#I HATE MK12

[2802mi]

THERE ARE RULES--

Honestly, Cyrax from MK12 would never survive in Midway Era.

[den-kunn]

order of darkness bitomas where they make each other worse <333

[waw1x]

Also-

Not Hanzo having probably the worst design he could possibly ever have, nah nah,,, like- BOY WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS GOOFY ASS DESIGN OMG 💀💀💀💀,,, The bright yellow is not going well and less more when used in the hood.

They tried to mimic his Snowblind design but in a terrible way wtf. It feels like I'm looking at a fucking recolor of it but with super bright and ugly colours LMAO

And like,,, ummm,, HELLO?! WHITE SPECTRE EYES WHERE UH???... UH??!?!?!?!? Like, why does he have them when he gets mad?! It doesn't make sense. He should have them at all times.

The only thing I like are the claw things on his hands (idk what they are called lol)

Although, he does look cool with the flaming skull (because he doesn't have the ugly ass hood,, duh)

I'm sorry about this rant, It's just that- GRRRRGARRRAA WHY CAN'T THEY MAKE AT LEAST SOMETHING GOOD AAAAAA

[mrstsung]

He

Only he

Is the good thing about mk12/mk1

And even then

That's not the best shang tsung

This is

Shang tsung is continuingly proving that his character is the only interesting character in mk rn. And it sucks. I say this as an absolute shang tsung tsimp and president supreme of the shang tsung defense squad and leader of the shang tsimps.

Like i love mk12/mk1 shang tsung ONLY IN AESTHETIC. and his Voice actor,alan lee is amazing but like i still stand on. He's held back. If the storymode wasn't shitty. He would be perfect for a young and scholarly shang tsung.

I don't hate mk12/mk1 shang tsung

I hate that he's attached to a shitty mk game.

He deserves better.

So so so much better.

[arttrampbelle]

Making shang tsung a literal snake oil salesman in mk"1" is absolutely an insult to his character. And making him "lesser" of a villain just to uplift everyone else.

Its weak writing. and pathetic even.

None of you, minus a few people on here,are even remotely fans of shang tsung let alone mortal kombat.

They can't write competent villains anymore even if their lives were on the line.

Like fr

It's an insult.

Shang tsung deserves better as a villain and og big bad.

No he doesn't need to be the main bad guy. But he still needs to be important and not some jobber pos.

Do not fucking insult shang tsung's intelligence. This isn't just because he's blorbo.

Im sick of them having a character that is supposedly scary smart and weakening them on purpose for plot convenience!!!

Especially if they are a notorious character for being cunning and ruthless. Even during shang's more "humbler" days he was a deadly warrior. A WARRIOR!!!

Not some bitch who sells snake oil. You know who did that? Kollector and maybe quan chi.

Why the fuck are you gonna do this to shang when we got the most bad ass iteration of him in mk11?! Hmmm?!!!!

Like anyone who remotely loves shang or calls themselves a fan of shang. A shang main. Or has any shred of respect for his character.

WOULD NOT STAND FOR THAT HORSESHIT!

Do yourself a favor. Fucking chuck this game into a fucking dumpster fire.

Srsly.

[ntaras]

his voice becomes softer when he asks sareena why she helped him what if i jumped off the bridge with quan chi

[gothmileena]

honestly lowkey surprised to see how many people reacting negatively to the trailer? ive been saying to friends that we don’t really know much of anything yet, other than this basically being a partial roster reveal and a confirmation of what we’ve all suspected since mk11 ended (fresh timeline) so that’s not really much of a surprise either. Imo the biggest thing here was a release date + preorder announcement. (Speaking of, I don’t believe Shang Tsung will end up being a preorder only bonus. Dlc? Oh yeah absolutely but I can’t see them restricting him like that. If anything it’ll just be a waiting period before the rest of us get our hands on him.) We don’t even know which Sub Zero that was lmao there’s still really not much story knowledge to be had.

