Get ready for Mortal Kombat XL.

A couple of weeks ago I announced that Mortal Kombat X was getting an upgrade in the form of an upgraded version of the fighting game called Mortal Kombat XL. Today I can confirm that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have announced that Mortal Kombat XL will be available from Friday, 04 March on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Mortal Kombat XL is an extended version of the award winning fighting game and it features the main game and all content featured in the original Kombat Pack and Kombat Pack 2 including:

• Brand-new playable characters Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror film series and the Xenomorph from Alien, along with returning Mortal Kombatcharacters Triborg and Bo’Rai Cho
• All playable characters from the original Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack: Predator, Jason Voorhees, Tremor and Tanya, each accompanied by three themed skins
• New Apocalypse Skin Pack
• Previously released content for Mortal Kombat X including Goro, the Brazil Skin Pack, the Kold War Skin Pack, Samurai Skin Pack and Kold War Scorpion Skin.

On top of getting all this really cool bonus content, if you own a copy of the game on the PS4 and Xbox One, you can download the new Medieval Skin Pack and new Pit Stage environment for free. These bonuses are based on the “on the classic Mortal Kombat arena, including a stage-specific Fatality.”

If you don’t like the idea of buying a completely new game, you can buy the Mortal Kombat XL Pack, which includes content from both the original Kombat Pack and Kombat Pack 2. If you own the original Kombat Pack, you can enhance your experience by purchasing the Kombat Pack in the PlayStation Store and on Xbox Live.

Get ready to play Mortal Kombat XL.

If you are a huge fan of Mortal Kombat X, you’ll be happy to hear that NetherRealm have announced a beefed up version of their popular fighting game and it’s simply titled Mortal Kombat XL Edition.

Mortal Kombat XL is basically the base game and all it’s DLC’s packed in one game. The first DLC features “Jason Voorhees, Predator, Tanya, and Tremor, while the second comes with Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Xenomorph (Alien), Bo Rai Cho (drunken fist master) and Tri-Borg (combination of Cyrax, Sektor, and Robot Smoke).” Mortal Kombat XL will also feature all the skin packs including the Apocalypse Skin Pack, as well as the Brazil Skin Pack, Kold War Skin Pack, Kold War Scorpion Skin, and Samurai Skin Pack.

Mortal Kombat XL will launch on the 1st of March 2016 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both digitally and at retailers. Watch the announce trailer below

New playable characters, skins and a new environment coming to Mortal Kombat X

Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is developing new downloadable content (DLC) for Mortal Kombat X. The new content comes in the form of new playable characters, skins and a new environment, all of which will be available in the first half of 2016. 

That’s not the only announcement Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment made as we also got news that Mortal Kombat X is the best-selling PS4 game of 2015 to-date in South Africa according to GFK data (published July). NetherRealm Studios are the team behind the much loved fighting game and they’ve delivered a legendary, critically acclaimed fighting game that propels the iconic franchise into a new generation. 

Mortal Kombat X is arguably the most brutal Kombat experience ever, combining cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to give gamer’s a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy. Mortal Kombat X is currently out on the PS4, Xbox One, PC and won’t be making an appearance on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

[youtube.com/watch?v=UcaT30k35cU]

Sorry no Mortal Kombat X for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

I’m sad to announce that the much loved fighting video game Mortal Kombat X won’t be making an appearance on last-gen consoles the PS3 and Xbox 360.

This announcement was made by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment on the Mortal Kombat X community website and the community administrator Yorick posted this statement:

“After months of development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has come to the regrettable conclusion that we cannot release Mortal Kombat X for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.  Please know our teams worked diligently to meet the quality standards set by the current-gen versions of the game.  We were not able to get the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions to the quality expected of a Mortal Kombat game and are very sorry for not being able to deliver the products as originally planned.

If you pre-ordered Mortal Kombat X for PS3 or Xbox 360, please go to the retail location where you pre-ordered the game and you will receive a full refund.”

Mortal Kombat X for PS3 and Xbox 360 was scheduled to be released alongside current-gen versions of the game back in April but was delayed to later this year. This is sad news indeed, would have loved to see Scorpio, Raiden and Sub-Zero on my PS3.

