In case you hadn’t heard, NetherRealm is currently making last-minute preparations for a very special guest about to join Mortal Kombat 11‘s roster.
Come January 28th, Joker will be made available for the fighting game via early access, giving fans of Batman’s nemesis plenty of time to test the character’s abilities ahead of full release next month. Naturally, passing final judgement on MK 11‘s penultimate DLC will be reserved until that date, but it certainly seems, so far, at least, that NetherRealm has already hit a home run with its latest creation.
Following a period of unease over the developer’s initial design for Gotham’s infamous career criminal, a new trailer showcased at last year’s Game Awards revealed that the studio had committed to a complete redesign of the character. That revelation was followed last week with a stunning gameplay showcase of Joker in action and now, game director Ed Boon has decided to share a little something extra ahead of next week.
Check out the short clip below:
Click, click, click….
What the f—BOOM!!pic.twitter.com/1uyX846Loe
— Ed Boon (@noobde) January 18, 2020
As for what makes this particular victory screen so noteworthy: it’s a direct reference to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. More specifically, Joker’s frustration over a malfunctioning bomb detonator – only for it to trigger moments later – mimics a similar scene in The Dark Knight where Heath Ledger’s version of the psychopathic clown attempts to topple an entire hospital. Judging by early fan responses to Boon’s Tweet, however, it looks as if the Easter egg’s inclusion hasn’t escaped being noticed by, well, anyone.
— LOSTyGIRL (@LOSTyGIRL) January 18, 2020
To be expected for such an iconic film scene, then, and we’re eager to see what other subtle nods to Joker’s previous appearances NetherRealm has managed to squeeze in ahead of launch.
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and watch Mortal Kombat 11‘s debut trailer for the Clown Prince of Gotham over here. Enjoy!
