Mortal Kombat 2011: The Revitalization of a Franchise

Exploring Mortal Kombat’s 2010 trilogy

If you can sum up Mortal Kombat in one word, it’s Scorpion and occasionally Sub-Zero. Jokes aside, from its inception in 1992 by co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series saw massive success. It only needed one game to create the ESRB and garner many controversies, but Mortal Kombat kept going, selling millions of copies in its almost 30-year life span.

After its 3-D era in the 2000s, it seemed Mortal Kombat was ending. Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe became the metaphorical nail in the Mortal Kombat coffin. The game was a blessing in disguise as it brought us Injustice: God’s Among Us, and Warner Bros liked their partnership in the making of Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe. They picked up Mortal Kombat from Midway and rebranded it as NetherRealm Studios.

Under NetherRealm Studios, the MK team got underway to create the follow-up to Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe. That game was Mortal Kombat (2011), a title that brought back the 2-D fighting plane and a retelling of Mortal Kombat’s 1 to 3. This new version of the game brought back the old fans and new ones who hadn’t played the first three installments. It’s safe to say, Mortal Kombat (2011) is the best version of the formula to date. Its sequels brought more action and continued the…