Could Mortal Kombat 11 reignite the series’ popularity?

There’s little doubt that eSports has been a good thing for Mortal Kombat.

But with talk of other media properties on the way – including a movie, among other things – we have to ask the question: Could Mortal Kombat 11 reignite the series’ legendary status among gaming audiences?

We think so and although it must be said that it has something to do with MK11’s gameplay, it cannot be argued that its much more to do with the fact that the series is returning to its roots – and in a really big way, if press reports are to be believed.

You see, Mortal Kombat 11 is end of the “reboot trilogy” and the sequel to 2015’s Mortal Kombat X.

This era of MK has seen the game experience a renewed renaissance among players, partly because of the robust and vast online community for the game.

Those veterans of the arcades will recall what a sensation Mortal Kombat was and a huge part of this was because it was one of the most fun, competitive games out there.

Mortal Kombat 11’s expanded roster and even more robust online mode promises to recapture that magic. It should have no trouble doing just that, since MK11 will be coming out right as eSports is taking off while MK10 came out just as the trend was becoming a big deal.

Built from the ground up for competitive multiplayer, Mortal Kombat 11 also pays attention to the single-player experience with a story that adheres to known MK tropes and lore – basically, you won’t feel lost if you haven’t played the other games and you pick this one up.

Adding this single-player content into the game is critical to the MK revival, too.

Unlike Capcom (who did not care about the single-player experience for its latest Street Fighter game), the folks behind Mortal Kombat 11 know that there is a huge, old fanbase out there and that the easiest way to get them excited is to advance the stories of the various characters found in the games.

That’s why we think the combination of robust online play and an amazing single-player experience might make Mortal Kombat 11 a return to classic form for the series, like MK’s 2011 franchise entry.

We expect that it will be a huge hit among older gamers, but we also think that the new fatalities will attract new audiences to it, as well.

Unlike in the 1990s, Mortal Kombat has to rely upon solid gameplay now more than ever. They can’t get away with “just ok” combat and some interesting characters and story. Now the games have to have it all, and to MK’s credit, they’re some of the few that do – even going so far as to revive fan favourite characters ahead of launch.

Because it is such a complete package (especially compared to other fighting games on the market), we think Mortal Kombat 11 will be regarded as a return to form by anyone that played the arcade games. Building upon this, we think that it is also the perfect game from which to relaunch the property’s extended media.

Though it will probably not be like the craze in the 1990s, Mortal Kombat 11 has just enough of that special magic to be the modern equivalent and that’s all that fans ask for in the end.

Featured image: “《真人快打11》封面圖公佈 下�” (Public Domain) by steamXO