Last week, Johnny Cage voice actor Andrew Bowen shared a now-deleted Tweet that seemingly leaked Mortal Kombat 12. Add in the previous leak NetherRealm gave us in January, and it seems ever more likely that MK12 is near. Overall, it seems like the klassic fighting franchise will get over here before we can say fatality. Therefore, it seems fitting to talk about five features we need to have in Mortal Kombat 12.
The return of tag team battles
When Mortal Kombat 9 hit shelves in 2011, fans and critics alike celebrated the game’s innovations that helped bring the franchise into the modern era. For example, the game’s campaign helped introduce a new audience to the MK universe by serving as a soft reboot for the original trilogy. In addition, new features like the X-Ray move and more realistic damage physics helped modernize the famed series and breathe new life into it.
However, another feature Mortal Kombat 9 brought to the series was the inclusion of tag team battles. For years, the staple mode of Mortal Kombat was the one-on-one fights. This time, though, you could pick two fighters to switch back and forth between.
The ability to select two fighters for a team battle made gameplay more strategical in that you had to down both opponents to win, and you could take advantage of double-team moves as well. Although the feature became widely popular, it was glaringly absent from Mortal Kombat X and strikingly limited in MK11. I think I speak for most fans when I say that it’s time for tag team battles to make a kome-back in Mortal Kombat 12.
A continuation of Mortal Kombat 11’s good ending to Aftermath
If you played the Aftermath DLC in Mortal Kombat 11, you know that there are two endings. Depending on whether you chose to play as Shang Tsung or Liu Kang, you could either get the “good” or “bad” ending. And although it remains unclear which ending is canon, it makes far more sense to go with the happier outcome.
If you aren’t as familiar with MK11’s Aftermath, the bad ending sees Shang Tsung finally defeat Liu Kang and take control of Kronika’s hourglass. With all the power in the evil sorcerer’s hands and nobody to stop him, he crafts a reality where he conquers all the realms as a god and enslaves his former foes. Needless to say, following the story with a plot that sees our heroes trying to rebalance the realms and stop Shang Tsung’s evil magic has been done before.
On the other hand, if you chose Liu Kang in the final fight, he gets Kronika’s hourglass. Unlike the evil Shang Tsung, Liu Kang uses his new powers to create a better world. Liu Kang then approaches The Great Kung Lao and tells him that he is to train to be Kang’s champion. While The Great Kung Lao, stated to be Goro’s greatest rival, never actually appeared in any of the games, having the chance to finally play as the legendary fighter would offer players something brand new for Mortal Kombat 12.
More mini-games
Another feature that should make a big return for the next Mortal Kombat game is the ability to play unique mini-games. There was a time when players could get a break from ripping out each other’s spleens to break random objects. In fact, Mortal Kombat: Deception even let you play chess. However, Mortal Kombat 11 really fell flat in that sense.
Sure, mini-games don’t make or break a Mortal Kombat title, but they do add variety. Simply doing endless fights in Towers, campaign or multiplayer can get repetitive. Plus, it was always interesting to see MK’s take on other games like Tetris or Mario Kart.
Plus, there are the other wacky modes that change the pace like Test Your Sight, Test Your Might and Test Your Luck. Each of these mini-games brings a bit of charm to the game and breaks up the repetitive nature of the staple modes. Overall, the humor and variety offered through Mortal Kombat’s minigames is always welcomed, and we hope it makes a return.
A fully expansive roster
One of the most exciting, yet also often disappointing, revelations when a new Mortal Kombat game drops is the roster reveal. Naturally, there are some characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero who you always expect to make the cut. However, wondering whether someone like Baraka or Kenshi will return always builds anticipation.
However, in my opinion, the problem is that oftentimes, fan-favorite characters get the boot. For example, Stryker is someone I would frequently find myself playing as. But he is nowhere to be found in either Mortal Kombat X or 11. In addition, while Baraka is in both MK 9 and 11, he is glaringly absent in the tenth installment.
I think the time has come when we should get a Mortal Kombat game where no characters are cut out. With the powerful next-gen hardware we currently have, this really shouldn’t be an issue. Just because a character doesn’t appear in the story mode shouldn’t mean they’re excluded from multiplayer.
Kreate a fighter
Speaking of the Mortal Kombat roster, Kreate-A-Fighter should also return. The mode first debuted in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. However, we haven’t seen it since.
Although Mortal Kombat 11 has some customization features, modifying pre-existing characters has major drawbacks. One issue is that this restricts and limits creativity. With only a select number of skins and custom accessories, the ability doesn’t come with enough meat on the bones to warrant its inclusion.
In addition, adding custom moves to characters already negates the work put in to make each character feel and play distinctly. Some move combinations are so overpowered, it makes using base sets inferior. As evidenced by the decision to restrict certain moves from competitive play, this also damages the balancing.
However, if given keen attention, building a custom character from scratch could prove a rewarding endeavor. As long as NetherRealm balances move-sets, players could build their ultimate fighters from the ground up, and existing characters could retain their individuality.
What do you hope to see from Mortal Kombat 12?
For now, however, we have no word on when to expect the next Mortal Kombat game. We also have no idea what new features will appear. Maybe they’ll include some of the ones listed above, or maybe NetherRealm has an idea that could blow fans away even more.
For now, we can just sit patiently and wait for more details to arrive (or leak). But what are your thoughts? Do you agree with this list? Or do you have different ideas on features Mortal Kombat 12 could implement? As always, let us know what you think below!
