Mortal Kombat 1’s Animalities: Behind the Scenes of the Best
Mortal Kombat players can once again unleash the animal within with the release of the Khaos Reigns expansion. This nostalgic update brings new animalities to the game, allowing players to perform grisly finishers in ferocious style. We spoke to Josh Slingerland, principal artist and cinematics director at NetherRealm, about how some of these memorable animalities came about.
Peacemaker’s Patriotic Animality
Peacemaker shines with an animality powered by patriotism and a hatred for the metric system. For Peacemaker’s finisher, the team knew they had to go big. Initially, they had Eagly firing a rocket launcher instead of dropping a grenade. However, they ended up going with the grenade, which allowed for cooler camera shots and broke things up from Peacemaker shooting guns.
The cinematic lead animator suggested keeping Peacemaker’s helmet on his eagle, which helped differentiate the two on screen and added a comedic touch. The team also wanted to showcase Eagly and Peacemaker as much as possible, given their cool epic tag team kind of fatality.
Other Notable Animalities
The team’s creative process involved brainstorming and experimenting with different ideas. They used online resources to find inspiration for some of the animalities. For example, Mileena’s mantis deathblow is a showcase of creative carnage. The team’s attention to detail and commitment to delivering memorable animalities have made Mortal Kombat 1 a standout game.
Some of the notable animalities include:
The Mortal Kombat 1 team’s dedication to creating memorable animalities has paid off, offering players a unique gaming experience that is both nostalgic and exciting.