After years of waiting, Mortal Kombat X has finally been announced. However, hardly any concrete details about the game were mentioned and we can only predict what new features may be in the game based on one mouthwatering CGI fight between MK icons Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Mortal Kombat X is shaping up to be the first AAA fighter on PlayStation 4 and NetherRealm Studios knows it needs to set the bar incredibly high right out of the gate; with that in mind, here are five things we think will help MKX achieve that goal.
Brand New Characters (Including PlayStation Cross-over)
Mortal Kombat already has a massive roster of established fighters, (Mortal Kombat Armageddon boasts a staggering 63 playable characters) but with the series being rebooted in MK9, brand new fighters would be a welcome addition to change up the story. *Mortal Kombat 9 Spoilers ahead*: Many characters died towards the end of Mortal Kombat 9, so it will be interesting to see where they go as far as returning characters are concerned. Kratos, for most, was a perfect fit to the PlayStation 3 version of MK9 and it would be great to see a familiar PlayStation character join the tournament. Sony has always shown interest with guest characters. For example, Cole McGrath is in Street Fighter X Tekken and Kratos also appears in SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny on PSP. Which PlayStation character would you like to see in Mortal Kombat X?
Advanced Defensive System
Whenever a new fighting game is released, most of the new features are introducing different ways to decimate your opponents offensively, but what about defense? Some fighting games don’t stray too far away from simple high-and-low blocking, including Mortal Kombat. A great way to add a consistent back-and-forth feel to a fight is to give players a chance to change the tide of battle at any given moment. Mortal Kombat does a decent job at this with its ‘kombo breakers’, but the new MKX trailer showed glimpses of great new defensive strategy. Being able to catch someone’s leg and follow up with a counter attack (as seen in the new trailer) is a great way to add an entirely new level of strategy to fights.
More Fatalities Per Character
Everybody loves fatalities. They are one of the main features that have made Mortal Kombat into the beloved franchise that it is today. It is the perfect way to put a big exclamation mark at the end of a brutal battle. The only problem with fatalities is that there can never be enough. With fighting games, most people chose 2 or 3 fighters that they enjoy using and then rarely stray away from those characters. This causes the player to see the same fatalities hundreds of times and that can get pretty stale. Giving each fighter 3-5 fatalities would allow a greater variety and keep things fresh for a longer period of time. Plus, going through and seeing all the fatalities is one of the best parts of any new MK game so the more the merrier.
An Excellent Story
Fighting games are not exactly known for their stories; they usually sustain life in the tournament scene where a deep story really doesn’t matter. Instead, balanced characters, intricate combos and deep mechanics are what most developers focus on when making a fighting game. However, storytelling has become more important than ever in video games and NetherRealm did an excellent job introducing a new storyline with the latest MK reboot. If they continue with that and add new elements to the story we could be in for an amazing ride.
Redefine the genre
This is asking a lot, but NetherRealm has set the bar so high in the past that it’s hard not to ask them to do it again. We want to see features and gameplay elements that become the standard for fighting games. This could be any number of things, but there needs to be something that will make us look back and say, “ever since Mortal Kombat X introduced that, you won’t see another fighting game without it.” It’s certainly a tall order, but If any series can do it we’re sure it’s Mortal Kombat.
Mortal Kombat 10 is scheduled to be released in 2015 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.
What do you want to see in Mortal Kombat X? Sound off in the comments below.