including darts and tables of high-stakes poker, black jack, and Koi, which are still as much of an addicting time-suck as fans of the series will remember. Similarly, the Cabaret has made its grand return, featuring live-action footage of women who auditioned for hostess roles. I spent time with Kaname, building up relationship points with Joryu’s suaveness and gifting her presents before my time was up and I was kicked back to the curb.
Next I visited the boutique, where I could customize Joryu’s outfits for the first time in the series, and it did not disappoint. Pretty much every piece of clothing is customizable, from a wide selection of headwear and glasses, makeup, shoes, and even little pins or a boutonniere. Whichever getup makes the cut — whether it’s classy, tough as nails, or ridiculous — it’s mandatory to preview the picks in a short clip that hilariously sends Joryu down a spotlit runway, striking a pose at the end.
Having put Joryu in a latex bodysuit, steel-tipped shoes, facepaint, and a straw hat straight out of One Piece, I headed to the Coliseum, the Castle’s centerpiece for solo or team timed cage matches. Besides Joryu, the novel lineup of fighters pulls deep from the series to include familiar faces and even the likes of a man with a sheep head, referencing a movie from a minigame in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Given that options range from a basic brawl to fighting 100 guys at a time, the Coliseum has endless opportunities to hone both fighting styles and rack up huge chunks of change to spend later.
My time spent in the Castle was fun, no doubt, but it left me wanting more — in a good way. This taste of action and minigames had me excited for the main storyline, especially after watching the drama unfold in the trailers Sega has released so far. What else is waiting for Joryu on the other side of a code name? Seemingly a lot of life-or-death battles, and a lot of cigarettes.
If you’re a fan of RPGs, there’s a chance you’ve joined the ranks of millions of players around the globe who have fallen in love with Persona. Great characters, lengthy and engrossing stories, and challenging, strategic gameplay have built Persona into one of the premiere RPG series. Once you’re pulled into the universe of a Persona game, it’s an experience that will leave you craving more. To satisfy that hunger for top-class gaming experiences, Atlus is releasing two Persona titles over the coming months: the strategic spinoff Persona 5 Tactica out November 17 and the highly anticipated remake Persona 3 Reload launching in February 2024, both releasing on PS5 and PS4. We had a chance to play both games recently, so read on and learn more about what to expect!
Persona 5 Tactica is a very different experience from the preceding series. It’s not a remake–rather, it’s a spin-off featuring the beloved Phantom Thieves gang we came to love in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal being whisked away to a whole new genre. Sometime during the events of Persona 5, the team sits in Leblanc, watching the news and discussing events, when they see a report about a missing politician. No sooner than the report ends the TV starts going haywire and everyone finds themselves in a strange new place with their Phantom Thieves garb on. It’s not a Palace, but it does seem like a place with ties to royalty, with a visual theme akin to historical France… and a laughing villainess named Marie.
This otherworldly kingdom has been overrun by spectral Legionnaires, and their tyranny is only kept in check by the Rebel Corps led by the enigmatic Erina, who the Phantom Thieves quickly find common ground with. But the rules of engagement in this realm are quite different from their usual battles.
The enemy skirmishes in Persona 5 Tactica take place on a grid. Here, during your turn, you can position individual characters and have them perform various actions: ranged gun attacks, close-range melee strikes, or a variety of Persona techniques that consume SP.
The crux of combat involves positioning. Each character has a unique movement range that can be affected by their current position and terrain. Additionally, characters can use obstacles and barriers on the battlefield as cover to reduce or nullify damage from enemy gunfire. The range and use of Persona skills can also be affected by that character’s location.
Where the strategy starts to get deep and juicy is figuring out how to manipulate the enemy into a disadvantage while holding the upper hand in your own position. Close-range melee strikes can knock down enemies or even push them into a different place on the map–but they can also leave you as a sitting duck on the enemy’s turn if you aren’t careful. Hitting an enemy’s weakness can knock them down and grant the attacking character an extra opportunity to move and attack, but that same rule applies to your foes, as well. Carefully downing enemies and maneuvering members of your squad into a triangle formation allows you to perform a multi-character Triple Threat attack, delivering a massive blow to multiple enemies caught in the crossfire. But even in the heat of battle, sometimes the best strategy is to wait and see–being in the right place at the right time might just grant some benefits.
