2011 was an amazing year for gaming. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (the original one) launched, the Nintendo 3DS was released, and Mortal Kombat 9 reset the entire Mortal Kombat universe. At the time, this was a great idea.
The Mortal Kombat series had become a convoluted mess, with numerous characters and storylines spanning different games and spin-offs. So when Mortal Kombat took a 5-year hiatus, old and new fans alike would have to retrace years of lore just to figure out what was going on.
Rebooting the series with a timeline reset was a smart and sensible decision. The game fast-tracked through most of the original game to satisfy old fans, but made its lore easier to understand for new ones. It was a great choice, but it’s the second reboot that gets you, and I am severely disappointed.
Missed Opportunities
In no way, shape, or form did the writers of MK9 to MK11 write themselves into a corner for the story. Although there were a few questionable changes to some beloved characters that turned away many long-time fans of the series, I personally loved the direction that the game was going. In a passing-of-the-torch type story beat, we had the Kombat Kids dealing with the personalities of an aging Mortal Kombat Kast. Although this trope is admittedly way too early in the game’s reboot lifespan, I appreciated all the new faces in the game. And no, I’m not talking about Homelander.
Cassie and Jaqui were new, strong female leads, and Takeda and Kung Jin were modern monks who could have played off each other well. Sadly, they’ve been relegated to side characters. Kotal Kahn’s new, more peaceful and diplomatic empire over Outworld could have led to some interesting story points, but we have still not explored that character as much as the writers should have. At this point, I may just be grieving a bunch of plotlines that I made up in my head because the developers were too afraid to commit to anything new, and that pains me. I’m looking directly at you, Warner Bros.
Cost of Nostalgia
Ed Boon, the creator and lead of the Mortal Kombat games, is obviously still in love with the series. The game’s direction is still mostly under Ed Boon’s control, but the key word here is mostly. Although there isn’t any clear proof, it’s obvious that the game is heavily influenced by the corporate bigwigs over at Warner Bros. If you ask me, the decline of Mortal Kombat's story mode started with Mortal Kombat 11 when the concept of the multiverse was introduced. Coincidentally, Avengers: Endgame was released in the same year and used a similar concept. Fast forward years later with Mortal Kombat 1, and we are still banking on what makes the multiverse shtick work: nostalgia.
Nostalgia and fan service are the easiest ways to reward long-time fans of the series, but at what cost? Nostalgia can net you some free publicity if you do it well, but it doesn’t really progress the story in any meaningful way. Small cameos like Janet Cage, zombie Liu Kang, and many more are fun, but they don’t really lead anywhere other than that. Not only that, but this type of nostalgia-baiting also runs the risk of betraying the long-time fans of the series. Relegating fan favorites like Kintaro to nothing more than cameos is sure to hurt fans of those characters. Just go ask a Mileena main.
I believe that nostalgia-baiting, if done well, can progress the story in a meaningful way. So since we’re already here, the question now is…
Where Do We Go?
As much of a nostalgia-bait Mortal Kombat 1 is, I applaud them for doing a few things differently. I feel like Liu Kang being the Elder God in this iteration of the game was an unneeded change, but it was at least new and interesting. Although the Khaos Reigns DLC with Barik felt like a step in the opposite direction, I am still hopeful for some of the newly established plot points. The addition of a tarkatan infection plaguing Mileena was an interesting change, and I would love to see how she fares in future installments.
Personally, I would love to see Mortal Kombat introduce a new villain! One that leans further into the mystical tournament elements of the story while building closer to where Mortal Kombat X left off. If it isn’t obvious already, yes, I am a big fan of MKX. But, the more I think about it, the more I feel that the Mortal Kombat series has written itself into a corner by making Liu Kang an elder god. Making the poster boy of your series become the literal all-powerful god of the multiverse leaves little room to make a compelling villain.
I can continue to rack my brain over directions that the next Mortal Kombat game could take, but at this point, it feels like a waste of time. The biggest wish I have for the series moving forward is that they completely let go of the multiversal shtick and embrace the storylines they have right now. And I want to emphasize that none of it has to be convoluted. In fact, just give me back Ferra/Torr, and I’d be happy.
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