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Kurtis Stryker: Hopes Going Forward (Speculation/Discussion)

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
I was very highly skeptical about there even being a possibility of my favorite character coming back at all.

The reason why my mind has shifted to it being more of a possibility was Cary Tagawa getting confirmation as Shang Tsung. The same thing happened with Ronda Rousey and Sonya Blade. All of this started with subtle teases by celebrities prior to their eventual reveal and confirmation.

What better way to raise hype for a character that isn't as favored than having such a prominent wrestling icon come out the gate playing as him?

One of the last pieces of the puzzle I am waiting on is if Terry Crews gets the nod/confirmation to be playing Jax in this new game as that would reduce this from being coincidences to something more especially given all the hints discussed below.


I think this video discusses it quite well.




So far all the revenants that had a notable presence alongside fighting for Quan Chi in MKX are returning (Kabal and Kung Lao among others).


As for gameplay, I think Stryker can easily be distinguished from other tech users for a variety of reasons especially in his special moves and weaponry especially since MK11 is more focused on weapons based combat. Stryker's roots as a riot patrol/SWAT officer should be put on full display.

Roll toss: functioned as a counterzoning tool that allowed him to advance forward quickly and punish careless zoning thus allowing him to play his game more.

Baton sweep: hits low and advances forward

Grenades: His staple projectiles from MK3/UMK3 and MK9 are not currently used by any returning character and since Stryker's background is as a riot control/SWAT officer I would love to see the grenades come in a couple different types:

Stun grenades- function to slow the opponent's advancing movement down on hit.
Regular grenades- that just do damage traditionally.
Tear Gas Grenade- Takes increased chip damage or damage over time.

Taser- Appeared in MK Armageddon and was supposed to appear in MK9, but was later left out and could function as a good check on advancing movement with restand properties perhaps.

Other than those four for base attacks, I would love to see additional custom variation moves like a riot shield with multiple applications involving him using it to advance and bash the opponent or to block a certain amount of projectiles before it is exhausted.

I would also like to see Stryker have a police dog type of companion to assist him in combat with various attack options from it.

Adding his old UMK3 gun for combo extensions would be nice as well as it wouldn't reach from full screen and would function for the aforementioned purpose.


As for story, he already has established ties to Kabal, Raiden, and other already available characters so I'm hopeful that those relationships can be expounded upon, but if he is DLC that may not be possible or even necessary.

I really loved Stryker's personality in MK9's story mode and would love to see it reflected in intro dialogues and other interactions given the high level of production quality present in MK11 thus far. I always felt Stryker's natural evolution was to join up with Jax and Sonya in SF so who knows.

Maybe I'm completely off base and I normally don't get my hopes up for Kurtis to make it into games(like ever), but he's my favorite character and all the teases have me more excited than ever before.

I would love to hear thoughts and ideas from others about this character.
 

Circus

Part-Time Kano Hostage
I'd honestly be surprised if Stryker made it to any MK roster in the next 12 years.

I just imagine Cassie and Jacqui are his hard replacements in the series as far as gun wielding law enforcing "badass".
 

PapaRegadetho

All hail emperor Liucifer Kang!
Stryker got an amazing transformation in MK9and proved that NRS indeed has the capacity to redeem old 3d characters as well. It was a shame that he wasnt back in MKX. I kind of got tired of John Cena and the memes are not helping, but he is ultimately a better fit than Rousey is, since Cena can actually act. So yeah, NRS make it happen!
 

Cassie Cyrus

Have you ever seen the Rain?
1) I never cared for this character a lot, until I read into his MK:Armageddon/or/Mk9 ending in which he went to Order Realm and became an agent there. Now in my own MK-story-world Stryker is fighting for order realm and uses light-based grenades, light bullets and other order-light based moves.

2) I don't like the character that much, but I'd rather seen Stryker back than Cassie Cage. But since she is already in, I don't want stryker, as that would mean another gun-user, and in my opinion there are already too much.

3) I always liked his last name, Stryker, which sounds like Dutch firework, which are called Strijkers. Sinds he uses grenades that create the same sound, I think it was fitting as a child :-p
 

Lt. Boxy Angelman

I WILL EAT THIS GAME
There isn't a character they could bring back (except Tanya, fuck Tanya) that I wouldn't enjoy seeing.
But I would love, LOVE, 2 + 2 = LURVE, love to see Stryker come back.
He was so much damn fun in MK9. His Standing 4 is still my favorite normal attack of all time. Armored Roll. The New York accent. Gun cancels. Beating people senseless with my baton? Sheeeeeit...I'd be singing the song Nicholas Cage sang in Lord Of War when they landed the plane:

BULLETS
GUNS
GRENADES
HOORAY

#BringBackStryker
#PoliceBrutality2020
 

ImperatrixSindel

Too bad YOU... will DIE!
I'd honestly be surprised if Stryker made it to any MK roster in the next 12 years.

I just imagine Cassie and Jacqui are his hard replacements in the series as far as gun wielding law enforcing "badass".
Sadly for Stryker fans (he was definitely much improved in MK9) I would agree. I think Cassie has basically taken his schtick, much more than she's taken Johnny or Sonya's.

(Police brutality jokes also feel like they might not play as well these days lol)
 

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
I'd honestly be surprised if Stryker made it to any MK roster in the next 12 years.

