Playguide Part 4: Living Forest

You emerge from the portal in an enormous forest. Travel forward and smash the statue blocking your path using your Fist of Ruin ability.

After jumping down to the level below, many Putrid Corpses will come out of the ground. Their attacks mainly consist of swinging their arms and vomiting blood, so use air combos and projectiles to defeat them.

Make sure you feed one tree to the left, as it will reveal one of three clues required to progress further in the game.

Once you have defeated all enemies in this area, the wall of thorns behind you will collapse, revealing a save point and more Putrid Corpses. Defeat them all to lower another wall of thorns nearby.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

When you have the Double Jump and Swing abilities, take notice of two horizontal branches above you. Swing across them and climb up the ladder attached to a giant tree.

Follow the network of wooden bridges until you spot a gold koin in the distance. Shoot it with a projectile to make a red koin appear.

Reward:

Unlocks a new concept art.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

After collecting the previous koin, continue along the bridges until you come face to face with Mileena. For more information on fighting her, see the Secret Boss Battles section.

After defeating Mileena a red koin will appear.

Reward:

Unlocks a new Fatality input image.

Back in the forest, travel toward the camera then arc right, making sure to dodge a tree that will swipe at you. Jump over the pit of thorns and continue down the path.

You will notice many black spots on the ground in this area. These are the Brotherhood of Shadow, who regularly take low swipes at you and quickly disappear. You must defeat them all to continue, so attack them whilst staying airborne as much as possible. A Multality may assist you here if you are having trouble.

A wall of thorns will drop nearby once the area has been emptied. Avoid the tree and climb the ledge overhanging the thorns to access the doorway.

Once you have emerged from the doorway, head toward the camera and drop down to the lower level. Travel left, making note of the waterfall in the background. Climb up to higher ground and head toward the Clay Soldiers nearby.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

Throw an enemy into the wall behind the Clay Soldiers to reveal a red koin.

Reward:

Unlocks a new concept art.

Travel right and feed a Putrid Corpse to the tree nearby to reveal your second clue. After receiving your hint, defeat the remaining enemies and continue through the doorway.

Once you emerge in this new area, run forward and jump over the gap. Avoid touching the water as this will summon large snakes who will take a bite out of you.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

You will notice a red koin up behind the giant tree. Return to collect it when you acquire the Double Jump or Wall Run ability.

Reward:

Unlocks a new Fatality input image.

Continue toward four Clay Soldiers, making sure to keep away from the large tree. Two of the soldiers are real, so use your Fist of Ruin to break down their shields, allowing you to penetrate their defences.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

Throw a Clay Soldier at the large stone pillar across the river a little further back. It will collapse, blocking the flow of water to the waterfall. Return to the previous area to find a red koin where the waterfall was.

Reward:

Unlocks Reptile as a playable kombatant in Versus mode.

Return to where you confronted the Clay Soldiers and take notice of the wall behind them. Break down their defences and throw one into the wall to reveal a hidden doorway. On the other side you will find Smoke who has five missions for you to complete. For more information on these missions, see the Smoke Missions section.

Cross the river using the stone platforms and make your way to higher ground using the ledges on either side of the giant waterfall. When you get to the top, enter the doorway.

You emerge in a quiet room. After entering the pool of water in front of you, four giant snakes will rise in each corner. Stick to the centre and throw a Putrid Corpse into the mouth of each snake. Every time a snake is fed, it will submerge into the water and out of sight.

When you have fed all four snakes, the thorn barrier will wither away. Continue right to find a glowing statue. Save if necessary, then continue on to the higher areas.

To the right you will find another living tree standing amongst Putrid Corpses. Throw a corpse into the mouth of the tree to receive your third and final clue to Reptile’s location. The eyes of a giant snake head structure nearby will open and the thorns originally blocking your path will give way to an illuminated doorway.

Throw a Putrid Corpse onto the thorns nearby and use it as a platform to reach the health upgrade. Alternatively, you can return here when you have gained further abilities.

Climb up the platform to your left and make toward the giant snake head structure.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

Jump over the broken wall nearby to collect a red koin.

Reward:

 Unlocks a new concept art.

Enter the illuminated doorway to set foot in Reptile’s Lair.

The next area contains eight tracks connected to a central tile. After standing on the tile in the middle of the room for a short while two clay statues will come out of doorways and slide toward you. Smash them both using quick attacks before they withdraw from your reach.