[youtube.com/watch?v=1EROmqidZQc]

Mortal Kombat franchise sells over 35 million units.

Today marks the release of Mortal Kombat X and with this release Warner Bros, the publishers of the fighting game have revealed that the Mortal Kombat series has sold more than 35 million units of the video game. We were introduced to Mortal Kombat back in the 90’s and it was a fan favourite from the start. Mortal Kombat X launches today on the Xbox One, PS4 and on PC, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game have been delayed are due to be released later this year. Here’s the launch trailer below and we can’t wait to get our hands on it.

[youtube.com/watch?v=bm8DOcm2RBA]

Mortal Kombat X: mobile out now!

Yesterday I posted a story about the Mortal Kombat Cup coming to South Africa, now you can practice your moves on your smartphone. The mobile version of Mortal Kombat X is out and it’s free for all you iOS users. The Android version is coming real soon and don’t forget to check out Mortal Kombat X when its released on the Xbox, PS4 and on PC on the 14th of April 2015.

[youtube.com/watch?v=Ppnp0JIx3h4]

Mortal Kombat Cup coming to South Africa.

If you are a huge fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise, you’ll be happy to hear that the Mortal Kombat Cup is coming to South Africa. You’ll also be happy to hear that the grand prize is a R15 000 Cash Prize and a PlayStation 4 20^th Anniversary Console and a seat at the Grand Final taking place in France, at the Japan Expo. The provincial winners, win an all expenses paid trip to the grand finale taking place in Johannesburg and a Mortal Kombat X Collectors Edition Playstation 4 console. The qualifiers will take place in all three of South Africa’s major cities, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with Johannesburg having two qualifying rounds. All you need to do to enter is register on www.MortalKombatX.co.za and you must be over the age of 18. Here are the details of the qualifiers below and the Mortal Kombat Cup Trailer.

MK Cup – Gauteng Qualifiers

Date: 9^th May 2015

City: Johannesburg

Description: Two qualifying rounds on separate days for SA Mortal Kombat Cup for people in Gauteng province and surrounds. 32 places (with the ability to burst up to 64 players should there be demand) on each day.

Prize:

A place in the SA Final taking in Johannesburg and Mortal Kombat X Kollector’s Edition (PS4)

2nd MK Cup- Gauteng Qualifiers

Date: 30^th May 2015

City:  Johannesburg

Description: Two qualifying rounds on separate days for SA Mortal Kombat Cup for people in Gauteng province and surrounds. 32 places (with the ability to burst up to 64 players should there be demand) on each day.

Prize: A place in the SA Final taking in Johannesburg and Mortal Kombat X Kollector’s Edition (PS4)

MK Cup – KwaZulu-Natal Qualifier:

Date: 16^th May 2015

City: Durban

Description: Qualifying round for SA Mortal Kombat Cup for people in KwaZulu-Natal and surrounds. 32 places (with the ability to burst up to 64 players should there be demand).

Prize:  Expenses paid trip to Johannesburg for SA Final and Mortal Kombat X Kollector’s Edition (PS4)

MK Cup – Western Cape Qualifier:

Date: 23^rd May 2015

City: Cape Town

Description: Qualifying round for SA Mortal Kombat Cup for people in Western Cape Province. 32 places (with the ability to burst up to 64 players should there be demand).

Prize: Expenses paid trip to Johannesburg for SA Final and Mortal Kombat X Kollector’s Edition (PS4)

MK Cup SA Final:

Date: 6^th June 2015

City: Johannesburg

Description: SA Grand Finals for 16 qualifying competitors from all events.

Prize:

1^st Place: R15 000 Cash Prize and PlayStation 4 20^th Anniversary Console

2^nd Place: R10 000 Cash Prize and Mortal Kombat X Branded PS4 Console

3^rd Place: R5 000 Cash Prize

Anyone can attend any of the qualifiers and the grand finale as spectators, subject to venue capacity. Mortal Kombat X will be released on the 14th of April 2015 on the PS4, Xbox One and on PC. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game have been delayed.

[youtube.com/watch?v=wtXbRB7s808]

The games we can’t wait to play in 2015.

2014 was a great year for gaming in South Africa, the Xbox One finally hit the motherland and gave the PS4 a run for its money, with Xbox One price cuts and specials left, right and center. The PS4 seems to be in the lead when it comes to sales with Sony’s next gen console selling more than 18 million units worldwide. The question on everyone’s lips “will the Xbox One eventually catch up?”. Maybe a couple of great Xbox One exclusive games can help Microsoft’s next-gen console catch up to Sony’s shining star, with that said today we are checking out our top 5 list of games that we are looking forward to playing in 2015.

We kick off our top 5 with Turtle Rocks much anticipated online multiplayer Evolve. In this 4 vs 1 multiplayer you and your four friends, take on one single player controlled monster in adrenaline pumped action. You can take control of Monsters like The Kraken, if you’ve watched the movie Clash of The Titans you’ll know which monster I’m referring too. Play as the monster to use savage abilities and unleash the animal in you to kill your human enemies, or you can play as one of four Hunter classes (Assault, Trapper, Medic and Support) and team up with your friends to take down the beast on the planet Shear. Evolve drops on the 10^th of February 2015 and will be released on the Xbox One, PS4 and on PC.

Sitting pretty at number 4 is Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, not a lot details have been released about this game but a 15 gameplay video that was released late last year and gave us hints on what we can expect next from the Uncharted series. Most of the gameplay in the video is what we are used to in the series, a lot of shooting and climbing but Nathan Drake also has a new trick up his sleeve and he uses a rope and grappling hook to swing from one obstacle to another. The gameplay video was captured on a PS4 and the game is set to be released exclusively on the PS4. Seeing that it’s a Playstation exclusive game we might see it dropping on the PS3, a release date has not been set but Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is rumored to be released in 2015.

Mobile gaming has become a monster and a force to be reckoned with, a lot of core gaming companies are releasing mobile versions of their games, with EA releasing FIFA 15 Ultimate Team the mobile version of FIFA 15 and Activision releasing Call of Duty Heroes a mobile spin off, of the Call of Duty franchise. It’s not a surprise that the number 3 spot goes to Need For Speed: No Limits, Electronic Arts next installment in the Need For Speed franchise. Need for Speed: No Limits is coming to Android and iOS devices. The gameplay trailer to this game was released earlier this year and it features police chases, drifting and fast paced racing. A release date for Need for Speed: No Limits has not been set and whether the game will be free to play with in-app purchases or not, is another question that still needs to be answered.

Sneaking in at the number 2 spot is Batman Arkham Knight and for the first time in the Batman franchise you will be able to take control of the Batmobile. The developers of the game Rocksteady games are going to make the streets of Gotham City wide enough for you to drive the Batmobile and one of the cool things about the Batmobile is that, it can transform into a tank. You can expect villains like Scarecrow, Riddler, Penguin, and Two-Face in the game and Batman Arkham Knight drops on the 2^nd of June and will be released on the Xbox One, PS4 and on PC.

We wrap this top 5 with Mortal Kombat X taking the number 1 spot. Mortal Kombat X is the first next-gen game in the franchise and brings new characters and reworked ideas to the Xbox One and PS4. From the likes of bug-lady D’Vorah, the piggy-backing Ferra and Torr, Aztec Kotal Kahn, too two of our favorite characters Sub-Zero and Scorpio. We hope that the likes of Raiden and Goro will also feature in Mortal Kombat X. When I played Mortal Kombat X at The Rage Expo here in Johannesburg the game featured kiss ass realistic graphics, taking the phrase “Finish Him” to the next level as we played the game on a PS4. Mortal Kombat X will be released on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4 when it drops on the 14^th of April 2015.

[youtube.com/watch?v=Ci6lMQNLKZU]

There are tons of games coming out in 2015, the likes of Star Wars Battlefront, The Order 1886, the Wii U exclusive Mario Maker just to name a few. Let me know on the comments section below which games you are looking forward to.