You won’t have to wait too much longer to take up the mask once again and join the rebellion–Persona 5 Tactica launches November 17 on PS5 and PS4.
Persona 3 Reload is a ground-up remake of the groundbreaking PS2 RPG that established many traditions for Persona games that followed. Our demo took us into two distinct portions towards the beginning of the game: the first few levels of the ever-morphing maze Tartarus, and a challenging team expedition/boss battle on a monorail ride gone haywire.
Tartarus is a towering, many-floored domain of malevolent Shadows that emerges during the Dark Hour, a period of time late at night imperceptible to most of humanity… save for a handful of students at Gekkoukan High School. It’s up to these students, the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad, to attempt to conquer the maze, level by level, night by night, until its mysteries unravel–not an easy task when its shape is constantly transforming!
We took the starting SEES expedition lineup, consisting of the player hero character, ace archer Yukari, and sarcastic slacker Junpei, for an initial expedition through the dark and winding mazes of Tartarus. The isometric view of the original has been replaced with a more traditional third-person perspective, which really allows players to enjoy the much-enhanced exploration and navigation features.
Touch a shadow in Tartarus, and it’s off to the turn-based, weakness-exploiting combat Persona fans have come to love. Unlike the original, you have full control of all party members from the get-go–no awkward CPU-controlled combat choices–and a revised menu interface both adds immense style and makes flying through menus a breeze. If you’ve been on a Tartarus trek in the past, you might be pleased to know that all that old knowledge of enemy behavior from older versions of P3 still applies here–but with new Persona skills from later games added into the mix, you’ve now got even more options in a heated battle.
The second part of the demo – a battle under the full moon on a shadow-controlled monorail about to go off the rails–was a bit more straightforward but also considerably more intense. The trio is forced to hurry and prevent a mass-casualty disaster–including a timed encounter with a resilient and very suggestive boss with a seemingly endless supply of summoned shadow minions to do her bidding, forcing lots of strategic skill use. Here we got to see some of Yukari and Junpei’s character traits shine through as they reacted to the crisis, resulting in some big team bonding in the end.
The gameplay and storytelling of Persona 3 Reload remain just as engaging as it always was, and it’s all bolstered by the improved visuals of both the environments and the characters. The character models in particular are stunning, looking like they leaped straight from the pages of character designer Shigenori Soejima’s sketchbook into the game. Whether you’re a veteran Persona fan or a relative newcomer, there will be plenty to experience and/or remember when Persona 3 Reload releases in February 2024.
If there’s one thing Bethesda is known for, it’s those “step-out” moments. That first foray out in the unknown – whether it’s the opening of a long-sealed Fallout vault or a soaring Skyrim dragon welcoming you to a whole new world of danger and wonder. Starfield is no different, wasting no time in introducing you to the vast beauty of its world to great effect. But we’ll get to exactly how it does that just a little later. Here’s a rundown of exactly what happens in the opening minutes of Starfield’s first mission, fittingly titled One Small Step, after seeing it at gamescom 2023.
The Sol date is May 7, 2330. You find yourself on the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost on the Moon of Vectera. The first voice heard is that of Supervisor Lin, the obvious leader around here who has one simple rule: Listen to Lin. She’s accompanied by fellow miner Heller who provides a sense of levity and charm. It’s clear from the outset that Starfield will be home to Bethesda’s typical mix of quirky characters supported by punchy writing.
That writing also does a great job at this very early stage of exposing you to in-universe language and lore. Slang such as “Dusties” is casually thrown around as you piece together what these new words mean. The well-worn industrial mining spacesuits only add to the sense of place created in these opening moments, as do the designs of the machinery being wielded – in particular a huge whirring drill that reminded me of Thunderbirds’ Mole.
