The most recent Kombat Kast announced 3 new characters, including StrawberryCupcakeKitten's favorite, Mileena. The images might not be as great of quality, due to me getting the video from an alternate source, but I hope it will still work out. This is also part one of the analysis. Part Two will feature all of the game modes shown in the stream. This analysis is focused on the characters shown.
First, we are shown a skin that was created in collaboration with a member of the MKKollective (something I recommend you check out), called 'Cold War Scorpion.' I personally like how it looks, but I hope it comes through more than just the few limited editions that do have this skin.
We then get to check out Mileena's variations, and we are treated to not only learning that Mileena is Derek Kirtzic's favorite character, but her variations are very dangerous in their
own way. We are first treated to the Ethereal variaiton in the Kuatan Jungle. We then get to see her redesign in full, including her redesigned face; she now possesses lips, while possessing more vicious teeth, which look like those of carnassials found in carnivorous mammals like dogs,
cats, weasels and lions. The following is Mileena's dialogue with her first opponent, Kung Lao: Mileena: So, you and I? Kung Lao: Do not even think of it. Mileena: You're right, you're unworthy. Is there anyone Mileena won't hit on? Anyway, this variation allows Mileena to teleport forward, back, or in place, and she can even 'hide' for a decent period of time, much like Ermac. However, the opponent can tell where she's going to appear, due to the fact that she throws her sai towards where she will be going.
Also, her common Special Moves are her Teleport Kick, Roll, and standing and air Sai Throw attacks. The teleportation will come in handy for dealing with zoning opponents, and for getting out of tight situations. Easily, this variation is the most mobile of the ones at Mileena's disposal, but it trades a few of her attacking options available in the other two variations she possesses, but if one wants to keep clear of their foes' attacks.
Her fatality is certainly one to raise a few eyebrows. She stabs into the foe's skull on both sides with her sais, then yank the foe's head off, proceeding to eat Kung Lao's face. Once satisfied, she throws the skull down and struts off. Delicious.
The next battle, against Kano, displays her Ravenous variation. This variation has Mileena without the mask, and seemingly without the tattoos on her arms. The dialogue is as follows: Kano: You're done, Mileena. Mileena: You'd betray me too? Kano: I prefer the winning side. Well, seems Kano worked with Mileena at one point, then ditched her for Kotal. This variation of Mileena's includes special 'bite combos' that can include button presses to add more bites to the combo enders, amplifying the damage done to the opponent, up to 20% in some cases. This variation also gives her two 'pounce' attacks, one high and one low. These, like her bite attacks, can be
extended for further damage. The high pounce has three stages; a grab and slam similar to Sonya's handstand grab, followed by a sai stabbing fury, and ending in a kick that sends the foe flying. Her low pounce is a leapfrogging manouver over a ducking opponent, followed by a rollback over the foe which breaks the foe's arms, then ends with Mileena sitting on the foe's skull and rolling away. Her fighting style in general is reminiscent of her twisted child-like personality, where she plays with her food/foe before dealing the final blow, regardless of her variation.
Before we talk about her final variation, a note on the pause menu. When you pause Mortal Kombat X, you will see that not only are several special moves (including those exclusive to a variation, shown by a symbol and yellow text), but in the bottom right there are several tokens. One of them, the top one with red, is earned for every Fatality done. Just as well, it seems one can preform 'easy Fatalities' by holding the Block button and pressing either Square (X for the XBOX One) or Triangle (Y for the XBOX One) depending of the fatality you wish to perform.
However, I believe that this will require the red tokens to do, so one must perform a normal fatality with the classic inputs before going for an easy fatality. I am personally a big fan of this feature, especially since I have friends who have a hard time with the fatalities in MK9, who can now perform an easy fatality so long as a token is available.
Finally, we get a look at the Piercing variation for Mileena. She goes against Kotal Kahn in the Refugee Kamp, and the dialogue is very telling. Mileena: Elder Gods DAMN YOU! Kotal Kahn: The Elder Gods reward strength. Mileena: Then I will have my due. This,
of course, is just one example of the ferocious rivalry between the two. This variation is very combo heavy, with many attacks that are multi-hitting, including a replacement for her biting attacks that features sai stabs, as well as a low Sai throw, and a brutal multi-stabbing combo that brutally damages the opponent. After attacking (and being attacked), Mileena's X-Ray is shown, and it's not pretty. Much like her first fatality, she stabs the foe in the sides of their head, but she then bites
down on the opponent's forehead, crushing the skull, finishing off by stabbing them in the eyes. Mileena's ending dialogue (When she doesn't finish a foe) is as follows. Mileena: Tasty!
The next character shown is Takeda, and he personally is my favorite new character, slightly ahead the previous favorite, D'Vorah. His attacks are characterized by often using the whips he has in his gauntlets; these attacks have some of the best range in the game,
but the catch is that they are fairly slow. Thankfully, he has several close-up moves that are much faster. His dialogue with Reptile is as follows: Takeda: Uuugh, have you been rolling in trash!? Reptile: Respect me, human! Takeda: I'm serious, you smell awful. The variation shown, Shirai Ryu, takes a few moves from Scorpion, including an attack where he stabs the opponent, pulls them in, then punches
them down in order to send them sprawling, and an air version where he skewers the opponent and divekicks into them. He also gets the ability to do the Quick Phase, a teleport much like Scorpions, but is delayable and cancellable. His universal special moves include a powerful flurry of 8 punches (which has an equivalent replacement in one variation), a spinning kick that can be done in the air that has several ranges, and an explosive dagger. A second fight unfolds, due to a rematch. Takeda: Reptile. Reptile: I will rip out your throat. Takeda: Settle down! Asides from showing off the Quick Phase, this rematch has next to no importance, so we move on to the second variation.
This variation, Lasher, utilizes his whips more, which are electrically charged. Takeda faces off against Scorpion, and something very peculiar is noted in the entry dialogue. Takeda: What have you become? Scorpion: I have returned to Quan Chi's service. Takeda: Then the Shirai Ryu are your enemies! It seems Scorpoin will be returning to his master
in the MKX story. That's real encouraging. The Lasher variation replaces the dash-punch with a series of whiplashes, which when meterburned bounce the opponent. He also gets a new low poke that reaches a long distance, making it good for striking opponents at a long distance. He gets a low scooping attack, and an anti-air that, worth noting, reaches out on both sides, most likely
allowing Takeda to catch teleporting opponents off guard. This will make aerial teleporters like Ermac, Scorpion and Shirai Ryu Takedas think twice about teleporting freely. Takeda's X-Ray is especially dangerous; it's an aerial X-Ray, meaning it must be activated in the air, but he still has the range of the whips as he uses them to start the X-Ray. He then spears his opponent through the head, then gets behind them, wrapping the spear around the neck and breaking his spine, dropping the foe. Takeda finishes with a deadly axekick that crushes the skull. As Takeda says afterwards, that hurt to watch.
Takeda's final variation, Ronin, features weapons not seen since Armageddon; Pulse
Sabers, first introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as an alternate version of the Sabre of Light wielded by Cyrax in Mortal Kombat 4. These Pulse Sabers, wielded alongside his whips, are used in many of his normal attacks, and in this variation's unique special moves. In this fight, he goes against Raiden, with the dialogue as follows. Raiden: I sensed your arrival. Takeda: Because I wanted you to. Raiden: I'm clearly in the presence of greatness. Sarcastic Raiden is officially back, folks. The unique special moves featured in this variation include a beam
fired from the Pulse Sabers, a projectile reflect, and a move where Takeda drops a Pulse Saber on the ground, then uses his telekinesis to activate and send the blade into the air, striking a foe standing over the blade. The Pulse Saber then returns on Takeda's arm. Now comes his fatality, the most disturbing one I've ever seen. First, he slices the foe's arms off with one whip, then retracts it. He then sends his
other whip into the foe's mouth, and with an evil smile, sends the blades in the whip to grow in a rapid fashion, even in the parts inside Raiden's mouth. He then pulls the whip out, with strained effort, yanking out internal organs along the way. Raiden then falls over dead, his mouth bubbling with blood. It's quite disturbing, actually.
The final character shown, Kung Jin, is also the one that most specializes at ranged fighting, as he uses a magical bow which can also act as a staff. The first battle is against Ferra/Torr. Ferra: You no hurt we! Kung Jin: I don't want to, but I can. Ferra: No can! Smash, Torr! I always love hearing Ferra's lines. Kung Jin's universal special moves include a flying kick assisted by the bow, a flipkick, and firing an arrow straight at a foe. The unique
moves in this variation, Ancestral, include several kinds of air shots and a low arrow, and the ability to change his arrow's properties. He can make them fire arrows, knocking an opponent down and increasing damage, or making them vampire arrows that drain a foe's super meter at the cost of pathetic damage output, and a stun arrow that leaves Kung Jin's opponent open for an attack. These property changes last six seconds.
His next variation, Bojutsu, is far more adept at close-range than the Ancestral variation, with several spinning combos and more staff-based combos.The pre-battle dialogue he
shares with his cousin, Kung Lao, is as follows: Kung Lao: You provoke me? Kung Jin: Just want to test myself against you. Kung Lao: You are not ready. His X-Ray is also shown; he crushes the back of the skull with the dragon head on the bow, then fires two arrows through the foe's eyes before he grabs the arrows and slams the fow down, shattering the ribs. The fatality shown is exactly the same fatality shown in the Story Mode trailer, only showing the head slide a bit further down as the arrows land on the ground.
Finally, we see his Shaolin variation, and he goes against Johnny Cage in the Refugee Kamp. The dialogue is quite funny: Johnny: Gonna test ya, Jin! Kung Jin: Gonna give me an A Plus Plus! Johnny: Or land flat on your A-S-S. Nice one, Cage. The Chakram
that Kung Jin possesses in this variation acts as an equivalent to Jade's Razor-Rang in MK9, which now is in the possession of Kitana. He can choose how the Chakram flies as well, much like Kung Lao's hat. He also gets a modification to the flying kick which takes him into the air, and when meter-burned adds a dropping attack.
This is part one of an analysis on this stream. The next analysis will be focused on mechanics, including Quitalities, game modes, and a few cameos.