Mortal Kombat's Eras Should Be Treated Like God of War's…

Summary

The next Mortal Kombat game is a soft reboot, which introduces a revamped universe and new takes on iconic characters.
Following the model of God of War's sagas, future Mortal Kombat games should regularly reinvent the franchise to keep it fresh and avoid narrative weight.
Each new era in Mortal Kombat should be its own standalone story, with a definitive ending to avoid narrative bloat and ensure innovation in future sequels.

Many gamers weren’t sure what to think when it was revealed in early 2023 that the next entry in the Mortal Kombat series would be a soft reboot rather than a traditional sequel. Luckily for fans of the famous fighting franchise, Mortal Kombat 1’s radically revamped universe proved to be the ideal setting for both the series’ bloody brawls and the debut of new takes on its most iconic characters. Rather than sticking to this new timeline, though, Mortal Kombat’s future eras should regularly reinvent the franchise similar to the sagas of Santa Monica Studio’s God of War games.

Much as the new world created by Fire God Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1 shook up the status quo for that series, Santa Monica Studio’s recent God of War entries represent a reimagining of a beloved franchise. This willingness to set aside what came before and try something new has now served both series well and should be a template for future Mortal Kombat games. By following the model established by God of War’s sagas and rebooting the universe every few years, NetherRealm could keep Mortal Kombat feeling fresh and avoid getting bogged down by the narrative weight of its ever-shifting storylines.

God of War’s Sagas Provide a Perfect Framework for the Mortal Kombat Series

Kicking off with the release of the long-awaited reboot in 2018, God of War’s Norse Saga is the framework around which recent entries in the franchise have been built. While the iconic Ghost of Sparta, Kratos, remains front-and-center in the story, nearly everything else about the series has undergone significant changes. From a decidedly more mature tone to a revamped combat system, God of War and God of War: Ragnarok share little more than surface-level similarities with the franchise entries that preceded them.

The Limited Lifespan of God of War’s Sagas Are Their Greatest Strength

What makes God of War’s Norse Saga a great model for Mortal Kombat’s eras is the intentionally limited lifespan of its narrative. The Norse Saga ends with God of War: Ragnarok, with future sequels set to showcase new stories and settings, and Mortal Kombat’s eras should follow the same formula. By featuring similarly self-contained storylines that play out over the course of a few years before shaking up the setting once again, Mortal Kombat’s eras could tell more focused tales while retaining the ferocious fights that made the franchise a hit.

Each New Era in Mortal Kombat Should Be Its Own Standalone Story

Although it’s been widely praised for offering a new spin on the series, Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t the first game in the franchise to take a stab at rewriting history. 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9 saw the series undergo a similar sort of soft reboot, with the story representing an alternate version of the events of the three original Mortal Kombat games. This rebooted universe played home to the franchise’s next two entries but, by Mortal Kombat 11’s conclusion, the increasingly convoluted storyline had worn out its welcome for many players.

To avoid this same fate, instead of sticking with Fire God Liu Kang’s New Era timeline for future games, the storyline established in Mortal Kombat 1 should conclude sooner rather than later. Giving the narrative a definitive ending, either through DLC or a sequel, would let the various character arcs reach a clear conclusion and set the stage for a new era. This would avoid the narrative bloat that plagued Mortal Kombat 11 and ensure that future sequels remain innovative rather than iterative.

Taking a page from God of War’s playbook and keeping its storylines mostly self-contained would let NetherRealm keep its iconic fighting franchise feeling fresh. By introducing new stories and settings with each new era, future Mortal Kombat entries could ensure that the series’ narrative avoids past missteps and continues to innovate for years to come.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 87%

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Released: September 19, 2023
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Developer(s): NetherRealm Studios
Publisher(s): Warner Brothers Games
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S