The mine itself is one long cavern that you walk through as Lin and Heller remind you of the task at hand – more minerals, more money. The atmosphere isn’t breathable without a mask, an early example of this being a place humans aren’t meant to be. Stalagmites and stalactites frame the cavern, while red lasers slicing through the air cast a scarlet glow across the sand-coloured rocks.
The visuals here are a noticeable step up for Bethesda Game Studios, but maybe not quite comparable to recent graphical powerhouses. Environments look great, but character models still seem to possess that classic Bethesda stiffness – there doesn’t look like there’s a lot going on behind those eyes. One thing that doesn’t threaten to underwhelm, however, is the simply majestic-sounding music, with stirring and mystery-laden strings accompanying these early footsteps.
After a quick tour, you’re encouraged to pick up a laser Cutter for yourself. A red beam all of your own bores into Beryllium deposits before exploding them and sending them off into your inventory. Mining for ore may not be the most exciting way to start an adventure of such thrilling potential, but this is all a ruse for something far more valuable. You’re soon find yourself wander ing into a tunnel alone. What could possibly go wrong?
What meets you is at first a tranquil, oddly beautiful sight – a metallic blue deposit surrounded by sparkly floating residue. Before you know it, you’re dipping your hand into the strange artefact and experiencing 2001: A Space Odyssey-like mind warps and visions. In some ways, this is not too dissimilar from the opening of the original Mass Effect. Upon waking you appear to be suffering from the event, although there’s barely a moment to consider that before Heller and Lin place a tablet before you, signalling the beginning of character creation.
It starts with your choice of Biometric ID – essentially a preset to begin shaping your appearance from. You can then go on to change everything from body shape, walk style, and skin tone, to the peculiarities of your face. There are also tabs for background and traits from which you can pick three, each of which comes with its own pros and cons.
Once created, you’re told a Constellation contact is about to arrive to buy the artefect you discovered – a sheet of weathered metal with circular markings on it. Constellation is a group of explorers that seem to carry an almost folklore status in this world. Heller remarks that “half of the crew probably don’t even think they exist”.
What follows is the moment you’ve been waiting for: Starfield’s first big “step out moment”. You leave behind the clinical walls of the medical facility you’ve been recovering in and step out onto a spaceport, framed by a vast moon vista. A yellow-tinged sky blasts out brightness, and a large spacecraft makes a noisy entrance. Again, this is a moment for the soundtrack to shine as it grandly swells, emphatically communicating the true start to this grand adventure.
You barely have time to soak up the view, however, before the serene sky is rudely interrupted by the approach of the new Constellation arrival. A large spaceship blasts into frame before settling down and lowering its doors. A man named Barrett emerges, accompanied by a long-limbed robot, who is later revealed to be a potential companion, Vasco. You chat and begin to make a deal before..surprise! Crimson Fleet pirates arrive, and they’ve been on the trail of Barrett.
Interestingly, the objective in the top right “Pick up a Weapon” is listed as optional, suggesting a pacifist path here is optional. On this occasion, however, a shoot-out follows involving the player equipping both a pistol and SMG. A small group of pirates, five or so, are held off thanks to your first taste of gunplay. With the muzzle flares silenced, the exchange of information and valuable objects can finally continue.
Barrett is impressed. He tells you that you’re part of this whole thing now, and you should go on your way to the city of New Atlantis to meet Constellation. A distant objective marker is set on a distant planet, but a smooth flight just isn’t written into the stars. Crimson Fleet Ghosts (an apparent class of fighter ship) appear and a dogfight ensues. One dealt with, we get our first look at Starfield’s galaxy map. We zoom out a couple of times to reveal planets within solar systems within the galaxy as a whole. A grav jump is initiated and looks quite stunning as blue and white fills the screen, swirling around as you make the leap.
We’re then given a very brief tour of the bustling and seemingly sprawling city of New Atlantis. A montage fades between glimpses of coffee shops, gardens, and sci-fi skyscrapers before we’re lead into the much more modest and classy wood decorated surroundings of the Constellation headquarters. You’re welcomed by the explorer group as the demo ends. The adventure has truly begun.
