Mortal Kombat 11 is five years old today. Although the 11 at the end of the title might suggest otherwise, this was actually an unusual game in many ways. As much as it represented the final chapter in a long-running story, I like to also think of Mortal Kombat 11 as the last game of its kind from developer NetherRealm.
No, it wasn’t its last fighting game, or even the last Mortal Kombat. But, as I look back at how the studio (and the industry at large)has changed its output in the half-decade since, I can’t help but lament what we’re stuck with today.