MK1 Story Spoilers Discussion

[KillerKombatX]

With Cyrax being genderswapped I'm kinda curious what this means for Nightwolf now. They have been setting up female Nightwolf since the last game but will they follow through now that they swapped another character too, that'd be interesting to see

 

[Nickolaidas]

With Cyrax being genderswapped I'm kinda curious what this means for Nightwolf now. They have been setting up female Nightwolf since the last game but will they follow through now that they swapped another character too, that'd be interesting to see

Fujin is also implied to be a girl now, so I think Nightwolf being female is a 100% probability. I guess this is much easier than sitting on a table and making brand new female characters. They take male characters who aren't as iconic as the most popular ones, chop off their dicks and hope that that the backlash will be minimal.

Whatever. I'm just happy that Havik, Baraka, Noob and Sektor are safe for the next ten years until the next inevitable reboot.

 

[Nickolaidas]

Cyrax being genderswapped isn't about inclusion.

If it wasn't, we would have seen female characters turned to male. The fact that this swap is ALWAYS one sided proves that this is indeed, only about inclusion. White characters becoming black, latino, Japanese or asian, male characters turning into females ... it always goes one way. Always.

You can applaud it or agree with it, but at least call it what it is.

 

[Law Hero]

Instead of female Cyrax, can we get General Shao's sexy ancestor instead?

 

[subzert]

I have a big question about the story mode.

After the final fight with Shang and Quan Chi when Lui Kang turns them into sand and blows away, the timeline of Evil Shang starts to collapse and Lui and the Protagonist make quick escape. Then how did Titan Havik go to the pyramid, that entire timeline where the pyramid was standing had collapsed. Made no sense.

 

[Nickolaidas]

I have a big question about the story mode.

After the final fight with Shang and Quan Chi when Lui Kang turns them into sand and blows away, the timeline of Evil Shang starts to collapse and Lui and the Protagonist make quick escape. Then how did Titan Havik go to the pyramid, that entire timeline where the pyramid was standing had collapsed. Made no sense.

Don't ask questions, just consume product then get excited for next product!

 

[MateoFoShizzle]

I have a big question about the story mode.

After the final fight with Shang and Quan Chi when Lui Kang turns them into sand and blows away, the timeline of Evil Shang starts to collapse and Lui and the Protagonist make quick escape. Then how did Titan Havik go to the pyramid, that entire timeline where the pyramid was standing had collapsed. Made no sense.

how about like, the whole premise being that “beings from another timeline” are “impossible” according to geras and Liu kang.. yet that’s entirely what mk11 was predicated on?

 

[YagamiFire]

I think my favorite parts of the story with its writing are...

'Benevolent' Liu Kang creating 2 people specifically for the purpose of giving them miserable lives of drudgery with Shang and Quan. Shang is a life-long failure and Quan is literally a slave in mines. Great job, Liu. Great job punishing 2 people that didn't do anything wrong because you know other versions of them. This is made even funnier by the fact that we see a good guy Titan Shang and Quan in the final chapter so it is inarguable that the game itself proves that neither of them are somehow ALWAYS evil in every timeline. Liu Kang committed a considerable act of evil and GENUINELY deserved to be taken to task by Shang and Quan whom he totally screwed over.

The second? The game is blissfully unaware of what pieces of crap the Edenian royal family members are. This is particularly funny considering Liu Kang talks about the evil Sindel and her love for her 'privilege'. Oh is that a fact? Hmm what would you call rounding up innocent citizens, stripping them of their belongings and banishing them to desert badlands for the 'crime' of having the same exact condition your daughter does? You know, the daughter whose condition you cover up regardless of the risk to those around her simply because you're the empress and she's the heir and you can get away with it? Sounds like the HEIGHT of privilege to me. Sindel and her family are trash.

None of this is acknowledged as egregiously bad behavior by the story itself, likely because the writers are ignorant of what they themselves wrote.

 

[zerosebaz]

I think my favorite parts of the story with its writing are...

'Benevolent' Liu Kang creating 2 people specifically for the purpose of giving them miserable lives of drudgery with Shang and Quan. Shang is a life-long failure and Quan is literally a slave in mines. Great job, Liu. Great job punishing 2 people that didn't do anything wrong because you know other versions of them. This is made even funnier by the fact that we see a good guy Titan Shang and Quan in the final chapter so it is inarguable that the game itself proves that neither of them are somehow ALWAYS evil in every timeline. Liu Kang committed a considerable act of evil and GENUINELY deserved to be taken to task by Shang and Quan whom he totally screwed over.

