Mortal Kombat 1's Invasion mode is a board game take on The Krypt

Mortal Kombat 1 devleoper NetherRealm is not just happy to deliver bone-crushing new trailers that reveal more of the game's roster, it's also lifting the veil off one mysterious feature that's been under wraps since the game was announced.

Mortal Kombat games traditionally have a wealth of solo and co-op content, beyond the single-player campaign. While you can expect things like Towers to return, there's usually a third mode that players can jump into after the campaign.

That's typically been The Krypt, an action-RPG-style world that you explore to battle enemies, acquire powers, solve puzzles, unlock secrets and generally have a different experience from the core game. The Krypt does not return in Mortal Kombat 1, but what we're getting is similar.

Enter: Invasion. This mode basically turns the behind-the-back/first-person exploration of The Krypt into a top-down, board game-style experience. Like The Krypt, Invasion is all about branching paths, making choices, and following roads without knowing where they're going to lead.

Invasion mode further builds on its RPG nature by letting you assemble a party, made up of your main Kombatant, and a Kameo fighter. As you progress, you'll acquire items, buffs, Talismans, Relics and grow your character beyond what you can normally do in a fighting game.

While the XP you gain, and loot you find, can only be used in Invasion, the mode also - much like The Krypt - feeds right back into the core game. Exploring Invasion's different realms is how you earn Kurrency, and unlock more Fatalities, concept art and all the usual goodies.

The name comes from idea of invading the realms as different versions of the classic characters. Based on what we've seen so far, there appears to be a wider variety of things to do within Invasion. You can expect plenty of nostalgia in the minigames, the characters you run into, the areas you visit, and how the process of discovery unfolds.

For a deeper look at Invasion, check out the video above from Maximilian Dood. Mortal Kombat 1 releases on September 14 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.