We’ll definitely be getting more information the closer we get to the release date, whether via official channels or leaks, and with that I’ll form more of a solid anticipatory opinion on my expectations but right now it feels too early to go anywhere past ‘oh shit new game this year!’ because we really don’t. Have anything outside of that? Unless some of y’all have inside sources you aren’t sharing djfkfkf in which case, sharing is caring.

I’m excited to potentially see more of Edenia and I’m really curious about what Liu Kang’s version of events will look like. I’m also wondering if they end up pulling something similar to Dark Raiden with Human Raiden where it only lasts for like like half an hour and then he’s normal again, I think that’d be a bit funny. If they let me run around and explore I will be absolutely fucking Delighted. If they have some sort of create a fighter thing going on? (Liu Kang’s voiceover maybe might possibly have hinted it?? Could just be wishful thinking on my end) I would be even more thrilled if that were the case. The tag team thing from what I understand of it now does confuse me a bit, and if given the choice I’d prefer a larger roster over a tag in format, but like I said, I’ll hold off on any strong feelings about that until I see more of it.

Also I think I’m more relaxed about the announcements for this franchise because it’s not like a new timeline completely negates the old one. Normally time travel and its related tropes kill my interest on arrival, but with mk it always struck me as more exploratory than anything else. What I’m saying is you can still vibe with other timelines more than the new one and they’re all still equally canon since they exist separately. 30 years of canon would be an unholy mess to keep track of if they intended to have it all be continuous, from a storytelling perspective having multiple timelines was probably the best choice they could have made with the circumstances given.

Idk I’m just interested to see where this goes and excited to see more from this universe, and it feels like some people are just determined to find something to pick apart no matter what. There will be more than enough space for criticism once we get the final product, a two minute cinematic showing off a partial roster and what will almost definitely be some fatalities isn’t enough to go off of yet. I’ll definitely be finding something in the new game to latch onto in canon and have fun with & I’m looking forward to seeing what aspects of it end up resonating with me in the end

[crystalbeastsquidney]

Girl what the fuck did they do to Raiden they turned my man into a fucking twunk 😭😭😭

[miraclethecrystalwolf]

Surely torturous relationship between Kabal and Sonya will be disappeared in MK12/the new future game, because I hate when NRS keeps Kabal as a bad guy multiple times😒

[spiderkillerwarrior666]

[scalproie]

for the character ask game: kuai, hanzo, bi-han, and smoke with 12, 15-20, and 22 :)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Kuai: I like to think that in the 2nd timeline, post-alliance, kuai wouldve unknowingly taken some inspiration from hanzo's leadership of the shirai ryu to lead his own clan, reforming a lot of stifling rules to establish more of a community within the lin kuei members.

Hanzo: And similarly, especially after the trauma of having lost his entire clan, hanzo wouldve also unknowingly picked up a few things from kuai to lead the new shirai ryu, but rather than making changes to his clan's rules, he's doing most of the work on HIMSELF to lead it more "efficiently" and avoid past tragedies from happening again. Which, if mk11 didnt happened, would have resulted in both clans being similar enough that they have no issue partnering and temporarily switching members for missions, and, should it ever come to that, could even be merged as a single clan (as they once were after all), all thanks to the efforts of their grandmasters.

Bi-han: In the 1st and 2nd timeline, I wanna think bi-han initially did wanted to take the masters' attention and implied abuse away from kuai by being a cocky (but talented) little shit, but over the years the act became who he is as a person as he rose through the ranks to become the lin kuei's best assassin.

Smoke: 2nd timeline smoke literally Came Back Wrong, its impossible to tell where tomas the human boy sacrificed by a cult ends and where enenra the smoke demon begins, is he a human posessed by a demon? or a demon with a human's memory? He is neither completely from earthrealm nor the netherrealm, he belongs nowhere, hence why he has found a home in, and is extra protective of, the few friends he has made.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Subscorp for kuai and hanzo, Bireena for bi-han, and I guess Subsmoke wins by default for tomas (obv not the mk12 one). Im a basic bitch what can I say.

