Mortal Kombat Armageddon Preview

Every Kharacter Is Invited

The Mortal Kombat franchise may have had some rather humble beginnings, with the original game only having seven selectable characters and two bosses. Fast forward to this seventh offering, and now gamers will be able to choose from every character from every incarnation of Mortal Kombat. Imagine pitting Sindel against Bo Rai Cho, or Goro against Kintaro. The roster will be absolutely incredible. According to Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, "it's actually a lot closer to 60 characters."

An Original Kreation

As if having 60 characters to choose from wasn't already enough, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon will also feature a "Kreate A Kharacter" mode. You not only get to customize the look of your unique warrior, but also his (or her) complete moveset. Sure, choosing a fighting style is one thing, but choosing each individual attack is quite another. Moreover, as you play the game, you can earn points to upgrade moves, special attacks, appearance, and other attributes. What's more, you'll be able to take your Kreated Kharacter and do battle with others online.

Kustom Fatalities

Fatalities (and their later finishing moves, like babalities, friendships, and brutalities) have always been a huge part of Mortal Kombat's appeal. Midway is promising customization here as well -- a sharp departure from previous renditions of the game. You don't just sit back and "watch the fireworks" in Armageddon. These new gory messes will be interactive insofar that you can link together a sequence of "mini-fatalities" in whatever order you'd like. Rip off the arms, then chop off the head, and kick the torso off the legs... all in one smooth and wonderfully kustom experience.

Klosing The Killer Era

Armageddon is designed to tie up all the loose ends, and, as it name implies, is "the end." The ultimate showdown between good and evil boils down to this title here, and as Ed Boon said in an interview with IGN.com, "We really want to close this chapter of Mortal Kombat." Armageddon finishes off the story for every Mortal Kombat character, so it is quite the endeavor.

We have already seen spin-off games like relatively recent Shaolin Monks, as well as mini-games within Deception. These "diversions" will be renewed in this version as well, in addition to interactive backgrounds and other nifty features.

With the next-generation consoles hitting the marketplace -- the Xbox 360 last year, and the PS3 and Revolution still to come -- it will be interesting to see how Midway re-invents its incredible Mortal Kombat universe. In the meantime, speaking for myself, I can't wait to see Armageddon.