u/Venomousdragon567

Some small spoilers for MK1's story.

Despite being the most recent media release of MK, this post isn't about the movie, it's about Mortal Kombat 1. Yes, I am aware I'm late, but only recently did I manage to nab it at a largely reduced price. To touch on the second movie, it's pretty bad, coreography's oddly stiff, pacing's all sorts of weird.

But I as I was playing MK1, I kinda realized what I also realized when I played 11. What is Netherrealm's MK? With Midway, it was somewhat predictable, most people know the early 2D fighters, and the 3Ds usually followed the formula of having multiple styles each character had (I'm writing mostly off the top of my head, but if I remember correctly, some games had 2, others 3.), but ever since MK9, the game's style has been switching up in all areas pretty much every game.

• MK9 is closer to the classic 2D MKs both in gameplay and in story and aesthetics (with that kinda "kusoge" charm, if you're familiar with the term), with some added mechanics sprinkled on top and a justification to continue the story after Armaggedon, marking the first of two reboots between NRS's 4 games.
• MKX expands a bit more, also bringing back sprint and adding stage interactions, being more mechanically complex than MK9. In terms of aesthetic it go for a darker tone, to go hand-in-hand with the Horror Movie DLC Guests. And this happens from every MK onwards, movelists for most characters are mostly, or completely reworked.
• MK11 goes much simpler compared to MKX and 9, the pace is also much slower, the aesthetics are essentially the middle ground between 9 and X, and mechanics are much simpler. Guest Characters are 80s movies and comics (I will never forgive the Ash Williams into Joker fumble). This also marks the second reboot in which at the time was three games in the franchise.
• MK1 is a Tag-Team Fighter, that somehow feels the slowest between the four, added some air combat and removed stage interactions. Aesthetics are MK11 but with saturation turned up. DLC Characters are whatever Amazon show Ed Boon was binging at the time... and Ghostface and T1000. This introduces a multiverse plot.
• Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a 2008 crossover fighting game developed and published by Midway Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is a crossover between Mortal Kombat and the DC Universe, and is the eighth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise. The game was released on November 16, 2008. That is all I'm willing to say.

So, how can a series like this retain long-time fans? Every game plays completely different due to changes in the base mechanics, characters you enjoy might play and even look completely differently in the next installment (MK11 Kitana was already perfect you cowards. At least Mileena doesn't have her fuck-ass Dora-looking bob), and the story itself is so messy that it went through two reboots plus a multiverse plot. Personally I jumped ship after the Aftermath DLC in 11, I enjoyed my time somewhat but the main gameplay loop becoming waiting for towers I had done already and for the shop to refresh whenever I wasn't playing Multiplayer made me realize this is the

Now, don't get me wrong, personally I think MK1 at least gets presentation right, a few characters still managed to retain some identity (Namely Liu Kang, Quan Chi, Geras, Ermac and fucking Reiko are big improvements presentation-wise, except for looks for Ermac, Hoodie Ermac still goes the hardest. Sassy bitch Shang Tsung is still pretty good though.), but it seems like MK is trying too hard to be "Hollywood", with these big, sweeping story modes, tackling this big, expansive universe (that really isn't, there's no supporting material to actually expand the Realms), hiring big names to VA (Ronda Rousey and Megan Fox, both misses in my opinion) that they don't have a real vision for the "Game" part, only the "Video". Even then, the writing itself is a mess, villains always look like jokes that constantly fall upward because they can't score a win, dialogue is stiff and unnatural in some points for the benefit of spouting exposition at the player, and characters instantly lose 300 IQ points if they're not currently possessed by the player, with the exception of Dark Sindel, who gets a repeat of her MK9 slaughter but without actually killing anyone.

For being "The Gore Game" that traumatized developers, it's also immensely afraid of killing off characters. At one point in MK1's story, the good guys have the bad guys on the rope, and they just... walk away while the good guys stare. The only characters to die in the entirety of the story are >!Main Verse Sindel, Titan Quan Chi, and Titan Shang Tsung!<, as well as some randos from the alternate universes (except you, Good Guy Ninja Mime, you were taken too soon. Bad Guy Ninja Mime is a bitch though).

Now that I touched upon the story itself, Liu Kang is horribly incompetent as a Titan. What do you mean you allowed Shao Kahn to have a position of power when you stopped Quan Chi and Shang Tsung? What do you mean despite your plans Outworld still seems to be a warmongering, violent place? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU TURNED A WHOLE RACE OF PEOPLE INTO A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE? No wonder Jax got relegated into an assist, the fucking God of Time said "Geras and Tanya was enough DEI bullshit for one timeline". He then leaves the hourglass for Geras, who becomes the guardian, which alright, and he gets rid of his own powers? Why? >!No other Titan that appears in the story seems to have done the same thing, what stops you from hanging around with it?!<

Another issue I've been having is with MK Costumes ever since 11 is the "Injustice-Fication" of every woman's costume. Scorpion, Smoke and Sub-Zero gets to have the classic, gi-like clothing since they're all in the same clan now. Raiden gets a more normal-looking re-read on his classic white fit. Kung Lao has the shaolin monk jacket, Johnny gets his sporty look, rain turned into a Mage, Reptile gets a more MKX-lite version of the gi, Baraka gets to have his Tarkatitties out, Geras got a tattoo and a pauldron. Meanwhile, every woman has the Injustice-style bodysuit with multiple-colored segments and a loincloth for the cloth sim, and at most some midriff, bare legs in the case of Nitara and loose sleeves in the case of Ashrah for variation. Where's the variation? Where's the flowy clothes, the Earth characters having casual fits (not that shit from Special Forces), the baggy kung-fu pants? Hell, I'm not even asking for something outrageous, not every skin can be Mileena's Alt Costume in Deception, but damn, something for fuck's sake.

In conclusion, this is all "structured" only in the sense that I used paragraphs, and I don't get Mortal Kombat anymore, and it makes me a little sad because it's a series I've been enjoying since I was a child, even though I most likely shouldn't, on my shitty little Mega Drive.

I guess at least I got to make Baraka the GOAT of the final battle.