Mortal Kombat 11 developer NetherRealm worked with Sly Stallone to create the definitive Rambo experience

This may be the year that we’ll look back at in the future and describe as “damn 2020” but if there’s one bright spot on the horizon it’s that we’re finally getting a great Rambo game. Sort of. The latest addition to the Mortal Kombat 11 roster, Sylvester Stallone’s war-damaged soldier has both the subtlety of his appearance in First Blood the guns blazing attitude from his later films for NetherRealm’s premiere fighting game franchise.

The studio naturally looked at the original trilogy of Rambo movies to recreate Stallone in his prime, focusing on distilling Rambo’s guerilla warfare tactics into a character who can keep up with the demigods and warriors of Mortal Kombat while remaining true to his character origins. “Our gameplay designers looked to distill the essence of his particular style of combat,” story and voiceover director at NetherRealm Studio Dominic Cianciollo explained in a PS Blog post.

That’s why our Rambo, as he does in the films, relies more on stealth than he does on gunplay. He uses the environment itself as a weapon, deploying a variety of traps which use elements like tripwires, swinging logs and hidden mines. Of course, Rambo is also famous for his skill with a knife and compound bow. Both are a core part of his moveset and are used in very distinct ways.

Not just looking like Stallone in his most stupidly-muscular best, Mortal Kombat 11’s Rambo also sounds like the real deal thanks to the actor popping in to record a few lines for his iconic action movie persona. “Knowing that Sylvester Stallone would return to voice the character made the stakes for getting the lines right very high. All of the hard work to perfect the script paid off when we finally got to record it. Stallone enthusiastically jumped into the performance, bringing the words to life in exactly the way we had hoped,” Cianciollo explained.

For me, getting to work with a legendary actor as he plays one his most iconic roles was a thrilling experience. As a Voiceover Director, it doesn’t get any better. My favorite memory of the session was the sound of Stallone chuckling. As he performed the lines, he noticed the many references we had included, not only from the Rambo films, but also from the rest of his body of work.

When you play, listen closely to the banter for references to The Expendables, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man and more. It was a real kick to see that he was so entertained. Hopefully, Rambo fans will have as much fun with the experience as did the man himself.

Rambo arrives in November, as part of the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Kombat Pack 2 upgrades. Rain and Mileena are also making a return, but who cares about them. Rambo my dudes, I’m all about playing as Rambo and performing marriage vows in Mortal Kombat. I now pronounce you man and knife.

Last Updated: October 26, 2020