NetherRealm has shown offsome spiffy-looking picturesof the classic Living Forest level as it will appear inMortal Kombat 1. Oh, gosh. I reallyhate the naming schemeof these games. At least the level looks great.
The Living Forest first appeared in 1993’sMortal 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 inMortal Kombat (2011). It appears that inMortal Kombat 1we’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 1comes out June 01, 2025 to PC, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