After smashing the two effigies, four statues will slide toward you. Use your quick attacks to smash them, then prepare for the final round.

Five statues will now appear. This is very difficult in single player, so your utmost concentration is required. Patience and good observation are the keys to your success in this challenge.

Once you have destroyed all of the statues, a koin will appear at the back of the room. Collect it to earn the ability to perform Brutalities.

You must now perform a Brutality to advance from this room. Hit the Putrid Corpses that emerge to increase your Fatality Meter. When Raiden instructs you, perform a Brutality using the on-screen instructions.

Available only in ko-operative playthroughs

Stand on the two glowing tiles at the back of the room and enter the doorway that opens. You will find a red koin at the top of the steps to your right.

Reward:

Unlocks the Dead Pool arena for Versus mode.

Available only in ko-operative playthroughs

You will find another red koin hidden behind a rock to your right.

Reward:

Unlocks the Living Forest arena for Versus mode.

Return to the statue room and go through the newly opened gateway. You emerge at the entrance of a long tunnel full of clay statues. Smash them as you move forward and collect the myriad of experience and health left behind.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

You may have noticed that each archway in this tunnel has an eye. As you make your way through the tunnel you will find that one is closed. Shoot it with a projectile to reveal a red koin.

Reward:

Unlocks a new Fatality input image.

Once you reach the end of the tunnel, head up the jagged pathway and enter the circular door.

Upon your entry into this area you will find Reptile standing on a high platform. After his brief appearance he makes his escape via a hole in the floor, leaving you a giant snake to contend with.

Your objective in this room is to destroy all four pillars that support the ceiling. Watch the snake’s movements and use your Fist of Ruin ability three times to destroy the pillar in front of you when it is safe. The snake will retreat and take another path.

Climb onto the rubble nearby and hop onto the first of a series of ledges. Make your way across to the platform at the end and hit the pillar until it crumbles.

The snake moves to another part of the room, travelling at a much faster speed. Follow the pathway around to the edge of the platform and leap from ledge to ledge until you reach the other side. After smashing the third pillar, the snake destroys a part of the walkway making your access to the final pillar more difficult.

Jump to the ledge in front of you, then cautiously make your way up to the final platform and raze the pillar. The ceiling gives way, crushing the snake and the floor below. You fall into a watery pit with Reptile standing before you.

Reptile

During the first part of the battle Reptile relies mainly on hand-to-hand kombat and the use of his special moves such as his Acid Spit and Force Ball. Occasionally he will raise a glowing fist; if this occurs you should retreat. Make use of air combos and your projectiles, and try to keep him airborne to inflict maximum damage.

At times Reptile will disappear in a puff of smoke and appear on a high platform. He will throw multiple Force Balls that can deal large amounts of damage, so avoid them as best as you can.

Once you deplete half of his energy, the fight gets interesting. Reptile will make himself invisible and stay this way until you hit him. Watch for the glowing of his projectiles and his movement in the water to determine his position and launch your attack.

After you inflict enough damage on Reptile, follow the on-screen instructions and finish him.

Collect the koin in the centre of the room to earn the Wall Climb ability.

After collecting the experience scattered in this area, head to the far right of the screen and use your Fist of Ruin ability to blast a hole in the side of the snake. Use your new ability to climb the wall, then head up the staircase and exit this area.

Raiden appears to you at the entry of the tunnel and approves of Reptile’s defeat before vanishing; your kombatants suspect that something is not right.

Head back through the tunnel to the room where you broke numerous clay statues.

Available in both single player and ko-operative playthroughs

With Reptile defeated, head over to the tile in the centre of the room. After standing on it for some time, eight clay statues will slide toward you. Destroy them all to make a red koin appear.

Reward:

Unlocks a new concept art.

Backtrack to where you entered the Living Forest and enter the vortex.

When you emerge in the Portal, Raiden appears to tell you the purpose of suffering. He says that when someone perishes in this realm, their soul and essence are collected and trapped in a place known as the Soul Tombs. These tombs are a source of Shang Tsung’s power, and must be destroyed in order to weaken him.

After the cutscene, travel left and down the ramp toward a giant wall. When you reach it, use your Wall Climb ability and make your way to the top, avoiding the green skulls that seek to hinder your progress.

At the top you will find two Shadow Priests. Defeat them to raise the pathway allowing you to reach the Soul Tombs portal.