There were a lot of twists and turns at this year’s Game Awards.
Some, like the announcement of Apex Legends‘ Holo-Day Christmas event, were wholly expected, while others were genuinely unexpected. Indeed, showrunner and host Geoff Keighley managed to keep a large number of reveals under wraps before the show kicked off, and while one of the biggest secrets didn’t quite manage to stay that way, the ceremony suffered little as a result.
One memorable surprise that’s remained a hot topic 24 hours later concerns a certain DC character. Sadly, Batman didn’t make the appearance many had hoped he would, but Joker was a welcome consolation prize. First announced earlier this year, the Dark Knight’s nemesis is scheduled to make a guest appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 next month as a playable character. Of particular note this time around, however, is that the Clown Prince of Gotham was shown off for the first time in-game.
Remarkably, following a wave of criticism over his original appearance, NetherRealm appears to have spent a great deal of time redesigning the character since his initial reveal, the end result of which has gone down a treat with fans.
Well mostly, anyway.
They pushed the hairline back, pulled the tip of the chin forward and thinned the nose.
Better.
— MERK ONE (@MERK__ONE) December 13, 2019
That was hype as Hell and unexpected Let's Goo
— Aye Bro Ham (@Itsaberham) December 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/Endure2Survive/status/1205312846478880769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1205312846478880769&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2F2019%2F12%2F13%2Fmortal-kombat-11-joker-reaction-new-design%2F
Some, on the other hand, aren’t sold on the iconic villain’s new look and would have preferred if NetherRealm stuck to its guns.
Y'all changed him? Should have stuck with the younger look imo
— Micah Bell (@Rat_1899) December 13, 2019
Not all of the negative feedback has been so constructive, however.
Lol, trash
— RiB | OCΞLOT⚡️ (@Ocielootles) December 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/4NG3LWING5/status/1205313415503400960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1205313415503400960&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2F2019%2F12%2F13%2Fmortal-kombat-11-joker-reaction-new-design%2F
Honestly, with so many designs between comics, TV and film, NetherRealm would never have been able to please every last Joker fan, but for what it’s worth, I think this new interpretation is a hit. Not only does it recall the character’s classic appearance from Batman: The Animated Series, but looks far more menacing and a more natural fit for Mortal Kombat 11.
But what do you think? Let us know which side of the argument you fall on in the comments below!
