While most fighting games derive their popularity from well-crafted combat systems,Mortal Kombat 11is also able to draw upon its series' long history as a fan-favorite in the genre. The base game andMortal Kombat 11’sAftermathDLC expansionare about honoring “the entire history of the franchise” according to Story and Voiceover Director Dominic Cianciolo, who talked about the inspirations and narrative behind merging new and old-schoolMortal Kombatin an interview for GameSpot’s Audio Logs series.
Cianciolo said story has been a huge part ofMortal Kombatfrom the beginning, as the original game was a comparatively “small affair” that “really resonated with fans” because of elements like character bios. He feels players are more engaged if they are emotionally invested in a game’s characters, andMortal Kombat 11is the current pinnacle of how rich its universe has become.
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The team from NetherRealm Studios was inspired by media likeWestworld,Terminator— later a DLC addition toMortal Kombat 11- andLooperfor the time travel story that interested Ed Boon from early stages. “You can see the fingerprints ofBack to the Future 2all overAftermath,” Cianciolo said, but he emphasizes Johnny Cage as one of the most “fertile” examples of their narrative because of how they capitalized on the transition from his old-school cocky design and attitude.
Cianciolo also discusses the “Mortal Kombatcivil war” between Lu Kang and Raiden as a development built from previous games, the team’s attempts to flesh out characters likeMortal Kombat 11AftermathDLC fighter Fujin, and how they toyed with traditionally evil characters like Shang Tsung. Part of the drive was to “encapsulate the entire history ofMortal Kombat,” and Cianciolo feels NetherRealm Studios succeeded.
Despite it being more than a year old, the success of NetherRealm Studios' latest outing continues to be seen through its high sales numbers, no doubt in-part thanks to this focus on keeping players engaged with the characters.Mortal Kombat 11was the fifth best-selling game of June 2020, according to recent reports from the NPD Group.
As far as the legacy ofMortal Kombat 11’s time-traveling story, Cianciolo hopes being able to capture its series' history will stick in people’s minds as they move toward the future. Even following the massive release ofAftermath,Mortal Kombat 11is continuing to receive new content such as aSummer Heat Skin Pack coming in August.
Mortal Kombat 11is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
