Developer : Netherrealm Studios
Release date : April 19, 2011
Synopsis :
Mortal Kombat (also known as Mortal Kombat 9) is a fighting video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is the ninth main installment in the Mortal Kombat series and a soft reboot of the franchise. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems in April 2011, and a PlayStation Vita port was released in May 2012. An expanded version of the game, titled Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2012 and for Microsoft Windows in July 2013.
Although beginning during the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the plot is a retcon to the earliest period in the Mortal Kombat series: the events of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3 (as well as the latter title’s two updates, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Trilogy). The storyline involves the divine protector of Earth, Raiden, attempting to change the aftermath of the events of Armageddon by contacting his past self as he faces defeat at the hands of the evil emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn. While having characters and levels rendered in three-dimensions, the gameplay distances itself from the fully 3D graphics style seen in the last four games, bearing closer resemblance to that of the 2D era of the series, using a camera that is perpendicular to the two-dimensional playing field. Colloquially this is called 2.5D.
Upon release, Mortal Kombat received very positive reviews and won several awards for fighting game of the year. It was also a commercial success, selling one million copies in the first month alone. Due to its extremely violent content, the game was banned in Australia due to the lack of appropriate ratings category, and South Korea, and it has been reportedly indexed in Germany; the Australian ban was later lifted due to the introduction of an R18 classification and the game was released with many other R-rated games in May 2013. A sequel, Mortal Kombat X was released in 2015 with another direct follow-up, Mortal Kombat 11, releasing in 2019.
During the Armageddon war, all warriors from the realms have been killed, leaving only Raiden and Shao Kahn remaining. Having defeated Blaze, Shao Khan is imbued with godlike power and easily overpowers Raiden. In a final attempt to stop Shao Kahn, Raiden casts one last spell to send a message to his past self through his shattered amulet, with the vague message “He must win” before being killed.
During the events of the first tournament from the first game, the past Raiden sees visions of the future due to the message he received and notices his amulet has been damaged. Raiden concludes that Liu Kang must win the tournament to save Earthrealm. During the tournament, Liu Kang becomes the only remaining Earthrealm contender, due in part to Scorpion’s murder of Bi-Han, better known as Sub-Zero, in retaliation for the latter’s massacre of the former’s Shirai Ryu clan including Scorpion’s wife and infant son some years earlier. Liu Kang is successful in defeating the Shokan Prince Goro, as well as the crafty sorcerer Shang Tsung. Raiden’s amulet, however, cracks further, a sign that future events remain unchanged. Disappointed with the sorcerer’s failure, emperor Shao Kahn orders Shang Tsung’s execution, but is convinced otherwise when the sorcerer suggests holding a second tournament in Outworld with different stakes: if Earthrealm wins, Outworld will leave them alone forever, but if Outworld wins, they will be allowed to invade Earthrealm uninhibited. Though he initially refuses, Raiden relents when Tarkatans invade Earthrealm as part of Shang Tsung’s blackmail against Earthrealm.
During the second tournament, Bi-Han’s younger brother Kuai Liang decides to become the new Sub-Zero, and he and his friend Smoke arrive to avenge his brother. They are followed by Lin Kuei cyber assassins Sektor and Cyrax who are tasked with retrieving the rogue warriors for cybernetic conversion. Raiden changes the timeline by rescuing Smoke from being converted, at the cost of Kuai Liang being taken away. Kitana, the adopted daughter of Shao Kahn, chooses to join Earthrealm’s fight after learning of the existence of her half-Tarkatan clone Mileena, created by Shang Tsung on Shao Kahn’s orders, with Kitana’s childhood friend Jade, joining her later. In a bid to save Earth, Raiden substitutes Kung Lao in place of Liu Kang during the tournament. Following his victory over Shang Tsung, the ruler of Netherrealm, Quan Chi, and the fire-breathing Kintaro, Kung Lao’s neck is snapped by Shao Kahn while his back was turned, killing him, with Liu Kang retaliating and mortally wounding the emperor in a fit of rage. Raiden’s amulet continues to deteriorate and he becomes increasingly concerned.
Shao Kahn is healed by Quan Chi, at which point the two realms enter into an alliance. Quan Chi also revives and brainwashes Shao Kahn’s long-dead wife, Sindel. In doing so, the ward that prevents Kahn’s physical access to Earthrealm is nullified and a full-scale invasion is now possible. Raiden saves Johnny Cage from certain death by slaying the centaurian Motaro. Joined by police officers Stryker and former Black Dragon member Kabal, the Earthrealm fighters attempt to stop Kahn’s invasion. Kintaro severely burns Kabal but he is revived by Kano, which greatly increases Kabal’s speed. Kahn dramatically enhances Sindel’s power by sacrificing Tsung, taking the souls he has stolen for centuries and infusing them into Sindel.
Raiden and Liu Kang travel to appeal to the Elder Gods, requesting they stop Shao Kahn’s invasion. The Elder Gods refuse, saying that Kahn’s invasion does not violate their laws, and that only attempting to merge Earthrealm into Outworld would be a violation.
While Raiden and Liu Kang are away, Sindel leads an Outworlder attack on the heroes. In the battle, many of the assembled warriors are killed by Sindel, and Kitana is brutally beaten. Before Sindel can kill her, Nightwolf intervenes and sacrifices himself in order to kill her. Raiden and Liu Kang return soon after, and Kitana dies of her wounds after sharing her final words with Liu Kang, leaving Cage and Sonya Blade as the only survivors, but both of them are too injured to continue fighting.
Raiden attempts to ally with Quan Chi, offering the souls of the deceased heroes as payment. Quan Chi declines, and reveals he already has possession of the heroes’ souls and has turned them into undead “revenants”. Quan Chi’s words make Raiden realize that “He must win” refers to Shao Kahn himself; should Kahn conquer Earthrealm without victory in Mortal Kombat, the Elder Gods will punish him. Liu Kang, angered by the seemingly pointless deaths of their allies, blames Raiden and goes to attack Shao Kahn alone. Raiden tries to stop Liu Kang, but ends up accidentally killing him when Liu Kang’s fire mixes with Raiden’s lightning, burning Liu Kang alive. Overcome with guilt, Raiden surrenders to Shao Kahn, at which point, the Elder Gods intervene, imbuing Raiden with their power, which he then uses to defeat and kill Shao Kahn for violating the Mortal Kombat code.
After Shao Kahn’s death, Raiden vows to rebuild Earthrealm with Cage and Blade. Quan Chi, now shown to be an agent of Shinnok, the exiled Elder God of darkness, reveals that the destruction of Shao Kahn and the weakening of Earthrealm by the death of their fighters was part of their plan to conquer all the realms for their own bidding.
Source : Wikipedia