The second? The game is blissfully unaware of what pieces of crap the Edenian royal family members are. This is particularly funny considering Liu Kang talks about the evil Sindel and her love for her 'privilege'. Oh is that a fact? Hmm what would you call rounding up innocent citizens, stripping them of their belongings and banishing them to desert badlands for the 'crime' of having the same exact condition your daughter does? You know, the daughter whose condition you cover up regardless of the risk to those around her simply because you're the empress and she's the heir and you can get away with it? Sounds like the HEIGHT of privilege to me. Sindel and her family are trash.

None of this is acknowledged as egregiously bad behavior by the story itself, likely because the writers are ignorant of what they themselves wrote.

Yeah, Liu Kang is so evil, he decided to take away Shangs power to STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S SOULS, poor Shang.

 

[YagamiFire]

Yeah, Liu Kang is so evil, he decided to take away Shangs power to STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S SOULS, poor Shang.

Do you not realize this Shang is literally an entirely new person whose had his life purposefully ruined by Liu Kang? This Shang never had that power (ignore how that makes him still being alive make no sense since he should be long dead since Shang is supposed to be a human from Earthrealm).

 

[zerosebaz]

Do you not realize this Shang is literally an entirely new person whose had his life purposefully ruined by Liu Kang? This Shang never had that power (ignore how that makes him still being alive make no sense since he should be long dead since Shang is supposed to be a human from Earthrealm).

How? How did Kang purposely ruined Shang Tsungs life? Do you think the keeper of time is omnipotent or something? You do remember the plot of the last game? How it was about Kronika being pissed that she couldn't get people to do what she wanted, even after countless reboots? No, Shang's choices are on Shang. Even powerless, being a guy as smart as he is, I refuse the idea that he couldn't have made something good of himself. Instead he chose to scam people. That's on him.

 

[MateoFoShizzle]

I have a question..

how exactly did general shao “conspire” against sindel?? I’ve watched the story twice now and it seems like he just kinda got lumped in with the bad guys.

he didn’t trust earthrealm or Liu kang. Told sindel that they should be offensive from the jump of the storyline ( a la raiden in MK9-11). He simply told Shang and Quan that IF sindel didn’t attack earthrealm, he would usurp her. Then… she sanctions the attack on earthrealm. He then tells li mei to take Liu kang back because he’s not welcome in outworld.

at what part did he “conspire” against her? I get towards the end during the battle in Shangs lab he then tries to overthrow her but that’s after he’s basically been labeled a “conspirator” prior to that

 

[YagamiFire]

How? How did Kang purposely ruined Shang Tsungs life? Do you think the keeper of time is omnipotent or something? You do remember the plot of the last game? How it was about Kronika being pissed that she couldn't get people to do what she wanted, even after countless reboots? No, Shang's choices are on Shang. Even powerless, being a guy as smart as he is, I refuse the idea that he couldn't have made something good of himself. Instead he chose to scam people. That's on him.

Did you not see the scene with Liu and Geras where Liu explicitly says that Shang's life was mapped out to be bad? Did you also miss the point where it's said that everything is going according to Liu's tapestry UNTIL the outside interference by Titan Shang?

This is all right in the dialogue.

"you altered the destinies of certain malefactors to neutralize them"

Destiny - the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future:

Liu Kang set the course of their life. This is inarguable. It is stated by Geras who should know better than anyone and Liu, who did it, doesn't correct him. In fact, we get further clarification about how this was all outlined

"He has escaped his meaningless life"

Shang's destiny was written to be a meaningless life. Liu Kang was the architect of that. Creating someone and designing their life to be without meaning (IE without happiness, success or fulfillment) is evil. This Shang was an innocent person and Liu set for him a totally meaningless life. That is evil.

And yes, the Keeper of Time is functionally omnipotent because they set the course of all events in the timeline. The fact that NRS is awful with handling that kind of power is on them, not on me. Kronika's stupidity is well documented and she, her plan, her history and her usage of her powers makes no sense at all. You can't blame me for NRS' wild inconsistency. They introduced a bunch of elements they obviously can't handle. MK11 has extremely ludicrously bad-storytelling and almost all of it is heavily entwined with Kronika, her position and her powers. The same holds true for time stuff in MK1.

