Dear Papa Boon, an MK11 Wishlist
*makes nonsense noise while flying across the room at opponent, sheathed in blue electricity*
The Game Awards for 2018 brought some incredible surprises, one of the most pleasing being the wicked drop of a new Mortal Kombat. The new trailer is suitably gory, set to the tune of 21 Savage, and features one of our favorite thunder gods beating the hell out of a Shirai-Ryu ninja (and possibly Scorpion?).
Ed Boon and Netherrealm studios has been on a huge combo streak recently. The soft reboot of Mortal Kombat made one of gaming’s most iconic franchises fresh and new again. Mortal Kombat X ended up being an incredible sequel with the best campaign mode in the franchise’s history.
But Netherrealm also brought players Injustice and Injustice 2. This DC superhero beat-em-up did the impossible of bringing all of DC’s godly roster, and their more fragile counterparts, into a huge rumble that suspended disbelief just long enough to enjoy the hell out of it.
With such a track record, we can be sure that MK11 will be a hit, but let’s hash out some expectations anyways, just in case Papa Boon is listening.
1. Kustomization
It’s amazing when creators add something you didn’t know you wanted until they gave it to you. The customization options in Injustice 2 worked the same way. Netherrealm offered color pallet swaps and gear sets to make your Batman, or your Captain Cold. Beyond adding a personal touch to the game, the new options created a better incentive for continuing to play the game beyond personal challenge. But the customization options were just one side of a very suspicious koin…
2. Krack down on loot boxes
The customization options for Injustice 2 were locked behind tiered loot boxes. These loot boxes could be earned through gameplay and unlocked pretty frequently. What they did not provide was a clear path for progression of specific gear. This gameplay loop ended up not being consistently rewarding. Handsome Phantom is not anti-loot box, but there’s a delicate balance in creating an in-game economy that feels fair. Judging by the first trailer for MK11, customization seems to be guaranteed. Let’s hope it improves the experience, and doesn’t distract from what’s sure to be an incredible beat-em-up.
3. Katch the mobile market
Netherrealm studios has launched several decent mobile versions of their games. Injustice was simple, fun, and had a decent shelf life. The mobile version of Mortal Kombat X improved the gameplay. The mobile version of Injustice 2 was incredibly unstable at launch, but provided the best experience to date, including the option to play the prologue of the full game.
The mobile games felt really attached to their microtransactions, but were fun and, with a few sessions, unlocked some pretty cool rewards on console versions. These mobile games have shown steady improvement over the years, all at a reasonable price point of free ninety-nine. Let’s take MK11 on the go.
4. Keep us koming back
Mortal Kombat X included one of the best DLC suites a fighting game has ever had. Over the course of MKX’s post launch, iconic horror characters were added to the roster: Jason, Predator, the Xenomorph, and Leatherface, among others. Not to be outdone, Injustice 2 later included some of our favorite DC heroes and villains like Red Hood as well as some genuine surprise guests like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When are they getting their own game this generation? Because Injustice 2 has re-sparked a feeling of turtlephilia I haven’t felt since the live action movies in the 1990s.
We’re almost positive that Netherrealm studios will offer post-launch content for MK11, as well as timed events that have been fun to pop into in their recent titles. Let’s up hope they keep up the good work. I think gamers know by now that even our favorite studios can make unfortunate decisions.
5. Kung Lao (and Baraka)
Hi, I just really love playing Kung Lao, and I have since I picked up Mortal Kombat III with my brothers twenty years ago. If you’ve got room on the roster for my favorite monk, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, Handsome Phantom’s ginger, Brandon, wants Baraka to come back, or at least one of his Tarkatan cousins. Thanks, fam.
That’s our wishlist for the team at Netherrealm Studios. We wish them luck with their new project, and hope to see gameplay soon! Let us know what you think! What are you expecting out of MK11? Be sure to check out our Bethesda edition of Great Expansions or our recent review of GRIS.