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Everything else, im not a multishipper

17. What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with?

Again I guess I'll go with subsmoke

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Kuai and hanzo in the 2nd timeline over the course of three games... pretty good👍 (<- rewrote my brain chemistry). Bi-han and hanzo's rivalry is great. Smoke is underutilized but I do love that he and kuai will be friends in every timeline

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

EVERY relationship they all have could be better bc sadly we get our storytelling from a fucking fighting game, but I want kuai to have a better (not necessarily more positive) dynamic with frost, I want hanzo and harumi's relationship to be done justice, I want bi-han to have his childhood as well as kuai's explored and their history toward each other as brothers deepened (1st and 2nd timeline ESPECIALLY bc man. fuck mk12) and I want smoke to form one meaningful relationship that isnt tied to kuai.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Kuai: kitana

Hanzo: harumi/kenshi/jax/sonya (legends). For the loner of mk, he sure has a lot of bestie potential

Bi-han: sareena (the brotherhood of shadows really)/sektor & cyrax/fujin (I stand that he and fujin would have the funniest dynamic, especially as noob saibot. I want them to have a 80s buddy cop-like adventure together)

Smoke: jade/reptile/johnny

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

WHEN ITS WRITTEN BY MY FRIENDS honestly my wants are simple: I just like when theyre written as adult men raised in a very isolated at best, oppressive at worst (for the lin kueis in particular) environment with lots of unadressed trauma, I also dont like when theyre written as TOO openly romantic, these four men are aaall about repression of feelings (hanzo a little less so) so it'd all be about the subtle, little things. and pining for ages.

[gophergal]

But what if Scorpion is Kuai Liang?

In mk12? I believe it would be a dumb choice. But it also wouldn't be the first stupid choice that I think nrs has made for this franchise

Not to be the "they changed it, so now it sucks" person, but I really don't like the majority of things in the reboot timeline. MKX is an exception because it feels fresh, but keeps the core of certain characters (such as Kuai being a mentor). Otherwise, I dislike the setup of 9 (because I actually like Armageddon and it retcons the story to make Taven a pointless character) and the introduction of time travel in 11 destroys the stakes of the universe. The only thing that would make it worse is if they added a multiverse. Time fuckery and multiverse bullshit are fun in fanfic and non-canon stories, but I hate when franchises add them to the main storyline.

Sorry for that aside. Ah, my point is that I think that Kuai being Scorpion would be a dumb choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. I have little faith in NRS

Regardless, I'm not playing it, since I don't have a PS5, and I'm not interacting with the plot/story/ect as an act of self care

[1-up-chump]

OK LIKE im sorry but i am so fucking angry i am genuinely pissed off they made raoden look dogtshit in design like i had to pay attention to distinguish raiden and (great??) kung lao and STILL had a hard time bc raiden's design is so boring.

Which kung lao even is this?????

Wtf is going on with kitana and mileena????

Kenshi is there i guess and thats cool

Liu kang has no white hair so -10000000/10

Liu kang also sucks ass he is already so insufferable i hate it why did they do that to him i hope he becomes a twist boss to fight and kill bc i want to free him of these dogshit ass fuck decisions WHY

Also where was shang tsung??? Like u kill him off in the trailers so easy like that? His ass better have a big role we did not just get god shang in mk11 just for us to get crumbs

Mk12 (i refuse to even call it one it is NOT a replacement nor an enhancement) is really just a cash grab bc if it actually cared about long time mk fans they'd give raiden some fuckin drip bc even in his simple robes of even his simpler designs still had some semblance of recognition

[mrstsung]

I want this shang but only the version in my head. Only the version i handcrafted away from the narrative and the hype schlock that was mk12/mk1. The version that is his humble beginnings,freshly cursed by the gods,former warrior of earthrealm,having a falling out with his former friend and mentor lord raiden and cohersd by shao kahn to serve under him thus betraying earthrealm. The version i handcrafted and carefully made with love. Tho it can apply to any and many of the various iterations of shang tsung over the years. I feel a young shang's misadventures is long overdue or at least a proper backstory that isn't overtaken and overshadowed by corporate meddling. (I would absolutely love to have mr.tagawa's input more on this personally,and his opinions and thoughts on my backstory for shang. But alas maybe some day)

But anywho. A young shang tsung would be nice but better written or given at least a better script.