Simon Cardy would like to go to space. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.
The cost of Game Pass Ultimate, the all-inclusive package, has seen a $2 hike, landing at $16.99 per month for new members. Meanwhile, the standard Xbox Game Pass sees a $1 increase, making it $10.99 monthly. It’s also worth noting that the price for PC Game Pass will remain unchanged, holding steady at $9.99 a month. The new pricing officially took effect on July 6 for newcomers and has since been applicable from August 13 for those already part of the Game Pass family.
Update, August 23: At the time of writing you can still secure the below deal on Xbox Game Pass, but there’s no telling when Amazon will adjust the price or remove the deal to maintain parity with Xbox’s new pricing, so it’s best to take advantage of it while you still can. At $39.99 for three months, that’s reasonably better compared to the new price of $50.97 for three months.
If you want to avoid the price hike, we’re still recommending securing your current subscription for as long as possible. You can stack up to a maximum of 36 months of Game Pass, meaning you have the option to accumulate 3-month subscriptions up to 12 times.
Admittedly, this approach might put a strain on your wallet, totaling $479.88 if you purchase the 3-month codes via the deal we uncovered on Amazon. However, when you compare it to the new cost of Game Pass Ultimate for 36 months at $16.99 per month, amounting to $611.64, you’ll realize you’re saving a substantial $111.72 on your subscription for the next three years.
This is also just an example of the maximum savings available here, as it’s unlikely many of us have got a spare $500 to burn on Game Pass right this second. But it’s still food for thought, and you could even just buy 12 months’ worth of codes for $166.64 (vs it costing $203.88 per year from August 13) if you don’t want to stomach the cost of buying three years of Game Pass at once.
Even if you just buy a couple of extra Game Pass codes for safekeeping, you’re doing your future self a massive favor. Plus, if you’re new to Xbox Game Pass, you can also just buy a 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership and then join Game Pass. As it converts 1:1, you’re getting an excellent headstart on the price hike there as well.
We hope this arms you with the necessary knowledge to make an informed decision about your Xbox Game Pass subscription. So, consider your options wisely, plan accordingly, and keep on gaming. Otherwise, there’s also nothing wrong with canceling your subscription altogether as well.
With how expensive everything is getting in 2023, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts or follow @IGNDeals on Twitter for even more updates before Prime Day.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Tencent are bringing back NovaLogic’s venerable tactical FPS series Delta Force. Created by Shenzen-based TiMI Studios, who have now acquired the IP from THQ Nordic, the new Delta Force will be a free-to-play military-realist PvP shooter set on destructible maps featuring driveable vehicles and aircraft, with dynamic weather and a variety of enemy factions and classes. It’ll launch in 2024 across PC, consoles and mobile, and will support crossplay.
The original Delta Force launched in 1998, which was a busy year for videogames: it saw the release of Half-Life, Starcraft, Thief: The Dark Project, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout 2 and Grim Fandango, together with Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid on the console side. I’m not sure Delta Force can hold a candle to any of those, but it had a decent critical reception and attracted enough fans to spawn a fairly staggering number of sequels. It stands apart in my memory mostly for its huge draw distances and its corresponding emphasis on long-distance firefights.
Go wild this November.
Publisher Outright Games has shared a brand new gameplay for its second jump into the world of Jumanji.
Jumanji: Wild Adventures follows on from the 2019 title Jumanji: The Video Game and aims to be “bigger and wilder”. The first game is reportedly the publisher’s biggest-selling title to date, and we’re not surprised to see them capitalising on the hugely popular modern films.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The time to finish them is near once again. While Mortal Kombat 1 is the twelfth entry in the long-running series, NetherRealm Studios has managed to find a way to recreate the iconic fighter yet again, forging a new era for the franchise after the events of Mortal Kombat 11.
