Mortal Kombat 1 is rooted in nostalgia in many ways. And its latest commercial, which stars actor Dave Bautista, is calling back very specifically to a famous ad for the original game.
David Bautista encourages others to scream about Mortal Kombat
This trailer has Bautista walking through a city and attracting a sizable crowd with various people periodically screaming “Mortal Kombat!” This is obviously a clear callback to a commercial for the original Mortal Kombat with a nearly identical premise. Essentially, it’s two Mortal Kombat 1 games with similar ads.
The gameplay wasn’t quite the point of the trailer, but some have grabbed onto it because it has the only in-game footage of Shang Tsung so far. Shang Tsung, while clearly playing a role in the story, is a pre-order bonus in the vein of Shao Khan in Mortal Kombat 11, Goro in Mortal Kombat X, and Darkseid in Injustice 2. This means he’s adjacent to the launch lineup and an incentive for players to buy the title early, but one that remains a mystery.
More footage and Kombat Kasts that break down these fighters are inevitable, as the fighter is barreling toward its early access release date and general release date of September 14 and September 19, respectively.
