We knew it would make the cut. How could it not? After all, Mortal Kombat isn’t just destined to be one of the biggest fighting franchises of 2011, but it’s one of the best we’ve played in a long time. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s brutal, and it harkens back to the series’ gory glory days. The move to a 2D plane, the giddy celebration of everything that’s great about the Mortal Kombat franchise, the mix of faithful fan-service with future-looking gameplay upgrades: It’s exactly what we at PlayStation: The Official Magazine crave in our heavy hitters.

Then we found out Kratos would be in the game, and that’s all it took for Mortal Kombat to kick, punch, impale, and maim its way to the tippy top of our Hugest Games of 2011 issue.

Not only did we get a sneak peek at Kratos’ in-game model, but we’ve got the first-ever screenshots of the God of War in action—along with this unbelievably gorgeous cover. On stands Dec. 21, the January issue of PTOM has our hands-on impressions of the game, along with razor-sharp insight from series creator Ed Boon and his team at developer NetherRealm. We even have the first images of a newly revealed kontestant, Ermac.

It’s all part of our grand look at what’s hot for 2011, a list that includes massive shooters like Killzone 3 and Rage, magnificent adventures like L.A. Noire and The Last Guardian, and brilliant innovators like Metal Gear Solid: Rising and Child of Eden. Be sure to pick up the issue for new screens, information, and insight into all these games and more!

Also in the January issue: a playtest of four MMOs coming to PS3 (including an in-depth look at DC Universe Online); a list of 51 PlayStation resolutions for the new year; the complete Gran Turismo 5 car list in one handy spread; and dozens of previews and reviews of the latest and greatest PS3, PSP and PSN releases. Don’t miss it!