Upon sitting down for some dedicated hands-on time with the game’s story mode and all-new Invasion mode, I discovered a fighter that embodies everything that makes Mortal Kombat the series that has earned a dedicated fanbase and molds it into something new, packing in a cinematic, twist-filled story, new modes and gameplay mechanics. It’ll be a must for anyone who’s found themselves quoting that iconic line “Finish Them!” over the years. So get over here, and read on for more details.
A new Mortal Kombat title means a new story mode: hours of entertainment for anyone ready to enter a new realm. These games have become known for hosting some of the best movie-like story modes in gaming, and Mortal Kombat 1 is no different.
Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t just a new era in name alone. The game occurs in a fresh timeline created by the newly crowned Fire God, Liu Kang. Characters’ roles have switched, and designs changed, such as Kuai Liang—The second Sub Zero— being the Scorpion of this world. Starting as soon as the first chapter, which I could fully explore, these surprises made themselves evident. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are many jaw-dropping moments, with Ed Boon even teasing the wildest ending in franchise history.
Invasion is a new mode where you explore a board game-like map that I found to be a welcome addition. In it, I took my party of characters on an adventure where I could level them up, equip them with tons of loot, and take on hordes of enemies while unlocking new areas across the map.
Invasion mode isn’t just there for a good time. While traveling the realms, you’ll find yourself unlocking in-game kurrency, concept art, and more goodies you can enjoy in other modes.
As with Factions, Towers, and similar modes in past Mortal Kombat titles, NetherRealm Studios promises a constantly updated experience with Invasion. As the title states, the mode is based around different enemies and factions invading other realms in an attempt to konquer them, such as a Scorpion from a different reality invading the new era. Invaders will make themselves known throughout the game’s lifespan, and with each comes a new challenge, more traversing, and more unlockables to acquire.
The greatest surprise of Invasion is how well NetherRealm has used it as a love letter to the entirety of Mortal Kombat. While exploring each map, you’ll run into different minigames, such as classic Arcade Towers to take on and others like Test Your Might. These are excellent ways to break up the pace of random encounters and discovering keys to continue the journey.
This time around, you’ll not be fighting alone. Mortal Kombat 1 introduces an assisting partner as a main battle mechanic that can be used throughout each of your bouts. These side characters can’t be tagged into, but at the press of a button will jump in for a few seconds to throw out an attack to aid you in battle. You can use them to grab, throw projectiles, extend combos, and even help out for an X-Ray or Fatality finisher if the situation calls for it. They look cool and add a new layer to Mortal Kombat, not seen since the tag team mode of Mortal Kombat (2011).
With Mortal Kombat’s reality resetting again, the characters have followed suit. This allows NetherRealm to provide new styles to old faces and even bring back some faces we haven’t seen for some time, like Li Mei and Havik. This gives the series a breath of fresh air and makes for a roster with nothing but diverse playstyles.
The game offers some nice audio cues to help during the midst of battle through the DualSense controller: players will hear when the battle begins, their health is low, and different meters fill during fights.
You can be at the helm of Earthrealm’s protective forces alongside Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Li Mei, and more klassic characters when Mortal Kombat 1 hits PlayStation 5 on September 14.
At Gamescom 2023, we were able to sit down with Netherrealm Studios’ story and voiceover director Dominic Cianciolo. During our interview, we asked Cianciolo a ton of questions about Mortal Kombat 1, specifically the lore side of things.
As previously confirmed by the developer, the upcoming installment in this popular fighting game franchise serves as a soft reboot for the series.
Read on for our full Gamescom interview with NetherRealm Studios’ Dominic Cianciolo below, then check out our final preview and our separate conversation with director Ed Boon.
IGN: So I guess the first thing that I wanted to talk about was, was it always in the cards and the plan to do this grand reset of the timeline as far back as Mortal Kombat 11 and then Aftermath? Because I remember I watched the ending of Aftermath and I actually took it as, oh, we’re going back to the era of Great Kung Lao and we’re going to tell that story. Was it always in the cards for this?
