The major expansion for Mortal Kombat 1 is set for release in just under a couple of weeks, and NetherRealm Studios continues to share details about it. Yes, Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns will be in the hands of the masses soon, and with it will come new balance changes, new story mode chapters, features, finishers, and most importantly, characters.
Upon release, the first half of Kombat Pack 2 will be readily available to play, and this batch of fresh DLC characters includes Cyrax, Sektor, and Noob Saibot. Some new details about these upcoming fighters was shared today via Xbox Wire, and in their article we learn some very interesting details about Noob Saibot in particular.
Though we have seen Noob’s official gameplay trailer now, we have not witnessed the inevitable Kombat Kast presentation that will fully breakdown the details about the fighter’s playstyle. While we wait for that stream to be announced, NetherRealm Studios Combat Designer Joe Epstein through Xbox Wire shares new information about Noob in MK1.
We learn that Noob Saibot will play similarly to the puppet character archetype we’ve seen in other fighting games. His fighting style revolves heavily around the usage of his shadow clone, which can be summoned to perform various actions, enhance certain special moves, and can even perform its own specific specials attacks.
When Noob’s shadow trails underneath him, “waving on the floor like upside-down smoke,” it can be summoned for use. If the shadow clone is currently involved in an action, it cannot be summoned and Noob loses access to the enhancements and moves the shadow provides.
“That shadow is core to Noob Saibot’s whole identity, in every way. He isn’t just a grimdark edgelord reaper-type. Almost all his moves are influenced by whether his shadow is present,” Joe writes. “That shadow can be cast underfoot or be seen standing up on its own two feet and moving around – and it isn’t just for looks, it’s information.
“If Noob Saibot’s shadow trails under him, waving on the floor like upside-down smoke, it’s available for summoning, joining in to enable or amplify most of his kit. But a preoccupied shadow is an unavailable shadow. Some of Noob Saibot’s moves simply aren’t available without the shadow, and many are quite different compared to their shadow-backed versions. Using the shadow to your advantage becomes a constant dance of risk and reward.
“Most of Noob Saibot’s normal attack combos feature him and his shadow weaving past each other, taking turns pummeling the target. His throw is different with the shadow, and many shadow-assisted special moves are safer, farther-reaching, with more margins for error, and better follow-up opportunities,” the section concludes.
This new blog entry also makes mention of a unique special move that Noob Saibot can use in battle. The catch? He can only use it once per match.
The attack is called “Embrace Khaos” and it essentially supercharges his shadow clone abilities for a short period of time. When the move is active nearly every shadow attack becomes even stronger, however, after Noob uses Embrace Khaos he will lose out on all shadow abilities for the remainder of that round.
“For reasons that will become clear in the events of Khaos Reigns, Noob Saibot can use a ghastly disembodied hand in an incantation called Embrace Khaos, which supercharges the ghostly energy pouring through him,” Joe explains. “This unique special move can only be used once per match.
“For a short interval, almost any shadow attack is even more powerful, usually producing effects unique to this buffed state. There is a cost, though: after the spell’s short-lived effects expire, he will be completely without the help of the shadow for the rest of the current round. As a Noob Saibot player, pop Embrace Khaos and it’s showtime; as a Noob Saibot opponent, stay calm and watch every angle,” it says.
Finally, we learn that Noob Saibot has one of the largest move lists in the entire game. This leaves tons of room for references to the character’s storied past to be injected throughout, and NetherRealm Studios has done exactly that.
“The goal of Advanced Designer Aaron Davis was to pull as many pieces of Noob Saibot from different places together as possible, with a particular emphasis on the portal-tumbling hijinx seen in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat (2011),” the post states.
All of that having been said, the developer explains that playing Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat 1 shouldn’t be seen as overly complex or intimidating. Instead, it’s more about his tool kit having a ramp up with the best versions of them being accessible during Embrace Khaos and the weakest being when his shadow is unavailable.
Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns is set for release on September 24. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.