Summary
With the second fighter pack revealed and on the way,Mortal Kombat 1fans will soon be able to throw down as Ghostface, the notorious slasher villain from theScreamfranchise. While the killer’s playstyle is yet to be revealed, it’s safe to assume there will be some sort of loving homages paid to the films. ThoughGhostface’s inclusion in Kombat Pack 2is a boon for horror fans, it presents a unique issue that no one is properly equipped to address just yet.
TheMortal Kombatfranchise has been dipping its toes in the horror genre all the way back toMortal Kombat 9back in 2011. Since then, the series has seen guest fighters from all sorts of iconic horror franchises, likeFriday the 13th,Nightmare on Elm Street,Alien,Predator, and theTexas Chainsaw Massacre. But with Ghostface’s imminent arrival inMortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm may have exhausted its supply of iconic slasher villains for future installments.
What Will Mortal Kombat Do After All The Iconic Slashers Have Been Guest Fighters?
NetherRealm Hasn’t Used All Horror’s Heavy Hitters Yet
Mortal Kombatas a franchise is second only toDead by Daylightwhen it comes togetting iconic horror guest characters on the roster. So far, the team at NetherRealm has managed to secure some of the biggest genre titans to be guest fighters in various games since 2011.
That’s already a pretty impressive spread of characters for a fighting game, but any horrorhound will take one look at that list and attest: that’s not even close to all the big names. While it’s true that the devs need to consider if a character will also make a good fighter, it’s unlikely that anyone would deny thatMichael Myers would be a good fit for theMortal Kombatroster. Despite being the granddaddy of all slashers, The Shape himself has yet to arrive to the tournament. The lumbering mountain of a man may play similarly to a character like Jason, but to deny Myers a guest spot just doesn’t feel right at this point.
Another route the developers could take is adding Chucky toMortal Kombat One. The killer doll represents a unique challenge for the developers due to his diminutive size, however. It’s the same hurdle that kept the character out ofDead by Daylightfor so long. But eventually the devs atBehaviour didn’t just work around Chucky’s size, they made it one of his greatest weapons as a stealth killer. IfDead by Daylightcan take a negative and turn it into a positive like that, there’s no doubt that NetherRealm can do the same.
Future Games Can Focus More On Action Characters
Horror icons are a limited supply, to be sure, but they’re not the only stable of guest fightersMortal Kombathas been pulling from. Characters like Terminator, Rambo, Joker, Spawn,Homelander and Omni-Man have all joined the rosters of the last two games. These aren’t horror characters, but slashers hardly have a monopoly on brutal fighting in fiction.
After the most famous slashers have all been accounted for, a more action-oriented approach to guest fighters might just be the way forward for future titles. There’s no shortage of characters that fit the bill. Characters likeWolverine and Deadpool are incredibly violent by their very nature, but are often held back by the age rating of whatever media they appear in. By featuring them in a game likeMortal Kombat, fans can see these more brutal characters cut loose in a way they just aren’t allowed to most of the time. Ultimately, there are options for interesting cameos going forward, but horror-specific ones are more limited than ever.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