Because mr. Alan lee is such an amazing talent. And i feel he deserves so much better as shang tsung,one of THE if not THE MOST iconic antagonist of the mortal kombat series. (As with many other actors and VA for said character.)

Like this shang's aesthetics(minus the claws gauntlets tho they are growing on me but they could look better. Maybe more snake or dragon motifs?),the charm is there,the feeling,the attitude,the actor does an amazing job,but the problem is....legitimately....everything else. When your "antag" is better than everyone else,and i mean that genuinely. Better than the script and plot,better than the protags,better than the other antagonists,etc. Then....it's not good. Of course i love shang and want a win for him once. Especially now he has legitimate reasons why he does what he does,why he is how he is,and you genuinely feel sorry for him,and want to hug him,give him a friend,ffs you just go "ah fuck man, you good?" Yeah. He actually has something shown at least. Not my personal flavor. However for canon to be bold enough to do so is shocking. But what pisses me off as a fan of both mk and shang tsung. Is that...

1. It took them waaaaay too long to make that happen.

2. It doesn't feel sincere even when they did.

3. It feels rushed and plot convenient. And centering shang's whole backstory around liu kang instead of well....shang tsung. At least it feels that way. It doesn't feel like the character has agency. So it feels like a half assed apology for doing shang dirty.

So that's why i don't like the story that shang is centered around. Now if we take the character,the concept of a shang tsung down on his luck,barely surviving off of scraps,even tho he serves a powerful kingdom and emperor with a cushy job as a court mage. That i would love to see. That's exactly how i always saw his og backstory, if you want him to rectify mistakes ACTUALLY FUCKING DO IT AND NOT BACKTRACK FOR STATUS QUO FOR YOUR "PROTAGS OR HEROES" TO WIN!!!! Like holy shit dude. Like crap,the Fanfics are better than canon writing and nrs knows it! They seem to even try to copy what we as fans to but fail so hard. But it's sad it feels so half assed when a "professional gaming company" is supposed to make this. But i feel its corporate meddling,and Hollywood greed that prevents this series,at least storywise and narratively from reaching its true potential.

Sorry for this vent. But this character I'm very very passionate about. But mostly this game series. I love this game. I love playing it. Almost all the games. It's my childhood as many others. And I'm not gonna stand for mediocrity and slander to one of my faves.

But anyways. Enough rambling. Back to shang.

Like mk12/mk1 shang tsung isn't bad at least looks wise. No more different than anyone else. But it still bothers me they all look "samey" and not in a memey,jokey,fun way. It looks sloppy next to him. Ignoring everyone else around him,looking at shang individually. Omfg he's a cutie. He's smug,he's the shang i know n love but just....younger. like in His 30s or so. Around my age. Which is cool. But....i still kinda wish his old man shang wasn't a ruse. I ignore it was a ruse tho so it doesn't count. In fact like i said. I'm rewriting the whole thing period.

Will it be kinda self indulgent? Maybe a bit self inserty,Yes. But i don't care. Because he deserves better than that.

We owe it to mr.tagawa. to shang's character. To all the voice actors and actors and amazing talent over the 30+yrs mk has been around. We deserve a good story,a better story,and even more so,a better fucking game. To play. To learn. To have fun with. Without paying and arm and a leg to even access it. Period.

Shang tsung baby you deserve better. So so so much better.

[arttrampbelle]

Blocking anything related to the new mortal kombat game is great because to me it doesn't exist.

And I'm fine with ignoring it. And skipping this game. Because honestly im not missing much with how they've been writing. Srsly. You legit can skip a game and not really fucking miss much because guess what?!