 

[Kiss the Missile]

The Havik "stinger" at the end would be so much better if it was actually the real Havik. Like original timeline, Deception costume, skull faced white eyes Havik.

 

[zerosebaz]

Did you not see the scene with Liu and Geras where Liu explicitly says that Shang's life was mapped out to be bad? Did you also miss the point where it's said that everything is going according to Liu's tapestry UNTIL the outside interference by Titan Shang?

This is all right in the dialogue.

"you altered the destinies of certain malefactors to neutralize them"

Destiny - the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future:

Liu Kang set the course of their life. This is inarguable. It is stated by Geras who should know better than anyone and Liu, who did it, doesn't correct him. In fact, we get further clarification about how this was all outlined

"He has escaped his meaningless life"

Shang's destiny was written to be a meaningless life. Liu Kang was the architect of that. Creating someone and designing their life to be without meaning (IE without happiness, success or fulfillment) is evil. This Shang was an innocent person and Liu set for him a totally meaningless life. That is evil.

And yes, the Keeper of Time is functionally omnipotent because they set the course of all events in the timeline. The fact that NRS is awful with handling that kind of power is on them, not on me. Kronika's stupidity is well documented and she, her plan, her history and her usage of her powers makes no sense at all. You can't blame me for NRS' wild inconsistency. They introduced a bunch of elements they obviously can't handle. MK11 has extremely ludicrously bad-storytelling and almost all of it is heavily entwined with Kronika, her position and her powers. The same holds true for time stuff in MK1.

I did see that scene, and furthermore, I understood it properly. They are not talking meaning in the selffullfilment way, they are talking meaning in the scale of the universe way. They don't care if Shang is a sad man scamming people, or a rich and charitable merchant, they care he is not going around stealing people's soul, trying to conquer realms and whole universes.

You know what is evil? Stealing people's souls, trying to conquer realms, and enslaving universes.

I'll be the first to say NRS storytelling is atrocious, but they have very clearly shown that the timekeeper is not omnipotent in two games now. You are free to think that it should be, but the fact you think it is is on you, not on them.

 

[YagamiFire]

I did see that scene, and furthermore, I understood it properly. They are not talking meaning in the selffullfilment way, they are talking meaning in the scale of the universe way. They don't care if Shang is a sad man scamming people, or a rich and charitable merchant, they care he is not going around stealing people's soul, trying to conquer realms and whole universes.

No, they knew exactly what he would be doing. So much so that Geras was witnessing it. Additionally, Quan was a slave in mines. Liu Kang even explicitly talks about having made Shao a loyal soldier to Sindel. He did these things. He crafted them. Hell, he could even write people out of reality and retcon their entire lives.

You know what is evil? Stealing people's souls, trying to conquer realms, and enslaving universes.

Oh man all those things that this Shang DIDN'T do and didn't deserve to be punished for just because he's got the same name as a guy in a different timeline.

I'll be the first to say NRS storytelling is atrocious, but they have very clearly shown that the timekeeper is not omnipotent in two games now. You are free to think that it should be, but the fact you think it is is on you, not on them.

The time keepers craft the timeline how they see fit. Kronika even says she's going to erase people in the next go round and she promises realms to people. And her time stuff isn't messed with until Raiden messes with time itself (similar to how Titan Shang interfered by also mucking with the timeline of Liu's)

We even see the shear power of the Time Titans with Shang whose entire realm is loyal to him from top to bottom with evil versions of everyone. Why? Because he made them that way.

 

[subzert]

I think my favorite parts of the story with its writing are...

'Benevolent' Liu Kang creating 2 people specifically for the purpose of giving them miserable lives of drudgery with Shang and Quan. Shang is a life-long failure and Quan is literally a slave in mines. Great job, Liu. Great job punishing 2 people that didn't do anything wrong because you know other versions of them. This is made even funnier by the fact that we see a good guy Titan Shang and Quan in the final chapter so it is inarguable that the game itself proves that neither of them are somehow ALWAYS evil in every timeline. Liu Kang committed a considerable act of evil and GENUINELY deserved to be taken to task by Shang and Quan whom he totally screwed over.

