Horror is not always a genre that fans would have instantly associated with NetherRealm’sMortal Kombatfranchise, nor is it still defined by any genre it has dipped its toes into. However,Mortal Kombat Xsort of became a horror installment in its own right—not because of its macabre injury and death animations, but because of the guest characters it chose to feature in post-launch DLC.
Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, the Predator, and the Xenomorph all made an unmistakable imprint onMortal Kombat Xand perfectly suited the game’s grisly tone.Mortal Kombat 12has fairly large shoes to fill coming off of a popular entry inMortal Kombat 11, a game whose own post-launch DLC included some fan-favorite guest characters as well. If it wants to continue down a route of horror, though, it should look no further thanDead Space’s Isaac Clarke.
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Mortal Kombat 12 Needs to Get Creative with Guest Characters
The only downside toMortal Kombatgames having iconic guest charactersin the past is that it meansMortal Kombat 12has a tough task ahead of it. Each new game has to try to outdo its predecessor. WithMortal Kombat XandMortal Kombathaving franchise-defining DLC characters, it could be difficult for NetherRealm to think of any top-tier-choices that have not already been tapped.
Mortal Kombat Xgrabbed as many iconic slasher characters as it could, for example, whileMortal Kombat 11grabbed iconic action movie charactersand miscellaneous characters such as Spawn and the Joker. Of course, the guest characters that NetherRealm decides upon forMortal Kombat 12will be decided by what tone the installment is going for.Mortal Kombat XandMortal Kombat 11are drastically different, andMortal Kombat12could be equally polarizing.
NetherRealm’s Ed Boon has already commented onThe Last of Us’ Elliejoining the nextMortal Kombat, with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann following that up by asking if a bloater would be considered instead. But if NetherRealm wants to take the path of being even more graphic and gory than before, it has a great guest character already lined up from EA Motive’s recentDead Spaceremake.
Isaac Clarke would be perfect forMortal Kombat 12because of how prominent he is again as an iconic character, but also simply because his science-fiction weapons and attack style would translate well into aMortal Kombatgame. Isaac would likely be a ranged fighter with weak melee skills besides his heavy haymaker and brutal stomp.
Having to constantly wrench necromorphs off of him could make Isaac a half-decent grappler, but he would probably want to keep his distance and draw the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, or Flamethrower to keep opponents at bay. Fatalities and Brutalities of Isaac’s could come directly fromDead Spacegames, even if they were as simple as dismembering the opponent down to a torso before stomping their head into a pulp, but could also invite necromorphs themselves to appear and attack the opponent—such as an Infector turning the opponent into a necromorph.
The potential for Isaac inMortal Kombat 12would be endless, especially if each of his weapons andeach necromorph type inDead Spacewere considered, and his myriad suits could be represented as skins. Further, Isaac’s RIG could represent his health bar on his back and turn red when his health was close to being depleted.
Mortal Kombat 12is currently in development.
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