Mortal Kombat 10: 10 Awesome Game Modes That Must Return

4. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Adventure Mode

The creatives behind the Mortal Kombat universe have employed a number of ways to inject narrative into the games. Sometimes it's unobtrusive - the story mode from Mortal Kombat (2011), implemented via non-interactive cutscenes, gave us context without being overbearing. Other times it feels terrible forced and misplaced, especially true of their stand-alone spin offs like Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero. That was just a bad idea, from start to finish. MK: Shaolin Monks came closest to taking the MK brand and creating an enthralling action-adventure. Expecting NetherRealm Studios to plow months of development time (and budget) into a full-featured adventure is probably asking a bit much, but there are other ways to make it work. Cutting the reliance on cutscenes and putting the controls back in the players hands, an action-adventure mechanic would be an engrossing segue between key battles. We've seen elements of action-RPG gameplay like this before in the various incarnations of Konquest Mode, but it's always felt a bit weak. Next generation hardware (and storage) gives the developer the tools to craft a more enchanting adventure element for the upcoming release.