Every 'Mortal Kombat' Game Ranked From Best To Worst
- Photo: High Voltage Software
Following the devastating bankruptcy of Midway Games, the team at NetherRealm Studios had the distinct challenge of bringing the Mortal Kombat franchise back, and they brought it back with a bang. Returning the franchise to its roots with a 2D style, the game masterfully blended elements of old and new to create something incredible. Yet again focusing on story, Mortal Kombat took players back to the original 3 games, where a brand new incredible story would be told. On top of this, the addition of the brutal and brilliant X-ray moves brought the edge back to the franchise.
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- Photo: NetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios injected new life into the Mortal Kombat franchise by taking it back to its roots, but when they expanded upon the franchise is when they truly reached their stride. Masterful fighting mechanics, jaw-dropping graphics, and horrifying fatalities and X-rays were just the tip of the iceberg for Mortal Kombat X. A story that was richer, more meaningful, and heartbreaking than anything the series had seen before and a litany of new, monumental characters elevated the game from simply a sequel, to one of the absolute best games in the franchise.
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- Photo: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Widely regarded as the ultimate Mortal Kombat experience, Mortal Kombat 11 was plausibly the most ambitious, daring, and highly anticipated entry in the franchise of all time, and somehow, MK11 managed to exceed even the highest levels of expectations. With a perfected fighting system, breathtakingly horrific graphics, the widest array of incredible characters in any MK game, and a story that not only added lore but paid homage to everything fans held dear, Mortal Kombat 11 is the ultimate love letter to fans, and arguably, the best fighting game of all time.
- Photo: Midway Games4
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Originally released in the mid-'90s for arcades, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 saw everything that fans loved about the third installment in the series, and simply added even more content on top of it. The phenomenal fighting and violence were still there, but now fans could play as classic characters like Scorpion and Kitana and fight in numerous new horrifying and eye-popping areas. This phenomenal quarter eater was, ironically, the ultimate way to play Mortal Kombat 3 and a wonderful way to fight against strangers and truly test your might.
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- Photo: Midway Games
The ultimate culmination of every Mortal Kombat game the series had to offer and the epic conclusion of the 3D trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon brought a new life to the thriving already thriving franchise. Showcasing a roster that features every single character that had been featured in the franchise to that point, fans could play any character they want, or even create their own! While the combat, mechanics, and graphics were all large-in-part the same as the previous two entries, the game was aimed to be a wonderful culmination of everything before it, and Armageddon more than lives up to expectation.
- Photo: Midway Games
Soon after the arcade-ridden hype of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had calmed down, fans began clamoring for a home release of the quintessential way to play the game. Midway Games clearly listened to their fans, and a home collection was released, however, it not only included the new and improved Mortal Kombat 3, but both Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II, giving fans everything they could ever dream of. Every character at the tip of their fingers, Mortal Kombat fans could showcase their skills in this masterful collection.
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- Photo: Midway Games
While the first game in the revolutionary Mortal Kombat franchise may have opened the eyes of the masses to the visceral and violent video game, it was Mortal Kombat II that showed this fighting franchise could go toe-to-toe with the best of the best the subgenre had to offer. Tightened controls, improved graphics, a slew of new fan-favorite characters, and a dedication to substance over style cemented Mortal Kombat II as a worthy opponent. When gamers finally got their hands on the game, it was no surprise that Midway Games had created one of the best fighting games of all time.
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- Photo: Midway Games
Mortal Kombat: Deception managed to not only live up to the hype following Deadly Alliance but surpass it tenfold. Deception once again managed to slightly improve the graphics and fine-tune the combat, however, this time around, a massive emphasis was placed on the story and added features to make the game feel the most complete any Mortal Kombat game had felt up until this point. The game was no longer just a simple fighting game, but a game rich in lore, beloved characters, and a heart-pounding story.