I just imagine Cassie and Jacqui are his hard replacements in the series as far as gun wielding law enforcing "badass".
Sadly for Stryker fans (he was definitely much improved in MK9) I would agree. I think Cassie has basically taken his schtick, much more than she's taken Johnny or Sonya's.

(Police brutality jokes also feel like they might not play as well these days lol)
Thing is it's not as if Stryker's only humor in the game was "police brutality" or it being necessary to be said with the character. I liked his comments to Reptile way more. "Spitting? Sticking out your tongue? Bet your momma's real proud." or his x-ray dialogue.

He shouldn't be any more controversial than military officers shooting you up and kicking you in the junk or doing social media emoji hearts in your corpse.

I don't see how Cassie has his shtick at all. She uses guns, but nothing else he uses and her personality is nothing like his. She's like bubble gum 90's/early 2000's style pop culture references. I don't really see them being similar in the same way that Cassie and Jacqui are not like Erron Black.

I'd sooner say Erron Black is more like him in terms of "bad ass" demeanor and other traits. Erron is probably gonna get a lot of my time for that reason especially if he truly is left out.
 

ImperatrixSindel

Too bad YOU... will DIE!
I don't see how Cassie has his shtick at all. She uses guns, but nothing else he uses and her personality is nothing like his. She's like bubble gum 90's/early 2000's style pop culture references. I don't really see them being similar in the same way that Cassie and Jacqui are not like Erron Black.

I'd sooner say Erron Black is more like him in terms of "bad ass" demeanor and other traits. Erron is probably gonna get a lot of my time for that reason especially if he truly is left out.
In MKX they gave Cassie the gun projectile and the riot baton. Baton's gone this time but they've emphasized gunkata even more, which is where I would think they'd go with Stryker if they brought him back. She's the pistol character.

I'm always happy to see any of the Trilogy characters back, so I'm not rooting against him by any means.
 

pure.Wasted

'ello baby, did you miss me?
I've never particularly liked Stryker, and as of MKX, I actually think that he's become obsolete.

But I'm open to being convinced otherwise. So I have two questions for Stryker fans.

1. What role do you guys think he could play in the story that isn't already filled by other characters?

2. How would you justify keeping his toolkit exclusively in the "police kit" theme, when the only four non-supernatural humans as of MKX, Sonya, Jacqui, Jax, and Takeda, are 1) in Sonya's case known for her leadership more than her fighting ability, and 2) use sci-fi tech and cybernetics to give themselves a fighting chance? Or would you like to see his kit expanded to keep him on equal footing with the present day MK universe? And if so, to what?
 

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
I've never particularly liked Stryker, and as of MKX, I actually think that he's become obsolete.

But I'm open to being convinced otherwise. So I have two questions for Stryker fans.

1. What role do you guys think he could play in the story that isn't already filled by other characters?

2. How would you justify keeping his toolkit exclusively in the "police kit" theme, when the only four non-supernatural humans as of MKX, Sonya, Jacqui, Jax, and Takeda, are 1) in Sonya's case known for her leadership more than her fighting ability, and 2) use sci-fi tech and cybernetics to give themselves a fighting chance? Or would you like to see his kit expanded to keep him on equal footing with the present day MK universe? And if so, to what?
1. Jade, Erron, Baraka and Kano etc are not essential story characters. He can fulfill the same role Jade and Kabal fill in working with Kitana and Liu Kang, he is a revenant all the same as they are yet they are playable. He has his story niche till they move on from this revenant arc. He also could go for a law and order route in his human form seeking to prevent becoming Quan Chi's slave and siding with Kronika to amend the timeline etc. There are plenty of characters who do very little that keep coming back (Kano) so he doesn't have to fill some special unique role.

2. Sonya kicked ass against Scorpion and Quan Chi like she always has in X. I don't know what you're talking about with known for her leadership more when she has held her own against all of them in both games. Sonya has been kicking Sub-Zero's and many other people's asses. That's a cop out. Mortal Kombat has always had the mortal men and women taking on outworld, supernatural threats.

I made my recommendations for updates to Stryker in the original post. I want him to keep what makes him unique like roll toss and such, there is nothing wrong with these concepts outright. He can be improved upon, but his core should not change because otherwise he is a different character. He doesn't need to have any cybernetics or other stuff to be on par or justify his return.

Espio just wants to play his favorite character so he can whip out his baton and tell ppl to "Spread'em".
#BUSTED
 

Yoaks

A spaceman
1. Jade, Erron, Baraka and Kano etc are not essential story characters. He can fulfill the same role Jade and Kabal fill in working with Kitana and Liu Kang, he is a revenant all the same as they are yet they are playable. He has his story niche till they move on from this revenant arc. He also could go for a law and order route in his human form seeking to prevent becoming Quan Chi's slave and siding with Kronika to amend the timeline etc. There are plenty of characters who do very little that keep coming back (Kano) so he doesn't have to fill some special unique role.

2. Sonya kicked ass against Scorpion and Quan Chi like she always has in X. I don't know what you're talking about with known for her leadership more when she has held her own against all of them in both games. Sonya has been kicking Sub-Zero's and many other people's asses. That's a cop out. Mortal Kombat has always had the mortal men and women taking on outworld, supernatural threats.

I made my recommendations for updates to Stryker in the original post. I want him to keep what makes him unique like roll toss and such, there is nothing wrong with these concepts outright. He can be improved upon, but his core should not change because otherwise he is a different character. He doesn't need to have any cybernetics or other stuff to be on par or justify his return.



#BUSTED
What are we Bad Boys gonna do?