Hello and welcome back to The Backlog, the weekly column that reviews video games based on a certain topic each month. April is our deep dive into nostalgic games, and by nostalgic, I specifically mean for me. This week’s review is something 8-year-old me definitely should not have been playing “Mortal Kombat (2011).”
Not to be confused with other entries in the series, “Mortal Kombat (2011)” initially released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was later ported over to the PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. The developer was called Midway Games but is now known as NetherRealm Studios.
“Mortal Kombat (2011)” is a return to basics for the franchise, after the last few games used 3D graphics and a 3D fighting system, this reboot brings back the 2D era of fighting games that pits two players against each other. Although the name doesn’t contain a number, “Mortal Kombat (2011)” is colloquially known as “MK9” since it’s the ninth addition to the series.
The basic premise of the games is that champions from Earthrealm must fight in a tournament to protect their world from being invaded by a foreign realm called Outworld. Outworld must win 10 tournaments in a row to earn the right to invade and conquer the opposing realm.
For the setting of the first game, Outworld had won the previous nine tournaments. Outworld’s emperor, Shao Kahn, is eager to conquer Earthrealm but the tournament and Earthrealm’s divine protector, Raiden, are constantly in his way.
Although the franchise is known for being bloody and graphic, “MK9” blew previous iterations out of the water with new features like the super meter and X-ray moves. The super meter is a three-level bar, one that allows players to use enhanced special moves, interrupt combos and the full meter allows players to use the X-ray move.
The X-ray move is a series of attacks players can activate to ensure damage. It can be blocked or avoided, but when used, it activates a cinematic scene of that character’s X-ray move. These attacks can be graphic and gory, along with each impact showing the damage done to the opponent’s skeleton.
Spoilers for “Mortal Kombat (2011)” story beyond this point!
The story of the franchise gets a bit complicated since “MK9” is a sort of reboot/sequel. In the previous games, it ended with “Mortal Kombat: Armageddon” where the events of the first games resulted in the heroes getting defeated and the villains winning.
“MK9” starts off as a reset where Raiden, on the verge of death in “Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,” sends a message to himself in the past, specifically the tournament from the very first game.
This message is cryptic and only states, “He must win.” And so, the current Raiden we follow is confused by it but actively trying to prevent certain events from happening. The story starts off with the Mortal Kombat tournament beginning and Raiden finds several champions that any gamer knows: Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade.
Familiar rivalries and storylines take place during the tournament. My favorite rivalry in all gaming is Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero. The sorcerer Quan Chi makes a deal with a deceased man named Hanzo Hasashi. He’s turned into the specter Scorpion so that he can find his family’s murderer, Sub-Zero. But Raiden asks Scorpion to spare Sub-Zero and that he will ask the Elder Gods to resurrect his clan, the Shirai Ryu.
Unfortunately, Quan Chi places false visions into Scorpion’s mind of Sub-Zero murdering his family, and so he kills Sub-Zero and comes back to Outworld with only his skull and spine. There’s a lot more to this rivalry that gets elaborated on more in the story, but it’s one instance of Raiden failing to change the future. This plays out a lot through the story, as some things aren’t necessarily prevented but changed, turning the story into a darker, but parallel path like the previous ones.
Eventually, Earthrealm begins to lose as most of the Earthrealm champions are killed by Sindel, Shao Kahn’s wife who was revived and brainwashed. After losing most of his friends to Sindel, Raiden realizes that the phrase “He must win” refers to Shao Kahn trying to conquer Earthrealm without winning Mortal Kombat, so that the Elder Gods may intervene.
But this wouldn’t be a dark story without a dark ending. Liu Kang is angered by Raiden’s inaction and the deaths of their allies, so he goes to attack Shao Kahn but is accidentally killed by Raiden. Once Raiden surrenders to Shao Kahn, the Elder Gods imbue Raiden with their power so that he may kill Shao Kahn for violating the Mortal Kombat code.
“MK9” was my first exposure to the franchise, and I think it’s a good reboot that allowed newer gamers to become fans. Looking back on it the outfits for the women were extremely inappropriate, but I want you to know that the women in the “Mortal Kombat” franchise are some of the strongest and coolest characters I’ve ever seen.
I’m especially partial to Kitana, as she and Jade were my favorite characters to use. I also found the 2D fighting style to be simple and easy, although the final battle between Raiden and Shao Kahn was extremely difficult for me.
Despite its age, “MK9” continues to hold up as a game even when compared to the newer games in the franchise. It has a big roster of 28 characters, and many arenas to fight in. I’m sure the nostalgia is making me give favorable reviews, but “MK9” is a genuinely bloody and fun experience.
Even the main menu involves fighting! It starts off with Scorpion and Sub-Zero squaring off, but once you select one of the options, Scorpion gives a nasty uppercut to Sub-Zero.
Rating: 5/5