Showcased during the Summer GamesFest, we received our first look at NeatherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat 1 in action. The team spoke about changing the kombat in their brutal fighting game series, and along with the gratuitous violence comes a very revamped fighting formula the Mortal Kombat series hasn't been introduced to before. 

Mortal Kombat 11 was a very technical and grounded MK game, relying strongly on neutral gameplay. MK1 takes a speedier, more varied approach. Taking the action to the air, launcher moves, airborne specials and juggles appear to be more open-ended. The speed of the combos, along with the chains bear a striking resemblance to Dragonball FighterZ or Granblue Fantasy Vs.

It's also worth taking notice of what appears to be an Assist system. In the history of fighting games, these types of assist tactics began as Variable Counters in X-Men vs Street Fighter, and were introduced in King of Fighters 99's Striker System. Now, if NeatherRealm decides to incorporate Mortal Kombat 1 with a full tag mode, that could be a fascinating overhaul to the meta. 

Some other notable changes, speaking exclusively about the lore and changes to the characters and the alliances thus far seen in Mortal Kombat 1, Raiden now appears to be a normal Earthrealm fighter. Mileena appears to be born with a disease that mutates her appearance, with her sister Kitana fighting to keep it under wraps. That certainly makes their dynamic of their relationship very different, as Mileena was a clone of Kitana created from Tarkatan DNA (Baraka's race of Outworld nomads) who struggled with her identity, driving her insane. The jealousy seems to still be there, but now from a different perspective.

We can be sure that more intricate details surrounding Mortal Kombat 1 will be revealed in the coming months, and leading up to its September 19 release date.