- Photo: Mortal Kombat/ Midway Games
Laying the groundwork for the franchise and changing the gaming industry as a whole, Mortal Kombat was a once-in-a-generation experience that shook the world to its very core. The heavy-hitting fighting game showcased over-the-top violence, next-level graphics, and some of the most quintessential characters in gaming history, and this all accumulated into one of the most explosive and controversial games of all time. While it is clearly dated in today's day and age, there is no question that the original Mortal Kombat was something truly special.
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- Photo: Midway Games
The third time was indeed the charm for Midway Games, as their third effort venturing away from the classic fighting mechanics Mortal Kombat was known for, for a third person action-adventure with Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks proved to be a massive success. Allowing players to control fan-favorites Lui Kang or Kung Lao, veterans of the series were allowed to see an entirely new light in Mortal Kombat. A fun, fast-paced, beat-em-up brawler that continued to expand on lore proved to be the perfect combination. Sadly, Midway games decided to go out on top, having yet to make another action game within Mortal Kombat again.
- Photo: Midway Games
The final game in the generational Mortal Kombat trilogy before the series would transition to 3D, Mortal Kombat 3 dedicated itself to ensuring the series went out with a bag. Tightening up already phenomenal controls and adding abilities from chain combos, to new finishers, to even the ability to run, all signs pointed that this would be the ultimate installment of Mortal Kombat. However, things weren't all perfect in Earthrealm, as fan-favorite characters were committed from the game, most glaringly series mainstay Scorpion.
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- Photo: Midway Games
The first game in the franchise to target a home audience rather than an arcade, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is widely regarded as the game that made Mortal Kombat what it is today. With stellar 3D graphics, an emphasis on story, expanding the imaginative and acclaimed lore, and some of the tightest and most well-balanced gameplay the series had seen up until this point, Deadly Alliance was a welcome and much-needed sight for fans of the franchise. Kicking off a new 3D trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance started off with a massive bang.
- Photo: Eurocom
A revamped and slightly remastered version of Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold saw the fourth mainline game in the series released for the Sega Dreamcast to mixed reception. While on one hand fans adored the ability to play yet another Mortal Kombat game from the comfort of their own homes, additions like weapons and a multitude of bugs and glitches made this already lackluster game even more difficult to play.
- Photo: Midway Games
Midways Games' first dive into 3D graphics in the Mortal Kombat franchise proved to be a revolutionary, if not problematic step for the future of the franchise with Mortal Kombat 4. The game showcased a rather lackluster group of new characters, a stiff and rigid fighting system, and rather poor graphics. However, what Mortal Kombat 4 lacks in gameplay, it more than makes up for in ambition. The game was undoubtedly trying to grow with the times and take risks, and while these risks may not have always paid off, they led way for the future of the franchise.
- Photo: Midway Amusement Games LLC
Mortal Kombat had reached a crossroads in the mid-2000s. The official story was complete, but with such a successful franchise, the team at Midway Games couldn't simply just end it, so, in their often daring ways, they decided to make a rather bizarre crossover with DC, aptly titled Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Heavily relying on style over substance, the lackluster visuals, and simply copy and paste mechanics left fans cold. The game was novel in its concept and fun for anyone who wanted to see Scorpion duke it out with Batman, but aside from that, there was a rather lack of substance from this installment.
- Photo: Midway Games
After the massive success of the previous 3 Mortal Kombat games, the team at Midway Games decided it was time to branch out and try something daring, the likes of which the series has never been seen, hence, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero. A spin-off of the main series, Mythologies: Sub Zero opted away from the simple fighting mechanics that fans adored, and instead became a side-scrolling action platformer. While the story was interesting and there are plenty of familiar faces to be seen, the game's lack of finesse, wonky graphics, and pedestrian controls showcase why the franchise is best when it simply focuses on the fighting.
- Photo: Midway Games
Yet another in a litany of entries from Midway Games to expand the generational Mortal Kombat series to more than simply a fighting game, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces is a third-person action game that follows fan-favorite character Jax as he hunts down characters from the series. This prequel does have a fairly intriguing story and once against shows Midway Games' willingness to try new things, however, the game feels less like any Mortal Kombat game before it, with a lackluster combat system and lack of violence that the series had become known for.
