MK 1s Khaos Reigns Should Double Down on an MK11 Feature

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MK 1s Khaos Reigns Should Double Down on an MK11 Feature

As a lifelong Mortal Kombat enthusiast, I’ve seen the rise and fall of Shao Kahn more times than I can count, but the latest twist in the story has me hooked! The multiple endings in Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath were a game-changer, and if Khaos Reigns follows suit, it could potentially open up a whole new universe of possibilities for the franchise.

By the end of September, the first story expansion DLC for Mortal Kombat 1 will be released as Khaos Reigns. In this expansion, players will join Liu Kang in defending his new timeline against Titan Havik and his chaotic army who aim to disrupt the universe. Similar to the Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath expansion, Khaos Reigns adds new characters to the Mortal Kombat 1 roster, including gender-swapped Sektor, Cyrax, and even Ghostface from Scream. Additionally, like Aftermath, Khaos Reigns could introduce multiple endings to give players more options and set up possibilities for the story of Mortal Kombat 2.

Mortal Kombat 11’s Alternate Ending Explained

In the main storyline of Mortal Kombat 11, Raiden transfers his divine powers to Liu Kang so he can vanquish the Time Titan Kronika. Simultaneously, Kitana overthrows Shao Khan and gains control of Outworld, bringing about a period of tranquility between realms. However, this wasn’t the full ending of Mortal Kombat 11; the Aftermath expansion revealed additional chapters. Liu Kang sends Nightwolf, Fujin, and Shang Tsung back in time to retrieve Kronika’s crown, aiming to halt her from amassing power at the outset.

In this scenario, Shang Tsung exploited the situation to distort the course of events in Mortal Kombat 11, undermining Raiden and Liu Kang’s endeavors. Sindel, Kitana’s mother, was revived only to side with Shao Khan rather than her daughter, thwarting her aspirations of ruling Outworld. Tsung seized Kronika’s crown for his own power over the Hourglass and drained the life essence from Fujin, Nightwolf, Raiden, Shao Khan, and Sindel. The game allowed players to select between Titan Liu Kang or Titan Shang Tsung, with the former setting the stage for Mortal Kombat 1’s primary timeline and the latter assuming the role of the antagonist in the base campaign of Mortal Kombat 1.

Since 2011’s Mortal Kombat, various fighter DLCs have been introduced. However, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath stands out as the first story-driven expansion in the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Potential Mortal Kombat 1 Khaos Reigns Alternate Endings

Although specific details about Khaos Reign’s final storyline are scarce, it holds great promise for multiple possible endings. The game is expected to culminate in an epic showdown between Titans Liu Kang and Havik, or possibly have Liu Kang choosing a warrior to confront Havik, much like the concluding battle of Mortal Kombat 1’s main storyline. If Liu Kang faces off against Havik, one potential outcome for Liu Kang could be overcoming Havik, followed by an attempt to mend the multiverse from Havik’s devastation. Alternatively, if Havik emerges victorious, a possible ending could depict him annihilating Liu Kang and ushering in an era of disorder across all realities.

In a creative twist, Khaos Reigns might explore the potential of various endings by introducing branching storylines that lead to multiple conclusions rather than just two. For instance, if players opt to control Cyrax instead of Sektor during combat scenes, this could result in Cyrax having a superior ending compared to Sektor’s. Similarly, more frequent selection of Sektor or other characters when multiple fighters are accessible could lead to improved endings for those characters. This branching narrative approach and provision of multiple endings could significantly enhance the playability of Mortal Kombat 1, offering NetherRealm Studios an abundance of fresh ideas to build upon for Mortal Kombat 2.

Khaos Reigns’ Potential Effects on Mortal Kombat 2

In the event that various conclusions emerge in Khaos Reigns much like Aftermath, NetherRealm Studios might explore several paths when dealing with these outcomes in future DLCs or Mortal Kombat 2. Instead of focusing solely on one ending as was the case in Mortal Kombat 1, they could integrate multiple ending possibilities into the narrative of Mortal Kombat 2, just like they merged Liu Kang and Shang Tsung’s Aftermath endings into the storyline of Mortal Kombat 1.

In a possible scenario, NetherRealm Studios might decide on a single finale for Mortal Kombat 2, while considering the other possible endings as theoretical concepts across different universes or potential topics for future multiplayer events. Alternatively, they could follow the model used by Telltale Games and track the most common player decisions to establish the optimal ending that leads into Mortal Kombat 2. Whether NetherRealm will explore new narrative paths remains to be seen.

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2024-09-18 03:35