Mortal Kombat X is less than two weeks away - but if that's still too long to wait, IGN have a 25 minute preview of the story mode. Note: The preview is a walkthrough of Chapter 1 and will contain extensive spoilers! Continue at your own risk:

[Related Article: GDC Previews Paint Picture of Mortal Kombat X Story Mode]

Mortal Kombat X: Chapter 1 centres around returning playable kombatant Johnny Cage, and his comrades in the Special Forces: Kenshi & Sonya Blade.

Their mission - join Raiden at the Sky Temple and defend the world from the forces of Shinnok and his demonic Netherrealm hordes. The plot loosely picks up from the epilogue of series do-over Mortal Kombat (2011), and covers the expected territory that was originally the premise for Mortal Kombat 4.

With a storyline spanning 25 years, questions about the relevance and representation of Shinnok's invasion have been frequent. It's difficult to conceive of the fallen elder god Shinnok leaving the saga in its first chapter - but even if that were the case - the MK4 plot is well serviced by the opening episode!

Scorpion & Sub-Zero feature as the initial antagonists of the piece - getting a "hero" entrance that makes beautiful use of the tropes of Scorpion's "get over here" attack. The undead ninja is in his 2011 design, maintaining some semblance of continuity between games, while Sub-Zero appears as the first of an army of revenants controlled by Quan Chi. By the time the fight moves to the Sky Temple, those revenants include other fighters killed in the last game: Sindel, Jax, Stryker, Kabal, Nightwolf & Smoke.

Jax shines as one of the fight opponents. His revenant look amps up the basics of his design, jacking up the classic look of the cyborg arms to become something spikey, menacing and unnatural. With the exception of Sub-Zero; Smoke has undergone the most decisive stylistic change between games. He insists on being called "Enenra" during the fight: a reference to mythological Japanese smoke monsters - which he was revealed to in fact be, in MK2011. Gone is the wispy white hair of the last game, in favour of a dark cowl more in line with his alternate attire. Fortunately, he wasn't the only cult favourite to make a substantial appearance.

Defending the Sky Temple beside Raiden is the wind god Fujin. He's a welcome return to the plot that originally introduced him as a boss character in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, and a playable fighter in Mortal Kombat 4. If you've been reading the comics, you've already seen Fujin back in action sometimes after this part of the story - but is he playable? The new design offers hope to fans, but it's tough to shake the suspicion that he could held back for later DLC, similarly to Martian Manhunter in Injustice.

Shinnok -- who is confirmed playable -- remains a somewhat unintimidating presence, but bucks MK4 level criticism with a fight sequence that shows moments of brilliance. His upright, effortless defense against punches is a highlight for a character who should feel above the inconveniences of physical exertion. A state he might achieve if he could keep hold of the notorious amulet at the centre of many recent MK games.

If you've seen the Cage Family Trailer, you know Johnny & Sonya eventually make their way to the stand-off with Shinnok. Theories about any dramatic end for our heroes can be dashed. Johnny discovers his inner power and goes toe-to-toe with the fallen elder god, helping secure the amulet so Raiden can suck his nemesis into it. Sonya's left to heal, and we're left to ponder the significance of Shinnok's fate and the presumption of his eventual return. For the full experience - check out the video [embedded above] or wait to play yourself!

Mortal Kombat X officially lands on PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC Tuesday, April 14th! Register to discuss all the major developments on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Support the site by liking and sharing stories via @MK_Online, Facebook & YouTube.