Welcome to the update for our second day here at the E3 show in Los Angeles, California. We're going to discuss a bit more in depth some of the background arenas featured in MK Armageddon. But first, we would like to include a guide that will explain all ten levels of the Fatality system, based on the number of hits used to create your Fatality:

Level 1 - Fatality
Level 2 - Deadly Fatality
Level 3 - Killer Fatality
Level 4 - Bloody Fatality
Level 5 - Mortal Fatality
Level 6 - Brutal Fatality
Level 7 - Evil Fatality
Level 8 - Vicious Fatality
Level 9 - Savage Fatality
Level 10 - Extreme Fatality
Keep in mind that this information is valid as far as the E3 build of the game is concerned, though we were told this is all subject to change.

The first background arena featured is the Tekunin Warship. This background is very reminiscent of the MK4 Prison Stage, and even includes a reference to the giant fan from that background. However, there are many fans in this stage - and not all of them are deadly. Some cause your character (or your opponent) to be sucked in and then spit out of another place of the arena, minus some damage to the energy bar. Others are in fact deadly and will count as a death trap. In the beginning of the fight, you can see two Tekunin members in the stage hiding about right before the announcer yells fight.

The next background is the Subway Stage from MK3. This background really feels a lot like an actual subway station. There are benches and trash cans you can get rid of, and of course, there is a death trap in which the actual Subway Train will run your opponent over. This can happen on either side of the stage, so don't get too comfortable cornering your opponent as the tide can easily be changed here.

The next stage is the Bell Tower. This stage has traps galore. The main one is a giant bell on the top floor where you start out. When you knock your opponent into it, they freeze for a bit and are visibly shaken before they fall down into the arena below. Of course, they can be knocked right back up the bell at which point they will down it again. There is another smaller bell and an MK Dragon Symbol on both sides of the stage that will knock the opponent around a bit. And, if you can find it, there is a death trap here which will send your opponent crashing through the floor below and onto a spike, resulting in their head, arms, and limbs falling off and a rat even carries off one of the limbs offscreen. (We were told that this was just a placeholder for the E3 build, and the final version would have a different kind of animal here.)

The next stage is reminiscent of the Hell's Foundry Stage. There is lava everywhere, and tons of death traps laying about. If you don't get burned in the lava, you can also be smooshed to death by a bunch of rollers that are laying around.

The next stage is Goro's Lair. This stage has tons of things like a bunch of skulls laying around - and if you step on them, they just get smashed. You can knock someone up into another level in the lair, at which point, there are a bunch of gates laying around that all lead to a bunch of secret rooms. Those rooms all look pretty much the same, but we were told that in the final version, you will actually be able to fight up in the sky. That feature was absent from the E3 build, however.

The next background is Kahn's Arena. Gone are Sonya and Kano as in MKII, but he found a couple more generic nameless prisoners in their place. This stage really shows the insidious side of Shao Kahn, as he has placed four separate types of death traps in his arena. There is one place where you have to watch out for spikes, another spot where there is an Acid Pool, another location where there are rollers, and one more place that has lava. If using these traps to your advantage, you can win the battle quickly - but you can be beaten just as quickly.

The last stage that you can fight is the Wasteland. This is easily the coolest incarnation of this stage ever seen, and that of course includes Shaolin Monks. This is the stage that has a trap that results in either you or your opponent falling down a flight of stairs. Once that happens, there is a death trap here that will end up with the character screaming to death because of his being on a bunch of hot coals - and then being catapulted to his doom.

This concludes tongight's update. Enjoy the included pictures and videos - and of course, stay tuned for our final impressions!
Also be sure to get the following movies: