In the age of downloadable content, what constitutes a "finished game" is fast becoming a subjective debate. Mortal Kombat X arrived three months ago, pre-loaded with the guarantee of more things to come - some free, some for a price. Day one purchases pushed Warner Brothers' model for post-release capitalism the farthest its ever gone, but the virtue of DLC offerings as developer mea culpa, or life-extending service, remains a warm embrace amidst the cold commercial cynicism.
The parade of Mortal Kombat X DLC next floats Hollywood guest character: The Predator [full story] - a presence most can agree isn't part of the standard package. More contentious amongst fans is the number of Fighting Arenas - thirteen base stages in total, down 48% from Mortal Kombat (2011)'s twenty-five (with variations).
Normalizing the notion of expanding Mortal Kombat X's interactive vistas has been Creative Director: Ed Boon. He revealed in early May that Klassic Arenas have already been discussed for downloadable content. As you might imagine, that got Mortal Kombat Online talking - crunching the klassics to come up with the Top 10 Klassic Arenas We'd Like To See Return in Mortal Kombat X! Count them down with us:
The NetherKast is an exciting new kommunity initiative giving a voice to discussion within the fanbase! The audio series is a fan roundtable discussing multiple facets of Mortal Kombat X and the series as a whole! The kast is completely free and can be listened to via YouTube:
By and large, there's something at least a little bit scary about most of the fighters in Mortal Kombat. Be they ancient elemental gods, or eight foot mountains of muscle - most have a pretty liberal attitude towards life and death, and the means to cut short at least one of those.
With Halloween right around the corner - members of the Mortal Kombat Online staff have put their spooky suits on to scare up the would-be Top 10 Mortal Kombat Horror Icons! To formulate this list, we went to the darkest recesses of human fears and phobia. We turned klassic kombatants inside and out to examine the terrifying and uncomfortable implications of their fullest powers - and our list may just shock you! So be warned: This Kountdown is not for the faint of heart!
With only ten characters accounted for, it's inevitable we left out one or two heart stopping Halloween horror stories! Registered users should be encouraged to share their own campfire tales on the forums! Until then - on with the horror show!
Mortal Kombat X is less than 7 months away! Even as the April release date and pre-order bonus draw nearer - there remains much to be discovered about the reboot sequel's fundamental elements! The playable cast continues to be a source of new speculation, but one of the overarching mysteries introduced during June's E3 unveiling is the identity of the final boss!
Every fighting game needs a memorable final challenge. Mortal Kombat has enjoyed some of the genre's best bosses - MKII & MK3's Shao Kahn still looming large since his introduction more than 20 years ago!
Series co-creator Ed Boon says MKX's boss is: "a fun surprise returning character" and "[not] a lot of people will see it coming". He's eliminated a few contenders along the way, blatantly ruling out Goro, and supressing suspicions about Kotal Kahn. With this information - Mortal Kombat Online has had its finest minds on staff debating the lead suspects. After a few months of fisticuffs and consideration - the following is our Top 10 Final Bosses for Mortal Kombat X!
After three long years, we've got Mortal Kombat sequel fever! At the behest of series director [Ed Boon]: we're counting down to June 2nd -- that's next Monday (if you haven't noticed)! It's also right around the time we've seen the unveiling of pre-E3 launch trailers for Mortal Kombat (2010) & Injustice: Gods Among Us (2012)!
Over 80% of the MKOmmunity is convinced the June 2 countdown will fulfil our desires. There are other theories and some new ideas, but with reported leaks and the general timing, we've got good reason to talk MK sequels!
As speculation about sequel content starts to mount; one of the leading queries is exactly which characters will make it back for another go around. By the end of the time distorting Mortal Kombat reboot plot -- a majority of Earthrealm's greatest champions were left for dead in the bowels of Netherealm! Last week, we looked at the Top 10 Replacement Kombatants Ready for a Comeback who could fill that void! This week; the Mortal Kombat Online Kountdown is turning an informed eye toward the survivors who could carry over into a next gen sequel!
With the previous game retelling a simplified and slightly altered version of the original trilogy: all signs are pointing toward a reprisal of the plot from 1997's Mortal Kombat 4. We eagerly anticipate the rise of fallen Elder God Shinnok -- whose evil plan appears to be going very well! Who will help or hinder the villain in this hypothetical sequel? Here are our Top 10 Returning Fighters from Mortal Kombat (2011):
Like the mythic serpent Ouroborus that devours its own tail; so too has the story of Mortal Kombat begun to consume itself! According to the conclusion of the last game: Earthrealm's greatest mortals have been fatally decimated!
It's a grim new reality brought by a time twisting tale that rewrote the saga of the original three games -- all part of Raiden's ultimate attempt to curb the race towards Armageddon.
Love or hate it -- the story of Warner Brothers' Mortal Kombat pseudo-reboot has brought us to a moment of unique anticipation: painfully familiar, but completely uncertain. Sequel plots aren't the only uncertainty, of course. We may be officially counting down to June 2nd -- but we still don't know for certain what NetherRealm Studios' next project will be!
80.6% of the MKOmmunity currently believe a sequel is on its way. Voice actress Karen Strassman's resumé seems to agree, but mixed sequel rumours persist. On Mortal Kombat Online we've got grand designs for a revolutionary next gen compromise - aaand nobody's quite sure what Kiefer Sutherland's talking about.
What we do know is that we're hungry for that next Mortal Kombat sequel! Since the 20th Anniversary (2012), it seems the most substantial offering was Scorpion Injustice DLC. Whether its revealed in June, or not, we're thinking about what's going to happen next! With all signs pointing toward a reprisal of the plot from 1997's Mortal Kombat 4 - we eagerly anticipate the rise of fallen Elder God Shinnok, and a war between Heaven and Hell with the realms caught in between!
When 24: Live Another Day star Kiefer Sutherland told IGN he'd completed work on a mystery Mortal Kombat game [original story] -- Mortal Kombat Online turned to the MKOmmunity to narrow down which character he might be!
2011's reboot Mortal Kombat set the story in motion for a return to the plot of Mortal Kombat 4 - and it was there we looked for prime suspects. Our User Poll narrowed in on characters who didn't have a prominent voice-actor in the most recent game, and might find their way into an all new, shuffled cast.
It should be noted: We don't know what the unspecified game is, or any of the characters who will appear in it! This was merely an educated guess based on the likelihood of a sequel -- supported in part by the already over-active rumor mill.