The second? The game is blissfully unaware of what pieces of crap the Edenian royal family members are. This is particularly funny considering Liu Kang talks about the evil Sindel and her love for her 'privilege'. Oh is that a fact? Hmm what would you call rounding up innocent citizens, stripping them of their belongings and banishing them to desert badlands for the 'crime' of having the same exact condition your daughter does? You know, the daughter whose condition you cover up regardless of the risk to those around her simply because you're the empress and she's the heir and you can get away with it? Sounds like the HEIGHT of privilege to me. Sindel and her family are trash.

None of this is acknowledged as egregiously bad behavior by the story itself, likely because the writers are ignorant of what they themselves wrote.

You have some take on this.

 

[NeonGroovyGator]

I just played the story mode again, this time with my bf, and I didn't spoil anything for him. Seeing his honest reaction to the story was very interesting, but it didn't surprise me at all. He went from thinking everything was awesome to just rolling his eyes every ten seconds after Sindel's chapter. I could almost feel him physically cringe every time the word "timeline" was said. But like me, he felt that the story mode was overall way more enjoyable than MKX/MK11. I found it particularly funny how he just gave me the most massive eye roll when they talked a bit about Kronika and her motivations in the last game. I've been told to "touch grass" a couple of times when I complained about the way Kronika was written in MK11, but I've yet to find a single person that I know irl that liked that story. He also felt that the ending kinda just... happened out of nowhere and was pretty anticlimactic.

I just can't get over how terribly shitty Sub-Zero was in this game. That's a point where Keeper of Time Liu really dropped the ball, it seems. Every other villain was directly or indirectly influenced by Titan Shang. Bi Han was just a fucking asshole for no reason seemingly out of nowhere. (Basically telling Smoke to fuck off because they're not related by blood for NO REASON WHATSOEVER lol). He just spills that he let his father die because... Power? I've seen some people say they liked his voice acting but I thought it was too much and just cemented him as an edgy asshole and nothing more. I can't remember the last time such a popular character has been so mindbogglingly terrible in the story.

A lot of people were disappointed by Kitana's role, but I didn't think it was bad. They wanted to give Mileena the spotlight this time around, and it worked. Kitana was still fine. She was portrayed well, she just wasn't the star.

Overall, yeah, it was pretty good. It's a shame it wasn't four or five chapters longer, I feel like it would've tied everything more neatly, but this is still the best story mode they've done since MK9 imo. The tone was better, it took itself less seriously, and it did feel like a love letter to the series as a whole. Looking forward to the expansion.

 

[Felipe_Gewehr]

The Havik "stinger" at the end would be so much better if it was actually the real Havik. Like original timeline, Deception costume, skull faced white eyes Havik.

At LEAST he seems to have a personality more similar to the original Havik from MKD, and the white eyes (though that could be just from him being a Titan).

The Kotal + Havik costume mashup, however, is as lame as the Quan-Freeze and ReiKenshi standing beside him.

 

[Ptehu]

am I the only one who actually hates this uninspired, forced and cringy mash-up characters?

 

[xRantex]

I'm thinking we might get a Dark Raiden skin cause don't think the VA is there just to say 2 lines?? I think he would have more dialogue but would be cool.

 

[Felipe_Gewehr]

I'm thinking we might get a Dark Raiden skin cause don't think the VA is there just to say 2 lines?? I think he would have more dialogue but would be cool.

Datamines show one of the next seasons to be Dark Raiden themed, with a Dark Raiden costume - although, curiously, it is YOUNG raiden with the dark costume, not the original old dark raiden from the story...

 

[xRantex]

Just finished story mode

Yeah I agree certain characters shined and others didn't, but not only did they not evolve they were worse than before.

Quan, Shao, Kitana, Reiko looked like a basic general lol. At least we got our boy in the game?

BUT in the comics he was wayyyy cooler same with Havik. Smh

It was good for Mileena, Raiden etc and I main them so yea lol

 

[xRantex]

Datamines show one of the next seasons to be Dark Raiden themed, with a Dark Raiden costume - although, curiously, it is YOUNG raiden with the dark costume, not the original old dark raiden from the story...

Yeah that's goin to be interesting to see! And would the VA voice be dark too? I assume so.

 

[xRantex]

It was so weird seeing Mileena and Dark Raiden face off cause they're both my mains lol. That was my favorite moment didn't expect that.