“Mortal Kombat X”, the game that’s been sweeping game stores, and households the world over, is about to get a whole lot more gory.

Why? It’s mainly because last year, Netherrealm Studios, the creative masterminds behind the 24/7 festival of factions, online play, and 1080p graphics, confirmed  4 new characters to join in on some sweet, bloody, cinnamon infused action. These characters are as follows.

Leatherface: For those who remembered my 10 horror movie characters from last year, you may have known about this chainsaw wielding menace from the 1974 splatter flick, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. He uses his chainsaw to carve anyone even remotely misguided enough to cross him like a Thanksgiving turkey.  He does this to poor Ermac, who made his debut in “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.” He is more than ready for a rematch with the master of killing, Jason Voorhees.

Tri-Borg: We remember the cyborgs of “Mortal Kombat,” Cyrax with his bombs, nets, buzzsaws and sit-out piledrivers.  Sektor with his wrist mounted flamethrowers, giant compressors, devices that turn his opponent into a macabre scarecrow, and heat seeking rockets.  Smoke, with his trident, earth-shattering kabooms, and massive bombs that he shoves down people’s throats for no reason at all. Now, what do you get when you put all three in a blender, set it to max frappe, and throw in the Variations gimmick? You get Tri-Borg, a triple cybernetic monstrosity that was foreshadowed in “Mortal Kombat: Armageddon”.

Bo-Rai-Cho: If you remembered “Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,” “Mortal Kombat: Deception,” and the previously mentioned “Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,” then you remember Bo-Rai-Cho. This big guy presumably invented the Drunken Fist fighting style, taught Liu Kang, and is good friends with Raiden himself. Now, after a 13-year hiatus, he’s back, and ready to show fans all over the world why Raiden holds him in high regard and why that humor is needed. Granted it’s a dark sense of humor, but who am I to judge?

Xenomorph: Going back to my Horror Characters list very quickly, anyone remember that I didn’t put Xenomorph on said list? The infamous chest-burster scene from “Alien.” In “MKX” however, this insane in the membrane parasite bursts out of a Tarkatan’s chest, bursting his way to freedom, sporting more teeth than its race demands, and packing a pair of razor sharp Tarkatan blades.  It also sports a stinger tail, and a slick black coloration, making it borderline invisible in the dark, as well as a second mouth, as does all members of its race, and an eagerness to puncture the flesh of his long time enemy, The Predator.

These 4 characters will parachute into the roster this year, and are ready, willing, and able to be used by some of the best players in the world come to EVO, the super bowl of fighting games. Have a great day and happy gaming!