Mortal Kombat 11featured a slew of newcomers to its roster by the time of its final Ultimate edition, but not all of them have been well-received by fans of the series. While the plethora of guest characters have been a major selling point for the title, the original characters that were introduced ended up paling in comparison to the classic fighters. Even some long awaited returning characters turned out to be disappointments for fans in the end. With the nextMortal Kombatapparently set to once again reboot the franchise, several fighters from the roster ofMortal Kombat 11likely won’t make the cut.
There was a greater emphasis placed onstory inMortal Kombat 11compared to some other modern fighting games, but the characters central to this aspect of the game have become less than fan favorites. Cetrion, Kollector, and Geras all made their debuts in the game, but their support from fans comes nowhere near that of the franchise regulars. Whether it be their relatively generic designs, or just the fact that they fail to stick out from the already impressiveMortal Kombat 11roster, the newcomers would all need to massively shake it up to rise to the top of the next entry.
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Mortal Kombat 11’s Newcomers Failed to Stick Out From the Crowd
It might seem harsh to part with several characters after only one appearance, but NetherRealm is no stranger to leaving fighters behind. The disappearance of the experimental Ferra/Torr shows that the studio will move on from a concept that isn’t working.Fighters like Takeda Takahashiand Kung Jin might be more worthwhile than Cetrion or Kollector in any form. With the time theme of the newMortal Kombatgame becoming more apparent, it’s likely Geras will return. Without an update to make him more memorable, however, he’ll probably remain a controversial character.
While many new fighters that made their debut inMortal Kombat 11became fan favorites, those were essentially all guest characters from third party franchises. Due to the trouble associated with the licensed nature of the guest fighters, almost all of them are unlikely to return and bound to be replaced bynew guest characters forMortal Kombat 12. This is unfortunate for fans of these guests, but some players would ratherMortal Kombatfocus on emphasizing the original characters instead of relying on outside talent. The cool factor of pitting Robocop up against the Terminator is undeniable, but the identity ofMortal Kombatis more than just big names.
Some Returning Kombatants Underwhelmed Their Fans
To truly offer a stacked roster that fans will love inMortal Kombat 12, some of the disappointing kombatants from the most recent entry shouldn’t make the trip. Characters like Kotal Kahn andErron Blackhave already had two games to capture the same level of fan attention as their predecessors, instead seeming consistently undercooked in their execution. Furthermore, while many old schoolMortal Kombatfans likely awaited the return of the classic fighter Frost, her totally re-imagined incarnation inMortal Kombat 11proved to be divisive.
Despite the fact that theMortal Kombat 11roster turned out to be a slight disappointment in terms of newcomers and re-imaginings, the love fans have for their classic favorites still overshadows these creative detours. The return of fan favorites like Ermac and Reptile would be welcome, and legacy side characters such as Kintaro and Motaro already come with plenty of room for experimentation. By focusing on bringing the best out of theclassic favorites ofMortal Kombat’s castand their descendants, NetherRealm Studios can offer a truly streamlined experience in the upcoming reboot.
The nextMortal Kombatis in development.
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