Mortal Kombat 1's story looks to have a good hook, but it will need to do a good job of explaining itself to justify its direction. The trailer did an admirable job of building anticipation, showing the new version of the world as well as some stunning examples of the game's new graphics. There are still plenty of unanswered questions, particularly in regard to the plot. Similarly to the tournaments and Shao Kahn's plans, there is always a reason for battle in the Mortal Kombat games. Mortal Kombat 1 will need to provide those answers for itself as well.
In the ending of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang, having ascended to become Fire God Liu Kang, uses his newfound power to create a new timeline. After all the suffering that has come about due to figures such as Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, and most recently Kronika, he wants to undo all the damage that has been done. His hope was for a world where none of those crimes would come to pass, where evil wouldn't have had the successes that drove it to that point. With that as his goal, he created the timeline that would become Mortal Kombat 1's setting.
Mortal Kombat 1's New World Isn't as Peaceful as it Seems, and Fans Need an Explanation
This vision may have been contradicted now that Mortal Kombat 1 has been revealed, though. At the beginning of the trailer, it seems that Liu Kang's vision has come to pass. Characters with infamous rivalries such as Sub-Zero and Scorpion and Kitana and Mileena are shown to be coexisting peacefully. However, about halfway through the trailer, the fighting begins once more, with Mortal Kombat's typical level of violence ensuing. Even Liu Kang himself isn't immune, with him executing some brutal violence of his own. Mortal Kombat 1's timeline is not one that is free of violence, but the question is how such a thing happened.
If Liu Kang intended to create a peaceful world, there needs to be a reason why Mortal Kombat 1's returning combatants are fighting again. If the new timeline was supposed to be one of peace and tranquility, then something must have gone wrong. Otherwise, the trailer wouldn't have taken such a gory turn. Although little of the actual story has been revealed, what can be confirmed is that Liu Kang's new world was not as perfect as intended.
Somehow, strife and cruelty were reintroduced, and the cycle of Mortal Kombat's violent history appears to be set to begin again in Mortal Kombat 1's timeline. Even though Liu Kang created the new timeline, other forces are likely at play. Considering how many gods are in Mortal Kombat's wide cast of characters, one of them could have reintroduced the sort of corruption that causes people to turn to villainy, bringing crime and war back to the world.
Not to mention, there are some characters such as Shang Tsung and Quan Chi who could simply have not changed and simply returned to their usual underhanded ways, prompting Liu Kang's rage. Whatever the case, Mortal Kombat 1 needs a clear explanation for what caused its timeline to turn out this way.
As the next chapter in the series, Mortal Kombat 1 needs to bring its own satisfying story. It's already off to an intriguing start, but following up on Kronika's plans from Mortal Kombat 11 will be a tall order. There is still a lot about the timeline that still needs to be explained. Whether old rivalries will boil over once more, remain peaceful, or if the worlds will erupt into war once more, there is a lot at stake that hinges on these questions. Mortal Kombat 1's story will need to answer all of this and more.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
