Mortal Kombat: EVERY Game Ranked From Worst To Best

2. Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat 11
NetherRealm Studios

In the 2011 reboot of Mortal Kombat, Shao Kahn and most of Earthrealm's warriors were killed off. On top of that, Raiden was forced to slay his champion, Liu Kang. Because the franchise had never had such a departure in narrative, fans had no idea what to expect for the sequel, Mortal Kombat X.

Thankfully, the change of formula was a blessing. Without Liu Kang, characters like Johnny Cage and Sonya were pushed to the forefront, fleshing them out further. Introducing the children of Johnny, Kenshi, Sonya, Jax, and Kung Lao as playable fighters helped make the heroes' journey more personal.

For a time, MK was infamous for having among the most atrocious voice-acting in video game history. However, MKX really pushed the performances of every actor, making the player care more about the overall plot, especially Scorpion's redemption arc.

The previous entry may have introduced guest fighters and online options but MKX took it to the next level. Playing as Jason Voorhees, the Xenomorph Alien, or the Predator in a MK game was fan-service at its best. And with deliciously disgusting finishers and fluid fighting mechanics, MKX stands out as one of the strongest entries in the franchise.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows