NetherRealm has shown off some spiffy-looking pictures of the classic Living Forest level as it will appear in Mortal Kombat 1. Oh, gosh. I really hate the naming scheme of these games. At least the level looks great.
The Living Forest first appeared in 1993’s Mortal Kombat II. It’s one of the game’s most memorable locations. Not only is it haunting and surreal, visibly demonstrating the dark hazards of Outworld, but you could also catch a glimpse of secret characters Smoke and Jade peaking from behind the haunted trees.
Since then, it has been a staple of the series, reappearing every few games to eat a few more Kombatants. The last we saw it in its full glory was in Mortal Kombat (2011). It appears that in Mortal Kombat 1 we’ll be seeing two sides of the famous flora. The first side is the normal Living Forest. During the daytime, it actually looks pretty peaceful. Full of life and foliage. No doubt, it’s benefited from Liu Kang’s vision of a more peaceful universe.
But then there’s the other side: the Corrupted Forest. There’s green fire for some reason. The trees are all skull-like. But I think the nicest touch is that the undergrowth has lost all its leaves, so you have these skeletal shrubs jutting out on all sides. NetherRealm’s Twitter post seems to suggest this part of the woods has been twisted by dark magic that has interrupted the slumber of the haunted trees.
I definitely dig the dichotomy of the slumbering Living Forest and the dangerous-looking Corrupted Forest. One looks like a nice place for a walk, and the other looks like it will wreak havoc on your shins.
Mortal Kombat 1 comes out September 19, 2023 to PC, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
