credit: Moral Combat
Many fans don’t want to hear that one of their favorite franchises should end, especially since they can’t imagine what life will be like without it. When you take a look at how long Mortal Kombat has been around, since 1992, it’s easy to think that it might still have a lot of life left to it. But with the way that things have gone with the games and the movies, it’s tough to say that those who have pushed this game for so long, and who know it better than anyone, can’t always see that it needs to change in a very big way. Change has been seen throughout the years as characters have been added and some have been taken away, only to be brought back. The point is that Mortal Kombat has gone through a lot of changes, and not all of them have been that great. When it comes to the games and the movies, there are a lot of missteps that have been swept under the rug at times. But should it end eventually?
credit: Moral Combat
Ending it all feels like it might be too drastic of a measure.
Calling a complete halt to the Mortal Kombat franchise feels like a drastic and ridiculous move that would infuriate a lot of fans in a way that would cause a general uproar. Some might not think so, but Mortal Kombat has become such a legendary franchise that it’s been referenced by millions of people around the world, not to mention that it’s changed media in a big way. The number of references that have been used in other franchises is hard to fathom since the 90s did give rise to a lot of interesting ideas, but MK is one of those that has managed to infiltrate so many different ideas that it’s tough to think of what might happen if it were to disappear suddenly. It doesn’t feel as though this will ever happen, but it could be that a complete overhaul might be needed in order to bring back the verve that this franchise once possessed.
Even ending one aspect of the franchise or another feels like it would leave behind nothing save chaos.
The reason why ending the games feels like a good idea is that the changes that have been made to this point don’t feel like drastic changes, but cosmetic changes that have forced the story to adapt, not really change or adapt. Again, many are bound to argue and state that this is ridiculous, that things have changed vastly from the original MK idea. But the truth is this: the franchise has only piled more ideas on top of old ideas and has made it appear that things are more or less changing while, in truth, they’re doing no such thing. Mortal Kombat has not changed that much since the initial game, and what changes have been made haven’t really pushed things forward. Those changes that are positive are few, but there are plenty of ideas that have yet to really be accepted by a lot of the fans.
credit: Moral Combat
Trying to overhaul this franchise feels like it would be a nightmare.
The creators of MK know this franchise better than anyone, and they should, that should be natural. But it’s hard to think that they’re looking at it now and are able to say that it’s where it needs to be, that it’s moved to a new level that will sustain it for decades to come. The fact that it’s lasted for so long is kind of impressive, but not really, since people love gore, blood, and violent action that gets them into a story that offers just enough of a hook to keep people going. Mortal Kombat does offer that hook in many ways, but it feels as though trying to push things forward so far hasn’t really taken off since the next generation doesn’t appear to have gained the same following as those who started the game. But giving this franchise an overhaul at this point is a daunting project that would test the mettle of any storyteller, no matter how much help they’re able to call upon.
Between the new, ridiculous characters and the crossovers, it does feel that Mortal Kombathas lost its identity.
It was bound to happen that crossovers would come about since many franchises see this as a way to compare the power levels and skillsets of the various characters. But MK has managed to do this in a way that has invited various characters into the ranks of its fighters that have no business being there. The identity of this game is still solid enough to know what it is and what it isn’t, but bringing in such characters as the xenomorph, the Predator, Robocop, and others, is kind of silly, not to mention a marketing gimmick that has a lot of people shaking their head.
Is it time to end it all? Maybe not, but it’s time to step back and realize that some aspects aren’t working.
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