With Mortal Kombat 11, NeatherRealm Studios has done some of its best character design work ever, putting care into every detail of the myriad of fighters on the roster. This trend continues with the Terminator, the newest Mortal Kombat 11 DLC character, whose visage is a stellar recreation of Arnold Schwarzenegger's. However, the beauty of the Mortal Kombat 11 Terminator design is more than skin deep, as NetherRealm has paid special attention to what lies underneath as well: a shiny metal endoskeleton.
The Terminator's endoskeleton in Mortal Kombat 11 shows up in a number of ways, with each serving as a testament to the developer's exceptional design work. The most obvious comes when players equip the new MK11 DLC character's Endoskeleton ability, which causes a nearly-defeated Terminator's skin to burn off, leaving him to finish a fight as a metal man. From a combat perspective, the efficacy of the Terminator's Endoskeleton ability is certainly not great, as it limits the character's moveset severely, but the design work that has been done here is a delight.
Indeed, the visual component is striking, with light shimmering upon the endoskeleton's smooth metal, but there is more to it than that. The tinny thunk of an opponent connecting against the Terminator's endoskeleton in MK11, and vice versa, is extremely satisfying, and this audio work demonstrates NetherRealm's commitment to making the endoskeleton feel like a complete character in its own right. This commitment continues with the fact that the endoskeleton can also perform things like MK11 Terminator Brutalities and victory poses.
So too, when characters land a Krushing Blow against the Terminator, or a Fatality that would reveal his bones, his metal endoskeleton is what is shown. While many fans are likely to expect this level of consistency from the Terminator's design in Mortal Kombat 11, it is appreciated none the less.
All of this said, one place where NetherRealm may have missed out with the endoskeleton is Fatalities, as it is not able to perform them at all. Moreover, giving the Terminator's endoskeleton its own unique Fatality would have really sealed the deal on it feeling close to a full character entirely on its own. However, the work that has been put into the endoskeleton in Mortal Kombat 11 is really a treat, though time will tell if Termiantor's gameplay in Mortal Kombat 11 is able to live up to his design.
Mortal Kombat 11 is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, with a Stadia version in development.