Dominic Cianciolo, Story and Voiceover Director: I think when Ed chose the direction for Mortal Kombat 11’s story with the various pitches that we gave him, and we sort of ended up with this chronica and the time reset, I think we all knew at that point there was going to be a reboot in the cards. The exact nature of that reboot was not determined at that time. That was kind of later. As we went into Aftermath and we came out that, Ed’s and I had ideas like, you know what? We’ve been doing this same story or same vein of stories for the last 30 years. We’re just in this anniversary. We’ve got this chance to start fresh, let’s see what we can do and how to change it. And from there it became a discussion of what kind of a reboot did he want?
And so there was this discussion of, okay, is it a really crazy reboot? Is it the Kelvin timeline reboot, where it’s like, it’s kind of a reboot, but it’s not? And finding that level of just how much we wanted to change and how different we wanted to make it. And then as we developed the story for this, it was the process of teasing that out and figuring out what stories we wanted to play with and then what stories needed to stay more close to what we know as we went through it.
As someone who’s been part of creating Mortal Kombat’s story for so long, can you talk a little bit about what it’s been like to almost have this blank canvas to paint on and create this new timeline for Mortal Kombat?
DC: It was a lot of fun to work on this and to reboot it in this way because it allowed us to do a lot of the things that we kind of wanted to do in the past, but really couldn’t squeeze in and make sense with what we were handed, with what the narrative had grown. There were ideas from the very early days of Mortal Kombat that were thought about and discarded well before I got here, and so we’re able to implement some of those things and make those work. We were able to pay off a lot of the what ifs that are in the various latter endings that have come, that are what’s can and what’s not. We’re able to pluck some of those ideas and weave them into the narrative.
I think the other benefit that it gives us is because we are sort of starting fresh, we have a much bigger canvas than we can paint on because we’re doing full on stories now as opposed to only having the bios and endings, which had to do all this storytelling in these little tiny amounts. And because of that, we could do something that was… Everything was able to tie together in a more cohesive way just because we now have bigger budgets, better tools, and we can be more cinematic in presentation and how we bring things to it.
I think one of the more talked about, and not so much controversial, but definitely more talked about changes is the identity of Scorpion and it now being quietly aimed; Can you talk a little bit about why you decided to make that change?
DC: A couple of reasons. One is we were looking at, okay, how do we refresh this relationship that everybody knows? And how do we amp up the drama between the two characters? And so the notion of Scorpion and Sub-Zero being brothers, which I think go way back in the day, that was somebody, even [co-reactor John Tobias]… it was his ideas early on, it was a way sort of wrapping up the tension. And the sort decision of do we continue with Hanzo and make it a blood brother or an adopted brother or blood brother Kuai Liang? There were opportunities that are presented in having it be Bi-Han and Kuai Liang as Scorpion, and something wouldn’t be available to us if it was the same traditional place. We wouldn’t be big enough of a change if it was the guy that we knew.
I think something that people have to keep in mind as we’re playing through this story is that this reboot is different than the 9 reboot in that the Mortal Kombat 9 reboot was sort of speed run through the story of the first three games. This Mortal Kombat 1 is the jumping off point for a whole new universe. I’m seeing fan reaction to things and that kind of stuff, they’re expecting people to sort of complete their arcs in this one story. No, we’re just getting started with stuff. So there are going to be people maybe on their way to certain places that people are familiar with, but they’re not necessarily going to get there in this point because we’re just getting started.
Speaking of Scorpion, I know you probably can’t tell me, but I have to ask, what’s going on with Hanzo?
DC: Spoilers.
Can’t say anything?
DC: Can’t say.
You talked a little bit about the refresh relationship of Sub-Zero and Scorpion. What are some other relationships that you’re really proud of the new dynamic of in the story of Mortal Kombat 1?
