Shacknews has posted an informative hands-on preview article from the Microsoft event X10 concerning various aspects of the latest installment of Mortal Kombat. Below are a few interesting excerpts from the article.

"Each level is designed to have at least one unique feature. The newest level I was shown featured rolling sandstorms that grew as matches progressed. The effect can sometimes blind the action but never in a way that disrupted the combat".

"Fatalities return as a demonstration of how brutal the series can be. Sub-Zero's final move, for example, freezes an enemy from the waist-down before the masked fighter rips the torso from his or her body. Blood and guts are back, ladies and gentlemen. In its current state, Fatalities are a simple two-button combination of buttons. Producer Urbano says that will change but notes the team isn't against keeping it extremely simple in the final version. Personally, I'd prefer it simple".

"As for the game's story mode, players will run through a "much longer" narrative that was present in MK vs. DC. In the mode, players will play as multiple Mortal Kombat characters. According to Urbano, the "story" component of past Mortal Kombat games usually get ignored by players in favor of arcade action. They'd like to change that this time around."