Jan 6, 2011 07:35 GMT  ·  By

The upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot will respect God of War protagonist Kratos, who is set to appear as a bonus fighter in the new game.

Many Mortal Kombat fans were surprised last month when it was revealed that Kratos would be a bonus fighter in the PlayStation 3 version of the upcoming game.

The move was the result of some long negotiations between the development team at NetherRealm and Sony, the owner of the God of War franchise.

"In our discussions with Sony we all wanted a character that was unique to the PS3, and Kratos was at the top of everyone's list."

"His look and fight style are very compatible to the MK universe. Everyone is really excited about this opportunity, and it's been great working with the God of War team in making this happen."

God of War fans shouldn't worry about the Mortal Kombat appearance dissolving the actual Kratos character, as Boon guarantees that the team at NetherRealm and Sony Santa Monica have worked together to ensure that the Greek hero appears and controls great in the fighting game.

"With any great IP, there are guidelines that must be followed. We're working really closely with the God of War team to ensure that Kratos looks and feels the way gamers expect him to. We have nothing but respect for the God of War development team, and our goal is to stay true to their creation"

"Kratos is very much a power character," he added, "in that his attacks can do a lot of damage. After all, he is the God of War."

Boon also said that Kratos' moves, including his Fatality, would be heavily inspired by the moves from the God of War series.

Mortal Kombat is set to be launched in April this year, with Standard, Kollector's and Tournament editions planned by its publisher, Warner Bros.