Summary
By now,Mortal Kombat 1has given players the chance to settle into the latest iteration of theMortal Kombatuniverse. AfterMortal Kombat 11culminated in the franchise’s second soft reset, many fans weren’t sure what to think, but the new game has been winning them over. With a story that does right by many characters left behind by recent entries and a quick, volatile approach to combat design,Mortal Kombat 1has prepared a solid foundation for the franchise going forward.
Of its various innovations, the Kameo Fighters stand out the most. These characters fill a second roster of mid-battle assists supporting the main playable combatants.Mortal Kombat 1’s respect for its legacy is also best displayed here, with a number of obscure characters likeDarrius and Shujinko filling Kameo roleseven if they don’t have major parts to play in Liu Kang’s new universe yet. As even some playable fighters don their iconic classic outfits as Kameos, they can elicit nostalgia while presenting players with lots of additional gameplay options. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see such a robust system become the series’ next mechanical throughline inMortal Kombat 2.
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Iterating On Kameo Fighters Creates New Opportunities For Mortal Kombat 2
While it’s rare forMortal Kombatto dwell on past mechanics for too long, it has done so before.MK’s 3D era was known for its multiple stances and weapon-based fighting, the latter of which returned in subdued form withMortal Kombat 11. The running mechanic fromUltimate Mortal Kombat 3returned inMortal Kombat X, which also introduced Variations to NetherRealm Studios' next couple of titles beforeMortal Kombat 1. It wouldn’t be out of line forMortal Kombat 2to keep a revised Kameo system likeInjustice 2andMortal Kombat 11’s player-driven takes on Variations.
A chance to iterate on Kameo Fighters would doMortal Kombat 2well, especially if it retained those already present inMK1. This would save development resources, especially since Kameo character models wouldn’t need to be adjusted much given their tendency to lack the visual detail of playable characters.Kameo assists could be expanded inMK2as well, potentially jumping in with limited normal movesets to act as true, if temporary, tag partners in special combos. Embracing tag game tradition and using two Kameo Fighters instead of one would also be a good direction to take the system.
Kameo Fighters Could Represent Mortal Kombat’s Past, Present, And Future
Besides the potential for gameplay innovation, the Kameo system offers a lot of value toMortal Kombat’s roster. There are only so many characters a given entry can include, and for a franchise that likes to celebrate its own history, a cheaper way to add more faces is a lifesaver. Ideally,Mortal Kombat 2’s Kameo roster would add toMK1’s, with any Kameos gaining playable counterparts getting updated designs, lore, and movesets compared to retro assist selves.
Mortal Kombat 1’s grand story finale, combined with Janet Cage being confirmed as a Kombat Pack 1 Kameo Fighter, presents another use for the system. Kameos don’t need to factor into the story, so they can just as easily be characters’ classic versions as they can be alternate universe equivalents. Potentially,Mortal Kombat 2could call back toMortal Kombat 11’s take on Variations and let players design their own Kameos out of existing cosmetics and moves. The possibilities of a secondary roster areinfinite in the multiverseMortal Kombat 1established, and it would be a shame to abandon Kameo Fighters before their potential is realized.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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