Mortal Kombat Armageddon was the only game in the series thus far to have it's very own character editor. While not perfect, I though this was a very cool feature, and I spent a lot of time creating different characters, whether it be alternative takes on MK characters, characters from other franchises, or completely random made up characters to fight as. After MK Armageddon, I thought KAF was a thing of the past. But starting with MKX, and progressing into MK11, the team seems to be building a lot of customization into the game. I think it is time for them to go all the way again; to bring back - and heavily update- the Kreate a Fighter feature.

To my knowledge, the best character creation in an arcade-style fighting game (besides wrestling games) has been Soul Calibur V, and I think the next MK should follow that route. For those unfamiliar, there are two types of character customizations in SCV; one of them let's you customize the looks of an existing character, like a more advanced version of the customize feature in MK11. You can basically create your very own skin for a character, but things like the character's face, voice, and physique remain the same.

Then, there's the ability to create your very own character from scratch, customizing everything from their outfit, to their voice, physique, accessories, and even their personality. Your character is basically an echo fighter of an existing character, but there is so much potential to change them aesthetically that they can still really feel like their own. For example, if I make an echo fighter of Liu Kang, there could be the ability to change the dragon fire to blue plasma or a burst of light; that way I can match the character I'm going for without changing the way he plays.

Here are some big ways KAF could be beneficial for Mortal Kombat:

-Gives fans the ability to tweak their characters; do you love Kitana but miss her more exotic MK9 outfit? Or Sub-Zero's unmasked MK3 look? Liu Kang with his MK1 short hair? The customization feature can let you have all of that.

-Compromise for fans whose favorite character was cut. Think about all the Jade fans who were so sad in MKX when she didnt make the cut. But you know what? Kitana's mournful variation played a lot like Jade. What if fans could have just created an echo fighter of mournful Kitana, spend some time in the KAF workshop, and created their very own version of Jade. Same scenario with Mileena in MK11!

-Variations can make each character feel more distinct. This is assuming they go with the Soul Calibur route and make every custom fighter play like an existing roster character, which I think is a good idea for balancing purposes. You can make a characte feel even more distinct with the variation system by giving them different moves and perks.

-Tons of DLC options. Look, we all know that WB loves micro-transactions. But what if instead of gambling and consumables, you could spend your cash on more customization options for your characters instead? Or in addition. I personally think a new mask for my OC ninja character is a lot more exciting than some tower of time perks.

-It won't hurt DLC characters-or at least, it shouldn't. The truth is, creating you own Jade, Mileana, Hsu Hao, or Shujinko might fill part of the void of them missing. But one thing NRS is really good at is making each character distinct and unique. And I know that if they released Mileena as DLC, all the fans will put their fan made Mileena KAFs straight to the side to pick up the real deal.

-It will boost sales from non-franchise fans. This is taking a page from my experience with Soul Calibur; I really could not care less about the story or character in that game, and I totally respect that there's people who do. But you know what really gets me invested in a game that I have no familiarity with? Mr. Krabs fighting Super Mario in a medieval arena. You have to admit, there are some people who just don't care that much about Mortal Kombat too, and in the same way they could be enticed to give it a buy for the sheer amount of creativity and fun the KAF system would allow.

Of course, there is a lot of work that will have to be done to get Kreate a Fighter into the next MK game. But I argue that the direction they've taken the franchise in the past few entries lends itself well to the idea. What do you think community? Is it time for NRS to bring back kreate a fighter? What are some features you'd like to see if they were to do this?