I bet more people would be impressed with these if they did the exact same thing but added an X-ray component. Like, when Raiden teleports inside your body you zoom in and see electricity crackling over their bones and bursting some organs before the body explodes. Or when Cassie does the nut punch, you see a wave of devastation rising up through the body from the groin to the head before the head blows off. Not sure how you'd work that for Quan Chi's portal, but something could probably be done.

That alone would be a legitimate improvement, but it's a bit late in the game to go through over 100 animations and add that in. Hell, that might be too much if they'd done it that way to begin with. Maybe next game. I mean, they stepped up the X-rays and Fatalities significantly this time around. I can see Brutalities going more crazy next time. This is their first effort at this new system mind you, so why not cut them just like, two inches of slack?

While I definitely think something like that would be cool, ultimately I think the charm of the Brutalities is that they are quick, simple, and have a very "classic fatality" feel and presentation to them. Once you start overdoing them, they lose a bit of their luster.

I like the idea of an x-ray integrated Fatality, but IMO, Brutalities should remain quick and to the point with very little added flare. It should look like the normal fight but with this special this time, you actually killed them. That's really neat.

Just got done re-watching the stream again and listening to you guys' reactions in both videos back-to-back. I'm officially sold now on the idea way more than I was earlier when I just liked it. I still think the Brutalities tag doesn't fit, it's more like Specialities since most involve their special moves but at this rate, it doesn't really matter that it doesn't involve x-rays, it doesn't matter it's not logical, it doesn't matter what they're called. They're awesome, there's over 100 of them, they range from disturbing to funny, it's got the old school vibe, that's all that matters to me.

Definitely man. They offer something completely different. It's great. They aren't what I wanted or expected, but they definitely won me over. I am super hyped by the concept of them, and look forward to seeing all of them. It's gonna get intense online! Can't wait 'til we're trying to hit these on each other in the streams!

lol Yeah, or just watching Temp ruin us all one by one.

Exactly. :( :P

But yeah, it's gonna be good.

I don't think Brutalities ever had a "charm" and they certainly were not quick.

Shouldn't Brutalities feel Brutal? I don't know I am just asking that's all.

While the old Brutalities were never that great those are not that much better.

Are they better than the old Brutalities? For sure, I'd be a fool to say a combo that always ends the same is better than awesome new moves that end with nice visuals.

Should they be called Brutalities? Hell no. XRays are a lot more Brutal. Fatalities are 10x more Brutal.

It's really weird because they don't feel Brutal.

Here is a question. Why did Cassie only hit Quan Chi's face 6 hits and that's it?

If they wanted to make it feel Brutal they should have made her go full Quan Chi on Quan Chi, just keep smashing his face into nothingness, that's Brutal.

I'm really, really hoping we get some of those klassic fatalities you guys discussed; Spine Rip, Toasty, Kung Lao's hat decapitation I'm sure will be one.... It'd also be interesting if Kitana now gets Jade's Half Mast. Jesus, the possibilities are endless at this point. Fucking exciting.

I encourage anyone not to get too hung up on the name. They clearly just wanted to re-vamp Brutalities, with something new, but still keep the cool name. At the end of the day it's just a name, and it is what it is. But I don't feel the concept should be overlooked because of it. But I totally get where you are coming from with the name not necessarily being the best fit.

Here's my reasoning for why they are awesome, and just what we needed:

1. Not Trying to Compete
Variety is the spice of life. With MK, we already have incredibly brutal fatalities, that are often times overkill. So rather than try and get redundant and try to outdo the already brutal nature of fatalities, why not give us something different altogether? They are less about trying to take the blood and gore one step further, and instead put a different twist on it.

2. Classic MK Fatality Feel
From the static camera to the simple kills, these are the fatalities we would have seen in the days of MK1 and MK2. These are quick and to the point. That alone, makes me really love these. On top of that, with the simpler nature, we could very easily get some classic fatalities represented with these, that are better done in this fashion than taking up a fatality spot. Save the more elaborate stuff for those. Also, we're going to see so many more fatalities revolving around the various specials each character has because of the simple nature and quantity offered.

3. Requirements
It's always fun to feel like you had to earn something, it makes it that much more special and intense when trying to pull it off.

4. Quantity
It's hard to dislike something that gives you so many options. We're bound to get 3-4 per character, and that just gives you so many more unique ways to defeat your opponent in style, without becoming redundant and boring. The fatalities are awesome, but there's only so many times you want to see them. With a simpler to the point kill, without the cinematic nature, they were able to put in so many more. So now we really have over 8 different unique ways to defeat someone! That's awesome.

5. Gameplay
It's great that these don't take place after the match. I love the intensity these will bring to a fight when you and your opponent are having a close match, and all of a sudden during that fight you get your arms cut off or pushed into a portal, and most of you doesn't come back out. The sheer surprise factor alone might catch you off guard, and that's really cool. You know when a fatality is coming, you may not know when this is coming because you're in the moment and focusing on the match. Also, since these skip the fatality aspect, these are going to be much more commonly used in more competitive fights, because they don't delay the next match.

So yeah, all things considered, Brutality name or not, there's a lot to love here.

Hey, don't get me wrong, I've been as big of a champion of the new Brutalities as there is. Not disappointed in the slightest. I've been wanting to see a fighting game do this exact thing for years, and if MK didn't do it first, I was planning to do this in a game myself.

I'm just saying that you can add an X-ray component to these quick finishers without adding any more time or "steps" to the killing process, and it'll look a little more "brutal" for those who crave a little more flair. Like, the few seconds that the victim stands there crackling with electricity before exploding? Those same few seconds could be in X-ray view letting you see some internal damage. Kung Lao's last few Ip Man punches could cave the skull in before the head comes loose. Little touches, bigger impact. "Classic" simplicity and efficiency, modern visual spectacle.

It's hard to say whether they're experimenting with X-ray integrated Fatalities beyond Cyber Sub's in the last game. But if they're not (and so far it appears that way; the MO seems to be exposing organs to the sunshine instead of looking inside) then a "Brutal"ity seems like a good place to put them.

THIS!! You sir has summed up every thought i have concerning this topic! Thank you..im sooo tired of these knuckelheads who get their panties in a twist over the name..omg!

Im glad the way NRS went with brutalities,luckily they didnt pay attention to the scrubs and fanboys who wanted the ridiculous recycled garbage from MKT.

They are saving my brutality for last.

#THEGOATHASSPOKEN