‘Mortal Kombat X,’ ‘Forza Horizon 2’ and ‘Homefront: The Revolution’ All Announced

Various developers announce their games just one week shy of E3.

A mere one week(!) before E3, the biggest entertainment expo of the year, some companies are deciding to get ahead of the storm of announcements, trailers and news that will be coming next week. This brings us to Monday’s big three announcements: “Mortal Kombat X,” “Forza Horizon 2” and “Homefront: The Revolution.”

Mortal Kombat X

“Mortal Kombat X” was announced with a fantastic new trailer, set to hip-hop track “Who’s Next” by Wiz Khalifa and a fight to the death of everyone’s favorite rivalry: Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

The trailer shows off the gruesome X-ray attacks introduced in the 2011 reboot of the franchise, as well as environmental interaction that allows the player to rip off tree branches and use them as weapons. The blurb beneath the video reads:

“Fueled by next-gen technology, “Mortal Kombat X” combines unparalleled, cinematic presentation with dynamic gameplay to create an unprecedented Kombat experience.” The developers went on to claim that the new game would have a new online contest where every fight matters, as well as revealing that this would be the first game to give players the ability to choose between multiple variations of each character. The game is set to release in 2015 for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Forza Horizon 2

“Forza Horizon 2” is, unsurprisingly, a sequel to the critically acclaimed “Forza Horizon,” which came out in 2012 on Xbox 360. It will release on both the Xbox One and the Xbox 360, though two different development teams will be managing each one. The Xbox One version will be handled by the original “Horizon” developer Playground Games, while the Xbox 360 version is being handled by Sumo Digital. The “Forza Motorsport 5” development team Turn 10 Studios is also working closely with the project, sharing a technology pipeline and key personnel. The game will include hundreds of cars, headlined by the 2015 Lamborghini Huracán. This will also be the first game in the Horizon series to feature a weather system. As for the setting, contrary to rumors, it will not take place in Louisiana. Instead, players will be zooming their way through southern Europe, leading to “incredible diversity” and “amazing vistas.” It is due for release this fall.

Homefront: The Revolution

The last game that was announced is “Homefront: The Revolution,” which tells the story of America’s second revolutionary war. As a direct sequel to the original “Homefront,” which told the unsettlingly plausible story of the Koreas reuniting and going to war with the world, “Homefront: The Revolution” jumps four years into the occupation of the United States by the Korean People’s Army. Philadelphia, the birthplace of America’s independence, has been warped into the enemy’s main headquarters, and it is our job as the player to take it back.

The truly amazing thing about “Homefront: The Revolution” is that it exists at all. The original “Homefront” was developed by Kaos Studios, which is now closed. The rights to the game were owned by THQ, which also shut down and sold its assets, including “Homefront.” Crytek, the developer behind the “Crysis” franchise picked up the rights from there, and here we are now. The rights to “Homefront” changed twice, but somehow, through it all, it survived and looks better than ever (if only the same could happen to the “Darksiders” franchise). “Homefront: The Revolution” is an open world shooter featuring a revolutionary point system. As you play the game and fight against your oppressors, you gain points that help to inspire the people living in the city to join you. It is still unclear just how well this point system will work in practice. It is coming in 2015 to PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Which announcement are you more excited for? What games do you you want to see at E3? Pour all your excitement in the comments below.