'Mortal Kombat 11' Director Says Slow-Motion Fatalities Were Difficult To Make, But Worth It

If Mortal Kombat is anything, it's boastfully violent. In fact, it's the game's worship of gore, superfluous violence, and the chilling noises it can make as you rip someone's face off that draw many people to the series. And over the years, developer NetherRealm Studios has only embraced this reputation more and more, especially with the game's finishers, or fatalities, as they are dubbed.

That said, the game's standout fatalities that make for excellent trailer footage aren't just something NetherRealm Studios throws in. There's a lot of thought that goes behind them, and making them. According to Creative Director Ed Boon, they've been one of the hardest parts of developing Mortal Kombat 11.

Speaking to Brian Tong via his YouTube Channel, Boon conveyed this while talking about fatalities, which have been improved with slow-motion effects that show the carnage at uncomfortable new levels. But getting fatalities to this point, wasn't easy. There's a lot of tech behind it, and a lot of iteration over time, but Boon seems to think it all paid off.

"In this game, a lot of our fatalities end with a slow-mo of bloody explosions," said Boon. "We always described it as, we want the final image to be something that somebody would want to hang on the wall. It'd be a little sick if you did it, but some really cool thing. Getting that slow down, the blood, the technology to create that blood, was very repetitive, very painful, but absolutely paid off."

Boon continued:

"It makes it feel different from the last game. I love the way our Fatalities end with these kind of splash moments. They're awesome."

I have to agree with Boon. Are the fatalities over-the-top and gratuitous? Absolutely. But to me, that's Mortal Kombat, and is what helps it stick out from other fighting games, including other NetherRealm Studios' fighting games, like Injustice.

Mortal Kombat 11 is in development for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and is poised to release on April 23, priced at $59.99 USD.

For more news, media, and our own thoughts on the year's biggest fighting game, be sure to check out our previous coverage of the title by clicking here. And of course, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think or hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ to talk all things Mortal Kombat and why Reptile is the best.