Mortal Kombat 12gets closer with every second. After being unceremoniously announced during a Warner Bros. financial report,Mortal Kombat 12is expected to receive its first official reveal any minute, withSummer Games Fest or the rumored PlayStation Showcasebeing two likely venues. If the recent teasers are anything to go by, then it seems likeMortal Kombat 12will act as a semi-reboot of the franchise once more, possibly also technically acting as a sequel toMortal Kombat 11’s Aftermath DLC. But if that’s true, thenMortal Kombat 12’s roster could really be anything.
Back in 2011,Mortal Kombatreceived its last full reboot. In an attempt to revitalize the franchise for a modern audience,Mortal Kombat(2011) focused its roster on all of the franchise’s mainstays, with Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade being the main heroes of the story once more. WhileMortal Kombat(2011) still had a handful of stranger fighters, the weirdest it got was the likes of Sektor and Cyrax. WithMortal Kombat 12potentially being another reboot, it could end up pairing back its roster as well, giving a new spin on classic characters, but alternatively, it could use this reboot to deliver even more guest characters than ever before.
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The Argument For Guest Characters in Mortal Kombat 12
Guest characters have been an increasingly important part of theMortal Kombatexperience for the last decade.Mortal Kombat(2011) only introduced two guest fighters, with the first beingNightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger, and the other being Kratos, a character only available in the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game. Since then, guest characters have only grown more popular inMortal Kombat, withMortal Kombat Xintroducing horror staples like the Xenomorph fromAlien, the Predator, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface.Mortal Kombat 11continued the trend with the Joker, Spawn, the T-800 Terminator, RoboCop and Rambo.
For the most part,Mortal Kombat’s guest characters are a beloved aspect of the modern version of the series. With each guest character appearing only in DLC,recentMortal Kombatgameshave managed to keep players invested for at least a year after the game’s initial launch, which is a win-win for both NetherRealm and the player, as NetherRealm maintains a cashflow, while fans get to play as some of the most beloved characters in popular culture.
To make matters even better,Mortal Kombat’s guest charactersare also usually integrated extremely well into the game. It’s clear that the developers behind the scenes have a great deal of respect for each of the guest characters that come toMortal Kombat. Each one has a unique moveset that not only feels great mechanically, but also references some of the respective franchises' most iconic moments, giving players plenty of fan-service to discover.
The Argument Against Guest Characters in Mortal Kombat 12
But while guest characters have become a well-loved staple of modernMortal Kombat, it’s important thatMortal Kombat 12doesn’t rely on them too heavily.Mortal Kombat(2011) had just two guest fighters,Mortal Kombat Xhad four, andMortal Kombat 11had five. While guest characters do a lot to please fans of general pop-culture, an overabundance of them might feel a little cheap, like NetherRealm is just trying to appeal to the widest demographic possible.
It’s imperative thatMortal Kombat 12focuses on its own original characters first and foremost. If it does end up being a sort of reboot for the franchise, this is even more important. It would meanMortal Kombat 12has the opportunity to redefine classic characters, and even bring back some of the most underrated fighters in franchise history.
