15 Most PHENOMENAL Video Game Moments Of 2023

13. Scorpion Awakens - Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1's soft reboot of the entire canon is a majestic, careful re-stitching of one of gaming's greatest tapestries. Character motivations are swapped around, various 2000s-era C-listers are brought centre stage, and for about two-thirds of its runtime, everything is hitting a steady pace.

... Then we get into the third act, and things truly kick in. Whilst your mileage may vary on the various multiversal reveals and which characters seem to get sidelined, one scene the entire fandom adores is this-timeline Scorpion revealing his true power.

Coming after a Sub-Zero betrayal, Kuai Liang - not Hanzo Hasashi, the original Scorpion, he's now his son - murders a slew of goons with chained hands, takes on the now General Shao Kahn, and melts an incoming blade aimed straight for his face, through sheer mastery of his own fire power.

Phenomenal.