20 Great Video Games That Everybody Turned Against
18. Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
Mortal Kombat has been one of two go-to fighting games since the nineties, cornering the market early and choking it into submission for the decades since. This means that, even with minimal hype, current developer NetherRealm can be certain of shifting crazy numbers of units upon the release of each new game.
Such was the case for Mortal Kombat 1, with everyone and their mum buying the new title when it hit shelves three years ago. Taking place in the aftermath of the events of Mortal Kombat 11, and set in the new timeline created by Liu Kang, Liu assembles a team of fighters to participate in the latest Outworld MK tournament while facing off against Shang Tsung’s new alliance.
Good stuff. And a solid MK gaming experience, with a sizeable roster, fun story and new mechanics including custom combos, jump-ins, enhanced dash-blocking and killer aerial combat features. Alas, it was brought down by that lingering demon of all modern gaming: microtransactions.
Fans turned against MK1 when its microtransactions turned from fun, optional add-ons to being all but essential for a complete gaming experience. And it's no surprise Warner (who own NetherRealm) were the ones raiding your coffers. But, hey – Mortal Kombat has got to stay in touch with its coin slot arcade roots somehow, right??