Mortal Kombat 1 demonstrates hilarity with its wacky timeline shenanigans

20.09.2023

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Shang Tsung and Goro pose in a pre-match cinematic from Mortal Kombat 1

Michael McWhertor
is a reporter with greater than 17 years of experience covering video clip games, modern technology, flicks, TELEVISION, and also home entertainment.

The Mortal Kombat franchise business has actually rejiggered its timeline two times over the previous years, with Raiden changing the program of background beginning with 2011’s Mortal Kombat and also Liu Kang providing it an additional enter today’s Mortal Kombat 1. Narrative restarts like these provide designer NetherRealm Studios a possibility to remodel core components of Mortal Kombat tradition — bitter ninja competitions, Earthrealmers fighting mythological beasts and also wizards, Outworld nobility and also army dramatization — with a fresh spin.

Mortal Kombat 1 goes more challenging than ever in its retelling of the traditional Mortal Kombat tale, with Liu Kang straight conflicting in previous canon occasions to stop specific crooks from pertaining to power. In his variation of Mortal Kombat’s tale, Liu Kang does a reputable work of maintaining the tranquility in between Earthrealm and also Outworld. The real Mortal Kombat event of MK1 sort of glides by instead nonviolently in this variation of the tale.

At one factor, Liu Kang also conveniences a young Raiden as he prepares to stand for Earthrealm in the event, informing him, “No tournament participant has ever been grievously injured or killed.”

Liu Kang tells Raiden “No tournament participant has ever been grievously injured or killed.” in a cutscene from Mortal Kombat 1 — You certain regarding that?

That’s among the subtle craziest minutes in Mortal Kombat 1’s tale. But it’s absolutely nothing contrasted to the timeline wrongdoings NetherRealm carries out at the end of the game.

[Warning: The following contains endgame spoilers for Mortal Kombat 1’s story.]

Mortal Kombat 1’s Liu Kang does a praiseworthy work of resetting deep space, maintaining collection bad guys Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, and also Shao Kahn from pertaining to power, however just as much as a factor. That’s since there’s a spin that neither Liu Kang or Geras saw coming.

The entire factor Liu Kang has the capability to reword background is discussed in cases of Mortal Kombat 11’s tale add-on, Aftermath. In the last minutes of that growth, Shang Tsung beats the effective Titan called Kronika, and also swipes her crown, an effective temporal magic tool, for himself. Liu Kang after that beats Shang Tsung, utilizes the crown to manage the Hourglass, removes his long time opponent from presence, and also endeavors back in time to improve Mortal Kombat background.

In an alternative variation of that finishing, Shang Tsung beats Liu Kang and also ends up being all-powerful, dominating Earthrealm, Netherrealm, and also Outworld.

What Liu Kang doesn’t recognize in Mortal Kombat 1 is that both Aftermath ends occur. Liu Kang is revising Mortal Kombat background, therefore is Shang Tsung. The last is hindering Liu Kang’s strategies and also both timelines are running in parallel. And what is at first thought to be 2 timelines ends up being boundless timelines.

Mortal Kombat 1 goes complete multiverse from below.

While that might be a significantly exhausted narration trope following Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Flash, and also Everything Everywhere All At Once, Mortal Kombat 1 does the craziest point feasible with its multiversal tale.

In the game’s last phases, Liu Kang and also Shang Tsung traveling to lots of various other timelines, hiring the kombatants of those globes to eliminate for their reasons. Some of those alternate-reality competitors come to be the gamer’s challengers in a collection of fights heading to beat Shang Tsung. And they’re primarily mashups of the Mortal Kombat personalities that followers will certainly understand and also like, however every one of them profane.

They consist of men like Stung Lao, a mix of Scorpion and also Kung Lao:

Kung Lao faces Stung Lao in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

And John Kahner, a mix of Johnny Cage and also Shao Kahn that does additional job as a Terminator recommendation.

Geras faces John Kahner in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

There’s likewise Quantum Chi, a mashup of Geras and also Quan Chi.

Johnny Cage faces Quantum Chi in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

Triborg Smoke is likewise below.

Kitana faces LK-7T2 (Cyborg Smoke) in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

There’s also a Kano/Sonya mashup (Kanya?) that you however do not deal with individually.

Most, otherwise all, of these mashup personalities can make use of the unique steps of both competitors. Firefly, a mix of Li Mei and also Scorpion, utilizes the latter’s tossing spear together with her wonderful capabilities.

Sub-Zero faces Firely in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

The very same holds true for Frostbite, that uses Nitara and also Sub-Zero’s movesets…

Gerasfaces Frostbite in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

…and also the Geras/Reptile combination with the fantastic, groan-worthy name, Klockodile.

Geras faces Klockodile in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

Some of the personalities you’ll deal with in Chapter 15, “Armageddon,” of Mortal Kombat 1 are simply enjoyable variants of acquainted competitors, consisting of women variations of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, and also Ermac. (There’s likewise a Janet Cage that however just shows up in cutscenes.)

Sub-Zero faces female Sub-Zero in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

Others are simply ridiculous throwbacks to Mortal Kombat in-jokes. You will certainly constantly deal with Ninja Mime.

Sub-Zero faces Ninja Mime in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1’s last phase tosses these mashups at gamers rather arbitrarily, and also NetherRealm consisted of a prize for playing the phase two times — making sure that gamers will certainly observe the selection of challengers in their playthroughs of the game’s tale setting.

The remixed competitors of Mortal Kombat 1’s orgasm might be a scheming recommendation to Mortal Kombat Armageddon’s Kreate A Fighter setting, with which gamers might stimulate Frankenstein by developing customized personalities utilizing different body components, outfits, and also relocates from throughout the game’s substantial lineup. Whether NetherRealm will certainly provide MK1 gamers a possibility to make their very own mashups continues to be to be seen, however that would definitely make an enjoyable enhancement to the game’s lineup.

Source: Polygon