Nrs retcons everything in its previous games because they can't fucking write worth a shit.

Writing themselves into corner after corner.

So yeah....no more mk games for me unless they really really really wow me. But i doubt they ever fucking will. Because they fucked up something so simple. And still aint get it right.

If i do any other mk media imma pirate that shit. Im not giving nrs nor wb any more of my fucking money if i can help it.

Continued Vent in tags

[ntaras]

this is a little analysis on shang tsung/appreciation for how good of a villain he is

we all already know shang tsung is an amazing character (especially thanks to cary-hiroyuki tagawa) but his role in mk12 was genuinely the biggest highlight of the game (ignoring the very lame boss fight but we can’t blame him for that). despite how nearly everyone did not like the multi-universe plot twist, no one hated the fact that it was shang tsung from another timeline screwing everything up- because how can you hate that? as annoying as the reveal is, the set up for it was amazing.

for convenience sake i’m going to refer to alt-timeline shang tsung as aftermath!shang tsung and mk12 timeline shang tsung as shang tsung.

aftermath!shang tsung got what he wanted: power over everything and liu kang destroyed/corrupted. he was living in his paradise already, and didn’t need to do anything else to achieve the great evil he’s already become. but then he found out that liu kang was happy and at peace and he just couldn’t help himself. he just had to squirm his way into liu kang’s timeline and ruin everything. for what reason? none. he’s just petty like that. and he likes being petty like that. he wants to ruin liu kang’s chance at happiness. he wanted to corrupt everything liu kang built- and that included himself.

the ultimate thing aftermath!shang tsung could do was ruin liu kang by first corrupting himself- by corrupting shang tsung. and you know aftermath!shang tsung did not give a genuine care about shang tsung because he thinks himself better- and is better (as he calls shang tsung a lesser form of himself due to being made by liu kang and simply not being aftermath!shang tsung). his deceit makes shang tsung look as pathetic as he did at the start of the game, sulking in the rain in front of his trailer.

“if it’s revenge you want, have at it.” and aftermath!shang tsung did as shang tsung said. aftermath!shang tsung wanted revenge against liu kang’s timeline because that timeline was a personal attack against aftermath!shang tsung. of course, he doesn’t succeed in ending that timeline, but he sure does succeed in fucking up any chance at peace in that timeline.

“if it’s restitution, there’s nothing left.” shang tsung says this in regards to the possibility of this “dissatisfied customer” coming to take back what shang tsung took away (money, a loved one’s life, etc.), but aftermath!shang tsung knows that it’s shang tsung that got everything taken away from him. through shang tsung’s pov, it’s him who deserves restitution as it was liu kang, his creator, responsible for holding him back/taking away the power he thought he deserved. and aftermath!shang tsung manipulates this desire for power and a want to escape the life he currently lives in shang tsung perfectly, by taking advantage of all the traits aftermath!shang tsung knows in himself so well.

shang tsung’s word in his official bio is “influence”, and aftermath!shang tsung elevates shang tsung to obtain some degree of influence, but you know who really influenced everything? aftermath!shang tsung.

the reveal that there’s someone better than shang tsung is so satisfying. to actually witness the shock of damashi’s reveal and the shocked “you’re me!” from shang tsung made me so giddy when i rewatched that scene. plus, how liu kang basically called shang tsung stupid (“you are a victim of deception” code for “you’re a dumbass”), and liu kang has that right because he knows how naive his shang tsung is compared to aftermath!shang tsung. it makes you realize that wow, shang tsung is so small compared to what he was before. and now he has this idea even further implanted in him that he deserves to usurp liu kang, and will become an even more deadly threat in this timeline as he tries to elevate himself to the level of treachery that aftermath!shang tsung was. it might take a while for him to get that level (who knows if he’ll even reach that level), but you know he’s going to grow himself into one of the most hostile forces to be born in liu kang’s timeline.

it’s really sad that we aren’t going to see aftermath!shang tsung again, but his presence was at least one of the best performances he gave.