Summary
As the game’s September release draws ever closer,Mortal Kombat 1continues to look more impressive with each new glimpse shown by developer NetherRealm. As one of the fighting genre’s oldest and most popular franchises,Mortal Kombathas introduced some incredibly memorable charactersover the years. Names such as Johnny Cage and Raiden have penetrated into broader pop culture and contributed to the series' lasting success. The upcoming series reboot aims to paint many of these characters in a completely different light, and a recent trailer has shown off the amphibious shape-shifter Reptile’s brand-new look and move set.
Reptile is one of many famous characters whose role is set to significantly change inMortal Kombat 1. Following the events inMortal Kombat 11’s climax, Liu Kang has rewound time, creating a new universe. In doing so, he has created new backstories and origins for many of the series' most beloved characters in a desperate attempt to maintain peace.
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Reptile’s Mortal Kombat 1 Glow Up Will Give the Character a New Lease of Life
Despite not necessarily grabbing as many headlines as some of the other colorful characters onMortal Kombat’s roster, Reptile has been a favorite among fans since he made his debut as a secret boss in theoriginal 1992Mortal Kombatgame. Since then, he has appeared in numerous other titles in the franchise, either as a playable character or via small cameos throughout the series' story. He even played a small part in the 1995 live-action movie adaptation, battling Liu Kang during the protagonist’s time in the realm of Outworld. The versatile Reptile has proven to be a tough adversary over the years, and this is set to continue inMortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat 1’s official Reptile biodescribes him as part of a reptiloid race known as Zaterrans, found on Outworld. Despite the fact that all Zaterrans are able to camouflage themselves extremely well, only Reptile possesses the unique ability to shape-shift into a human form. This ability actually led to Reptile, whose real name is Syzoth, being terrorized by other Zaterrans, causing him to leave his home and seek solace elsewhere.
Mortal Kombat 1footage shows Reptileto be an extremely fast and agile fighter, with a number of ferocious moves in his arsenal. His reptile form seems bigger than previous versions, and he doesn’t look too dissimilar from Spider-Man’s villainous Dr. Curt Connors, better known as Lizard. Reptile appears able to freely shift between human and reptile form, and while in the latter skin, he can also use a venomous green substance to deal additional damage to his opponents. Despite usually being cast in the role of a villain, Reptile’s allegiance in MK1 is not yet known, but he appears to be a more reasonable and articulate individual in his new form when compared to past versions.
Street Fighter 6released earlier this year, and has set a high barfor the likes ofMortal KombatandTekken, both of which have new installments on the horizon.Mortal Kombat 1will be keen to show it can still hold its own compared to its fiercest rivals when it launches next month. If the visually stunning, fast-paced, and visceral gameplay footage shown so far is anything to go by, fans shouldn’t bet againstMortal Kombatcoming out on top once more come September.
Mortal Kombat 1releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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