As April approaches, so does the release of NetherRealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat 11. The highly acclaimed franchise has been spreading blood for more than 25 years, and its newest installment’s not only going to continue the tradition, but probably provide the most. This weekend, the online beta for the game has been open to customers who have pre-ordered the game.

In the beta there are five characters available: Kabal, Jade, Baraka, Skarlet and fan favorite Scorpion. Every character has their own unique set of moves, like Kabal’s Nomad Dash or Jade’s spinning glaive. In addition, just like in MKX before it, each character has 3 different variations. For example, Scorpion can have a spear heavy moveset in “Chain Reaction” or a more fire-based one with “Fire Breather”.

The game also changes some elements from the last couple of games. X-Ray moves have been replaced with Fatal Blows. The main difference is that those can only be performed once in the whole match. However, if a character misses his or her Fatal Blow, they can still use it again until it lands. Some moves can also be enhanced using the power meter.

The beta had 3 different modes: Klassic Tower, Online and Customization. Klassic Tower pits players against the five characters available one after another. The main attraction is the online mode which at the time of this article worked pretty well. There were occasional connection issues I encountered here and there, but nothing game breaking. However, one of the more troublesome issues while playing online is how some of the X-Ray counters or Fatalities started to stutter out of nowhere. This will probably be fixed with the final release, but it is baffling why it only happens online.

The customization options are more robust than I initially anticipated. Even with the limited cast, each character can be tweaked in a variety of ways. From cosmetic equipment ranging from masks and weapons, to more practical tweaks like special moves. In fact, while the game offer 3 base variations, players in theory can create their own unique variation with the moves they wish.

MK11 definitely looks brighter than its gloomy predecessor. While MKX had a dark and foreboding atmosphere, it also made some of its locations and characters brown and murky. MK11 brings a vivid color palette to the mix, in addition to fantastic facial animation that the team from NetherRealm brought from their last hit, Injustice 2. Fatalities are gorier than ever, and are definitely not for the faint of heart. While they remain gruesome like in the last game, it’s nice to see some of the outlandish charm of MK9 return in some of them. Kabal’s Mad Dash in particular steals the show.

Mortal Kombat 11 looks to be another solid installment in the long running franchise. The infinite possibilities of customization with the entirety of the cast seem mind-blowing. Not to mention there is going to be another full-fledged story mode and the return of the Krypt. Mortal Kombat 11 is coming out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on April 23^rd, 2019. If you pre-order the game now, you can also get a code to download the almighty Shao Kahn.

Are you currently playing the closed beta? Tell us what you think in the comments below!