An impressive video of a proposed Mortal Kombat Trilogy remake, created in Unreal Engine 5, shows how brutally beautiful the project could become. The classic fighting game series first hit arcades in 1992, and it has since expanded with sequels, spin-offs and adaptations in other media. Recently fans have petitioned for the development of a Mortal Kombat Trilogy remake, with 4K images proving the project's worth.
Released in 1996, Mortal Kombat Trilogy brought the arcade franchise's first three installments to home consoles and combined their contents into a single package. The title's story and combat system was reused from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, retaining the series' signature focus on gory over-the-top finishing moves and unique special abilities for each character. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3's entire expansive roster was made available, and playable characters Johnny Cage, Raiden and Baraka were brought back from prior installments. New mechanics, like the Brutality finishing move and secret character Chameleon, have made the combative collection a highly-regarded classic. Nostalgia has led to a popular Mortal Kombat Trilogy remaster petition, with independent developer Eyeballistic Games intent on handling the project.
As reported by Nintendo Enthusiast, Eyeballistic Games has created proof-of-concept videos for a Mortal Kombat Trilogy remake within Unreal Engine 5. The two videos show off very impressive recreations of characters and stages from the 1996 title, though no actual combat is shown. One video sees Scorpion and Baraka squaring off in the Temple from Mortal Kombat 3, while the other shows the two kombatants preparing to duel down in The Pit. Nintendo Enthusiast also reports that the Mortal Kombat Trilogy remaster petition, found on Change.org, has now surpassed 15,000 signatures.
While thousands of fans want to see a remaster of the retro Mortal Kombat Trilogy, other fans look towards the fighting game franchise's future. Developer NetherRealm Studios recently ended post-launch support of Mortal Kombat 11, and Mortal Kombat 12 leaks suggest that the series' next installment will act as an enormous add-on to its predecessor. Rumors suggest that MK12 will reuse the combat and customization systems introduced in MK11, but will also bring back any missing characters from 2011's Mortal Kombat and 2015's Mortal Kombat X.
Capitalizing on nostalgia for one of the industry's most beloved fighting game series, a Mortal Kombat Trilogy remaster could combine modern graphics with a classic art style and gameplay system. While this combination may sound strange, the Unreal Engine 5 concept video created by Eyeballistic Games proves that the mash-up could actually work. While publisher Warner Bros. has not commented on the remaster petition, fans seem enthralled by the potential return of the retro title.
Sources: Nintendo Enthusiast, calactyte/YouTube (1, 2), Change.org