Mortal Kombat: Every Game Ranked From Worst To Best
2. Mortal Kombat: Deception
2004's Mortal Kombat: Deception improved on every aspect of its predecessor. The 3-fighting style system was tweaked, while the introduction of the combo breaker could turn the tide of any battle.
Aside from Fatalities, Stage Fatalities made a return, alongside the introduction of Hara-Kiri - a finishing move where the loser could commit suicide rather than be killed by their opponent.
But if there's one thing Deception is best remembered for, it's expanding the world of Mortal Kombat.
New fighters such as Havik and Hotaru came alongside the newly-introduced Chaosrealm and Orderrealm. At the same time, the game's Konquest Mode was an RPG adventure where you controlled another newcomer, Shujinko, going on a lifelong journey to find the Kamidogu. Ultimately, the game culminated with the return of Onaga, the Dragon King, and the final boss of MK: Deception.
The title also had a great roster, bringing back fan favorites such as Baraka and Nightwolf, plus more newcomers like Ashrah and Kira. The game was filled with tons of side content from behind-the-scenes interviews, as well as minigames like Chess Kombat and Puzzle Kombat.
Ultimately, Mortal Kombat: Deception was unanimously the gold standard during the series' 3D era.