DC: Oh, sure. A lot of relationships have been reset, of course. Kitana Mileena relationship obviously had been completely rethought because we actually had them being sisters in this go round, with one with the disease. We sort of flipped the power dynamic between the two of them, so that Mileena’s going to be the one that’s in charge; Kitana is her loyal friend and help her with that. So I think it opens up avenues for that that we haven’t been able to see before. Certainly humanizes Mileena in a way that she hasn’t been able to be because of the nature of the character in the past. This new relationship between the human Raiden and Kung Lao is a lot of fun and how they deal with it. It has shades of the Liu Kang Kung Lao relationship that we know, but it’s not quite the same. So that’s pretty cool. Let’s see.
The other characters haven’t been announced yet. I can’t talk about it, but pretty much every set of relationships has been reframed in a way that we haven’t seen before. As we’re going through it, there are going to be a lot of surprises because things just aren’t going to go the way that you expect if you’re thinking only about sort of what MK has been. We’re taking a lot of new directions.
Talk to me a little bit about Liu Kang, because this is obviously the figurehead of Mortal Kombat’s story for a very long time, the hero, and now he’s kind of in this position where he is got godly power and he’s creating this whole timeline on his own. What’s it like writing that character that has this history, but also this new kind of role that he’s playing in the story?
DC: Well, Liu Kang was really an interesting challenge because obviously he was immortal before he becomes a god. He has this power and he’s dealing with the responsibility of having this power, and what is he going to do with that power? And so what we see in him is a character that is not struggling under the weight of it, but trying to do his best and trying to execute things in a humble way. He’s approaching it in a very Liu Kang way, which is, “I’ve got this power, it’s not going to go to my head. I have to wield this responsibly.” If you’re going to give anybody godly power, you want it to be Liu Kang, because then he’s going to be mature about it peacefully.
And then again, going back to those relationships, Liu Kang obviously has a relationship kind of with all these characters, especially with Kitana. How does that relationship between him and Kitana play out in Mortal Kombat 1?
DC: Let’s see. You see the first chapter, not many folks are aware of Liu Kang. There are layers that are going to be revealed as we get into the story, and I think we pay off the Liu Kang and Kitana relationship in a way that people may not expect. But I think it’s really satisfying based on all the other stories that have come before.
One notable omission that I’ve seen so far in the playable roster has been the Special Forces characters. Jax and Sonya. Do they have a role in the new universe for Mortal Kombat 1?
DC: Well, obviously we’ve got Jax and Sonya as Kameo Characters. I mean, Laura Wise… I can’t speculate on what you haven’t seen already. I know some people are worried in this new universe that, oh my gosh, these characters no longer exist. They’re gone forever. It’s totally not the case. Whether they appear in this game or in future games, obviously that’s TBD, depending on where the studio wants to go and everyone wants to do, but they’re around. And as you play through, you sort of see where they are and where they’re coming from.
Mortal Kombat 1 has kind of been a return to the 3D era of Mortal Kombat. Can you talk a little bit about what it’s been like revisiting characters Li Mei, like Ashrah, like Havik and all those other characters that are coming back for the first time in a very long time?
DC: It is funny because when we were first talking about including them, or Ed was talking about including the roster way back when, I was like, okay, we have these pebble back and, well, for a whole legion of MK fans, they’re basically the characters. People just jumped in as in MK 9, aren’t familiar with the earlier games. They’re going to be totally new. It’s like, okay, how do we take these characters and make them 21st century versions of themselves? And so with Li Mei and sort of adding this role that she has as this first constable, it’s taking as she was the protector of her village before. It’s just taking that role and then integrating it more into how Outworld is developed.
I mean, what you’ll see as you play into the story is that one of the benefits of this big canvas that we have is that we can really flesh out what is Outworld’s structure, what are the layers, what groups are there, that kind of thing, and build that out. I think that helps a lot with her. And then with Havik, it’s a slightly different take on him, but it’s a mashup of other sort of chaos realm elements we’ve seen before, which I think is cool. And obviously the gameplay, it is horrific and beautiful at the same time. I am just really impressed with what the designers have been able to do with him to take what… If you look back the old stuff, it’s a different version of it. It’s really just leaning into all the best elements of what he has and making it work for these new concepts.
