Ever since the release of the first title in the early nineties, theMortal Kombatseries has been a stalwart of the fighting game genre. There may have been some ups and downs over the years asMortal Kombatfaced stiff competition and temporarily lost some of its magic, but the last few entries have shown that the franchise is still something to be reckoned with, and fans are more than ready forMortal Kombat 12. Reportedly due to release later this year, there wasn’t a whole lot of fanfare forMortal Kombat 12’s initial announcement, but help for building hype might have just come from an unlikely source.
Mortal Kombat 12is up against some formidable competition, not just because there are some highly anticipated games set to release in 2023, but also because competitorStreet Fighter 6is set to launch in June of this year too.Mortal Kombat 11was well-received by fans and critics, but due to the lack of major coverage ahead of its sequel’s release, players haven’t really had achance to get excited aboutMortal Kombat 12yet. However, the success of HBO’sThe Last of Usadaption and itsMortal Kombatreference might catapult the upcoming game to new levels.
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Mortal Kombat’s The Last Of Us Connection
Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Uswas a massive hit when it was first released back in 2013. With its heart-wrenching story, pulse-pounding gameplay, and exploration of the human side of a post-apocalyptic world,The Last of Uswas a masterpiece of character-focused gaming. It secured itself among the list of some of the best and most beloved games ever made in the minds of many, and it was unsurprisingly followed by a critically-lauded sequel, a remaster, and a recent television adaption.
HBO’sThe Last of Uswas a faithful adaption of the first game for the most part, but it also added its own interpretations and embellishments, including during the flashback episode that covers themall excursion inThe Last of Us: Left Behind. In the narrative DLC, Ellie and Riley visit an old arcade and imagine playing a fictional fighting game calledAngel Knives. Many have seen this as a reference toMortal Kombat, especially with the line from the announcer telling the player to “finish him,” an immortal phrase fans of the games will be familiar with. However, the HBO series took this a step further and actually had Ellie and Riley playMortal Kombat 2before their fateful encounter with a Clicker.
How Naughty Dog Could Help Mortal Kombat 12
HBO’s series has been an undeniable hit with both fans ofThe Last of Usfranchise and people who have never even picked up a controller, and being linked to the series can onlyhelp raiseMortal Kombat’s profilewith a variety of different audiences.Mortal Kombat 11might only have been released a few years ago, but the gaming world moves quickly, and the franchise has to work hard to make sure it isn’t drowned out by other competing IPs. Thanks to its prominent cameo in a significant episode inThe Last of UsTV adaption,Mortal Kombathas been temporarily pushed to the front of the public consciousness once more.
Its spot inThe Last of Us,especially in its arcade cabinet form, should provide a welcome hit of nostalgia for fans of the series, and could potentially pique the interest of new players as well. IfMortal Kombat 12is still aiming to release this year, it needs to start ramping up its marketing ahead of the game’s launch to ensure that it has a solid start.The Last of Usmight have given the series an unexpected boost, but now it’s up to NetherRealm Studios to capitalize on it.
Mortal Kombat 12is in development.
MORE:Mortal Kombat 12 Should Steer Clear of its Rumored 2023 Release Date
