Now thanks to IGN, we have a look at the first 17 minutes of the campaign which not only gives us a look at the gameplay, but as well as the story and where some characters are in Liu Kang’s new reality. Watch this:

It’s still unclear who the villain of the franchise is going to be, but the story does open with the fate of Shang Tsung in this alternate timeline. It looks like he’s been subjected to a life of conning poor Outworlders, but it does seem that the villain from the last game, Kronika, is going to help him re-achieve his full potential.

Besides Shang Tsung, we also get a look at the early parts of Kung Lao’s campaign. It does look like Raiden has now taken the part of Liu Kang as his best friend, and they find themselves clashing with the Lin Kuei. Not only do we get to see the character Smoke, but we also get an appearance from Sub-Zero and Scorpion who are now allies. We don’t exactly know how that happens, but it does seem that the Lin Kuei are a bunch of gangster thugs in this timeline as well.

For only 17 minutes, we actually get a good idea of what to expect with the story, and I’m sure that it’s going to be a fun ride, not only for pro MK players but for anyone following the game’s narrative as well.

Watch out for Mortal Kombat 1 when it launches on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 on Sept. 19.

While the MK franchise has evolved the characters throughout the decades, we have a new trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 that re-introduces the palette-swap characters Smoke, Rain, Cyrax, and Sektor:

And while she isn’t an original palette-swap ninja, she is a part of the Lin Kuei, so Killer Frost also gets a reveal for this trailer.

Admittedly, there are more palette-swap characters in the game that didn’t appear in the trailer. Other ninjas in that roster include Reptile (Green), Ermac (Red), and Noob Saibot (Black). With Noob being revealed to be a resurrected Sub-Zero, it’s possible the Sub-Zero in the game is the one that’s going to turn into him, seeing that he seems to have his own hidden agenda.

While all these incoming characters look great, I’m sure fans will want to see some new faces in the game. It’s been rumored we’re going to get a character from every generation of the MK  games, but it’s too early to tell if that’s going to be true.

Here’s the official description for the game:

It’s In Our Blood. Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and Fatalities!

Mortal Kombat 1 launches on Sept. 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Watch the first seven minutes of Mortal Kombat down here:

Admittedly some of the dialogue is corny, but the scene really shines when it comes to visuals and action. Hiroyuki Sanada really shows his action prowess when he goes up against Lin Kuei. We don’t really get to watch Joe Taslim do any action as Bi-Han, but if you’ve watched him in The Raid, you’ll know that he’ll be able to deliver some serious martial arts.

While the MK films from the 90s have kind of aged terribly, director Simon McQuoid seems to be focusing on the core elements that make the game franchise so successful—the fighting, and the funky powers. Though I think the lore is kind of silly, it looks like the movie will be taking a lot of this material seriously. Let’s just hope they have some room for brevity in some scenes. It would be hilarious if they managed to work in a ‘Toasty’ easter egg.

For now, it looks like the film will focus on the plight with Shang Tsung. Hopefully the franchise gets picked up and we get to watch other characters like Shao Khan and Quan Chi come to life. Let’s also not forget the franchise’s pretty boy Johnny Cage (who I’m convinced is going to be Lewis Tan’s Cole Young character).

Mortal Kombat debuts in theaters andon HBO Max on April 23.